by M. J. Haag
Nothing a clever girl couldn’t handle. I sighed and continued through the trees, letting the pig lead us off the trail as he snuffled and grunted with his nose to the ground.
But first, I needed to speak to Kaven and eat some crow. Not for Maeve’s benefit but for my own peace of mind. I’d spoken so harshly to him because of my notions of his guilt. Granted, it hadn’t helped that he had been surly and suspicious as well. However, I now realized how warranted his doubt of an unknown woman had been. I wished I had been more doubtful myself. Of Maeve. Of the messenger boy. Of everyone.
“The wasp has returned,” a voice said from nearby.
Startled, I whirled around, dropping the pig’s tether.
“No need to send your pig after me,” Kaven said. He stood just behind a tree, his clear, deep blue eyes shifting between me and the pig.
“Is that fear I see in your eyes?” I said, unable to help myself.
He patted the tree and gave it a considering look.
“I wasn’t sure I’d picked a tree large enough to stop the both of you.”
I smiled, amused. He was likable now that I knew he wasn’t evil. My humor faded as that thought reminded me of my purpose.
He noticed, and his answering smile faded.
“I thought you’d taken to avoiding the forest like you’d threatened to do the first time I met you.”
“I’ve been unavoidably detained,” I said.
“Does your detainment have anything to do with your bruised cheek?”
I lifted my hand to the cheek in question.
“After boasting of my intelligence, I would prefer not to talk about this.”
He considered me for a moment then inclined his head.
“I will not mention it again.”
“Thank you.”
We stared at each other for a moment before I bent to fetch the pig’s tether. The creature hadn’t gone far, just a few steps away to snuffle the ground.
“You seem different,” Kaven said, drawing my attention. “More subdued.”
I gave a wry smile, thinking of all the things that were restraining me. A curse. Maeve’s threat on Kellen’s safety. The idea that Maeve might be watching me with her detestable mirror even now.
“That happens when one struggles with an overdue apology,” I said smoothly.
His brows lifted.
“Apology?”
He looked right then left.
“I need to find somewhere to sit. I’m feeling faint.”
I snorted and shook my head as he folded his arms and leaned against the tree, waiting expectantly.
“I’m sorry I hit you with the rock. It was unnecessarily forceful.”
“And?”
“And I promise to use a branch next time.”
He threw his head back and laughed, a dimple emerging on his cheek. I’d forgotten how handsome he was and didn’t resent the way my middle did an odd flip at the sight of his humor. In fact, I embraced it and let myself desperately wish my life was currently on a different course. One that might involve him.
Gently tugging on the pig, I turned and resumed walking. Kaven quickly fell into step beside me.
“Is that what brought you out today?” he asked. “The need to apologize?”
“Don’t flatter yourself. The pig was overdue for his walk. And I was eager for some sun on my face.”
From the corner of my eye, I caught him studying me and glanced at him.
“What?”
“I’m still trying to understand you.”
“Oh? I thought you were learning all my tricks,” I said, remembering the last time we’d met and how he’d successfully deflected my blows.
“I believe I’ve barely begun to know you, Eloise Cartwright. But, I would like to.”
His words sent a shiver of fear through me. This was exactly what Maeve wanted.
“That’s a bit forward of you,” I said primly.
He chuckled.
“You seem to appreciate forwardness.”
“Sometimes.” I stopped walking and faced him. “How long have you been with the prince?”
His humor fled, and mistrust crept into his gaze.
“Why do you ask?”
“I’ve lived here, on the King’s land, my entire life. I want to know why.”
The suspicion cleared.
“Your mother helped save the kingdom.”
“My mother?” I shook my head and resumed walking. “My earliest memory of her is a day we went to the market. All the other women were walking briskly, buying what they needed. Mother did neither. She walked slowly, letting our maids haggle for better prices. She needed to sit and rest often and napped as soon as we returned home. How could a woman with no strength have saved the kingdom?”
“It’s not strength that rights wrongs, Eloise, but determination.”
I shrugged indifferently while storing that bit of information away. Determination I had in plenty. If what Kaven said was true about my mother, perhaps I was meant to follow in her footsteps and save the kingdom’s Prince.
“Why are you out in the woods?” I asked. “Hasn’t your errant Prince returned to ply you with work yet?”
“Are you trying to rid me of your pleasant company?”
“Hardly. My sharp words are good for you. As are menial tasks. Surely there are some princely soiled underthings for you to scrub by now.”
Kaven snorted.
“I’ve never met a woman open to discussing the washing of underthings.”
“Such topics are acceptable when speaking of royalty, didn’t you know? One simply must know everything about the lives of our betters.”
He gave me an odd look, a cross between concern and disappointment.
“You sound as if you hate the Prince. Have you met him before to carry such animosity?”
“Animosity? I hold no such strong emotion for our errant Prince. The best I can conjure is disdainful indifference. His drawn-out impending appearance has disrupted my life,” I said before I could stop myself.
“How so?”
