The Silent Songbird (Hagenheim #7)(38)

Nicola smiled. “Why would you want to learn those things? I don’t know any women who know how to sword fight.”

“Is it strange that I want to learn those things?”

“I suppose not. But why do you want to?”

Evangeline took a deep breath. “I might need to protect myself.”

“Glynval is a safe place, mostly. I have never had to defend myself from anyone trying to harm me. Although I did see what Sabina did to you, tripping you in the yard.”

“Sabina does not like me very much.”

“Sabina doesn’t like anyone she thinks might catch Westley le Wyse’s attention.”

Evangeline smiled ruefully at the accuracy of Nicola’s statement, then they both laughed. She was immediately struck with the thought that she had not laughed enough in her life, and to laugh with a friend was quite lovely.

“A lot of people think Westley will marry her, but I hope he will not be that stupid. She isn’t the kindest person. But you’ve already seen that.”

“Unfortunately.”

“Did someone hurt you? Is that why you want to learn how to fight?”

“No. But there is someone . . . someone I might have to defend myself against someday.”

“Reeve Folsham knows knife throwing and archery. He regularly teaches some of the servants, as well as his daughters. His daughters, I am told, can defeat any man who might be foolish enough to try to harm them. As for sword fighting, Westley is the best at that.”

Evangeline would have to stay alert to opportunities to learn some fighting skills.



Looking for the reeve, Evangeline stood outside the dairy and searched the men coming back from the fields that afternoon. But after several minutes she still did not see him. She also kept a wary eye out for Sabina.

It was Evangeline’s turn to help serve dinner to the other servants. She was late, so she ran across the courtyard toward the kitchen behind the castle. When she reached the kitchen door, someone called, “Eva! Wait.”

Sabina hurried toward her. She carried something inside her apron as she held the hem up to her chest. Behind Sabina, Evangeline spotted Reeve Folsham.

“Golda asked me to pick these mushrooms for the pottage tonight,” Sabina said to Evangeline. “She will be so angry with me if I don’t get them into the pot immediately. Please, won’t you take them in for me? I have to go home and help my little sister. Please? I’m sorry for making you fall this morning.”

Evangeline stared. Part of her wanted to turn away from Sabina without a word and ignore her request. But she also wanted to show she was not as heartless as Sabina—and if she didn’t hurry, she’d miss getting to speak to the reeve before he left. So she held out her own apron and let Sabina dump the mushrooms inside.

“Thank you, Eva!” Sabina ran back the way she had come.

“Reeve Folsham,” she called as he was walking past. “May I speak to you a moment?”

The large man walked toward her.

“I wonder if you might be willing to teach me how to throw a knife or how to shoot a bow and arrow.”

He looked at her askance. “Can you be trusted with knives?”

Her face burned as she realized what he was thinking of. “I-I only thought . . . if you were teaching a group of-of men, you might let me watch.”

“It is good for girl children, especially ones as fair as you, to learn how to defend themselves.” His expression was sober. “The next time Mistress Alice gives you some time away from work, come and find me and I’ll teach you.”

“Oh, thank you, Reeve Folsham. Thank you.”

He nodded and walked on. He did not eat with the other servants but went to his own home for his evening meals.

Evangeline’s shoulders felt lighter, and she couldn’t help smiling.

She looked down at the mushrooms in her apron and remembered what Sabina had asked her to do. Perhaps she was not such a bad person, and Evangeline might win Sabina’s good opinion the way she had won Reeve Folsham’s. Sabina had even said she was sorry for tripping her. Perhaps she was sincere.

Evangeline strode over to the large pot bubbling over the cook fire and dumped the contents of her apron inside. Golda’s back was turned as she inspected the bread that was being drawn out of the oven. When she saw Evangeline, she said, “Go take those trenchers to the table.”

Evangeline placed the slabs of stale bread at regular intervals on the trestle table. Then she filled all the goblets with ale. Next she helped slice the fresh bread and put it on a wooden serving platter, then took it in and set it in the middle of the table. The other servants were starting to come in and sit down.

“Eva, can you help spoon up the pottage into the bowls?” Golda pointed to the stack of wooden bowls in the corner.

Evangeline grabbed the stack of bowls while someone else spooned the pottage into them. She took two bowls at a time to set beside the trencher at each place. Meanwhile, another servant dished a portion of roast pork and gravy onto their trenchers.

The workers began arriving, sat down, and started to eat. Suddenly one of the men spit something forcibly from his mouth.

“What is it, Robert?” the servant beside him asked.

“Poison! Poison mushrooms in this pottage.”

Several people cried out or stood up. Several others spit their food back into their bowls or into their hands.