A Stray Drop of Blood by Roseanna M. White Page A

speak Latin.”
    It was, of course, the harder ones that were most beneficial. It seemed to be the way of life.
    Abigail entered the courtyard and knelt by Ester’s knee. “The masters are returning, Mistress. Shall we get you ready for dinner at the general’s?”
    Ester looked down at the lovely young face with a smile. “Yes. The blue, I think. With my sapphires.”
    Abigail nodded and rose. Ester followed her into her bedchamber and slipped out of her everyday tunic while the girl brought in the finely woven wool. “Is it going well? Did you make as much progress as you had hoped?”
    “ Barely,” Abigail replied, “but it will do. Dinah will finish the room we were on while we are away, and tomorrow we will clean the bed chambers. Then we will be ready for the celebration.”
    “ Good.” Ester lifted her hair so the jewels could be fastened, then sat down so her hair could be brushed. “Cleopas said Jason had expressed great satisfaction at being with us this year for Passover.”
    Abigail’s reflected smile shone in the polished metal of the mirror. “He will remember all you taught him, Lady. He will remember that our Lord does not forsake his chosen.”
    “ But will he remember that he is one of those chosen?”
    Abigail began brushing her hair. “He will remember.”
    Ester sighed. “I am glad you are so sure, Abigail. For I can never seem to remember to be so.”
    Abigail shook her head and motioned to the scroll Ester had brought in with her. “What do you think of the Ethics ?”
    That conversation sufficed them until Cleopas came in.
     
    ~*~
     
    “ Would you take some warm water in to Jason, Abigail?”
    She smiled at Cleopas and nodded her obedience. “Yes, Lord.” Slipping out of the room silently, she headed for the kitchen.
    Dinah looked up when she entered, smiled. “Are you taking the young lord his water?”
    Abigail nodded. “I imagine Andrew is in more need of the time to clean up than I.”
    Dinah chuckled. “He is quite filthy today. I made him stay outside.”
    This made Abigail smile, and she had to peek out the door to verify that, indeed, he stood in the courtyard, sloshing water over his head. “What was he doing, rolling in the mud?”
    “ I believe so,” Dinah replied seriously, sending Abigail into laughter. “Here you go.” She poured a third of the water into a basin, then lifted her voice to carry outside. “Andrew, hurry.”
    “ I am coming!”
    Abigail left the room on that note, figuring it was best to be gone when Andrew started tracking mud onto their clean floor. She had a feeling Andrew would have liked to have missed it as well. She cradled the basin in her arms as she journeyed back the hall, the heavy clay keeping the heat from seeping through too much, and arrived at Jason’s closed door a moment later. She rapped lightly.
    “ Enter.”
    She used her free hand to do so, slipping into the room. Her peripheral vision told her that Jason stood by the latticed window, but as her concern was the larger basin directly before her, she did not turn her head in that direction. Instead, she expertly poured the water, not spilling so much as a drop, and added enough from the cool pitcher sitting on the table to bring it to a reasonable level. Then she asked, “Do you need anything, Lord?”
    Jason looked up from his task, his gaze heavy . . . lingering. “No.” When his intense gaze refused to waiver, Abigail felt heat stain her cheeks. His grin did not help matters. “I have all I need.”
    She nodded and exited silently, easing the portal closed behind her. It would take a while to get used to the young master’s presence, she knew. A small amount of awkwardness was to be expected until that happened, but that was nothing to concern herself with. She would simply take the next weeks to learn what he liked and be at hand to provide it. She was the servant with the most leisure, it was only reasonable that it fall to her. She would just have to cut back