I am just writing in my daybooke at the Workroom, while I wait for Mrs. Champernowne to help Lady Sarah with the Queen's robes—they have to be arranged perfectly for the portraits. The Queen is busy with the Scottish Ambassadors again, and thankfully, we have all been given this morning free. Mary Shelton said she was going to fetch some comfits for poor Carmina, who is still unwell. Carmina has been strictly ordered by the Queen to stay in bed, though there is still no fever. I was going to go with Mary and see if I could collect any sweetmeats for Ellie and Masou (and myself ) when Sarah stopped me in the passage and told me grumpily that she had to go to the Workroom and stand for the Queen's portrait again, and I must go and read to her. So here I am. Oh, Sarah is ready now so I must stop writing and read. I hope we have more fighting and less speechifying, clothes, and lovesickness in the next chapters. I hate it when everyone is so noble and good in a story that you can't imagine it being true at all.
