Chapter 2

The manor door closed behind me with quiet finality. The wind sliced through my cloak with bitter teeth, but I couldn't afford a heavier one, even with the silver in my boot.

I followed my own footprints back toward the village. With every step, it was a struggle not to turn back. Leaving my collection behind was difficult enough, but leaving the manor in such a sorry state went against my every instinct. The discordant notes haunted me, begging me to smooth them away. Only the thought of the unnamed man's frosty expression kept me on the path.

My cottage was cold and dark by the time I made it home, and my fingers and toes were icy. I built a small fire in the stove with the last of my coal. Tomorrow, I would need to buy more.

This morning's gruel had congealed into a solid brick, but I put the pan on the stove and added a little water. I could go to the tavern for dinner, but I needed every piece of silver in my boot just to cover rent, and my savings were already depleted. I couldn't afford a solicitor to fight the landowner, so I'd be forced to move in the spring, which meant economizing everywhere I could.

I ate huddled in a blanket next to the stove. But for all my cottage was bare, it was clean, and its song was clear and happy. The manor's state lingered in the back of my mind, like a partially remembered thought or a half-finished job.

And no matter how many times I reminded myself that it wasn't my problem, I couldn't quite escape the desire to set it to rights.

* * *

I awokethe next morning tired and grumpy. I hadn't slept well at all, and something must be done about the manor's state, frostiness be damned. I shoved a week's worth of clothes into my pack and doubled up my socks for another long trudge through the snow.

First, I stopped at the landowner's secretary's office and paid my rent. The man accepted the payment with a pained grimace. He, too, lived in the village and had no doubt gotten an earful from all of his neighbors, but it wasn't his fault his new boss was a such an ass.

I sighed in resigned relief as I stepped outside. Now I had three months of breathing room to find a new place to live.

And a potential job just waiting for me to grab it.

The trip through the snowy forest wasn't any more pleasant, but as the manor finally came into view, I felt lighter. I pounded a fist on the door and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

I knocked again, and when that didn't result in the door opening, I tried the latch. It was unlocked, so I let myself in with a shrug. If the owner didn't want me inside, he should've locked his door after yesterday.

"Hello!" I called as the door closed behind me.

The man appeared at the top of the stairs, frosty glare firmly in place. "You again."

It wasn't exactly the most welcoming of greetings, but I forged ahead anyway. "Me again," I confirmed. "I'm here for a job."

"I don't recall posting any jobs."

"You need someone to clean your house, and I need money. Hire me as a maid for a week, and I'll make the floors gleam. I'll clean the entire house for twelve silver plus room and board."

His eyebrows rose. "Most maids make a single silver in a week, if that."

"I'm not most maids. If you'd like to hire a dozen others to do the work, you can. But someone needs to clean this house because it's a disgrace."

He descended the steps in silence, and I wondered if I was about to be tossed out into the snow. He stopped close enough that it would be difficult for me to draw my sword and took a deep breath.

Something like surprise crossed his face before he smoothed it away. "Very well. One week, twelve silver. But if you don't finish the entire house, I won't pay you the full amount."

"That's fine," I agreed before he could change his mind—or think to negotiate. "If you'll point the way to the staff quarters, I'll change and get started. How would you prefer to be addressed?"

"Baldric."

"Very well, Lord Baldric, thank you for this opportunity." I dropped into a passable curtsy.

"I'm not a lord," he said. Before I could correct myself, he asked, "Have you eaten lunch?"

My stomach remained blissfully silent. "Not yet."

He pointed up the stairs. "Choose any room on the second floor except the one at the end of the hall, then meet me in the kitchen."

I curtsied again, but Baldric was already turning away. I climbed the stairs to the second floor. It was only marginally cleaner than the floor below, and I winced. The thick carpet runners in the hallway desperately needed a good beating as well as a snow scrub. Luckily, we were in the season for it.

I wanted to stay as far as possible from the double doors at the end of the hall, so I opened the first door I came to. My breath caught. The bedroom walls were coated in pale peach plaster, and the delicate furniture was painted a complementary light green. The whole room reminded me of spring, and I couldn't believe Baldric was going to allow me to stay here for a week.

A fine layer of dust coated everything, the room's hum off-key and grating, so I set my pack on the floor and carefully changed into a gray working dress, white apron, and sturdy slippers. The rugs would have to wait until my toes thawed once more.

I tied my straight brown hair back with a white kerchief, then peered at myself in the dusty vanity mirror. I looked respectable enough now, but I would be coated in grime by the time I finished for the day.

I returned to the ground floor while mentally compiling a task list. I'd need to see the other levels before beginning, but if they were anything like what I'd already seen, I'd have my work cut out for me.

At least while Baldric was awake. Once he was safely abed, I could work faster.

Muchfaster.

I pushed the door open into a surprisingly clean kitchen filled with the delicious aroma of chicken soup. For the first time, the house's chord was unmarred, a deep lovely sound that made me smile.

Baldric sat at the end of the battered table with a steaming bowl in front of him. He'd placed another bowl—presumably for me—on his left, where my back would be to the wall.

I'd left my sword behind, but I had a small knife hidden in my apron's front pocket. I circled the far end of the table, then pulled out the stool and sat. "Is the cook not joining us?"

"I don't have a cook," he said.

No maids, no cook. In fact, as far as I could tell, he didn't have any household staff at all. What kind of person was wealthy enough to have this fancy house and spend silver on rocks, but didn't have staff?

Someone who didn't want anyone poking into his business, most likely.

I shook my head. It wasn't my concern. Once the house was clean, I'd be on my way. I pulled my bowl toward me. It was filled with a hearty chicken and noodle soup that had actual chunks of chicken in it. He'd also given me a cup of clear, cold water, along with a cup of tea.

"Thank you for the food," I murmured.

His eyebrows rose slightly. "If you're planning to clean this entire house in a week, you'll more than earn it."

I nodded in agreement. It was clear that he didn't expect me to finish the whole house, but if he kept feeding me like this, I might get done early.

We ate in silence. It wasn't entirely comfortable, but it also wasn't as awkward as I'd expected. I finished the last of my soup, then drained the final drops of tea from my cup.

"There's more." Baldric tipped his head toward the pot on the stove.

"I've had plenty, thank you. Leave your dishes in the sink, and I will do them later. I'm going to start with the upper levels."

His pale blue eyes caught mine. "Locked doors are off limits. I will not count them against you." His expression tightened. "If you attempt to bypass the locks, I will kick you out with nothing."

I smiled at him. "I understand."

But I couldn't leave part of the house grimy. Thankfully, as long as I was careful, I wouldn't need to open the doors at all.