Chapter Five #2
I did as she asked and kept out of the way as she untied her apron and laid it on the ground to start gathering glass.
As she worked, I cut into the cheese, marvelling at how smoothly the knife passed through it.
The inside was gooey, almost liquid, and spread on the bread like thick butter.
‘This is a beautiful knife,’ I said, keeping my tone casual.
It wasn’t a lie. The Rostenburg crest was carved into the base.
The detailing on the leaves was so intricate it could only have been forged by an expert hand. ‘Is it silver?’
‘We don’t keep silver in the castle. For obvious reasons,’ Moira said without looking up. ‘Well, with some exceptions.’ She fished out a hidden pendant from within her bodice. It was a simple cross, pierced through the middle by a lonely ruby.
‘You don’t trust him?’
‘There’s a difference between trust and pragmatism.
Raleigh’s kind need to feed regularly, otherwise they’ll lose control of themselves.
It hasn’t happened yet, but it’s always better to be safe.
’ She stood up and brushed down her skirts, then noticed my expression.
‘Don’t worry. There’s no danger of him starving anytime soon. ’
That didn’t make me feel any better.
Moira left then in search of a proper broom to clean up the remainder of the glass.
I ate as I awaited her return. The pitcher, I discovered, was full of a thick beer that barely quenched my thirst but felt more nutritious than anything I’d eaten for a long time.
What skills she lacked in the kitchen, she more than made up for in her ability to brew.
My plate was clear by the time Moira returned with a dustpan and brush in tow.
She swept up the remaining debris while I watched on in silence, wondering what on earth had inspired her to become Raleigh’s servant, but never mustering the courage to ask.
Once she was finished she tried again to convince me to come downstairs.
I refused, though my steadfast resolve to die in this room was waning.
‘Have fun with that, then,’ she said, and left me to it.
I dozed through the afternoon. It felt unbelievably indulgent to fall asleep with the sun shining and a full stomach.
By the time I woke, the sky was already well on its way to darkness.
I forced my sluggish limbs to carry me out of bed so that I could throw another log on the fire and light the candles around my room, though I wanted nothing more than to snuggle back into my duvet’s embrace and go back to sleep.
Would Raleigh come for me again once the sun was set?
My stomach twisted at the thought. When exactly did he plan to marry me?
Tonight? Tomorrow night? While my hopes of escape had dwindled, the fact that we weren’t yet wed was enough to keep one last spark alight.
When we were married, that final ember would die.
Because then, regardless of whether or not I succeeded in fleeing, I would be forever tied to him in every way that mattered.
It came as no surprise when someone knocked on the door, but my heart still lurched at the sound. I let myself breathe again when I found it was only Moira. In her arms, though, was no generously delivered meal, but a large box that could only hold bad news.
‘Raleigh would like you to join him for dinner.’
I stepped back from the door. ‘Absolutely not.’
‘I told him you’d say that.’ Moira barged in and dropped the box on my bed.
‘He said this might change your mind.’ She reached into the box and pulled out a dress like no other.
I’d never known that fabric could be dyed such a deep crimson, nor that so many embellishments could be sewn onto one piece.
My best dirndl looked like farming rags in comparison. Queens would have envied this gown.
I had to force myself to be offended that Raleigh would dare think I’d put myself in peril over a dress. I wasn’t going to fall into his arms just because he offered me a fine garment. ‘You could buy several cows for a dress of that price,’ I told Moira.
‘Then ask him to buy you cows.’
I had the feeling she was deliberately missing my point.
‘Listen,’ she continued. ‘Raleigh sent me up here to dress you and bring you down for dinner. You can do as he wishes or stay here and starve.’
‘Then I’ll starve.’
‘Fine,’ she said, although I could tell from her expression that it was anything but. ‘But try it on anyway, for yourself. You want to, don’t you?’
I regarded it warily, but I did want to try it on. I’d never imagined something so beautiful and was desperate to know what it might feel like to wear. Moira held it out expectantly. There wasn’t much point in fighting it. I snatched the box from her, ignoring her triumphant grin.
I stepped behind the screen and tried to decipher the purpose of each part of the dress.
Under the outer garment was an assortment of white cloth, which turned out to be a clean set of underclothes, complete with a new, stiff corset, all so flimsy and needlessly stylish that I didn’t know where to start.
