Archanum Manor

by Michael Pierce

  “Victoria, before I forget,” Lady Ramsey began. “Dr. Crane will be here at ten for your check up.”

  “Okay,” I said. “I’ll see what chores I can get done before then.”

  “No chores,” she said with a smile. “I want you to relax today—for your final few days here. You’ll still have your lessons with the Governess. It’s important to stay on top of your studies. But all your chores will be delegated to the rest of the staff. They are no longer your responsibility.”

  I couldn’t suppress a smile. The next two days without chores would be as good as any vacation I could imagine. I didn’t know what awaited me when I arrived at the palace but didn’t want to think about that now; I just wanted to enjoy the fact I had two full, chore-free days!

  “Think you can come riding with me?” Mina asked.

  “Wait at least until Dr. Crane has had a chance to examine you,” Lady Ramsey said.

  “This afternoon,” I told Mina.

  “Wait, you didn’t even hear the best part…” Johanna said and went right back to talking about her new gentleman caller.

  While Johanna was talking her mother’s ear off, Bertha brought my tea. A few minutes later, the main dishes were served. We each had a tower of waffles, assorted fruit slices, and whipped cream that I knew would taste divine. Lady Ramsey and Johanna ate slowly and elegantly like they were sitting with the Queen herself. Mina mostly picked at her food, stabbing at the fruit slices and placing them into small piles, then taking a forkful of nothing but whipped cream. I didn’t even want to eat my food, didn’t want to ruin its presentation. But I was enjoying watching everyone else eat.

  “Aren’t you hungry?” Lady Ramsey asked in between bites.

  I nodded, but it wasn’t until everyone was almost done with their meals that I finally began eating. I’d had our kitchen’s waffles many times before, but they’d never tasted as good as they did on that morning while sitting with the family.

  The Governess retrieved me after breakfast to fit in our session before Dr. Crane arrived.

  “Did Lady Ramsey inform you I’d be accompanying you to the palace?” she asked.

  “No. She didn’t,” I answered.

  “Well, I will be. I’ll travel and stay with you. I haven’t been told how long as yet, but I’m sure it will be for at least a few days to help ease the difficult transition.”

  “That’ll be nice,” I said. I meant it too. The Governess was a strict woman, one I didn’t want to cross, but I didn’t hate her. She didn’t seem to enjoy punishment the way Master Ramsey did.

  The Governess was quizzing me on general information about the Kingdom of Easteria and the ruling DuFours—of whom Prince Byron was the youngest son—when Lady Ramsey entered the library to inform us Dr. Crane had arrived.

  She led me to one of the upstairs guest bedrooms, where he was waiting.

  “Good morning, Victoria,” he said with a warm smile, shaking my hand. “I’ve been told the good news.”

  “You knew I was the Queen’s daughter?”

  He seemed happy for me, but not terribly surprised. “I wasn’t able to disclose such information by order of the Queen,” he said. “I’m sure you can understand.”

  “I’m sure it’s a sensitive subject.”

  “Extremely.”

  I was asked to sit on the bed while he checked all the regular things: my blood pressure, breathing, pulse, and blood sample, and he ended the examination by giving me a visual examination and a small cup for a urine sample. Dr. Crane recorded all the results on a small tablet computer.

  Lady Ramsey, meanwhile, stayed seated on a leather loveseat in the corner of the room while the doctor worked.

  The bedroom had an en-suite, so I used the bathroom and returned with the cup filled. Dr. Crane labeled it, along with the blood sample, and placed both containers in a portable cooler.

  “How do you feel, Victoria?” Dr. Crane asked.

  “Good,” I said.

  “How about your memory?”

  “It’s about the same. Most of what I lost is from the last few months and it hasn’t come back. Though it doesn’t seem to be getting worse.”

  “That’s not uncommon. There’s a good chance what you lost will come back in time, but there’s no guarantee.” He ran his fingers along my neck, pressing just below my ears and then pushing gently on numerous spots on the back of my head. “Tell me if you feel any pain or discomfort?”

