She ran up to the wagon as we came to a stop. “I have a surprise for you!”
I grinned and jumped down. At least she had not forgotten my special day.
“What is it?”
“Our parents have finally agreed that we can go!”
I gasped in delight. “To a dance?” I squealed, turning to see my mother standing in the light of the doorway. She nodded, confirming my hopes. I jumped up and down, holding on to Suzannah’s hands. “We can go!” I couldn’t help it. We could go. We had permission to go!
We jumped and squealed together until my mother reminded me that I would want to wash up and have a little something to eat before going to the town square.
“Where’s Janie?” I asked, looking around for her.
“Simon already came to fetch her. Now come along,” my mother said as she shooed me into the house.
I scrubbed my face, hands, and arms, stuffed my dinner down my throat, and then took the most time deciding which kerchief to wear and how to tie my hair back. Suzannah and I had been begging our parents to allow us to attend dances for more than two years now. I simply knew it would be the most fun I had ever had.
It turned out to be everything I imagined. The music made me want to sing, the dancing left me grinning so much that my cheeks ached, and seeing so many people that I knew and that I didn’t, all twirling and laughing together as though none of us had more to worry about than this moment, was everything I had hoped it would be.
Janie was there with her fiancé, Simon. They had been engaged only a short time and were still disgusting to be around. Gavin danced nearly every dance with Brinna, and I wondered if they would also be engaged before long. I liked Brinna; she was always kind, and she did not treat me as if I were so very much younger than she was.
Fynn even decided to be nice and asked me to dance, though I was certain he wished to run off and flirt with the girls his age. However, I spent most of my time twirling about with Suzannah and the other girls our age.
My parents had to practically drag me away from the town square, but by the time we were halfway home, I was ready to curl up on the side of the lane and go to sleep. How wonderful to be exhausted from something so exhilarating.
✼ ✼ ✼
The next day when I brought Rylan his tea, I slouched into the chair across from him before he even had a chance to stand.
“What happened to you?” he asked with a silly twist of his mouth.
I sighed and leaned back, closing my eyes. “I went to a dance last night.”
He made a noise of disgust. “Mother is making me learn to dance. It’s awful.”
“It was wonderful.”
“How was it wonderful?”
I opened my eyes to look at him. “How could it not be? Everyone was so very happy.”
“If you say so.” He stuck his fork into the piece of berry pie on the tray and shoved it into his mouth. Then he picked up another bite and held it out to me.
I shook my head. “I’m just going to rest my eyes for a moment.”
“As you like, but it’s really good.”
I smiled at his assertion and wiggled into a more comfortable position.
My next awareness was the sound of Nancy screeching, “Kinley!”
I sat up straight, looking about and trying to understand what had just happened.
Nancy stalked over and yanked me from my chair. “What do you think you are doing? Get back to the kitchen this instant!” She tugged me toward the door, and I did my best not to trip, knowing that I was in trouble.
“Let her alone!” Rylan shouted as he pried Nancy’s hand from my arm. “She didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Master Rylander, she fell asleep when she was supposed to be doing her duties.”
“It’s my fault. I made her stay and listen to something I was reading in a book. It was so boring that she fell asleep. That’s not her fault.”
Nancy’s face said that she didn’t believe a word of it.
Rylan crossed his arms and lifted his chin. “You can’t punish her. I won’t allow it.”
They stared at each other, both refusing to give in until finally Nancy let out an exasperated sigh. “Very well, Master Rylander. Have it your way. So long as she gets back to the kitchen to tend to her duties this moment, I will not punish her further. But no more reading to the maids from now on.”
Rylan gave a stiff nod. “Fine.”
No one needed to tell me twice. I scurried from the room as fast as I could, running down the servants’ stairs and wondering how long I had been sleeping. Why had he let me fall asleep?
I rushed into the kitchen, keeping my head down, and was elbow deep in scrubbing by the time Nancy returned to the kitchen.
The next day, a different maid was given the duty of bringing tea to Rylan. I was disappointed, but I kept my head down and worked extra hard to make up for my mistake. I needed this work. Even though Gavin had found odd jobs here and there, they didn’t pay as much, and we needed the money I made. It was obvious he still felt guilty, and he kept promising that I wouldn’t have to be in service for long. Really I didn’t mind. The Baylors were fair, and I liked talking to Rylan. But if I were let go . . . that would be awful.
I hoped that I would be allowed to continue bringing Rylan his tray, but the following day, it was once again given to another maid.
An hour later, Lady Baylor appeared in the kitchen.
A hush fell over the room, followed by a clatter as utensils and knives were discarded so that each of us could stand and curtsy. The only word I could think of to describe Lady Baylor was soft. Her demeanor, her smile, and even her body were all soft. She gave a smile and walked over to Nancy, who was only a few paces away from me.
“Good day, Lady Baylor.” Nancy gave an extra curtsy.
“Good day, Nancy. That smells delightful.”
“Thank you, my lady. Might I help you with something?”
