Chapter Fifteen #2
As Astoria cooked up a plot that would send Mira to the storage vault where Raymond was waiting, she was disheartened to see Douglas join Mira behind the painted screen.
She could only imagine what was happening that she couldn’t see, like tender kisses and sweet words, things that Douglas should be saying and doing to her.
The more the seconds ticked away and the more Astoria was positive that Douglas was ravaging Mira with his mouth, the more jealous and hurt she became.
But she comforted herself with the knowledge that Raymond would soon be doing the same thing to Mira because, once she entered the vault, Astoria intended to send word to Douglas to tell him where she was.
Once the man happened upon her in Raymond’s arms, he would see for himself what an unworthy woman Mira was.
She would be ruined.
And Douglas would be looking for comfort.
So Astoria hoped, anyway.
As she tried to figure out how to get Mira alone, Jonathan suddenly appeared in the entry.
He startled Astoria because, quite frankly, she was afraid of the man.
He was big and hairy and powerful and absolutely terrifying.
But they made eye contact as soon as he came in through the door, and he headed straight in her direction.
She struggled not to cower.
“Lady Astoria,” he greeted her in a rushed manner. “Where is Douglas?”
Astoria pointed to the dais. “There,” she said. “Behind the screen.”
Jonathan thanked her with a nod of his head and was gone, leaving Astoria a bit rattled.
Jonathan always had that effect on her. She watched him disappear behind the screen and, not a minute later, reappear with Douglas on his heels.
They both seemed to be in quite a hurry, heading for the hall entry.
Astoria watched them disappear out into the torch-lit night, but it took several moments before she realized that with Douglas out in the bailey, Mira was now alone.
Alone!
Astoria turned to the dais only to see Mira standing next to the screen, her gaze on the hall entry.
She appeared lost in thought, and it occurred to Astoria that she had been watching Douglas leave.
The stab of jealousy to Astoria’s heart seemed to spur her forward, and she headed toward the dais just as Mira came away from the screen and moved to the perimeter of the hall.
Astoria was on one side of the hall while Mira was on the other, and Astoria had to cross through the middle of the room to get to her.
Mira was so focused on the door that led to the kitchen and the kitchen yard that she failed to see Astoria coming up behind her.
“Mira,” Astoria said, watching the woman flinch at the sound of her voice. “I must speak with you.”
Mira came to a halt, apprehension and even anger in her expression. “What do you want?” she said, then quickly raised her hand. “Forget I asked. I do not care. I have nothing to say to you.”
She turned to walk away, but Astoria followed. “I know,” she said, trying to sound repentant. “I do not blame you. But what happened today… When I grabbed your necklace… Truly, I did not mean to break it.”
That was actually the truth. She hadn’t meant to, so she wasn’t lying about it. But Mira cast her a long look.
“Save your breath,” she said. “You mean to destroy anything you cannot have, so I will not soothe any guilt you are feeling by forgiving you for your cruel actions.”
It was Astoria’s instinct to flare up when confronted, so it was a genuine struggle for her not to argue.
“I am not asking for you to soothe any guilt,” she said.
“I… I simply wanted to say that I am sorry I broke it. I am sorry I have behaved so poorly lately. I do not know why I do, only that I have had to fight and defend myself my entire life. I suppose it is in my nature to fight against, and for, everything that does not go my way. You happened to be caught up in it.”
Up until this point, Mira had simply been walking, trying to get away from Astoria, but now they were at the small servants’ door that led to the yard beyond and, subsequently, the kitchen. Mira shoved the door open but came to a pause, turning to look at Astoria.
“You are wasting your time on me,” she said. “Astoria, you have always been petty and small-minded, but the way you have treated me over the past two days is unforgiveable.”
“I know, Mira.”
“You turned against me for no reason at all other than the man you had your eye on happened to have his eye on me. That was not fair.”
Astoria kept her head down, properly contrite. “I know,” she said. “I am sorry. I only wanted to apologize to you for my behavior.”
Mira didn’t believe her for a moment. “How long have we known one another?” she said.
“Ten years? More? A very long time, which means I know you well. I’ve seen your cruelty toward others and I know how vindictive you can be when you do not get your way.
I also know that you do not suddenly change your mind and decide you’ve been behaving poorly, so whatever game you are playing with me, I urge you to stop. It will not work.”
Astoria sighed heavily. “I am not playing a game,” she said. “And we have known each other a long time. I have considered you my friend.”
“Not lately you haven’t.”
Astoria kept her head lowered. “Jealousy does terrible things to a person,” she said. “I cannot control it. I do not know why.”
Mira could hear a hint of the girl she’d known all these years in those self-centered comments.
There had been a time when Astoria was fun and lively, but that was before her friends all became women before her, becoming pretty and refined, while she grew very tall and remained plain.
Realizing she was not the prettiest girl in the room had been a blow, and ever since then, her pettiness came forth quite easily.
Sometimes, Mira missed that friend she used to know.
But not tonight.
“Just… leave me alone,” she finally said. “Mayhap with time I’ll consider your words, but for now… just leave me alone.”
“As you wish,” Astoria said. “But I actually came to you on another matter. I was afraid you would not speak to me if I did not apologize to you first.”
“What matter?”
Astoria gestured toward the keep, where there was a fortified exterior door that led to the sublevels where they kept the stores. It was the exterior entrance for ease in taking provisions down to storage, while there was a larger door, and stairwell, that was located in the kitchens.
“I was sent to find you and tell you that there is trouble in the storeroom,” she said. “I’ve been told to fetch you.”
Mira frowned. “What trouble?”
Astoria shook her head. “I do not know,” she said. “I think it is rot in the grain. It must be bad if you have been requested.”
Mira looked confused. “Rot in the grain?” she repeated. “I was just down there earlier and saw no evidence of such a thing.”
“Then you had better make sure.”
Mira shrugged and stepped through the door.
She had no reason to disbelieve Astoria because Mira handled the inventory at Axminster along with the cook, both of them making sure there were always plentiful supplies.
Therefore, it wasn’t an unreasonable suggestion or request from Astoria, who knew that very well.
In fact, she watched Mira head over to the inner bailey, with the keep just a few feet away.
Mira disappeared from view and Astoria gave her about a minute to get to the storage vault door.
After that, Astoria ran back into the hall. Spying Davyss de Winter seated near the dais, arm-wrestling a de Lohr soldier while men placed bets and cheered him on, she’d just found the vessel by which to deliver the devastating news to Douglas of Mira d’Avignon’s wanton ways.
The last part of her plan was about to take place.