Jaspar found herself seated and given a glass of water.
‘Lady Jasmine you are only in shock. Fear not. The troops will soon catch the royalist’ Someone was holding Jaspar’s hand feeling her pulse. Jaspar’s brow was been wiped with a damp cloth. She looked up to see the face of her nurse. It was none other than the old witch, Lady Sascheme. ‘You did well girl. Spotting a would be assassin when all these guards could not. I am impressed’
Jaspar realised she was seated on Duke Henry’s chair.
In turn each of the committee came and thanked her. Jaspar did not wish their thanks. She wished them dead. Her plot had failed, worse she had perhaps betrayed a royalist assassin, she prayed silently that the man had escaped. She did not want his execution on her conscience.
Eventually the Countess came to her and assisted her to her feet. ‘Come inside Lady Jasmine. You are the hero of the day. We are to continue the ceremonies away from the public eye’
Jasmine found herself back in the room where the bridesmaids had prepared Lady Maria. This time it was Jaspar they attended to. She found herself stripped of her dress, which was to be quickly cleaned. Evidently it had been soiled when Richard had thrown her to the ground.
The bridesmaids were fawning over her saying how she was a hero. Meanwhile the bride kept repeating her mantra ‘I love Lord Marcus. I am going to marry Lord Marcus’
Lady Felicity reapplied Jaspar’s make-up and Lady Joanna brushed her hair. They both commented on Jaspar’s brassiere and Jaspar had to explain its function. She felt much calmer once Lady Brook was bought to her for suckling.
Jaspar spent that nursing time contemplating why the amulet had not worked. Could it be that she was not actually under any threat when she invoked its power? She hoped that was the answer.
In time her once more spotless dress was returned and the bridesmaids helped Jaspar into it. The wedding was to resume.