“I have just had a talk with Rylander, and it seems he is upset with his afternoon tea.” Her face was apologetic as she said it, as if she felt bad for bringing it up. Which was absurd, since she was the lady of the house and could do anything she pleased.
“Oh? Is something amiss with it? Not to his liking?”
She brushed her hand through the air. “Oh no, nothing like that. It seems he has gotten attached to a certain maid that usually brings him his tea, but she hasn’t brought it the past few days.”
Nancy’s lips pursed. “Yes, milady. I thought it best to give that responsibility to another.”
“Would you mind terribly if you switched it back? He’s such a good boy, and it seems like such a little thing.”
Nancy’s smile was stiff. “Of course, Lady Baylor. I’ll see to it.”
“Thank you, Nancy. I knew I could count on you.” She gave a smile to the room at large. “Carry on,” she said before breezing out the door.
I kept my eyes on the floor, pretending I hadn’t heard the request. I liked Nancy and had no wish to upset her any more than I already had.
I was conflicted the next afternoon when Nancy called me over to take the tray. I wanted to do it, but I knew that Nancy was unhappy, and that made me uncomfortable.
“Kinley.” She tapped the underside of my chin to make me look at her. “No dawdling now, you hear?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I walked the tray carefully up to the schoolroom where I found Rylan wandering the room, tapping a fencing foil on the ground. He stiffened and gave an awkward bow when he saw me. “I’m sorry I got you in trouble.”
“It’s not your fault,” I said, setting the tray down.
“Yes, it is. I should have woken you.” He frowned. It was awfully nice of him to care so much.
“No harm done.” I curtsied. “Enjoy your tea.”
“You’re not staying?”
“Nancy told me not to dawdle.”
“Oh.” He scratched at his wrist. “Very well. Sorry, Kinley.”
&nb
sp; “Don’t worry about it, Master Rylander.”
“Rylan,” he muttered as I stepped out the door.
Chapter Two
THE NEXT SEVERAL days, Rylan was always waiting at the door for me when I brought his tray. He would have a book, map, or tool in hand that he would show me and tell me about as I walked his tray to the desk. I, in turn, tended to walk a little bit slower because I really did want to know what a chameleon was, and the idea that there could be forests where it rained nearly all the time was fascinating. As soon as I set the tray down, he would try to convince me to have a bite of whatever had been sent up for him to eat, and I would take it only if I thought I could chew and swallow by the time I got back to the door.
As time went on, I learned to hurry up the stairs and down the corridor and then walk at barely a shuffle while inside the schoolroom. I thought the time would all balance out, but apparently my slow progress to and from his desk was enough to make Nancy take notice.
“Your deliveries to Master Rylander seem to be taking longer and longer.” She pinned me with a look that had me shaking with nerves.
“Oh, don’t fuss at the girl,” Betsy chided. “You know how talkative the boy is. No doubt she is trying to get out of there, but he is too busy talking about the latest farming methods or the best place to find buried treasure.”
Were there really good places to find buried treasure? I’d have to ask him about that.
“Hmm.” Nancy’s eyes narrowed. “Just don’t let him keep you from doing your work.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
When Gavin picked me up that day, I didn’t feel like talking. About halfway home, he nudged my shoulder with his. “Is the work getting harder?”
“No, it’s fine. Like scrubbing the kitchen for Mama.”
“I’m fairly certain Mama isn’t nearly the taskmaster that you have now.”
“No, but—” I lifted a shoulder.
He pulled me into his side. “You’re a good girl, you know that?”
I grinned. “Yes, I do.”
He laughed.
“Has Papa finished the chairs for those fussy people?”
“Not quite.”
I tilted my head to look up at him. “Do you like working on the Derricksons’ farm?” The Derricksons had hired him temporarily. “Is it like working in the palace gardens?”
“There are some similarities.”
“But you don’t like it as much.”
“No, I don’t,” he readily admitted.
“Why did you have to stop working at the palace?” He’d never told me why. I didn’t know if he had even told my parents why.
“That is . . . a long story.” His eyes were on the road ahead, but I could tell he was thinking of something else.
“I like hearing your stories,” I said, hoping he would tell me, that he trusted me enough to know his secrets.
“Maybe I’ll tell you sometime. But not today.”
I was disappointed but kept it to myself.
That evening I sat in my father’s woodshop, amid the comfort of wood shavings and Papa’s mellow voice.
I started daydreaming about what it would be like to sit with Rylan for an entire afternoon, reading and learning about things outside of this town.
“What is it, Bug?” Papa asked.
“Hm?”
He smiled. “That’s the fifth or sixth time you’ve sighed since you sat down. Are you going to tell me what has your head in the clouds?”
I thought about telling him about Rylan but remembered the way Gavin had scowled when I had told him we were friends. “Did you ever wish to learn about faraway places or new discoveries?”
“Have you made a new discovery you wish to teach me about?”
“Papa,” I lamented. “Don’t be silly. I’m not an explorer.”
“Why not? There’s plenty to explore around the village.”
“Yes, but what I mean is, do you ever wish you could learn the kinds of things that noble people learn?” I put my chin in my hand. “They have so many books about so many places and people.”