Reluctantly I stepped out from behind the screen and offered myself to Moira.
‘Ever worn a corset before?’ she asked as she started to pluck the laces tighter.
‘Do you think we’re so uncivilised in Orlfen that we don’t have underclothes?’ I didn’t tell her that my usual stays were all so old that they barely tightened anymore. Father once brought me a modern corset back from Triz, but it was so uncomfortable I avoided wearing it whenever I could.
Moira’s lack of response confirmed enough. She silently continued her task, tugging at the laces until finally she patted me on the back and said, ‘There, not so hard, was it?’
I put my hand on my stomach, marvelling at how easy it still was to breathe. ‘I expected it to be tighter.’
‘It’s the latest fashion in Vienna. Trust me, it’s better this way.
’ She helped me into the outer garment, which felt as heavy as the rest of my wardrobe combined.
The crimson fabric was soft and fine, with a ruffled neckline and a skirt that felt like a small room.
I wished that Yann could see me. I wanted him to take me into his arms and whirl me across the room.
‘Nice, huh?’
I found myself smiling for the first time in days. ‘Wherever did Raleigh come across such a thing?’
Moira snorted. ‘He didn’t. He had it made for you.’
The milky dew of my joy instantly turned sour.
Even a master tailor would need weeks to perfect so many miles of embroidery, and at my most generous estimate, Raleigh had only been planning our marriage for a few days.
What beauty I saw in the dress suddenly became gaudiness, and the crimson became the colour of blood. Death, corruption, sin.
Rostenburg red.
I swallowed hard. ‘Is this a wedding dress?’
To my relief, Moira shook her head. ‘It’s just a gift. Raleigh wanted to do something nice for you.’
‘Nice?’ I was incredulous. ‘How can you think that anything he does is nice? He abducted me. If he wants to do something nice, he can let me go home to my real fiancé.’
Moira didn’t reply for so long that I thought she was ignoring me, but then she guided me over to the sofa and bade me to sit at an awkward angle while she combed my hair.
Then she began to wind it up, pinning as she went while I seethed under her ministrations.
I’d almost forgotten my outburst by the time she finally spoke again.
‘There are worse men out there than Raleigh. You of all people should know that.’
I didn’t know what she meant, and I resented the implication. ‘What could possibly be worse than him?’
‘Maybe I’ll tell you if you come down to dinner.’ She slid one last pin into place, then found me a hand mirror in one of the dresser drawers.
Now I understood how Raleigh always looked so well kept despite having no reflection. With only a comb and a handful of pins, Moira had spun pure magic into my unruly hair. I was utterly transformed.
‘You’re rather good at this.’
‘I have to earn my keep somehow.’
I twisted the mirror around me, admiring myself from all angles. It did seem a waste to undo Moira’s hard work by simply going back to bed. An outfit like this was supposed to be worn, celebrated, though I hated myself for thinking it.
One dinner couldn’t hurt. Not for Raleigh; I’d ignore him if I could, but for Moira. Better to have an ally I couldn’t trust than to have no one at all.
‘I’ll come down.’
She caught herself before she could look too surprised. ‘I knew you would,’ she said, which I had no doubt was a lie.
With Moira by my side, the corridor was no longer the labyrinth it had been the previous day, though I had the strangest feeling the corridor was ready to shift if I so much as looked away from her.
The walls themselves seemed to be watching us through the gloom.
I put my head down and focused on keeping pace with Moira.
One monster was more than enough to deal with right now.
Raleigh was reclining in his seat at the head of the table when we arrived, idly twirling the stem of what looked to be a silver goblet between his fingers.
But of course it couldn’t have been silver.
His suit today was burgundy instead of crimson but, aside from the subtle detailing in the embroidery, it was almost identical to the one he’d worn the night before.
His eyes raked over me as we entered, lips hooking to one side. ‘You look as ravishing as I expected.’
I pretended not to hear him. The place to his right was laid with cloche-covered dishes, so I took that seat, though I would have preferred to sit at the far end, out of arm’s reach. There were no dishes in front of Raleigh.
‘Does it fit properly?’ Raleigh asked. ‘I had to guess your measurements, so I confess I was a touch worried.’