added,
“I may not be as eloquent as some of our historical scholars or as indiscreet as the biographers of our important citizens, but I will certainly be shorter and, I hope, more informative.”
“If you would – really do that,” Zosina said, “I should be very – grateful. But I don’t wish to be a – nuisance.”
“You could never be that!” the Regent replied with a smile. “Now let me tell you a little about the people who are here at this table and perhaps it would be politic to start with the Prime Minister.”
He looked past Zosina down the table as he spoke and she had a feeling he deliberately missed out the King who was sitting next to her.
He gave her, as he had suggested, a ‘thumbnail sketch’ of the Prime Minister which not only made her laugh, but at the same time, made her aware of him as a man as well as a personality.
The Regent came next to one of the King’s aunts and he described her in a few words that made Zosina feel as if she was a character in a novel.
He spoke of two more people and then, as he paused, she said eagerly,
“Thank you, thank you, but do go on! You make everybody you have spoken about seem so real and also exciting to get to know. Please don’t stop!”
“I am only too willing to go on,” the Regent replied. “At the same time – ”
He glanced as he spoke towards the King and Zosina realised she had committed a social error in talking to him for so long and not turning to the man on her other side, as she had been taught to do when at luncheon and dinner parties.
She was just about to say, ‘the King does not want to talk to me’, when it struck her that the Regent perhaps wanted to talk to the very attractive lady on his left.
“I am – sorry,” she said humbly. “I am being – selfish.”
As she spoke, she turned her face towards the King to find that he was sitting staring at the base of the candelabrum in front of him as if he had never seen it before.
It did not seem as if he wished to speak to her, but Zosina knew that she must make an effort and, after a moment, she said in a nervous little voice,
“I was wondering – Your Majesty, what we will be – doing tomorrow. I know there is to be a – banquet in the – evening.”
“Then you know more than I do!” the King replied disagreeably. “You don’t suppose I have had anything to do with arranging all this ballyhoo, do you?”
Zosina ignored his rudeness and went on,
“I suppose State visits and that – sort of thing must seem very – commonplace to you, Sire, but, as I have never been on one before, I find it very exciting!”
“Exciting!” the King exclaimed. “I can tell you it is a deadly bore from start to finish. The only event slightly amusing might be the masked ball.”
There was just a touch of interest in his voice and Zosina said quickly,
“A masked ball sounds thrilling. Does it take place here in the Palace?”
“Good God, no!” the King replied. “It’s for the people not for us. We are supposed to sit on our gilded thrones, taking no part in it.”
“How disappointing,” Zosina sighed. “I have never been to a masked ball, but I have heard of them and it must be fun not to know whether you are dancing with a Count or a candlestick maker, a King or a chimney sweep!”
As she spoke, she hoped that what she said would make him laugh, but he turned to look at her with what she thought was a different expression from the one he had used before.
“Are you suggesting that I should go to the ball?” he enquired.
“I may be wrong, Sire, but I have a – feeling you have been to – one already,” Zosina replied.
He stared at her, as if he was not quite certain how to take her reply. Then he said,
“You are trying to trap me. I am not going to answer that question.”
“Of course I am not trying to trap you,” Zosina answered. “If I was King, I would certainly go to a masked ball, if I had the chance.”
He did not reply and after a
“I may not be as eloquent as some of our historical scholars or as indiscreet as the biographers of our important citizens, but I will certainly be shorter and, I hope, more informative.”
“If you would – really do that,” Zosina said, “I should be very – grateful. But I don’t wish to be a – nuisance.”
“You could never be that!” the Regent replied with a smile. “Now let me tell you a little about the people who are here at this table and perhaps it would be politic to start with the Prime Minister.”
He looked past Zosina down the table as he spoke and she had a feeling he deliberately missed out the King who was sitting next to her.
He gave her, as he had suggested, a ‘thumbnail sketch’ of the Prime Minister which not only made her laugh, but at the same time, made her aware of him as a man as well as a personality.
The Regent came next to one of the King’s aunts and he described her in a few words that made Zosina feel as if she was a character in a novel.
He spoke of two more people and then, as he paused, she said eagerly,
“Thank you, thank you, but do go on! You make everybody you have spoken about seem so real and also exciting to get to know. Please don’t stop!”
“I am only too willing to go on,” the Regent replied. “At the same time – ”
He glanced as he spoke towards the King and Zosina realised she had committed a social error in talking to him for so long and not turning to the man on her other side, as she had been taught to do when at luncheon and dinner parties.
She was just about to say, ‘the King does not want to talk to me’, when it struck her that the Regent perhaps wanted to talk to the very attractive lady on his left.
“I am – sorry,” she said humbly. “I am being – selfish.”
As she spoke, she turned her face towards the King to find that he was sitting staring at the base of the candelabrum in front of him as if he had never seen it before.
It did not seem as if he wished to speak to her, but Zosina knew that she must make an effort and, after a moment, she said in a nervous little voice,
“I was wondering – Your Majesty, what we will be – doing tomorrow. I know there is to be a – banquet in the – evening.”
“Then you know more than I do!” the King replied disagreeably. “You don’t suppose I have had anything to do with arranging all this ballyhoo, do you?”
Zosina ignored his rudeness and went on,
“I suppose State visits and that – sort of thing must seem very – commonplace to you, Sire, but, as I have never been on one before, I find it very exciting!”
“Exciting!” the King exclaimed. “I can tell you it is a deadly bore from start to finish. The only event slightly amusing might be the masked ball.”
There was just a touch of interest in his voice and Zosina said quickly,
“A masked ball sounds thrilling. Does it take place here in the Palace?”
“Good God, no!” the King replied. “It’s for the people not for us. We are supposed to sit on our gilded thrones, taking no part in it.”
“How disappointing,” Zosina sighed. “I have never been to a masked ball, but I have heard of them and it must be fun not to know whether you are dancing with a Count or a candlestick maker, a King or a chimney sweep!”
As she spoke, she hoped that what she said would make him laugh, but he turned to look at her with what she thought was a different expression from the one he had used before.
“Are you suggesting that I should go to the ball?” he enquired.
“I may be wrong, Sire, but I have a – feeling you have been to – one already,” Zosina replied.
He stared at her, as if he was not quite certain how to take her reply. Then he said,
“You are trying to trap me. I am not going to answer that question.”
“Of course I am not trying to trap you,” Zosina answered. “If I was King, I would certainly go to a masked ball, if I had the chance.”
He did not reply and after a
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