Chapter Six

“If they love one another, then you should be happy for them… right?”

Helen was trying to comfort Astoria, who had been inconsolable since witnessing the man of her dreams declare for someone else. Mira, of all people.

Misery Isabella Rosalie d’Avignon.

Misery aptly described what Astoria was feeling.

The girls—all nine of them—were in the smaller ladies’ solar that was reserved exclusively for them and their lessons. They weren’t allowed in the large solar that had been used by the Earl of Axminster, and was currently used by Lady Isabel, nor were they allowed to wander the keep. Other than the two bedchambers they shared between them, the kitchen, and a few other chambers, they were limited to where they could go. The ladies’ solar was their main, and favored, gathering chamber.

A room that was seeing its share of drama at the moment.

“She seduced him,” Astoria wept. “Rather than allow him to make his choice, which was clearly meant to be me, she seduced him and forced his hand.”

Helen and Davina, the older girls, passed glances at one another. They both liked Mira—all of the girls did—so to hear Astoria speak so unkindly of her was distressing.

“Mira would not do such a thing,” Davina said. She was the more outspoken between her and Helen, and she and Astoria had, at times, pulled one another’s hair in rage. “Mira is not like that. Sir Douglas must have seduced her instead.”

Astoria whirled to her, tears on her cheeks. “How can you say such a thing?” she said. “You know that I’ve not yet decided about him. He must have taken my indecision as… as a rejection, and Mira took advantage of it!”

She was trying desperately to salvage her reputation. All of the girls knew she wanted Douglas. All of the girls knew Douglas did not have an eye for her, but Astoria made it sound as if she had the control.

But Davina shook her head.

“Astoria, I am sorry if you are sad about Sir Douglas and Mira,” she said. “But Sir Douglas never looked twice at you. He never looked twice at any of us.”

Astoria was starting to turn red in the face. “Obviously, that is not true if he declared his love for Mira,” she said. “He was looking at somebody.”

“Just not you.”

Astoria shrieked, flying off the chair she’d been sitting on, slapping her open palms in Davina’s direction. But Davina moved out of her way, pushing her, and she stumbled into the table. She would have fallen had she not caught herself on a chair, but on the tabletop in front of her was a fork. Astoria picked it up and brandished it at Davina like a knife.

“How wicked of you to say such things,” she said. “You are lying about everything and I will punish you!”

Davina stood her ground. She wasn’t as tall as Astoria, but she was a few pounds heavier. And she was stronger, which was why Astoria hadn’t charged her right away.

She sighed sharply.

“Put that fork down or I will tell Lady Isabel that you threatened me,” she said. “There are seven witnesses here who will tell the same story, so stop being ridiculous. You are simply angry and trying to blame me, and everyone else, for your troubles.”

Astoria still had the fork in her hand, looking around at the fearful faces of the younger girls, but she knew one of them would crack if pressed to support Davina’s story. Therefore, she opened her fingers and the fork clattered to the floor.

“You are without sympathy,” she said to Davina as she wandered over to a carved bench with cushions near the window. “Mayhap your heart does not dream of greater things, Davina, but mine does. It dreams of being a de Lohr.”

“Why not a de Winter?” Davina said, secretly relieved that Astoria hadn’t charged her. “Davyss is quite handsome. And he is closer in age. Why not him?”

Astoria plopped down on the bench. “He is too hairy,” she sniffed. “The hair on his head is shaggy and hair covers his arms and chest.”

“Douglas has hair on his arms and chest.”

“But it is blond!” Astoria insisted. “It is like a dusting of gold on him. My beautiful, golden Douglas is gone.”

She lay back on one of the cushions and started to sniffle again. Davina looked at Helen and shook her head at Astoria’s antics. With nothing more to say, Davina left the solar, heading for the kitchens because it was her turn this month to supervise the evening meals. Once she was gone, Astoria popped up from the bench and rushed to the door, shutting it and bolting it. Then she turned to the surprised faces in the chamber.

“Douglas was mine,” she declared. “Davina is simply too stupid to know what a man wishes. She never had a chance with him and that makes her jealous. Would you not agree?”

She was nodding emphatically, which forced the younger girls to nod along because they were afraid of her. Only Helen wasn’t nodding, but Astoria didn’t give up. She focused on the younger girls, a more vulnerable audience.

“I know Mira seduced him because I saw her,” she said as if it was a great secret she’d been hiding. “I saw her in the stables with him, and she… she lifted her skirts to show him what was between her legs.”

“Astoria!” Helen gasped. “You know that is not true! You—”

“I did!” Astoria said, shouting Helen down. “I saw it and you cannot say otherwise because you were not there. Mira is a seductress and a wicked woman, and if any of you speak to her, then you are wicked, too!”

She had the younger girls fairly terrified at this point. Ines, Louisa, Marceline, Primrose, Theodora were looking at each other in terror, and Primrose went so far as to faint so she wouldn’t have to deal with Astoria. But Astoria went to the girl and yanked her up into a sitting position, shaking a finger at her.

“Listen to me and listen well,” she hissed. “If you speak to Mira again, I shall send a missive to your parents and tell them that you consort with a woman of foul morals. She is intent on leading you astray!”

The younger girls lowered their heads in fear. Marceline started to weep. Only Helen was left standing in shock. But the truth was that she was afraid of Astoria, too, because the young woman would do exactly as she threatened. She would send a missive to the families of these girls and tell them how they were frolicking with a woman who lifted her skirts to knights. Astoria was low enough to do it, and no one wanted her venom focused on them.

Pleased that the younger girls were cowering to her demands, Astoria stood over them a moment simply to make sure no one had anything to say to her. They wouldn’t and she knew it. She had the power over them and liked that feeling. When the knight she lusted after was out of her control, at least she could manipulate some of those around her.

But Helen was disgusted by it. Turning away, she went to find the embroidery she had been working on the day before. Lady Isabel expected her ladies to be productive, and every day they were expected to embroider or sew for a few hours. Just as she reached down to pick it up from where it had been neatly tucked away, Astoria came up behind her and smacked it out of her hand. Startled, Helen spun around and shoved Astoria back by the chest, hard enough to make her stumble.

“Do not push me,” Helen growled. “Do not push me and do not touch me. You may be able to strike terror into the hearts of others, but I know you for what you are. Don’t you dare push me again or I will tell Lady Isabel everything you have said.”

Astoria righted herself, torn between threatening Helen and backing off. Helen wasn’t usually so bold with her, but even Astoria had to admit that her behavior over the past several moments was beyond what she’d ever done before. But she was embarrassed and disappointed, a bad combination, and having little self-control, she was deteriorating into the petty world of vindictiveness. As she gazed at Helen, she could see that she didn’t have the woman’s support.

“Careful,” she said after a moment. “I do not suppose your widowed mother would like receiving a missive that her daughter surrounds herself with trollops.”

Helen’s eyes narrowed. “And I do not suppose that your father would like receiving a missive that his daughter is a wicked, vengeful bitch,” she said in a low voice. “I told you not to push me. Leave me out of whatever foolishness you choose to engage in, Astoria. I do not want to be part of it.”

With that, she bent over to pick up her needlework and sat down, her back to the wall as she faced Astoria. She didn’t trust the woman not to charge her again, or worse. She watched Astoria as the young woman looked her over and then chuckled. It was a dirty sound. Turning away, Astoria went to find the piece she had been working on the day before, also, as the five younger girls continued to cower in the corner.

And that was the way she liked it.