He blew some shavings out of his way before setting his tool against the wood again. “I think everyone wishes to learn something different than what they know. That’s what curiosity is all about. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be happy if we never get it.”
“I know.”
“And besides, we can learn new things. They might not be out of big books, but remember, a few years ago I didn’t know how to build a fancy chair or make a child-size horse.”
I hadn’t thought of that, and it made me proud that my papa could learn to do new things. He had been the one to teach Gavin all he knew about gardening, but when a cart horse had kicked him in the leg, it hadn’t healed right. He managed to get here and there, but it took a long time, and we could all see that it hurt him. So he’d figured a way to work while he sat. I knew he missed the plants, but he also loved making things. He was right about not having to learn from books, but I still wished to know more of what Rylan knew, more of what was contained in his books. But his books were full of writing that looked like squiggles and curls, almost like the pretty designs Papa put on the top of fancy boxes. I could never learn from a book if I didn’t know how to read.
And that gave me an idea.
✼ ✼ ✼
The next day, I entered the schoolroom and spoke up before Rylan could start telling me about anything.
“I want to learn letters,” I blurted.
His mouth had been open, ready to speak, and it stayed that way for a moment before he flew into action. He raced to his desk, grabbing a parchment, quill, and ink. He used it to draw three lines that connected together and then held it up with a grin. “This letter is K. And it makes the sound at the beginning of your name.”
That was what we started to do each day. He would show me letters and tell me their sounds, but it was difficult to remember what they looked like when I could study them for only a moment. He started writing them on tiny scraps so that I could keep them in my pocket and look at them when I got home. I would mutter the sounds that he taught as I did my work, then go home and stare at the little bits of paper.
Gavin caught me staring at just such a scrap one evening as I sat on my bed repeating the sound to myself. I tried to hide it when he asked what it was, but after he asked about it nicely, I decided to show him. He didn’t laugh at me like I thought he would. He didn’t ask why I would need to know such a thing. Instead he asked me to repeat it and tell him more. I pulled out several other scraps that I kept under my mattress. I couldn’t remember all of them, but I taught him what I could. He was excited about it, anxious to see what new letter I would bring home each day and happy to help me review the ones I already had. He was better at memorizing than I was, which I thought was unfair since I had started learning first. But it was nice that he could help me remember the sounds and the names when they started to jumble in my head.
Rylan started showing me more than just letters. Sometimes he would find a drawing of an animal I’d never heard of or a place I’d never been. He would choose something that had a name starting with the letter he wanted me to learn. I loved being able to see new things and learn letters at the same time. There were some animals that I knew couldn’t possibly be real, but he insisted they were and would tell me where they lived and what they ate and what animals tried to eat them. He even showed me a drawing of a lion eating an antelope. It was positively gruesome. I think he considered it a challenge to find drawings that would amaze me.
✼ ✼ ✼
Less than a year later, a month before my twelfth birthday, my parents told me that I would soon be able to leave my work at Baylor Manor. I would no longer need to work in service at all. Gavin had resumed his work at the palace gardens. He had been working there for several months, and my parents agreed that we no longer needed my income. He had also been engaged to Brinna for quite some time. I was happy for him, but sometimes wondered if he w
ere truly happy about it. I knew it was what my parents wanted, but something about it didn’t feel like it was supposed to.
It was a relief to be able to leave behind the demands of being a manor servant, but I was sad to leave my duty of bringing tea to Rylan each day. Aside from Suzannah, he was my best friend. He had taught me all the letters and their sounds. I could even write my name. Not that I had much use for such a skill, since we did not own paper or quill or ink or books. But Rylan was so proud of me for learning, for wanting to learn, and I think Gavin was even more excited about the possibility of reading than I was. I only hoped I would be able to remember it all so that if somehow I was ever able to have a book or two, perhaps I’d be able to make out some of the words.
I waited to tell Rylan of my departure until two days before I would leave Baylor Manor for good. When I brought his tray, I spoke up quickly, knowing we didn’t have time. “I’ll be leaving in a few days,” I said with some trepidation.
“Oh,” he said as the space between his brows dented. “I hope you won’t be gone long. Where are you going?”
“No. I mean, I won’t be working here . . . anymore.” It was harder to say than I thought it should be.
“Not at all?” He looked alarmed.
I shook my head.
“But why? Are they letting you go? I can talk to Nancy or the housemistress. I know Mother would not make you leave if I asked her.”
I shook my head. “I don’t have to work anymore. We don’t need the extra coin now that my brother is working again, so Mama says I should come home and help her tend the house like before.”
“Oh. That’s . . . that’s good then.” He looked at his feet as he scuffed his toe against the floor. “How much longer will you be here?”
“Only two more days.”
He nodded but didn’t say anything, which was so very unlike Rylan that I couldn’t think of anything to fill the silence. After several moments, I realized I was out of time. “I must get back.”
He smiled, but it was small and not very happy looking. “Good day, Kinley.”
Keeping Kinley Page 2