The Beautiful Pretender (A Medieval Fairy Tale #2)(35)

“I shall send Hegatha to find Irma, or to have some of the other servants clean up the mess.” Magdalen went to her own bedchamber and soon came back with Hegatha, who walked past them down the corridor without even glancing at Avelina.

“We will have it cleaned up in no time.”

Avelina shuddered. She did not want to admit it, but her insides were all churned up to think someone would do something like this. Fronicka had brought several servants with her, and she must have had them do the vicious deed.

Avelina wanted to hurt her, to do the same thing back to her, and to add a few stinging nettles. But of course, as the priest in Plimmwald had said, God demands forgiveness, and vengeance does not belong to man. For now, she had to concentrate on keeping one step ahead of Fronicka.

Magdalen shook her head. “Who knows what she might do next. I think we should tell Lord Thornbeck.”

“Perhaps.” Avelina tapped her chin with her finger. “But I don’t want to run to him with such a petty . . .” She sighed. “I simply have to get through these next ten days. Surely we can do that.”

“Very well. Do you want to sleep in my bed tonight? I sometimes let my sisters sleep with me.”

She did not relish sleeping in the bed where Fronicka had left her such a disgusting offering, but she also did not wish to have Magdalen’s old nursemaid giving her sour looks. No, Avelina was a grown woman. “Thank you, but I think I shall be well.”

Hegatha came back just then, an even sterner look on her face than usual, with Irma in tow, carrying clean bedclothes and grumbling under her breath. She brushed past them and entered Avelina’s bedchamber—and exclaimed in a high-pitched voice.

“Come to my room.” Magdalen took her by the arm, leading her.

Avelina spent the next hour with Magdalen, until they heard the other ladies coming up the stairs. She hurried back to her room. She checked the bed, throwing back the sheets. Then she knelt and checked under it. Nothing was there. Surprisingly, there was no lingering stench, only a strong herbal smell of lavender and pennyroyal.

She took off her outer clothes, crawled into bed, and lay staring at the canopy above her with all the curtains pulled back to let in as much light as possible. Was it her imagination that something was touching her leg?

She threw the covers off and sat up. All she saw was one of her own long brown hairs by her leg. She laughed out loud at herself.

She lay down again and tried to close her eyes, but she kept seeing the mess that had been in her bed. Finally, she got up and went to Irma’s little room and opened the door.

“Irma?”

“Yes,” answered the lump on the bed.

“Do you mind if I leave your door open?”

“Afraid of that nasty Lady Fronicka, are you? I warned you she was a malicious one. What did you do to make her hate you?”

“Nothing!”

“From what I hear from the other servants, the margrave fancies you. You had best make sure—”

“That is not true. He favors Lady Magdalen.”

“That’s not what I hear.”

Avelina rubbed her face. “What do you hear?”

She sat up in her small bed. “I hear that Lady Dorothea is in love with her father’s knight and is with child.”

“For all the angels in heaven’s sake, Irma, keep your voice quiet.”

Irma went on in a loud whisper, “And that Lord Thornbeck took you and Lady Magdalen on a picnic, just the three of you.”

“That is a lie. Odette Hartman went with us, as did several servants. They were with us the whole time.”

“Ach, well, some of the ladies were very jealous.”

“Who have you been talking to? Who told you all that?”

“Gerhaws. She knows all the gossip. And there is talk of you and Lady Magdalen being his favorites.”

“I fully intend that he shall choose Magdalen to marry, as well he should. She is by far the most suitable lady for him.” But even as she said the words, a voice rose up inside to accuse her. You think he would be happier with you. You wish he could marry you. But Avelina shoved the voice away.

“Just be careful he doesn’t end up choosing you, Lady Avelina.”

“You know you should not call me that.” And wasn’t she doing all she could to make sure Lord Thornbeck did not choose her? She discouraged his conversing with her, and he had started showing a preference for Magdalen, she was sure of it. What did Irma and those servants know? They weren’t there with them at the picnic or when Lord Thornbeck brought Magdalen her necklace.

No, the margrave was going to marry Magdalen.

“Irma, I want you to be extra careful around those other servants. Do not say anything about me, anything at all. You know what danger we are in if anyone discovers . . . And please don’t get drunk anymore. You might let our secret slip—”

Irma’s lip curled and her eyes narrowed. “Look who thinks she’s an earl’s daughter. Just because you wear fancy clothes, you cannot tell me what to do,” Irma hissed. “So don’t forget that we are equals, you hear me? Equals. And I will do as I please when I am eating and drinking with the other servants, which is what you’ll be again, soon enough.” Irma flopped down on the bed and turned over to face the wall.

Avelina stood there, motionless for several minutes, except for her chest rapidly rising and falling.