14
brIDGETTE SMILED AS SHE TILLED the moist dirt with her fingers. She had never seen such perfect soil, not even when she helped with the crops at her family’s home when she was younger. It thrilled her as she imagined all the beautiful things that would sprout in the coming weeks.
She sat back on the edge of the raised flower bed and examined her work. It had been just over a week since she’d started working on the garden a little bit every day after finishing her daily responsibilities and chess lessons. Bridgette knew it was on the smaller side, as far as flower gardens go, but there was plenty of work to keep her busy. At this point, she had managed to take out most of the weeds and dead plants. There were only a handful of things that she had left and would try to bring back to life. Edgar had helped her set up a drip irrigation system. When the garden needed to be watered, she would only have to move a bucket into the right spot to catch water falling from the waterwheel. This water would then funnel into a pipe, guiding it to the garden to gently hydrate the plants near the roots. It was an efficient invention that her family had made use of during rainy seasons. It reduced water waste and the amount of work. By the look, feel, and smell of the soil, she knew the irrigation was doing its job perfectly.
Bridgette ran her hand over the soft earth once more before she stood up and lifted a full watering can off the ground. She walked along the raised flower bed. The garden could have once been a maze if it had tall hedges lining its pathways. There was space for it. She followed the walkway to the center of the garden. In the middle was a circular clearing with benches placed evenly around. They all faced the center of the circle, where a large rose bush sat. There were no blooms, and the leaves that managed to hang on crumbled under her touch. The stems were so dry and brittle that Bridgette had almost pulled it out, fearing there was no hope for it. But when she’d looked closer, there were subtle signs of life. She wasn’t experienced with caring for roses, but she was willing to learn.
After one of her chess lessons, Bridgette had asked Lord Thornwood if he had any books on gardening she could borrow. He had admitted he was not sure, but told her she could look and borrow any she liked, and so she did. Over the past few nights, she had stayed up well past midnight reading about caring for a flower garden. She had finished the book the night before and was now well educated on pruning and spotting disease among roses and other plant species. She had intended to return it, but had forgotten it at her cottage that morning.
Bridgette knelt down next to the freshly pruned rose bush and examined it. It was too early to see new growth, but she was anxious for it to survive, and wondered what color the blooms would be. She tipped the watering can to moisten the ground around the base of the bush. Since it wasn’t connected to the raised flower beds, she would need to water it by hand, which she didn’t mind. It would give her the chance to witness the daily changes.
After she inspected the rest of the garden, Bridgette took her watering can back to the little outdoor storage closet where the gardening tools were stored. Next to it was another raised garden bed. Instead of more flowers, she planned to plant fruits and vegetables here. Edgar was currently on his way to town to take care of his weekly errands and purchase some bulbs and seeds, since she was finally ready to put things in the ground, instead of pull them out.
Once the watering can was put away, she went inside and washed her hands in the kitchen sink, making sure to get the dirt out from under her nails. Soon enough, she was climbing the steps to the second floor. She was getting used to the silence that hung in the manor. At first, it had been unnerving, but now it was calming; like taking a breath of fresh air after sitting next to a fire for too long. When she stood in front of the study door, she smoothed her uniform out and made sure there wasn’t any dirt on her skirt.
She knocked, and the door opened almost instantly. It startled her, but she relaxed when she saw the far window’s curtains were already open and sunlight spilled over her usual chair. A smile tugged at her lips. Up until this moment, she had always been the one to open the curtains. But she couldn’t make a big deal about it because she knew he would pull back.
“You didn’t bring my lunch tray today,” came a rough voice from behind the door.
Bridgette stepped into the study, and the door shut behind her. “I am glad you didn’t mistake Edgar for me,” Bridgette said as she peeked over her shoulder. It was no use. He was standing in the darkest corner of the room, which meant there was nothing to see. She walked toward her seat, and Lord Thornwood hurried behind her so he could pull out the chair like always.
“I was worried you were mad at me after yesterday’s lesson,” he said as he pushed her chair in as she sat.
“I was not mad,” she said lightly.
He took his seat in the shadows. “You had a permanent crease between your brows when you left, almost like a scowl. I thought for sure there would be no more lessons.”
