"Trenton?" The first Queen asks turning swiftly to face her Lady-in-waiting.
Nodding. "Yes, your Majesty."
"He... Not only did he make an appearance at the Ball, but he danced with the Diamond?"
"Yes, your Majesty. He was the only one she danced with. He and the second Prince had offered her a dance, but she accepted his."
The first Queen stared in disbelief. "Did they talk?"
"While they danced and after. Many said they looked perfect together."
"Don't get too excited, it may just have been an act." The first queen says. "But then he wouldn't care. Send someone to the Erskine Estate and let me know everything that happens there."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"And Vaughn? Where is he this morning? Did he and Trenton meet?"
Head bowed. "They did see each other, but they completely ignored each other just as they've been doing."
The Queen sighs. "Who is hosting a Ball tonight?"
~
The Erskine estate buzzed with activities, and more than the previous days, more callers arrived at the estate for the Diamond. Eddna and Joan sat excitedly beside Kidaya as she took her seat and got ready to meet her callers.
"Are you nervous?" Ralph asks her with a smile.
"With the things my ears heard yesterday, yes I am," Kidaya says.
"We can still send them away if you want me to." Ralph says, and even before Lady Erskine could cut in and tell him not to request that of her, Kidaya responded.
"No." Kidaya says. "I will receive them today. Eddna and Joan need to start making their choice for the season." She says smiling at both of them.
"I have already made my choice," Eddna says smiling up at Ralph who was looking at his sister. "I know who I want to marry."
"Already?" Lady Erskine asks coming closer with a smile. "That's wonderful, Eddna." Eddna smiles. "Who is the gentleman you have-"
"We have callers waiting, Aunt," Kidaya says giving Eddna a knowing smile. "Let's talk about it after our callers are gone."
"Okay. Okay. Where shall we start? Even the Second Prince is here." Lady Erskine says all excited.
"The rude Prince?" Kidaya asks her aunt who looks at her confused.
Ralph scoffs. "Yes, Kidaya. Even the rude Prince is here."
"Have him come in last," Kidaya says adjusting her dress.
"But-"
"Alright." Ralph says heading for the door with a knowing smile before Lady Erskine would protest.
The Gentlemen were all outside the drawing room with gifts, waiting and hoping the Diamond would accept callers today. After the Second Prince and Duke of Wethingham had asked her for a dance yesterday, it got more of the men on their toes to do something before they lost their shot at the Diamond.
The door opens and Ralph walks out, approaching the men.
"Is she not accepting callers yet again today?" A Lord asks.
With a smile, Ralph bows his head. "I do apologize that the Diamond has been unable to receive callers for days now. I also do appreciate your patience."
"Is she not seeing us today too, Lord Vanderburgh? I had to-"
"Erase your worries Lord Edward, the Diamond will receive callers today." At his words, Harlane the second Prince's guard walks out of the hallway to inform his master that the diamond will receive callers today. Ralph was still talking when the Second Prince walked in with a flower in his hand. The Prince walks straight to where Ralph was standing addressing the other Lords.
"Do I go in now?" The second Prince asks Ralph when he got to him. And at his question, murmurs began at the fact that he was attempting to be the first to see the Diamond even though he just arrived.
He offers the Prince his bow and a smile. "I am sorry Your Grace, but you'll have to go to the end of the line."
At his words, Prince Vaughn raised a brow at him.
"The Diamond wants no cheating with the line. She will accept callers' base on how they all are lined up now." As he was talking, a Lord arrives and stands at the end of the line. Smiling. "Now you will have to stand behind Lord Willsmoth."
The rest of the gentlemen stifle a laugh.
A jaw twitching, he moves back to the end of the line. Damn the First Queen and her commands. If not that she had found him snooping around the King's Personal Library searching for something, and he had to make a deal with her not to tell the King about it while in exchange, he will do whatever she wants, he wouldn't even be here. That deal had gotten him into the marriage market against his complete will, and that deal is the reason the First Queen can command him to call on any Lady bearing flowers or gifts. That same deal brought him here where he now had to stand in a line just to call on a Lady who may right now be bursting with pride that she had him wait in line just to call on her. And here he was thinking the Lady from last night's ball was the only rude one this season. Even the Queen's Diamond, was rude.
~
Hours passed and one after the other, the callers went in to see the Diamond.
"Would you like to go and return another day?" Ralph asks the Second Prince when he was the only one left in the hallway.
"Why leave now when I have already waited this long? Tell the Diamond I will wait until I can see her."
With a bow, Ralph turns and heads back into the drawing room with a mischievous smile gracing his lips. More than an hour later, the diamond was still with Lord Willsmoth. She intentionally kept the conversation going just to delay more time.
"His Grace is still waiting in the hallway. Do I ask him to come in?" Her brother asks.
"I sincerely apologize, Miss Simon for taking so much of your time. I -
"Not at all, Lord Willsmoth." Kidaya cuts in when she presumes he wanted to get up and leave. " I should -
The door to the drawing room opens and the Prince walks in.
"Your Grace!" Lady Erskine exclaims getting up on her feet from where she sat. Eddna and Joan join her with a curtsey, while Kidaya maintains her position, completely ignoring the fact that the Prince has walked in.
The Prince bows his head. "I am sorry Lady Erskine for walking in without permission. I am -
Lady Erskine moves over to where he stood. "Not at all, Your Grace, you are welcome, it is rather an honor to have you in my home. Please have a seat."
"The Diamond?" He asks his eyes searching.
Lady Erskine smiles and steps aside, allowing the Prince a view of where Kidaya sat head lowered as she took a sip from her teacup. "Bloom." Lady Erskine calls and slowly, Kidaya raises her head to look at her aunt. "His Grace -
The Prince walks over to where she sits beside Lord Willsmoth. With a fake smile on his face, he said, "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, My Lady." He says with a little bow of his head.
Slowly, Kidaya stands up and gives him a curtsey. Then more slowly, she raises up her head with a well graced smile on her face. "Your Grace." She acknowledged.
Still smiling. "You are as be-" he stills when he saw who it was that stood in front of him. He mentally froze, before batting his eyes repeatedly and looking around to the drawing room to be sure he was not looking at the wrong person. And apart from the Lady Erskine and two other younger ladies, there was no other lady in the room apart from the one in front of him. How is it she was here? "Diamond?" He says it more like a question to be sure he wasn't mistaken.
With her smile still on, she curtseys again. "Your Grace."
And that was when he began to fix the puzzle in his head. Her arrogance, how she had seen him in his carriage, his conversation yester-night with the other young Lords, her brother Lord Vanderburgh. The first night he had met her, Lord Vanderburgh had called her his sister. He should have remembered that and know she was the diamond.
She!
No wonder she was so rude. Being Diamond was part of the reason.