  None of the areas hurt.

  “Have you had any dizzy spells? Lightheadedness? Nausea?”

  I shook my head for all the listed symptoms. “Can I start horseback riding again?” I asked.

  “I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t be able to. As long as you feel up to it, then I have no objections.”

  I was excited to run out and tell Mina; I couldn’t wait to be back in the saddle, my hands on the reins, the wind in my hair. The sun was out and the temperature was fair; I couldn’t have asked for better riding conditions.

  “Well, I think this is it,” Dr. Crane said as he started to gather up his supplies.

  Lady Ramsey rose from her seat. “Thank you as always, Doctor.”

  “My pleasure,” he said and glanced over at me. “And the next time I check on you, it will be in the Queen’s palace.”

  “It’ll be nice to have a familiar face there,” I said.

  “I’m sure it will feel like home in no time. Enjoy the rest of your day, and safe travels,” he said, picking up his black leather bag of personal equipment.

  Dr. Crane shook both our hands and then Lady Ramsey escorted him out.

  Chapter 11

  I had one of the best afternoons I could remember, riding through the meadow with Mina. Misty and Pumpernickel seemed to be having a grand ol’ time too.

  I kept glancing at the far fence where I’d first seen Kale—or, at least, the first time I could remember seeing him. He’d said we were planning to run away together and that I’d wanted to take Mina with us—away from this place, this façade of glorious, luxurious living. I wanted to ride up to him and talk face-to-face in the daylight, to see him clearly and be able to make out all of his features previously veiled by distance or shadows.

  Mina kicked Pumpernickel into a full gallop and I chased after her. Her trainer, Samuel, stood by and let her go, confident in her ability to remain in control. She was on track to compete in a few years; I hoped I’d be able to see it. When she reached the edge of the property, she pulled Pumpernickel to a halt and waited for me to catch up.

  “You’re a slow poke,” she laughed.

  “You had a head start. Not fair!” I protested.

  “I guess you’ll have to practice more,” she said.

  “I hope I’ll be able to.”

  That dissolved her smile. The seasons were changing. The carefree afternoon in the sun had temporarily pushed it from her mind.

  “We have tomorrow,” I reminded her.

  Her spark returned. “Maybe I’ll let you win tomorrow.”

  “Maybe you won’t have to,” I said.

  We trotted back to the stables together. I untacked Misty while one of the stable hands took care of Pumpernickel. I wasn’t ready to delegate this chore because it didn’t feel like one. Mina stood by and watched as I finished with Misty.

  On returning to the main house, we went our separate ways to clean up and I retreated to my room in the cellar. As I approached, I saw my light was on, so entered cautiously.

  “Oh, sorry. I was just dropping this off,” Johanna said, pointing to a suitcase and matching shoulder bag on the floor. “Mom wanted me to bring them down for you. They were mine, but I’m going to get a new set. These are getting worn.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “They look nice to me.”

  “They were top of the line when I bought them a few years ago. I didn’t bring the rest of the set because you don’t have much stuff.”

  “Yeah; these will be more than enough,” I said. “I wouldn’t be abl
e to carry more than this anyway.”

  She gave me a confused look. “We have people for that,” she finally said.

  “Of course.”

  Johanna made her way to the door, noticeably keeping her distance from me. Then she stopped and turned back.

  “Why?” she asked open-endedly. “Why are you like this secret princess? It’s not fair. I should be the one getting out of here first.”

  “It’s not like I asked for this,” I said.

  “Yeah, but it’s happening. You’ll be living it up at the palace while I’m stuck here in the outskirts of the Kingdom—in the wretched Borderlands.”

  “You can come and visit if you want.”

  “So you can rub all your good fortune in my face and have me serve you? No, thank you.”

  “I wouldn’t do that.”

  “Everyone starts off saying that, but…” Johanna stood silently in the doorway for a moment, then turned and left.