“Visitors come under the guise of condolences to press for information about his Royal Highness’s return as if we know more than the common populace in Towdown. I resent the intrusion as it’s a constant reminder of what was taken from me.”
“I’m sorry, Eloise.”
“It is what it is. Lowly people such as ourselves have no influence on the decisions of our betters. We can only live with the consequences of them. But if you do have the Prince’s ear, please tell him to get his royal backside home.”
“I will inform him that a beautiful damsel impatiently awaits his return. Perhaps it will hasten his progress. Unless you plan to greet him with a rock.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I’ve already sworn off rocks.”
Kaven grinned.
“Do you truly have nothing better to do with your time than torment me?”
He gave an exaggerated sigh.
“There are a few things that do require my attention today. Will I find you walking tomorrow, Eloise?”
“Only if you continue to wander the woods like an idle miscreant.”
“You wound me.”
I could clearly see that I hadn’t.
“When you speak with your Prince, you might want to mention your apparent boredom. I’m certain he will help you correct it.”
Chapter Nine
Maeve stopped pacing before the fire as soon as I opened the door to the otherwise empty kitchen. Turning, she watched me remove my cloak, her face an impartial mask that worried me more than her false kindness. The kindness was a ploy to hide who she really was while she strove to manipulate those around her. However, this was the calm before the storm where she let her real nature show.
When I looked up from removing my shoes, she stood before me. Her hand lashed out and connected with my cheek with a vicious crack. The strike stung, but I knew well that it could have been worse.
“I returned
straight away after speaking with Kaven,” I said nervously.
“Speaking with him, Eloise? You insulted him the entire time.”
I’d known she would watch. Yet, hearing her admit it made the entire conversation with Kaven repeat in my head. Because Maeve was unfamiliar with my prior relationship with Kaven, I could understand why she thought I’d insulted him.
“I flirted with him.”
“That was flirting?”
“Yes. He smiled and laughed and liked talking to me enough that he hopes to speak with me again tomorrow.”
She considered me for a moment, some of the suppressed anger leaving her eyes.
“Have you kissed a boy, Eloise?”
The question startled me.
“No, Mama.”
She sighed. “Then, the fault in this failure is mine.”
“Failure? But he seemed to trust me and said he would speak with the prince.”
“He was making light of your comments, my dear. It’s clear the boy has interest in you. However, you lack the knowledge to foster it. But, I think I have just the way to educate you regarding how to correct your approach. Would you like to go for another outing tomorrow?”
I had seen her parties and feared how she meant to educate me. Yet, I knew there was only one right answer.
“Yes, Mama,” I said.
She smiled at me, her expression filled with pride.
“Then you will go with Cecilia to the Brazen Belle to learn how real flirting is done.”
My brows rose in surprise before I could stop myself. I knew very well what the Brazen Belle was.
“Don’t fret so. No one will know it’s you, and I promise you’re only going to observe. You’re too precious to me to be used like Catherine and Heather.”
“Mama, please. He already noticed I was acting differently despite my efforts to the contrary. If I start acting out of character even more so, won’t he become mistrustful?”
She tilted her head and looked at me.
“What do you suggest?”
“Kaven sees me as a young girl who has no experience with boys. Let me continue as such for a few days and see where it leads. I don’t know your purpose in determining when the prince arrives or understand your urgency, but what are a few more days when so many have been spent already?”
Maeve said nothing as she stared at me for several long minutes. The throbbing in my cheek increased with each beat of my heart, and I began to fear that I’d pushed too far and would quickly suffer more abuse. Yet, despite her assurance that I would not be used like Heather and Catherine, I saw our fates intertwining if I went to a whorehouse to learn about flirting.
“You say you want to be a young lady of good breeding but are doing nothing to show me that is your true path. A young woman of good breeding is adept at learning information and sharing it, Eloise. What have you learned?”
I remained silent, knowing I’d learned nothing of use to her.
“We need to know when Prince Greydon will return,” she continued. “You have three days to attempt to innocently gain the information. After that, you will learn to embrace the power of your beauty and clever wit. You will acquire the skills that women with less refinement have honed over the years to gain everything they desire. And, you will use everything you have to obtain what we need by the night of the fifth day. Do you understand, Eloise?”
“Yes, Mama.”
“I don’t think you do,” she said with soft menace. “But after a visit to the Brazen Belle, you will. Now go to your room. The sight of your face is a sore reminder of your failure.”
I hastened to leave her presence.
In the solace of the attic, I wet a cloth in the cool water of my washbasin and pressed it to my abused cheek. My life hovered on a precipice. A single misstep, and I would find myself in far worse circumstances than my current one. How would I ever convince Kaven to share the Prince’s plans with me?
Sighing, I sat on my bed and looked across at its empty twin. I missed Kellen’s calming presence. I missed Judith and Anne. And above all, I missed Mother. She would have been amused by each encounter I had with Kaven. Except, perhaps, the one where I bashed him with the rock. But even then, she would have warned me to curb my temper by using that patient voice of hers. She would have never slapped me.
