LITMIR.BIZ

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elder woman admonished the second girl, “And Cora. This is your new lady.”

      I stared only at Lavonia. Though I’d never found myself in a situation like this before, I instinctively knew I was being tested, and I couldn’t show an ounce of weakness. Reaching inside myself, I channeled the cold strength and imperious nature of my mother.

      “What do I want?” I repeated in my mother’s haughty voice and was rewarded by seeing Cora, the redheaded girl, shrink back in uncertainty. “I came to see why two sons of this house are eating moldy cheese for breakfast.” I let my eyes fall to the eggs and strawberries.

      How had Jarrod let things fall into this state? Had it happened slowly over the years?

      The slim older woman came around the table, her face chagrined. “My lady,” she began, and I heard an apology in her voice. “Would Sebastian and Kai like something else?”

      She knew the household schedule well enough to know that Jarrod and Rolf were out.

      “If they want something else, they’ll send for it,” Lavonia interrupted.

      Even taking their ages into account, I was not certain of the hierarchy here. The elder woman did not appear to be in charge.

      “What is your name?” I asked her.

      “Ester, my lady.”

      I nodded. “Ester, will that bread you’re making be baked by midday?”

      “Yes, my lady.”

      I spoke only to her. “I haven’t taken stock of the larder, but I brought some things with me from Chaumont. In a short while, I’ll have boxes of tea and several casks of wine brought in. At midday, I will send Matilda and Betty to you. I want trays prepared with slices of fresh bread with butter, bowls of strawberries, boiled eggs, and several pots of tea. I want this carried up to the hall for any of the men who come in to eat. Is that clear?”

      “Yes, my lady.”

      “If they want anything, they’ll send for it,” Lavonia repeated angrily.

      I looked her up and down as if she were an insect—as my mother would have done—and then turned back to Ester. “I assume there is ham in the larder?”

      She nodded and glanced nervously at Lavonia.

      “Do you know how to make cream sauce?” I asked Ester.

      “Yes, my lady.”

      “For dinner tonight, you will make roasted potatoes and a large dish of peas in cream sauce. You will heat a ham, slice it, and lay it out on a tray. I’ll have decanters sent in, and I want two decanters of red wine drawn from the casks.” I paused. “I will send Betty and Matilda right at dusk this evening, and everything will be ready for them to carry out. Is that clear?”

      “Yes, my lady.”

      I looked again to Lavonia. “I trust you will be of help with this if you wish to keep your place in this house.”

      “Is that a threat?” Her pretty face twisted with anger. “Lord Jarrod will hear of this!”

      In my mother’s voice, I answered, “I certainly hope so.”

      I swept from the room.

      * * * *

      By evening, I took a short break from my work to run upstairs and let Miriam lace me into a silk gown and pile up my hair. I wore the diamond pendant.

      When I came back down, I looked the part of lady of the house.

      Upon reaching the main hall, I heard masculine voices and walked in to find Jarrod, Rolf, Sebastian, and Kai all there. Jarrod and Rolf were both looking about the place in surprise, for it had indeed undergone something of a transformation.

      For one, it was clean.

      The newly scrubbed table had been laid with white cloths, porcelain plates, and pewter goblets. All of these had come from Chaumont Manor. Four enormous tapestries hung on the walls, and I think my mother chose them well. They bore vibrant vivid colors and all four of them depicted a story in sequence of men hunting a pack of wolves. My parents had never cared for these, as they were from before my grandfather’s time, but Mother had guessed Jarrod would like them.

      From the look on his face, he did.

      The half dozen spaniels still wriggled about the men, seeking attention. I had no intention of displacing these dogs from the hall. This was their home. I simply intended to make certain the maids cleaned up after them.

      “Dinner will be served shortly,” I said from the archway.

      All the men turned as I walked in.

      “You approve of the changes?” I asked Jarrod.

      He glanced at the table and the nearest tapestry. Then he walked over and picked up an engraved pewter goblet. “I do. I wouldn’t know how to buy any of this with all the money in the land.” He nodded to Rolf. “We’ve made a better bargain than I realized.”

      I supposed this was high praise coming from Jarrod.

      At that moment, Betty and Matilda came in carrying trays of sliced ham, roasted potatoes, peas in cream sauce, and two decanters of wine.

      “Shall we sit down?” I suggested.

      With a snort of laughter, Jarrod shook his head as if amused. “A good bargain indeed.” Then he looked again at Rolf. “Now I want a grandson.”

      * * * *

      That night, Rolf came to my room again.

      “My father was pleased with the hall and with dinner,” he said.

      I found his praise strangely gratifying. “So was Sebastian. He even helped hang the tapestries.”

      Rolf’s face clouded. “Of course he did.”

      The dislike in his voice was clear. Last night, I’d noticed his affection for his youngest brother, but this warmth did not spread to Sebastian. I wondered why.

      With nothing else to say, I climbed into the bed again, and Rolf joined me.

      He treated me gently, and when he kissed me, I tried to respond and kiss him back. The rest of the act was over quickly. As I knew what was coming, it was not so invasive this time, but I still couldn’t help feeling the entire act was merely a duty on both our parts.

      Though I’d never expected to marry and had never given it much thought, in the back of my mind, I somehow thought there should be . . . more.

      Chapter 3

      As the weeks passed, I somehow became “the lady” of Volodane Hall.

      While my mother hadn’t had time to have a proper trousseau made for me, she’d sent bolts of velvet and silk from our stores, and Miriam was a skilled seamstress. With some regret, I retired my comfortable old blue wool and was not seen in it again. I had a part to play now, and if I wished to survive, I needed to look that part.

      In addition, though Jarrod was somewhat tight with money, he was soon more than aware of my value as a keeper of his home, and he put me in charge of the household accounts. This gave me the freedom to order food and goods from the village when necessary. I never visited the village, but I arranged to hire a laundry woman. While the care of my own gowns was left to Miriam, I ordered washings of all four of the men’s clothing, along with sheets, blankets, and curtains.

      Almost before I knew it, the rhythms of daily life here had become familiar. Jarrod and Rolf were often out overseeing the land or running drills with the guards. Kai spent much of his time in training with a sword, even though the family did not appear to be at war with anyone. Sebastian spent his time playing cards with the guards . . . or talking with me.

      I learned a good deal from him. My question about the guards’ food source was soon answered, as they had their own cook—a man—and supplies were delivered

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