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Fen paused in the act of peeling off her shift. “Really?” she asked. “From Meldon?”

“Lord no!” Trudy’s eyes went wide with alarm. “Please don’t think that uncle would ever gossip out of turn about the Vawdrey family. He didn’t tell me nothing, except to mind my betters and not put him to shame!”

“I see,” said Fen who had approached the steaming tub and was now climbing in. She sighed as she sank down into the hot water. The steam was fragrant from the sweet green herbs. It was a luxury indeed to be fully immersed and the water still hot.

Trudy hurried over and passed her a sponge. “For your feet milady.”

Fen took it gratefully. Trudy was running a line of string across the room which she secured by tying to a hook by the ceiling. Then she flung a white sheet over it and drew the sheet back along the line to suspend over the bath where it trapped the steam and provided a shelter over the tub. “Next time, I’ll secure some rose petals for your bath, milady,” she told her. “The oils is most beneficial for the skin.”

“Thank you,” said Fenella gratefully. “I don’t think I’ve ever had so nice a bath.”

Trudy looked gratified and started folding the scarlet satin robe before tidying it away into a chest. She approached again and hung a wash cloth over the side of the bath and passed a ball of Castille soap to Fen. “If you turn about, I can wash your back for you milady,” she offered.

“Thank you,” Fen rotated in the water and Trudy commenced scrubbing her neck. “How was your journey to the castle this morning?” she asked.

“Fine milady, I made good time. It only took me a half hour. I ate my first meal with the castle staff in the kitchens. Hold out your left arm, milady.”

“And how was that?” asked Fen, extending her arm.

“Oh, very good, milady,” she said happily. “They filled me in on all the gossip regarding yourself and his lordship.”

Fen blinked. “Gossip?” she repeated with some trepidation. “Oh dear!”

“Oh no, milady, it was very instructive,” Trudy hastened to assure her. “It’s better to know how things lie from the outset. Servants is always best for that,” she said smugly.

“Really?” asked Fen doubtfully. “Only I do not think the castle servants can know … “

“Other arm,” Trudy interrupted her Fen lowered one and raised the other. “Oh yes, milady. They knows all about it.”

“They do?”

“Oh yes!” Trudy nodded. “I even heard all about how Lord Vawdrey got your jewels back from the Thanes.”

Fenella had been steeling herself to deliver a lofty speech about not paying gossip any heed, almost lost her footing on her sponge. “You did?” she squeaked and nearly swallowed a mouthful of bath water.

“Yes milady,” said Trudy firmly. “Foot.”

Fenella lifted one foot out of the water and rested it on the bath ledge. She stared at her maid in deep thought. “I have not heard myself how he retrieved them,” she admitted finally.

Trudy looked a little smug at this information. “Would you like to hear the tale miss?” she asked as she rubbed a soaped brush over Fenella’s toes. “Only I should not wish to offend by passing on servant’s tattle but…” she shrugged. “If milady would find it interesting I could impart what I have learned this morn.”

Fen considered this a moment. She really didn’t ought to encourage her maid to attend to gossip, let alone circulate it. As if aware of her inner struggle, her maid held her tongue a moment. “Other foot,” she prompted.

Fen switched feet and sighed. “I would like to hear it, Trudy,” she admitted. “But…”

“As your personal maid, it is quite fitting that I should tell you,” Trudy rambled on.

Fen could feel her resolve waver. She did want to know after all.

“And of course, other than you, I won’t repeat it to no-one,” said Trudy virtuously. “’Cept for Jeb.”

“Jeb?”

“My husband, milady. He loves to hear a tale or two of what the nobility get up to,” she gently shook her head. “How it do amuse him!”

Fen chose to ignore this. “Very well, then,” she said relenting. Trudy released her foot and Fen drifted to the edge of the bath, resting her elbows on the ledge as her maid drew up a footstool.

“Well,” said Trudy making herself comfortable. “As you know, that woman what calls herself Lady Thane now, was flaunting your jewels at the royal feast...”