Bridgette laughed. “That was because I was trying to retain all the information you gave me about knights. I even dreamed about the game pieces and all the different ways to use them in different situations. I actually let Edgar deliver your tray so I could finish my work sooner, since it is my late start day.”
“I think you are ready,” he said, changing the subject.
“Ready for what?” she asked cautiously.
“To play a game of chess,” he said, adjusting his pieces so they were in a very precise and straight line.
“An actual game?” she asked in surprise. “No more hypothetical scenarios or individual piece studies?”
“We have practiced enough,” he said. Bridgette shifted in her seat with excitement. Lord Thornwood motioned to her side of the board. “White goes first.”
“That's right,” she said, suddenly nervous as she looked over all her pieces. Which one should she move first? There were really only two choices: a pawn or a knight. But each of those had multiple options, and however she started would set the course for the whole game. Bridgette reached out for the pawn in front of the queen, then pulled back before she touched it. She hovered over a knight, changed her mind, then moved one of the pawns standing in front of a knight forward two squares.
Lord Thornwood made a humming sound that made Bridgette second-guess her choice, but she couldn’t take it back as her turn was over. Lord Thornwood didn’t need a moment to decide; he moved the pawn in front of one of his bishops forward two squares.
Bridgette quickly made her next move without thinking and moved the pawn in front of her king forward two spaces. Lord Thornwood moved the pawn in front of his king two squares to meet hers. From her lessons, she knew it was a smart idea to get the bishops and knights out on the board sooner rather than later, so she took her right bishop and moved it three spaces to meet Lord Thornwood’s other pawn.
Lord Thornwood moved his left knight forward.
Bridgette moved the pawn in front of her queen forward one.
“Good move. That will protect your other pawn,” Lord Thornwood said in a calm voice. A thrill surged through Bridgette.
“Thank you,” she said shyly.
He then moved his left knight again to capture one of her pawns, but that left it right in the diagonal path of her queen. Bridgette looked up at him, confused.
Curse that hood, she thought. It would be very helpful to see your facial expressions right now, my lord. Was he tricking her? Or was he not as good as he claimed to be? It had to be the former.
Bridgette held her breath and captured the knight with her queen, waiting for a trap. Lord Thornwood moved his pawn forward two spaces to sit diagonally next to her queen. It was tempting to capture the pawn. Bridgette’s fingers twitched above her queen, and she realized if she captured the pawn, Lord Thornwood’s rook would have a straight shot at her queen. She carefully picked up the queen and moved her back to her starting position.
“Very good,” Lord Thornwood said.
Bridgette beamed. “You’re not going easy on me, are you?” she asked playfully.
“Of course not,” he said. Bridgette imagined a smirk on his face, but she couldn’t quite picture it clearly. He moved his remaining knight forward two spaces and one to the side.
“Then how is it that I have captured two of your pieces and you only have one of mine?” she asked as she moved her left knight to mirror his knight.
“That would be part of my strategy, Miss Meadowbrooke.” He said it lightly and in such a way she thought he might be smiling just a little bit. He moved a pawn forward two spaces.
Bridgette smiled to herself as she moved her right knight forward. Lord Thornwood made another humming noise. “Was that a bad move?” she asked nervously.
“I guess that depends on what your strategy is,” he said as if lost in thought. He then moved a pawn to be diagonally next to her knight. Bridgette moved the knight forward to avoid capture. “And I can’t seem to figure out what that strategy is exactly.” He moved the pawn in front of his queen forward one square.
“I don’t even know what my strategy is,” Bridgette confessed as she moved her left knight forward.
“Clearly,” he whispered. He moved his rook over one.
She raised a brow and moved her right knight forward. “Are you still going easy on me?” Bridgette teased.
He moved his bishop next to her knight. “Never,” he said. Bridgette stared into the darkness under the low-hanging hood, and wished she could see in the dark like nocturnal animals. “Distracted, Miss Meadowbrooke?” he asked reverently.
She shook her head and focused on the board, willing her cheeks not to color. She impulsively reached for her left bishop and moved it one space with no reason behind it.
