Page 26 of Ties of Death

His expression flickered, but then he focused on me, and a signature winning smile spread over his face. “Hello, darling. I thought I’d come take tea with you.”

“Husband. I hadn’t expected you today.” I stood and closed the distance between us. He tugged me against him, pressing his hand into my waist possessively. He pressed a kiss to my temple. “I was thinking that this afternoon we could...” He trailed off, glancing at Letta. “You may go.” His tone was dismissive, and Letta curtsied, keeping her head bowed and hurrying toward the door.

“Thank you for the tea, Letta,” I called after her, unwilling to let her go without at least common courtesy.

“Of course, my lady.” She bobbed her head to me before vanishing through the doorway.

I focused back on Tolomon, trailing my fingers down his chest to distract him from the maid. “What exactly did you have in mind for this afternoon?”

His gaze lingered on the door where Letta had disappeared, however. “Letta?” he repeated inquiringly.

“She’s a new kitchen maid.” I swallowed my concern at his notice of her and stepped out of his embrace, sliding my hand down to his and tugging him toward the tea set. I pitched my voice lighter. Maybe if he thought my interest was professional, he would leave her be. “I was thinking about stealing her away to be my lady’s maid. One of the housemaids helps me now. But she’s so old, she really struggles with all the buttons on your—” I cut myself off, “—on my dresses.”

Tolomon hated when I referred to the lowland customs or styles or practices as not my own. He was right, of course. This was my home now, no matter how much I missed the clan. I was just having trouble adjusting. It was so very different from the clan. He didn’t catch my slip, though, which I was grateful for.

He was still staring at the door, his brow furrowed.

“She seems smart,” I ventured to add.

“Does she have the training for a lady’s maid?” he asked, finally, looking back to me.

I handed him a teacup and a biscuit. “I’m sure she can be trained if she doesn’t.” I knew she didn’t from what little she had said, but I didn’t want Tolomon shooting down this idea.

I set my own teacup aside and tugged him down on the settee beside me.

I leaned into him, nuzzling his jaw. “What did you have in mind for this afternoon?” I asked again, hoping to distract him from talk of lady’s maids. Physical activities usually worked wonders in drawing his mind off other things, and I didn’t like how focused he was on her. If she became my lady’s maid, we could be friends—and I desperately needed a friend.

I went to the kitchen a few days later, my tea tray in hand. Usually, a maid came to clean it up for me, but I was hoping to see Letta.

I’d seen her the day after we’d met, and we’d chatted a bit more. She had three brothers, all younger than her. One had found a position as an apprentice with a fletcher in the city.

But a different maid had brought the tea today. Besides, around this time every day, the steward, Bernard, took his owntea in the kitchen. I wanted to speak to him about transferring Letta to being my lady’s maid.

The kitchen fell silent at my arrival, and I gave a small, reserved smile, looking around at all the wrinkled faces.

I didn’t see Letta, but that was all right. Bernard was here and I would be able to pull him aside to talk to him in private.

“My lady.” The housekeeper bustled forward, scooping the tray out of my hands. “It’s not your place to bring dishes to the kitchen like a regular servant. You should have rung the bell.” Her tone was respectful but thoroughly chiding. If I weren’t on a mission, I would have been rather cowed. Instead, I homed in on where the steward sat at the table.

“Master Bernard, might I speak with you?”

“Of course, my lady.”

He rose, brushing his fingers on a napkin, and followed me from the kitchen. I stopped a little ways down the hall, where the voices that had resumed in the kitchen were indistinct.

“I wanted to speak with you about one of the maids,” I said without preamble.

His brow furrowed. “Has one of them acted out of line?”

“No.” I shook my head quickly. “No, not at all. But I am in need of a lady’s maid. Helen does her best, but she’s really too old to be helping me dress. I was wondering if I could take on the new kitchen maid, Letta, to fill the role instead.”

Bernard’s frown deepened. “I’m afraid, my lady, that Letta has been let go. Yesterday, in fact.”

My heart sank at his words. “Let go? Why?”

“The chef realized her skills were not satisfactory for the role she inhabited.”

From what she had told me of her past, I found that hard to believe. “Could you contact her? Lacking kitchen skills isn’t necessary for a lady’s maid.”

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