‘You’d better hurry up and finish that floor,’ said Ms Delaphio. ‘I’ve guests coming mid-morning.’ She marched down the rest of the stairs and disappeared into the parlour.
Maylie stooped and heaved the pail of dirty water into her arms, trying to push thoughts of her sister from her mind. With her back and arms aching, she shuffled to the servants’ door and descended the narrow staircase. Work as a housemaid was hard and relentless, but it paid well. Maylie rarely earned many flecks in the mountains where most items were traded or shared. When she had received her first payment from Ms Delaphio, Maylie had not believed how many flecks she had held in her hands – or how quickly they had disappeared on food and lodging. Everything cost so much in the capital.
As Maylie walked past the butler’s pantry on her way to the kitchens, a voice called, ‘Come here, girl!’
Putting down the pail, she stuck her head around the door. ‘Yes?’
Piepe sat behind a desk, scratching numbers into the house ledger. He fixed Maylie with his small grey eyes. ‘Where’s your brother-in-law? He’s meant to be serving this morning. Ms Delaphio has guests.’
Maylie tried to keep her expression blank. ‘Ravie’s not here?’
Piepe’s eyes narrowed so far that they almost disappeared. ‘I need him. He’s Ms’s favourite and she’ll want him pouring the sweet milk.’
Ravie’s good looks had gone a long way in securing them both work at the Delaphio household; the fact that Ms Delaphio had taken a shine to him was the only reason he had not been let go yet, but Maylie suspected Piepe was beginning to reach his limits.
‘Find him immediately.’
‘But I’ve not finished cleaning the hallway floor—’
‘Someone else can do that. Go, now!’
Maylie left the pail of dirty water in the corridor and stomped away. She had wanted to cry that she did not know where Ravie was, but – unfortunately – she had her suspicions.
Outside the street clattered with carriages and wagons, taking produce and well-dressed guests from townhouse to townhouse. The buildings were tall and close, but if Maylie stood back, craned her neck and peered between the clutter of chimneys, she could see the grey and white peaks of the mountains in the distance. She always took the opportunity to catch a glimpse of them when she could, like spotting an old friend.
A breeze plucked at her skirts as she hurried downhill towards a square at the edge of the Old Quarter, and she raised one hand to hold her cloche in place. Esmelie had abandoned wearing a headdress as soon as they left the mountains. ‘People can’t tell that you’re Mountain folk if you leave it off and soften your accent,’ she had said. But Maylie liked her cloche. She did not mind showing that she belonged somewhere else.
Inside the tavern it was dark, smelling of sweat and smoke. Maylie blinked into the gloom. A few lone figures hunched over stools at the bar and on the other side of the room, a group of men sat drinking and sniggering together.
‘You’re after someone?’ the barmen bellowed, looking her over with interest.
‘Ravie.’
‘Your sweetheart?’
She shook her head.
‘Just as well. He’s not a faithful one.’ The barman nodded his head at a table of men in the corner. ‘And he hasn’t paid for those drinks.’
Maylie sighed. She reached inside her pinafore and pulled out a fleck.
The barman saluted his thanks and stepped away.
‘Ravie!’ Maylie called. ‘You’re wanted at the house.’
The men all turned. Someone laughed and a man made lewd gestures with his hands.
Ravie looked at Maylie with glazed eyes, his handsome face pasty and slack. At least he did not have a girl straddled across his lap this time.
‘Who wants me?’ he gurgled.
‘Piepe. I got sent to find you.’
‘Maybe Piepe should come and find me himself.’
Someone whistled and Maylie resisted the urge to scream. If she returned to the Delaphio household empty-handed, she would be subjected to a tirade of abuse.
‘Quit your scowling, May,’ grumbled Ravie. ‘I’ll come.’
