A Royal Enticement

Lady Margaret de la Fontaine was the forgotten lady in waiting.  She didn’t mind…most of the time.  She liked working with Lady Savannah and the others and believed whole-heartedly in what the queen was trying to achieve in their small country of Merveille.  She just wished that someone would notice her, just once.

Queen Alyssa’s ladies in waiting had, one by one, met and fallen in love with their dream partners, all except Margaret, not that anybody had given her single status another thought.  That didn’t mean she didn’t also wish for someone to love, but she wasn’t holding her breath, especially since her best friend, Lady Hadley Winchester, was now part of the ladies in waiting.  It seemed the newest member of the group was a hit with everyone, including the queen, which was great but once again left Margaret as the wallflower.

Until Brín.

Brín noticed the sweet wee Maggie standing against the wall while everyone else at the ball danced and chatted.  He felt a kinship with her, even across the room and sought her out for a little bit of harmless flirting.  He was supposed to be checking out the candidates for his arranged marriage, but he really wasn’t keen on the whole idea.  He understood his responsibility as the lost heir of a broken down estate that was haemorrhaging money, but he didn’t really see himself as the marrying kind…and even if he did, he’d want to do it for love, not money.

Brín was immediately taken with Lady Margaret, but alas, she was not the debutante his advisors had picked out for him.  That honour went to Maggie’s best friend, Lady Hadley.  But what was a newly minted earl to do when he had the livelihoods of several staff and families to look after?  Not to mention, if he didn’t find a solution he may very well lose the estate and the title that went with it.