Lord Thornwood moved his queen forward one space.
Bridgette moved one of her knights to keep the game moving.
Lord Thornwood moved his knight as well, and Bridgette immediately captured it with her bishop. “Ah ha!” she exclaimed.
Lord Thornwood calmly captured that bishop with his own and quietly said, “Ah ha.”
You are losing focus and being silly, Bridgette! You have more brains than this, she complained internally.
Flustered, she moved her knight back to try and regroup her pieces, but as soon as her hand left the piece, she realized it was in the perfect position to get captured by a pawn. She relaxed when Lord Thornwood picked up a different pawn, but groaned when he captured her other knight. “Ah ha,” he said with a chuckle.
“How did I miss that?!” Bridgette shifted in her seat and looked at her pieces. She was mad at the pawn who had taken her knight, which was conveniently in the spot where her other knight could capture it. So, she captured the pawn and smiled smugly.
Lord Thornwood moved a pawn forward one space without comment, which irked her for some reason. She moved a pawn forward two spaces without saying anything as well. Lord Thornwood moved his knight forward. Bridgette moved her knight. Lord Thornwood moved his rook down so it was in the same rank as her knight. She moved her knight out of danger. Lord Thornwood captured one of her pawns with his. Bridgette counted the captured pieces. Lord Thornwood had four of her pieces, and she only had three of his.
Focus, Bridgette. You can catch up.
They took several turns in silence with their pieces dancing around each other on the board, both avoiding getting captured by the other. Bridgette was careful to look at possible dangers before she moved. With every turn, she felt a little more pride build up inside herself. She wasn’t doing so bad.
“So what do I get when I win?” she asked casually, and moved a piece.
“What do you want?”
The response surprised her. “I was only jesting,” she said.
“And I was being serious,” he said as he took his turn. “When I was younger, I would always play for a reward of sorts which was agreed upon by my opponent, and the other way around.”
“Oh, um, what did you play for?” Bridgette asked as she mindlessly took her turn.
“Sometimes it was simply bragging rights,” he said with a low chuckle. “Other times, it was the last piece of dessert. Most of the time, it was a task I wanted to get out of. For example, when I played my younger brother and won, he would have to do my school work for a week, or run down the corridor wearing only his breeches, yelling something ridiculous.”
“You have a brother?” Bridgette asked harmlessly.
It was his turn, but Lord Thornwood froze.
Oh great, Bridgette. You went too far.
Bridgette opened her mouth, but had no idea what to say.
Thankfully, Lord Thornwood corrected his posture and cleared his throat. “I used to,” he said simply. Bridgette opened her mouth again to offer condolences, but he waved it away. “That is not what we are discussing right now. I am more curious as to what you would request as your reward?”
“What do you want if you win?” Bridgette asked, stalling. She moved another piece. If she were asked to recall what her last five moves were, she would fail. Her mind was much more invested in their conversation than the game.
“If I win,” he said, then paused as he moved his knight. When the piece was placed, he continued, “I want you to tell me how you got that scar on the back of your hand.”
Bridgette froze in the middle of reaching for her bishop. The scar on the back of her outstretched hand seemed to flare with remembered pain. She pulled back and held that hand to her chest.
“I didn’t mean to—” Lord Thornwood started.
“No, it is fine,” she interrupted. “I will tell you if you win. I will agree to that,” she said, then abruptly moved her bishop to a new space.
Lord Thornwood didn’t move. “Are you certain?”
“Yes.”
“And what do you want if you win?” he asked gently.
Bridgette took a deep breath. She needed to lighten the mood. “I want you to do the dishes for a week,” she blurted out.
Lord Thornwood laughed loudly from under his hood. The sound was startling; she hadn’t expected it. Her heart pounded, but she smiled.
“Deal,” he said, still laughing as he took his bishop and captured her knight. “You should not have moved your bishop; it was protecting your knight.”
She gaped dramatically at the board. “That’s it, I am not going easy on you anymore!” she threatened with a smirk. She moved her bishop back to where it was.
“Oh, you were going easy on me, were you?” he asked. He took his turn.
“Of course,” she said unconvincingly and moved her bishop again.