  I went after her as far as the doorway, then decided to let her go, watching her go up the stairs and back into the primary living quarters of the main house where she belonged. I simply reminded myself there was no love lost between us.

  I returned to my room and gazed upon the bags she’d brought, one more reminder that this was really happening. Two days. My nerves were shot already, my excitement giving me heartburn. I felt sick and overrun by emotion.

  I perused the dresses hanging on the rack to determine which one was suitable enough for arriving at the palace and presenting myself to the Queen—and Prince Byron. I couldn’t find a single one, not that there were many to choose from; I started throwing down the ones I thought were trash and ultimately found myself with three left hanging from the rack. None of them seemed suitable for royalty, but they were the best I had and would have to do.

  I looked upon the fallen heap of unbefitting dresses and started to cry. They seemed to be all different parts of myself, none of them good enough. This was all too much. I sat among them, scooping them all up into my lap, unable to control the tears. If I wasn’t good enough for the Ramseys, how would I ever be good enough for the Queen? Why would the Prince even want to meet me? I was nothing.

  One by one, I took a dress from the pile and folded it, then placed each one into the larger suitcase. They may not be worthy, but they were all I had.

  When I was folding one of the final dresses—one with pockets in the skirt—I felt something. I reached into the pockets and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. Once I’d flattened it out, I discovered it was a note:

  Meet me at the devil’s tree tomorrow at twilight. –Yours always.

  I checked the back of the paper to see if there was more, but there wasn’t. I couldn’t remember finding this letter before but assumed I’d known about it at one time—before the accident. I thought of Kale and his tale of us running away together; maybe this was from that night? I did know the tree to which he was referring and took the note as another sign he wasn’t the bad guy the Ramseys made him out to be.

  I placed the note inside my nightstand drawer, beneath Pride & Prejudice, and continued packing my few belongings.

  Chapter 12

  The next day, Master Ramsey found me under the willow tree at the mouth of the hedge maze, reading from his hardbound copy of Pride & Prejudice. Kale had been right, and this would be my tenth time through the book.

  “You’ve read this one before,” he said, bending down to get a closer look at the cover.

  “I have—multiple times actually,” I replied.

  I then noticed him glance at my shoes and waited for a disciplinary comment or to have him grab me by the arm, drag me into the hedge maze, and punish me out there. But he didn’t.

  Instead, he said, “You may keep it.” He rose and was quiet for a time, standing beneath the willow’s thick canopy, gazing out at the East garden. “I guess this is it,” he finally said. “You’re finally going back to where you belong.”

  From his tone, I couldn’t tell whether he was happy or sad to be ridding himself of me.

  “I know you’re looking forward to moving on, but don’t be fooled into thinking this is some dream-come-true or happily-ever-after. Everyone in the 1st Ward is treacherous and narcissistic, especially the Queen and all her bottom feeders.”

  “Don’t worry. I don’t trust anyone now. That won’t change when I leave. I’m not expecting the world to be handed to me.”

  “I feel partially responsible,” he said, finishing with a grin. He obviously had no regret for anything he’d done to me. “How are your feet?”

  They tingled merely from his words. “Still sore, but I’ll live,” I said sharply.

  “I’m sure you will,” he said. Master Ramsey said nothing further before heading back to the house, leaving me to my reading.

  I didn’t want to think too much about his warnings of what lay ahead; I knew I couldn’t just go in as a naive teenager, but needed to have my guard up, at least until I fully understood what was going on. This conversation was a good reminder of that.

  My reading was interrupted about an hour later, this time by Mina coming from the direction of the house, tramping through the East garden.

  “Mom would like to see you inside,” she shouted while still a little way off. It didn’t seem serious; she sounded excited. I bookmarked my page and rose from my place in the grass.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “You’ll have to come in and find out for yourself,” she answered with a smile.

  She skipped ahead of me as we both went inside the main estate. I followed her through several hallways and rooms, stopping at the doorway to the front formal sitting room.

  Lady Ramsey was speaking with a few members of staff about rearranging furniture to better suit the room.

