The Beautiful Pretender (A Medieval Fairy Tale #2)(13)
The lady, quite pretty, with brown hair and blue eyes, looked as though she might faint as the blood drained from her face.
“Lady Dorothea? Are you well?”
She nodded, visibly swallowing.
She did not have to say anything brilliant. He came up with the questions as a way to discover a bit about them, to get an idea about their temperaments and character, since he was not so interested in his wife having strong opinions. A simple maiden who was not too opinionated would suit him.
But he was not so sure this one could even speak.
Avelina’s breath traitorously left her. She tried to think what she might be expected to say. She did not want to impress the margrave, but she didn’t want him to suspect that she knew nothing at all about being a lady either. She should say whatever Lady Dorothea would have said. But Lady Dorothea probably would have said something about looking beautiful so as to bring her husband the most praise, and Avelina could not bring herself to say that.
“Lady Dorothea?” The margrave was looking at her as if he was afraid she had gone deaf. The chancellor’s fair wife who had led her into the room was also staring at her, along with her young, handsome husband, who sat with his quill pen poised to write.
With so many thoughts swirling in her head, she was too confused to think of anything other than the truth. “In my opinion, a lady should take care of her people, first and foremost. They are dependent upon her and upon their lord for their well-being, and therefore a lady should consider them in everything she does and every decision she makes.” Something the real Lady Dorothea had utterly failed to do.
She studied Lord Thornbeck’s expression, but he was unreadable. Frau Hartman, however, widened her eyes and glanced at her husband, who was too busy writing to return her gaze. Was her answer surprising? She must be more careful.
The margrave folded his arms across his chest as he sat behind his desk. His cane leaned against it in easy reach. “And how does a lady take care of her people? Can you give an example?”
She closed her eyes for a moment, balancing on the edge of the deep hole that she had just dug for herself. She might as well tell the truth. She had never been good at lies.
“A lady takes care of her people by making sure they have what they need—food, clothing, and shelter—to the best of her ability. She should discover what her people need and keep the lord of the land informed of these needs. One such lady is Lady Magdalen, whom I was speaking with during the midday meal. Her people are having difficulty since their mines were exhausted of their copper supply, and she is very concerned for them. She is willing to do whatever is necessary to help them. That is a perfect example.”
Thank You, God, for helping me think of that! She only hoped she had not put him off by making it obvious that Magdalen’s region needed the margrave’s wealth to help it survive. Frau Hartman had raised her brows. Avelina went on.
“Furthermore, a margrave’s wife should have lots of ideas—and should share those ideas with her husband and other prominent men of the region. She should tell the margrave how to solve the problems of the region and not just share what those problems are. Do you not agree, Lord Thornbeck?”
He fixed her with such an intense scowl that she could hardly breathe. How could he look severe and frightening and yet overwhelmingly handsome at the same time? His brown eyes, masculine forehead and jawline, broad shoulders, and well-formed mouth all combined to make him the most handsome man she had ever seen. She quickly looked away from him, her cheeks burning, embarrassed that she found the man so attractive. She hoped he could not read her thoughts.
“You are saying a lady should tell her husband what the region’s problems are and how to solve them?”
Had she gone too far? God in heaven, I am only a maidservant! What am I saying? “Um . . . I . . . that is . . . perhaps. I mean, yes, my lord.” Could she be any more blundering and unpolished? He quirked one brow at her.
At least she didn’t have to worry that she was impressing him too much.
He cleared his throat as he looked down at the piece of paper in his hand. “What kinds of things do you like to do, Lady Dorothea? Sewing? Riding? Hawking?”
What should she say? She didn’t know how to do most things a lady would do. She hated sewing and had never gone riding until the trip here, which had not exactly been enjoyable, and she knew nothing about using birds of prey to hunt. She was good at dressing Lady Dorothea’s hair, but her mind wandered too much to play games of skill like chess or Nine Men’s Morris.
But there was one thing she knew how to do that most servants did not: she knew how to read. She had convinced Lady Dorothea to teach her years ago and then to allow her to join the lessons with her tutor.
“I like to read and make up stories.”
This time both his brows quirked up. “Stories?”
“Tales. I write tales of adventure, quests of courage and love. Romances.”
The muscles around his mouth went slack.
Was it bad for a lady to make up tales? The chancellor’s wife was staring at her with round blue eyes and a half smile.
After a few moments he said, “I should like to read one of your tales.”
“Oh,” Avelina spoke through her sigh of relief, “I’m afraid I did not bring any with me.” She smiled, trying to look apologetic.
Was that a disapproving look on his face? Though the margrave’s chancellor and his wife looked very pleasant, the margrave was definitely scowling. “And what kind of things do you like to read?”