I snorted, realizing the fruitlessness of comparing Maeve’s actions to that of my mother’s. My mother would have never murdered anyone much less seen either of her daughters physically punished for anything.
The need to free myself from Maeve’s influence drove me to set aside the cloth and carefully dig out Mother’s herbology books. Without the lock securing the door, I didn’t spend any time absorbed in their pages, but rather spent my time familiarizing myself with their content in general.
Every book had notes about potions or spells. Most had sporadic entries that intertwined with the use of common enough tinctures. A few contained pages dedicated to certain potions. One that caught my eye was a potion to change one’s appearance.
“Eloise,” Maeve called from below.
I startled and looked around wide-eyed before collecting myself.
“Coming, Mama,” I answered as I quietly hid the books.
Lightly running down the stairs, I found Maeve once again waiting for me in the entry. She stood near the mirror, the image of Heather and Catherine moving about our kitchen fading from view. Dread pooled in my stomach. Had Maeve witnessed me with the books? Would she ask what I’d been reading? Would she demand to see them?
“Your sisters are returning. It will be good for you to greet them and hear their success.”
I said nothing, too relieved she hadn’t called me down to question me. Though, I did wonder how she knew they were coming—perhaps she watched them with the mirror too—and what she would do if they hadn’t been successful.
Outside, the rattle of an arriving carriage ceased, and I moved to wait a few steps behind Maeve. Cecilia threw open the door, a pleased smile on her face.
“I can see you have news. Let’s move to the sitting room. I’ll ring for tea.”
“Please, no more tea. Another sip, and I’ll float away.”
Maeve smiled at her daughter, artfully took her arm, and led the girl into the sitting room. I glanced at Porcia, who lingered behind like me.
Her gaze flicked to my cheek.
“What happened?” she asked.
“I spoke with the manservant, but he wasn’t forthcoming with the information Mama wanted.”
Porcia’s gaze slowly swept me from head to foot. Her scrutiny bore no hint of any malicious emotion. Yet, her next words contradicted her expression, as they often did.
“You’ll learn to do as you’re told.”
She walked past me, entering the sitting room not far behind Maeve and Cecilia. Knowing Maeve wanted me present, I followed. Once again, she patted the seat beside her, bidding me to sit near. Cecilia, already seated across from her mother, watched me closely, a slight smirk curving her lips as I did as I was told.
“Tell us what you’ve learned,” Maeve said.
“Searches are occurring in every home within Towdown, including those on the outskirts, like ours. They began after Mr. Fletcher’s carriage was discovered idly wandering the streets last night. All four occupants were dead, and the driver was missing.”
“Why are they searching homes for signs of magical use and not signs of the driver?” I asked. It would seem logical to me to suspect the driver if the man was missing.
Maeve glanced at me.
“You’ve seen the results of a magical death, and the result of completely draining a person’s life energy.”
Images of Anne and Judith filled my mind, and I quickly understood why the guards were searching homes. Maeve focused on Cecilia once more.
“I had hoped that Mr. Fletcher and his companions would make it home to their wives before the spell finished its work. Any news of the others?”
Cecilia looked at P
orcia.
“All are still alive as far as the gossips know though a few have been struck by some mysterious illness that keeps them abed.”
“That is perfect,” Maeve said. “A mysterious malady is just what we need to help deflect suspicion. Porcia, I will leave it to you to foster that notion. Did either of you manage to entice new patrons to our nightly gatherings?”
“Yes, Mama,” they both said.
“Lovely.”
The birds chirped excitedly though their pretty songs barely penetrated my notice as I wove through the trees. With no pig to slow me, I quickly made my way toward the Royal Retreat as my mind raced, trying to find a solution to all of the problems that plagued me.
Last evening, Maeve had once again used Heather and Catherine to entice another group of dinner companions into her service. I doubted even now that the men knew they were under Maeve’s thrall or that she had fed from them. She had made me stay through the initial invitation, a reminder of Catherine and Heather’s place in Maeve’s household. And, my future place if I continued to fail her. She’d excused me only after a warning that I had three days to learn the Prince’s whereabouts.
The sounds of the men’s satisfied groans and the wet licking still haunted me. But as much as I wanted to save myself from such a fate, I feared what Maeve planned to do with the Prince and how many more would suffer if she gained the information she wanted.
I needed to find a way to warn Kaven. Yet, with the curse binding my words and Maeve watching my actions, I didn’t see how I could stop anything. The idea of doing what I was told grated at me. But I needed to keep Kellen safe. The image of the mirror rose to my mind, and I cursed its existence yet again. What I wouldn’t give to destroy it. Perhaps then I would have a chance.
I wished Mother hadn’t died. Although I wouldn’t have wanted to subject her to Maeve’s cruelty, I would have felt less lost if she were still with me.
“Going somewhere?” Kaven asked in amusement.
I whirled and realized I’d walked right past him. A smile played about his lips, flashing the dimple I found so heartwarming, and his eyes twinkled with humor. He wore the same hat pulled down to his ears, his darker hair escaping the confines. Suddenly, I itched to touch it and know its texture.