The accusation hung in the air.
But the crowd did not gasp this time. They looked confused. They began to murmur.
Why would Ines Hamilton write a diary about stalking her own fiancé? Why would Ines Hamilton write about hating herself?
It didn't make sense.
To the crowd, it looked like a desperate woman trying to blame her rival for her own madness.
The murmur broke like a wildfire, spreading through the room. It started as a low buzz near the front, where the Queen sat, and rushed all the way to the back where the servants stood.
Fans snapped open and shut. People whispered behind their hands. The accusation hung in the air, heavy and poisonous.
Lady Ines Hamilton is Arthur Pendleton.
Her majesty turned her head slowly. Her heavy wig did not wobble. She looked at Ines with eyes that were sharp and assessing.