  “Oh, Victoria, there you are,” she said, excusing herself from the servants. She walked over to us and stepped up, into the foyer. “I have an errand for you to run.” She reached into a pocket hidden within the folds of her dress and produced a stack of bills. “I want you to go into town and buy a dress and shoes for your travels tomorrow. Go to Adriana’s and tell her I sent you.”

  Adriana was the best seamstress in town and had handcrafted some of Lady Ramsey’s and the girls’ finest dresses.

  “I get to go with you!” Mina exclaimed, practically bouncing in place.

  “Yes. Mina has developed a wonderful eye for style. She’ll help you choose. Get the best one that suits you and if this isn’t enough, ask for some credit and I’ll handle getting her paid.”

  I took the money; it felt so very heavy in my hands. I’d carried this much before but never was the purchase intended for me.

  “Yes, Ma’am,” I said. “We’ll leave right away.”

  Lady Ramsey laid a hand on my shoulder and smiled. “I want you looking your best.”

  I hurried down to my room to put away the book, but before I left, I removed the bookmark—the note I’d found from Kale the previous night—and stuffed it into the pocket of my dress with the money.

  The walk into town was calming. Mina asked all about the 1st Ward and I told her everything I could remember from my lessons with the Governess.

  A bell above the door chimed when we entered Adriana’s. She was a lively little ball of a woman with poufy, almost white hair, colorful makeup, long fake fingernails, and a pair of black-rimmed glasses hanging around her neck.

  “Mina, my dear, how are you this fine afternoon?” she said in a loud, manly voice. “And this isn’t Johanna. Who have you brought with you today?”

  “This is Victoria, my other sister,” Mina said.

  “The mysterious other sister. I have seen you around town, have I not?”

  “Yes, Ma’am,” I said. “I’ve been on errands around town many times. I just never had the pleasure to come in here.”

  “The pleasure’s all mine,” she said boisterously. “How may I be of service?”

  Mina did most of the talking. She could
describe the dresses while I simply tried on what was given to me. I ambled around the room as they discussed fabrics and style. I looked at all the dresses dangling from hangers and draped on mannequins; there were a great many to choose from, and I didn’t see a single one unfit for a princess.

  “Is this for a special occasion or event? For everyday elegance?” Ms. Adriana asked.

  “Victoria will be meeting the Queen tomorrow,” Mina said.

  Ms. Adriana’s eyes lit up and she clapped her fleshy hands together. “Oh, then I have just the thing!” she said as she disappeared through a curtain into a back room. In a flash, she returned with a flowing emerald green ballgown with beaded lace appliqués and a plunging V-back.

  “It’s the Queen’s favorite color. I made it two years ago for the Queen’s last scheduled visit, as a gift for Princess Amelia. I’d requested her measurements and got everything a few weeks before the arrival. But the Queen’s itinerary changed only a few days before she was due and she didn’t end up coming to the 24th Ward. I knew Princess Amelia wouldn’t be traveling with her but thought the Queen would appreciate the gift. I’ve been holding onto it ever since, waiting for her to schedule another visit. It didn’t seem right selling it to someone else, but maybe you’re the girl this dress has truly been waiting for.”

  “It’s gorgeous,” I admitted.

  “Try it on!” Mina insisted.

  Near the back of the shop, a series of partitions created a semi-private changing area.

  Ms. Adriana helped me climb into the emerald gown; its fabric lining was so incredibly soft as it perfectly hugged every curve. I gazed down at the beadwork and embellishments and couldn’t remember ever seeing something so beautiful before. Then she led me by the hand over to the small pedestal, where I stood before a full-length, trifold mirror and was able to gaze upon the full impact of such a striking dress.

  “This dress is amazing,” I said, doing a half-turn so I could view the gown’s back.

  “It sure is,” Ms. Adriana said. “I don’t think I have to do any alterations. It fits you perfectly and I can’t think of a time that’s ever happened before. It’s like I’d made this dress specifically for you without even knowing it. Truly amazing!”