Chapter 2

Holy Brook Abbey stood on a mountain 40 miles northwest of Norwick, over four hours away by carriage.

I was given an old room at the back of the abbey. The curtains had yellowed with age, and the bed was hard and uncomfortable.

Lily wiped away her tears while making the bed. I sat by the window, turning the pages of a prayer book and listening to the wind sweep through the pine trees. Somehow, I found a peace there that the palace could never offer.

On the third day, someone from the palace came.

It was a young page sent by Queen Charlotte. He arrived with a cartload of supplies. There was flour, grain, oil, salt, and everything else we needed.

Lily accepted the supplies and came back looking grim. "The queen's message is clear. His Majesty couldn't care less about us. From now on, everything we eat and use here is entirely at her mercy."

I nudged the lamp wick with a pin. "Just take it. At least we have something to eat."

On the seventh day, we heard more news from the palace, passed along by a young maid Lily knew. Lady Winona was still enjoying the king's favor and had been promoted to a countess.

Lily was indignant. "Your Grace, it took you three full years to rise from a minor lady to a countess. She did it in less than a month!"

I turned another page of the prayer book. The coarse paper scraped against my fingertips, stinging slightly.

"There's one more thing." Lily bit her lip, looking hesitant. "The Rosewood Court plaque… has been taken down."

My hand froze on the book.

Lily added, "The Royal Household says it was done on His Majesty's orders. Rosewood Court has been renamed Wisteria Court and granted to Lady Winona.

"They haven't changed any of the furnishings. Even the mahogany desk in your study is still there, and the curtains too. When Lady Winona moved in, she said the court was beautifully appointed and suited her perfectly."

Rosewood Court was named after me.

When Edward had the residence built for me, he told me it was the only residence in the palace named after a consort. He said it was proof of his favor, and he wanted everyone to know how much he cherished me.

Now the plaque was gone, and so was his favor. He certainly hadn't hesitated when he made that decision.

Lily dropped to her knees when I remained silent. "Your Grace, please say something. That's your residence. It bears your name."

I closed the prayer book. "I'm gone now. It no longer belongs to me. He was the one who named it and gave it to me. If he takes it back for someone else, so be it."

Tears streamed down Lily's face. "But that's so unfair to you."

The mountain air turned cold at night. I lay beneath a thin blanket on the hard bed, listening to the steady evening chimes in the distance.

I stared up at the ceiling beam. A long, narrow crack ran across the wood, as if some insect had bored into it.

The year Rosewood Court was completed, Edward had my nickname carved into the back door of the main hall. He chose a discreet spot high above eye level, one only the two of us knew about. He said I'd see it whenever I came and went and know the place was mine.

I wonder if those letters had been scraped away too.