“Saxby was right,” she murmured. “I should have stayed with the carriage.”
Gray skies and muted daylight gently awoke Valerie from a surprisingly restful slumber. A dreamless sleep, where no handsome, scarred men had transformed into fanged beasts, prowling the northern countryside.
But the duke sprang into her mind shortly after waking, as the events of last night slowly awakened with her.
I am really in a castle. I am truly his guest… just as long as I do not cross paths with him or, presumably, say another word to him.
She got up and braced for the unpleasant chill of emerging from the warmth of her coverlets. So, it was rather confusing to find that the room was still toasty warm. Indeed, glancing over, she realized that the fire was still ablaze in the hearth. Someone must have come in while she was sleeping, to tend to it.
The stone floor, however, was as bitingly cold as a frozen lake as she put her bare feet down. Flinching but determined, shepadded over to the window to see what the world beyond looked like in the daylight.
A scene of pristine white greeted her eyes, the gray skies continuing to relieve their burden of snow. Blackbirds and robins pecked at the powdery snowfall to find their wormy breakfasts, while the rest of that perfect blanket of white remained untouched. Not a soul had disturbed it, and she was filled with a sudden, child-like desire to go dancing through it.
“Oh, heavens,” a startled voice gasped. “You must excuse me, Miss; I didn’t know you were awake.”
Valerie whirled around in equal fright, her arms crossing over her bosom to maintain some dignity. There had been no nightdress provided, so she had slept in her shift; not at all appropriately attired for receiving visitors.
A pair of women stood in the doorway, one older, one younger. The older woman was perhaps fifty, with brown hair flecked with silver beneath the covering of her lace cap. The younger could not have been older than sixteen, her hair the same shade of brown, her pretty face carrying more than a passing resemblance to the older. Indeed, it was like seeing the past and the future standing side-by-side.
“I… only just woke up,” Valerie replied awkwardly.
The older woman held up a basket of wood. “Do you mind if we carry on with our duties? Only, we’ve got to be back downstairs shortly to help with breakfast.” She paused. “Or, I could leave mydaughter to tend to you? I don’t suppose you’ve got a lady’s maid with you.”
“Do not let me distract you,” Valerie replied. “And thank you, but I am not in need of a lady’s maid. I have but the one dress, and as I managed to take it off by myself, I daresay I shall manage perfectly well putting it back on.”
She laughed to let the women know she was trying to be humorous.
The younger woman stifled a chuckle, the older woman’s face cracking into a grin.
“Well then, we’ll hurry ourselves so you can have your peace,” the older woman said. “And if you should need aught else, I’m Kate Mullens, the housekeeper here, and this is Esther.”
Valerie blinked. “The housekeeper? Surely, with such a prominent position, you should not be bothering yourself with my fire.”
“Nonsense, Miss,” Kate replied cheerily. “It has been so long since we had a guest in this castle that Iinsistedon being permitted to take care of you. Besides, it’s my hope that Esther here will one day go on to the manor of a good family, so the sooner she can learn how to behave around a lady, the better.”
“I am no real lady,” Valerie said, a note of shyness in her voice. “I am but a Baron’s daughter. Miss Valerie Wightman.”
And I am not certain you would call my family ‘good.’ Society does not.
Kate bustled over to the fire and began shoving some more logs on. “That’s lady enough, Miss; I assure you,” she replied as she worked. “Did you sleep well? Would you care for more blankets? I know it can get rather cold in these rooms.”
“I slept very well, thank you,” Valerie replied, discreetly reaching for one of the blankets on the bed to drape around herself.
“Oh, but what a night you had,” the housekeeper continued animatedly, her hand flying to her chest. “Mr. Jarvis was telling me all about it. He keeps threatening to go and check on your carriage to see if the driver has returned, but I told him, “Mr. Jarvis, there won’t be anyone coming back from town in this. The roads won’t be clear for days, and it’sstillsnowing.” So, he has relented for now.”
Valerie swallowed tightly. “Days?”
“Not even the physician can make it through,” Kate replied with a nod. “But there’s a lass coming from the cottages to see to your hand. There’s no one around here who’d trust anyone more than her with their ailments and injuries, so don’t you worry; she’ll have you healed in no time.”
Absently, Valerie rubbed the sore wrist and glanced down to note the faint swelling. It did not feel as bad as it had done last night, and she wagered that just lying it in the snow for an hourwould probably get rid of the swelling, but she was a guest; she would abide by their way of doing things.
Their way of doing things…
She realized with a start that there was a ripe opportunity right in front of her. No one knew the goings-on of a household better than the staff, and no one knew more about a residence’s owner than the housekeeper. Indeed, that was what they dangled between the keys on their chatelaines: secrets.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Did the duke arrange for the healer to come?” Valerie asked in what she hoped was a nonchalant voice.
