I need help from a history buff...namely Mary Queen of Scots

I'm not much help, but I'll copy your question over to the story research board. Maybe between here & there, you'll get some info.

Hi Glen --
Can't understand the four Mary's ... what?

(OK. Couldn't resist. Sorry.)

Could you say what it is about the four Marys you don't understand.

Mary of Scotland was sent to live in France, accompanied by four well-born girls of her own age. Since every third girl in Scotland was named Mary, it happend that all four of them were named Mary. To the best of my knowledge, they didn't try to pick a matched set or anything.

Or were you talking about the song maybe ... here

Incidentally, you might find these sites more comprehensive than Wikipedia:

http://englishhistory.net/tudor/relative/maryqosbiography.html
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09764a.htm

It's a reference to the Scots ballad, and also, a historical truth.

They were her ladies in waiting, and also, hostages, of a sort. See Antonia Fraser's biography.

The four little girls her own age, all named Mary, who were the daughters of some of the noblest families in Scotland: Beaton, Seton, Fleming, and Livingston.

There is a ballad from that era, "The Four Marys", although it gives a different set of four women.

http://www.contemplator.com/scotland/4marys.html

Last night there were four Marys
Tonight there'll be but three
There was Mary Seaton and Mary Beaton
And Mary Carmichael and me.

Oh, often have I dressed my queen
And put on her braw silk gown
But all the thanks I've got tonight
Is to be hanged in Edinborough Town