Jannelle
"Now, Lady Catherine, that's quite enough." Princess Sophia's voice carries across the courtyard, sweet and gentle but somehow managing to reach every ear within fifty feet. "I won't have anyone speaking ill of poor Janelle."
I freeze in my tracks, the basket of laundry heavy in my arms. Lady Catherine Montgomery, Lord Marcus's wife looks like she's been caught gossiping by her mother. Which, in a way, she has.
"Your Highness, I was merely observing that the girl seems to have developed ideas above her station.."
"Oh, surely not," Sophia laughs, the sound like wind chimes in a gentle breeze. "Janelle is perfectly aware of her place, aren't you, dear?"
All eyes turn to me. I stand there like a deer caught by hunters, wanting nothing more than to disappear into the stone beneath my feet. "Yes, Your Highness."
"You see?" Sophia's smile is radiant. "She's learned to be quite sensible. Haven't we all made mistakes in our youth? The important thing is learning from them."