“Then explain to me why you moved your bishop in a spot where I can conveniently do this?” He captured her bishop with his.
She gaped again, but this time with true shock. “No! I didn’t see that!” Feeling anxious, she moved her rook so she could capture one of his pawns.
Lord Thornwood tsked at her and said, “You shouldn’t have done that.” But instead of capturing her rook, he moved his bishop away. She was completely lost. She moved her rook forward. He moved his bishop and captured the rook. “Are you trying to lose to save me from doing the dishes?”
“I am just trying to understand your tactic,” she said while studying the board. He chuckled when she moved a pawn forward. “What?” she asked, half amused and half annoyed.
“There is that deep crease between your brows again,” he said, then moved his knight with a flourish of his wrist.
Bridgette rubbed at the crease in embarrassment. Her cheeks warmed. She kept her hand shielding her eyes as she moved another pawn forward.
“You don’t have to hide it. I find it charming,” he said with enthusiasm and captured her pawn with his knight.
Bridgette’s eyes widened. Surely her face was as red as a tomato now. She quickly moved her remaining rook over one. Lord Thornwood silently moved his knight toward her end of the board. She moved her rook back to threaten his knight. He moved his knight to safety.
She needed to change her approach. Before she could decide what she would do, she realized her queen was being threatened by his knight. Bridgette moved her queen diagonally so it stood in front of her king. Lord Thornwood wasted no time in capturing her queen with his knight anyway. She gasped and looked up in disbelief.
“I am starting to think you didn’t listen to any of the things I taught you,” he said in a teasing tone.
“I-I-I was just trying to protect my king! I didn’t realize that space was not safe either!” she exclaimed and sat down when she realized she had stood up.
It is just a game, Bridgette. Get a hold of yourself.
She moved her rook to threaten his valuable knight.
“That was very brave of your queen. Unfortunately, it cost your queen her life,” he said nonchalantly. He moved his knight back.
“You are brutal,” she said, following the knight with her rook.
“Part of the game. If you are afraid to act, you won’t win,” he said in his instructor voice. He moved his rook to protect the knight. Bridgette moved her rook one over to threaten his bishop. Lord Thornwood moved the bishop to threaten her rook. She moved her rook again to threaten the bishop. Unfortunately, that put her rook in the right spot to be captured by the blasted knight!
Bridgette sat back and looked at her pieces. She only had five left on the board: four pawns and her king. How did this happen? How could she win? She moved a pawn forward. Maybe there was a small chance she could get one pawn across the board to become a queen.
His stupid knight captured her pawn. Bridgette blew air forcibly out her nose and reminded herself of an upset horse. She laughed.
“Have you accepted defeat?”
“No, I will keep fighting until the end,” she said and moved her king.
“Good,” he said in an approving tone, and moved a pawn forward.
Bridgette wiped at a bead of sweat that had formed on her temple, then moved her only unblocked pawn forward.
Lord Thornwood moved a pawn forward as well, leaving it one space away from her edge of the board.
Bridgette used her brave little pawn to capture one of Lord Thornwood’s other pawns.
Lord Thornwood moved his pawn again and promoted it to a queen. “Checkmate.”
Bridgette looked and, sure enough, her king could not move to a safe space between the threatening queen, the looming bishop, and the frustratingly undefeated knight. Bridgette let her shoulders relax. “Good game, Miss Meadowbrooke.” Lord Thornwood started to set the pieces back in their places.
“I suppose you want to hear the story about my scar now,” she said, starting to feel a numbness creep over her. He paused his work with the pieces, and Bridgette imagined him looking up at her and taking in her state of dread.
“I do expect you to tell me, but you can choose when you tell me.” He resumed moving the pieces.
Bridgette let out a breath of relief and stood. Lord Thornwood stopped his work again to stand up with her. It wasn’t until that moment that she realized the room was noticeably darker than when she had first entered. “Oh dear. It is late. I need to actually finish a few things and be on my way. I will tell you the story another time,” she said, readily using the excuse.
“Of course. Thank you for the game, Miss Meadowbrooke,” he said and walked her to the door, opening it for her.
Bridgette curtsied and bid him goodnight before leaving the study.