Diana laughed, as they reached the bottom of the stairs. She left her mother getting her wrap and went outside to greet thetwins.
“Hello, you two. Lovely day for the fete, is itnot?”
The twins turned to her and gasped. “You look like a princess,” they both said inunison.
The Goodwin sisters were to watch the gallery for the day and were standing by admiring the dresses and making little comments betweenthemselves.
Mother and Father finally came out, and the group was ready toleave.
And just as all were assembled, the Earl’s carriage pulled up in front of the house. Two footmen descended, opened the carriage doors, and flipped down the carriage steps for the guests toenter.
Diana took her father’s arm and whispered to him, “Now you shall be able to sign your name George Browning,O.M.”
Her father looked at her and smiled but he still seemed too nervous to respondverbally.
The carriage was packed tightly with five people, and the party was mostly silent on the trip toBalfour—all a little nervous as this was their first time to be in the presence of the Queen and herConsort.
But soon the carriage pulled up at theBalfourHallentrance. The fete was not to start until noon, and the guests were to have an audience with Her Majesty before the royal party went down to the field where the fete was beingheld.
Robert, Amelia, and a representative of the Queen were at the entrance to greetthem.
Robert stepped forward as the party descended from thecarriage.
“Good morning and welcome toBalfour. You are all mostwelcome.”
And while the footmen helped most of the party out of the carriage, when it was Diana’s turn, Robert stepped forward and offered Diana hishand.
“Thank you, Milord,” Diana said. “And it is such a pleasure to be here and to see youagain.”
Diana noticed that Amelia was frowning at Robert’s offer of hishand.
Robert turned to the group and said, “Now if you will just follow us inside you will be taken to be presented to Her Majesty. Please do not feel nervous, as she is most gracious and is anxiously waiting to meet youall.”
He nodded to the twins, who nodded back and then he led the company inside with Mother and Father on either side of him. Diana and the twinsfollowed.
The grand ballroom had been set up for the Monarch’s reception and she was seated on a throne on a dais at the far end of the room as the partyentered.
The ballroom was particularly grand. It was decorated in the late baroque style with decorative gilded plaster moldings, gilt mirrors, and pastoral scenes painted on the walls andceiling.
There were a number of courtiers and other guests standing nearby chatting quietly, as a string quartet played softly in the background. But when Robert and Amelia entered with their guests, the conversation died down and all attention was focused on George and his wife as they walked across, what seemed to be an endless distance toward thedais.
Even Diana was nervous. She had only seen the Queen once before when she attended a formal function at the university. But that was a number of years ago when Diana was still a child and she did not have a vivid recollection of thatevent.
As George and his family approached, the Queen raised her hand and smiled, saying, “Welcome Professor and Misses Browning and guests. It is such a great pleasure for us to meet you in person on this auspicious day. Please accept my sincerest congratulations on your nomination to theorder.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Father managed to say sufficiently loudly to be heard, much to Diana’s surprise. “It is a great honor and privilege to be recognized for my humble scholasticcontributions.”
The group bowed in unison, and Diana could see Miriam pinching Geoffrey’s arm when he did not seem to bow as deeply as she thought he should. But his bow deepenedinstantly.
“We look forward to the investiture later this afternoon and look forward to conversing with you more casually at tea after the ceremony,” the Queenadded.
Robert signaled discreetly that the interview had ended and the party took several steps backward and bowed again as the Queen stood up and left thedais.
After they left, Robert smiled and said to the group, “Now then, let us retire to the library where we have champagne and caviar awaiting. It is to be quite casual as Their Majesties will not be joining us.” He turned to George and clasped him by the arm. “Very well done, Professor. And if you will now follow me we can relax before the fete and theinvestiture.”
“Thank you, Milord. It is a great pleasure to be here. And thank you for your hospitality,” George added, as he took his wife’s hand and squeezedit.
Robert and Amelia led the way to the library where Sithens and a footman were waiting to serve thechampagne.
