Edith’s eyes lit up.
The festival was not for another fortnight and several days, but preparations had already begun. Surely if there was one place Aaron would never think to go, it would be the kitchens.
“Perfect,” she said, attempting to help Violet with the large basket. “I shall come with ye.”
She followed the maid into the kitchen, empty-handed because Violet had very firmly refused her help.
It was annoying how much of her life had changed in a matter of weeks.
“A lady shouldnae lift a thing,”Violet had objected, as though they had not been doing things of the sort together until weeks ago.
Aside from the fields and the healer’s chambers, Edith used to enjoy spending time in the kitchen. She had no fixed role, as she was not a maid, but she made herself useful in as many ways as she could, helping out and contributing whenever it was needed.
“Me Lady!” One of the cooks waved her over enthusiastically, and she was grateful that the atmosphere did not shift once she stepped into the kitchen.
Her first few days as a false lady had been hell, but now the people were starting to warm up to the change and had begun treating her neutrally.
“Good mornin’,” Edith greeted the older woman with a smile, walking up to the table where she worked.
“Mornin’, lass,” the cook slipped, then corrected herself with ease. “Me Lady. Would ye care to try the honey cakes?”
Edith nodded enthusiastically. The lack of a proper breakfast was starting to catch up to her, and the warm honey cakes were incredibly difficult to resist.
Moments later, she found herself seated on a stool while the women argued over flavor, feeding her portions large enough for a soldier.
“The Laird should be here shortly,” one of the cooks said, and Edith froze. “He wishes to inspect the supplies himself.”
She stopped chewing. “I beg yer pardon?”
“The grain shipment arrived this mornin’.”
A maid nodded. “Aye. He said he would come before midday.”
Edith straightened slowly, placing the cake she had just picked up on the corner of the tray. Her face seemed to drain of color because the women stared at her as though they could sense the shift within her.
“Me Lady?”
There was no time to explain. Even if she did, it wouldn’t make sense. She could not allow Aaron to meet her here as well. She had to leave. Now.
“Excuse me.” She managed a smile. “There is somethin’ I need to do.”
The women smiled back at her, though their brows furrowed slightly in worry.
“Thank ye for the honey cakes,” she added quickly. “I shall leave ye to it now.”
It was as though Aaron had specifically picked this day to haunt her. He was everywhere all at once, and the vast chamber suddenly felt narrow and tight.
There was only one last place to avoid him.
She returned to her chamber, locking herself inside. The first fifteen minutes had been pleasant enough. She went through her drawer, finding one of the books she and Scarlett used to read together.
She sat down to read it. Or at least, she tried to. She read the same page three times before she finally admitted she had not absorbed a single word.
The next twenty minutes were worse. She found a needle and a cloth that Violet had left for her and suddenly decided to try embroidery. It was laughable to assume that she could get the hang of it. The needle pricked her fingertip, and she winced, dropping it.
It took another ten minutes to find the tiny needle on the stone floor and one to shove it into the farthest corner of the drawer.
There was no point in trying to review Martin’s note. She had already burned the old parchment after she had drawn Aaron’s face on the other side of it.
