PHEMY. You nearly are, you know.

MARGARET. Do you think that woman in the mirror is as beautiful as the Queen of Heaven?

DAISY doesn’t answer.

You are so like him.

That’s what you look like, Daisy, but you’re the King’s favourite. What does that tell you?

DAISY. That’s not my real nose.

MARGARET. Yes, it is.

Do you think maybe sixteen was your year? Do you think maybe it’s gone already? But you’re still leading half of Scotland round by the nose, Daisy. Think about it. You are bringing them all to their knees, with that face.

It’s not your nose, is it? It’s not your perfect mouth or your snowdrop figure. It’s you. It’s just you.

So you see, Daisy, there’s no rush.

You can make a plan.

You don’t need to grab everything you can before your skin fades because, look, it’s fading already.

The King has given you jewels. I’ll give you more.

You can leave here and have a life, Daisy, a whole life. You don’t need to be a king’s mistress. Why, you’re barely pretty enough for that but you’re still managing it.

What else might you manage?

You could marry a duke. You could go to Paris and sell Scottish wool. You can still dazzle the world when you’re older than me. Why settle now?

DAISY turns to and fro, still staring.

Do you really love him?

DAISY. Yes.

MARGARET. Then go away. If you love him, go away.

I’ll give you money now…

DAISY (cuts her off). I don’t want your money! You can go to hell, you witch!

DAISY runs off.

ANNABELLA. It might have been better to kill her.

MARGARET. How could I have done that?

ANNABELLA. My mother would have done that. Maybe I could do that for you? It looks like I have it in me.

PHEMY comes to look.

PHEMY. It’s your eyes. I never saw that. There’s terrible things in your eyes.

ANNABELLA. I’ve seen terrible things. But I’ve done so little.

MARGARET. What are you talking about?

ANNABELLA. Two husbands put me aside and all my children flowed away from me like water to the sea and here I am back in the room I was born in.

And it all comes round again…

PHEMY. What?

ANNABELLA exits without saying anything else. MARGARET follows her.

MARGARET. Annabella?

At the same time DAISY is dragging bags on in the King’s rooms, unpacking.

Cover the mirror, Phemy.

She exits. PHEMY takes off the mirror as we move into –

The King’s Room, Stirling, Later

DAISY is sitting crying and muttering to herself. She has pulled out a beautiful dress which she has spread, inside out, on her lap. She is scrubbing at its seams with something.