Lady Evelina sat comfortably on her chair, one leg crossed over the other, a glass of tea resting lightly in her hand. Before her stood the mistresses... her students now... each of them selected to be shaped into women worthy of standing beside the king.
Her gaze lingered on Rosalind in particular. Unlike the others, she did not appear attentive, and that lack of interest did not go unnoticed. Lady Evelina found it quietly disrespectful, and it only confirmed what the king had implied... that this one would require proper handling.
"You must be the new mistress…" Lady Evelina said at last, her eyes settling fully on Rosalind. "What is your name?"
Rosalind drew in a breath before answering, "Rosalind Calder."
"A beautiful name," Lady Evelina mused, taking a slow sip of her tea. "You may call me Evelina. From now on, I will be teaching you alongside the others. They have already progressed quite far, so I trust you will make the effort to catch up."
