to be sure I’m recovered, but really, I am well now and ready to take on my duties again. ’Sides, I wouldn’t leave ye in the hands of some inexperienced little kitchen maid on the eve of yer wedding.”
Brinna held her breath in horror as the woman, who could only be Joan’s maid, approached. At any moment the woman would cry out in horror once she saw Brinna up close and realized that her eye color was all wrong and her features just a touch off—but it never happened. Instead, Brinna’s eyes were the ones to widen in realization as she saw the clouds that obscured the woman’s eyes leaving her nearly blind. Brinna was safe for now, so long as she kept her mouth shut. But she had to figure a way out of this mess by morning, else she might find herselfspending the day watching them dig a grave to bury her alive in.
Brinna stood silently between Royce and Lord Laythem, her head bowed to hide the color of her eyes and her shaking knees. She couldn’t be sure whether they shook from her fear of discovery, or the fact that she had been standing with her knees slightly bent all throughout the priest’s short morning Mass in an effort to appear an inch or so shorter so as not to give herself away to Joan’s father.
It was fate that had brought her here. Fickle fate, blocking her at every turn, making escape impossible. First her clothes had left the room on Joan’s back; then Joan’s maid had arrived to usher her to bed before settling herself on the pallet before the door, ensuring that no one entered … and that Brinna couldn’t leave. She had spent the night wide awake, tossing and turning, as she tried to find a way out of this cauldron of trouble. The only thing she had been able to come up with was to simply slip away at her first opportunity, find Aggie, get her to find her something more appropriate for a servant to wear, then do as Sabrina had suggested.
Fate had stepped in to remove that opportunity as well. She simply had not been given the chance. Joan’s maid had barely risen in the morning and begun to fuss around Brinna before the door had burst open to allow Lady Menton and a bevy of servants to enter. Aggie had been among them, and Brinna had waited stiffly for her to say something, but the woman who had raised her from birth seemed not to recognize her as Brinna was bathed, dressed, and primped. It wasn’t until just before Royce arrived that Brinna had realized that the woman had known who she was all along. The bath had been removed and Lady Menton and the rest of the servants had left with it whenAggie had suddenly stepped up to her and placed a silver chain about her neck.
“Yer necklace, m’lady. Ye can’t be getting married without this,” she had murmured. “ ’Twas yer mother’s.”
Brinna had lifted the amulet that hung from the chain in her hand and peered down at it, her eyes widening as she recognized it as the one that Aggie had worn for as long as she had known her.
“All will be well,” the old woman had whispered gently, and Brinna had gasped.
“You know!”
Giving her a sharp look of warning, Aggie had gestured to Joan’s maid, who was busy digging through the chest, then chided Brinna gently. “I’ve known from the beginning. Did ye think I wouldn’t when I met that other girl in here?”
“But what do I do?”
“You love him, don’t you?”
Brinna’s answer had been in her eyes, and Aggie had smiled. “Then marry him.”
“But—”
“Here we are.” Joan’s maid had approached then with a veil for her to wear, and Aggie had merely offered Brinna a reassuring smile and slipped from the room. Then Joan’s maid had veiled her, Royce had arrived, and she had found herself making the walk she had made every day since taking on this foolish masquerade. Only this morning she had known she was walking to her death.
Mass this morning had been delayed and shortened due to the wedding, but now the priest had finished it and moved on to the ceremony
Brinna held her breath in horror as the woman, who could only be Joan’s maid, approached. At any moment the woman would cry out in horror once she saw Brinna up close and realized that her eye color was all wrong and her features just a touch off—but it never happened. Instead, Brinna’s eyes were the ones to widen in realization as she saw the clouds that obscured the woman’s eyes leaving her nearly blind. Brinna was safe for now, so long as she kept her mouth shut. But she had to figure a way out of this mess by morning, else she might find herselfspending the day watching them dig a grave to bury her alive in.
Brinna stood silently between Royce and Lord Laythem, her head bowed to hide the color of her eyes and her shaking knees. She couldn’t be sure whether they shook from her fear of discovery, or the fact that she had been standing with her knees slightly bent all throughout the priest’s short morning Mass in an effort to appear an inch or so shorter so as not to give herself away to Joan’s father.
It was fate that had brought her here. Fickle fate, blocking her at every turn, making escape impossible. First her clothes had left the room on Joan’s back; then Joan’s maid had arrived to usher her to bed before settling herself on the pallet before the door, ensuring that no one entered … and that Brinna couldn’t leave. She had spent the night wide awake, tossing and turning, as she tried to find a way out of this cauldron of trouble. The only thing she had been able to come up with was to simply slip away at her first opportunity, find Aggie, get her to find her something more appropriate for a servant to wear, then do as Sabrina had suggested.
Fate had stepped in to remove that opportunity as well. She simply had not been given the chance. Joan’s maid had barely risen in the morning and begun to fuss around Brinna before the door had burst open to allow Lady Menton and a bevy of servants to enter. Aggie had been among them, and Brinna had waited stiffly for her to say something, but the woman who had raised her from birth seemed not to recognize her as Brinna was bathed, dressed, and primped. It wasn’t until just before Royce arrived that Brinna had realized that the woman had known who she was all along. The bath had been removed and Lady Menton and the rest of the servants had left with it whenAggie had suddenly stepped up to her and placed a silver chain about her neck.
“Yer necklace, m’lady. Ye can’t be getting married without this,” she had murmured. “ ’Twas yer mother’s.”
Brinna had lifted the amulet that hung from the chain in her hand and peered down at it, her eyes widening as she recognized it as the one that Aggie had worn for as long as she had known her.
“All will be well,” the old woman had whispered gently, and Brinna had gasped.
“You know!”
Giving her a sharp look of warning, Aggie had gestured to Joan’s maid, who was busy digging through the chest, then chided Brinna gently. “I’ve known from the beginning. Did ye think I wouldn’t when I met that other girl in here?”
“But what do I do?”
“You love him, don’t you?”
Brinna’s answer had been in her eyes, and Aggie had smiled. “Then marry him.”
“But—”
“Here we are.” Joan’s maid had approached then with a veil for her to wear, and Aggie had merely offered Brinna a reassuring smile and slipped from the room. Then Joan’s maid had veiled her, Royce had arrived, and she had found herself making the walk she had made every day since taking on this foolish masquerade. Only this morning she had known she was walking to her death.
Mass this morning had been delayed and shortened due to the wedding, but now the priest had finished it and moved on to the ceremony
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