Sisters of String and Glass, Part 41

Chapter Eleven – continued

“That can’t be right,” Abigail said the next morning when Camille finally caught her in the gardens. She was carefully gathering sprigs of rosemary and mint to complete the tea Muriel had arranged. Her basket was already overflowing with dew-kissed vegetables.

Camille sighed, the exasperated sound coming out harder than she expected. “I heard it myself, Abigail. Madeline said she has you in the palm of her hand. You must stop interacting with her.”

“She’s my sister. How do I do that?”

“Just…tell her you’re too tired or too busy.” Camille threw her hands up in the air. “I don’t know, Abigail! But you cannot continue to help her.”

Abigail rose, slipping the shears into the basket, carefully to not nick any of the vegetables and herbs. “Why not? If she wants to marry Adrian and he agrees, I don’t see what the problem is.” She moved to walk past Camille to re-enter the kitchens. “Honestly, Camille, it’s not our choice.”

“But,” Camille started, whirling around just as the door banged shut behind her sister.

She let out a frustrated sound. Perhaps it would have helped if she’d told her sister her intentions of marrying her off to Adrian. Perhaps her sister really didn’t see Adrian in that light. Either way, she simply could not let her gold digging stepsister marry that high into the royal family.

She would need Andalissa’s help. If anyone was keener to marry Adrian and Abigail off to each other than she was, it was Andalissa. Andalissa didn’t care a whit for Madeline, would make life miserable for the woman if she did marry Adrian.

Her lips pressed tightly together, Camille headed back into the manor through a side door, not ready to run into Abigail again in the kitchens. She needed to get back to her rooms to dress appropriately for the Prince and Princess. Andalissa had sent her a private note informing her she’d be visiting along with her parents to help smooth ruffled feathers. Camille couldn’t wait another moment to enlist her friend’s help. It could be too late any time now. Especially with Madeline waiting to make an impression on the Prince and Princess.

Camille quickly dressed in a light lavender gown and pinned a pearl and lace net over her short hair. She smiled at herself in her mirror. The short hair really did look lovely on her. Abigail had been horrified when she’d seen it, but even she had to admit it was very becoming on Camille.

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