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Bastienne isn't alone. All of the servants defer to me as I pass them in the halls. Ren, the tall, curvaceous maid, smiles when I catch her cleaning my room, looking genuinely upset that she's inconvenienced me.
"My lady! I'm so sorry, I'll be done in just a moment!"
"It's all right, Ren," I tell her. "Take your time. I'm not staying in my room anyways. I just came to change."
But as I wait for her to finish making my bed, I can tell something is wrong. Her hands are trembling, and her hair — normally perfect — is out of place like she’s just run a race through the woods.
“Ren? Is something wrong?”
“No, my lady! Why do you ask?” Her voice comes out in high pitched peeps. I decide to use some of my very limited power as Lady Nightshade…
“Ren, you will tell menow.”
She freezes, and when she looks up from the bed, she has tears in her eyes.
“I don’t know how I lost them, but after the wedding, they were to be cleaned…they were meant for you, bequeathed in Lady Nightshade’s will…”
“For me? What are you talking about?”
“The lady’s jewels. That is, Fabien’s mother’s jewels. They were to be cleaned and given to you as a wedding gift, but now they’re nowhere to be found. This is my fault. It wasmyresponsibility.”
“Well, let’s calm down, okay? I’m sure they’ll turn up.”
“But, my lady…”
“They’resomewhere, right? Come on, stop making my bed. We both know I never sleep in it anyways. Where were the jewels kept after cleaning?”
“In the antechamber near the library.”
“Okay. You head there and I’ll meet you.”
“You’re not going to help me search? My lady, you can’t! Please, I’ll go and look again.”
I see she’s worked up. It must be very stressful to have lost something so valuable. I feel bad for her. And if I’m being honest, I don’t wear jewels much anyways. It’s just not my style.
But I suppose they do have to be found.
“All right, I’ll tell you what…I’ll change and meet you there in a little while. If they haven’t turned up, I’ll pitch in and we’ll find them for sure.”
“My lady…thank you.”
After Ren leaves, I remember I’m wearing what's left of my wedding 'dress', if golden webs over my boobs and a skimpy loincloth made of gossamer counts as a dress. I may be a monster wife now, but I'm still human, and I can't let go of my Georgia upbringing that easily.
The loosest I can get are some jeans and a t-shirt, which I sink into like my favorite blanket back home. Some tennis shoes finish the ensemble. It feels incredible to wear something that's not designer made or tailor made for me by my...well, tailor.
It feels more like I'm myself again. I shouldn't make a habit of it, because I know Mia wouldn't be caught dead in Levi's, but what the hell? My new husband won't be home until afternoon, so I might as well relax while I can.
I also use the opportunity to report in, now that Ren’s gone.
I sneak out to the garden with my phone, careful to steer clear of anyone andanythingthat might be listening. Even the tiny sprites in the rose bushes and the grindylows in the pond. I don't trustanyof them not to tattle on me.
When I'm sure I'm alone, I use the number I memorized and call Rasmussen. I'm a bit shocked when he immediately answers. I half expected him not to be there. The guy has to be busy, I didn't think he'd be at my beck and call. But then again, maybe it was just lucky timing?
"Finally," he says. "What have you got?"
Laid, an unhelpful voice in my head says. I nearly start laughing. I'm more delirious than I'd thought.
"Nothing yet. I'm getting settled in. The wedding was a couple days ago and I've been...tied up since then. Since I was the bride, all eyes were on me. But now it's done, I've got more freedom and I can hopefully do more searching."
