guests?” Rowan asked, eager to finally meet them.
“Gone out,” Emily said, raising an eyebrow to show her disapproval.
“Gone out?” Rowan said, disappointed. “But it’s night. Where could they have gone?”
Emily shrugged. “No business of mine. If the lot of them catch the chill, it’s not my doing.”
Rowan was confused, but she was also hurt. Her father had kept her from the guests all day, and when she returned, they were gone? Was he ashamed of her? Did he not think she was good enough for his guests?
“That seems odd,” she said, looking out the window into the snow beyond.
Emily leaned into the counter. “You want to know what seems odd? I’ll tell you what seems odd. This duke, I ask you, how many servants do you think he brought with him?”
Rowan opened her mouth to speak, but then she wasstruck by the utter quiet of the house, and she began to see what Emily meant.
“Not one!” Emily proclaimed, unable to hide the frustration in her widening eyes. “I’m supposed to look after you lot, and the brother of the queen, without a bit of help? It’s downright disgraceful. Rude, it is. What kind of nobleman doesn’t travel with a valet or a lady’s maid for his ward? ‘Oh, don’t mind us,’ he says. ‘We take care of ourselves. We’re not like the others.’ I’m supposed to believe that?”
Emily turned back to the dishes, and Rowan could feel the anger radiating from her. She had to admit it seemed exceedingly strange that the duke had not brought his own people, but then, she’d never met a duke before.
“If you need help …” Rowan tried to choose her words carefully, for she knew how offended Emily could get about anything she perceived as criticism. “Give me chores, and I shall do them.”
Emily softened, and setting aside the dish she was drying, she held a hand to Rowan’s cheek. “Aw, sweet, I know you will. You’re a good girl. Always have been. I’m just testy tonight. I saved your supper over there. You must be starving.”
“I’m sorry for missing supper. I lost track of time.”
“You didn’t miss much,” Emily said, turning back to her work. “Listening in on them, I swear you would have died from boredom. And the three of them certainly ate enough. They must have gone though a week’s worth of my supplies, I tell you.”
Rowan took a piece of raw carrot and popped it in her mouth.
“What were they discussing?”
“Goddess, I don’t know. It seemed to be mostly about what happened up on Beggar’s Drift. How you can spend an entire dinner discussing such things, I don’t know. Surely that can’t be considered polite.”
Rowan laughed and reached for another carrot, but Emily slapped her hand away.
“Like I said, yours is over there. You eat it up in your room. I’ve had all I can handle down here tonight.”
Rowan took a plate from Emily and began drying it. “What are they like? Is the duke as handsome as everyone says?”
“Well, I have my Bill, of course.” Emily lowered her voice and smiled. “So I’m not one to say, but I can tell you they make their men mighty pretty in the palace city.”
“Emily!” Rowan laughed.
“He certainly lovelies up the place, I’ll give him that.”
“And the little girl?” Rowan asked. “What’s she like?”
A glorious smile spread across Emily’s lips. “Oh, she’s a doll. I could eat her up. You’re going to love her, Ro.”
Rowan was more excited than ever to meet the girl. She had visions of taking her on long walks, maybe even reading to her.
“Did you find out how long they’re staying?”
Emily cocked her head. “Oh yeah, sure. The queen’s brother rushed right into the kitchen to tell the servant girl all his business.” She handed Rowan another plate to dry.
Rowan laughed and started drying the plate, but her thoughts drifted as she gazed out the window. Snow wascoming down heavy now, and somewhere out there her Tom was dreaming of a girl that wasn’t
“Gone out,” Emily said, raising an eyebrow to show her disapproval.
“Gone out?” Rowan said, disappointed. “But it’s night. Where could they have gone?”
Emily shrugged. “No business of mine. If the lot of them catch the chill, it’s not my doing.”
Rowan was confused, but she was also hurt. Her father had kept her from the guests all day, and when she returned, they were gone? Was he ashamed of her? Did he not think she was good enough for his guests?
“That seems odd,” she said, looking out the window into the snow beyond.
Emily leaned into the counter. “You want to know what seems odd? I’ll tell you what seems odd. This duke, I ask you, how many servants do you think he brought with him?”
Rowan opened her mouth to speak, but then she wasstruck by the utter quiet of the house, and she began to see what Emily meant.
“Not one!” Emily proclaimed, unable to hide the frustration in her widening eyes. “I’m supposed to look after you lot, and the brother of the queen, without a bit of help? It’s downright disgraceful. Rude, it is. What kind of nobleman doesn’t travel with a valet or a lady’s maid for his ward? ‘Oh, don’t mind us,’ he says. ‘We take care of ourselves. We’re not like the others.’ I’m supposed to believe that?”
Emily turned back to the dishes, and Rowan could feel the anger radiating from her. She had to admit it seemed exceedingly strange that the duke had not brought his own people, but then, she’d never met a duke before.
“If you need help …” Rowan tried to choose her words carefully, for she knew how offended Emily could get about anything she perceived as criticism. “Give me chores, and I shall do them.”
Emily softened, and setting aside the dish she was drying, she held a hand to Rowan’s cheek. “Aw, sweet, I know you will. You’re a good girl. Always have been. I’m just testy tonight. I saved your supper over there. You must be starving.”
“I’m sorry for missing supper. I lost track of time.”
“You didn’t miss much,” Emily said, turning back to her work. “Listening in on them, I swear you would have died from boredom. And the three of them certainly ate enough. They must have gone though a week’s worth of my supplies, I tell you.”
Rowan took a piece of raw carrot and popped it in her mouth.
“What were they discussing?”
“Goddess, I don’t know. It seemed to be mostly about what happened up on Beggar’s Drift. How you can spend an entire dinner discussing such things, I don’t know. Surely that can’t be considered polite.”
Rowan laughed and reached for another carrot, but Emily slapped her hand away.
“Like I said, yours is over there. You eat it up in your room. I’ve had all I can handle down here tonight.”
Rowan took a plate from Emily and began drying it. “What are they like? Is the duke as handsome as everyone says?”
“Well, I have my Bill, of course.” Emily lowered her voice and smiled. “So I’m not one to say, but I can tell you they make their men mighty pretty in the palace city.”
“Emily!” Rowan laughed.
“He certainly lovelies up the place, I’ll give him that.”
“And the little girl?” Rowan asked. “What’s she like?”
A glorious smile spread across Emily’s lips. “Oh, she’s a doll. I could eat her up. You’re going to love her, Ro.”
Rowan was more excited than ever to meet the girl. She had visions of taking her on long walks, maybe even reading to her.
“Did you find out how long they’re staying?”
Emily cocked her head. “Oh yeah, sure. The queen’s brother rushed right into the kitchen to tell the servant girl all his business.” She handed Rowan another plate to dry.
Rowan laughed and started drying the plate, but her thoughts drifted as she gazed out the window. Snow wascoming down heavy now, and somewhere out there her Tom was dreaming of a girl that wasn’t
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