Chapter 3

B y the time Ella reached home, she was out of breath. Her legs burned from the sprint from the market. She had no idea who Noella Fairchild was. She’d been a resident of the village since she was born and had never heard the name.

Then again, she only ventured to the market once a week and then it was a quick trip there and back. She had so much work to do. She hung up her shawl and kerchief and paused a moment in the kitchen to catch her breath. But as she did so, the three women rang for her. It was time for luncheon and she hadn’t anything prepared.

She had several slices of bread leftover from the previous day and quickly put them in a linen lined bowl and covered them. That would have to do for the time being. Swallowing hard, she headed to the dining room to face her stepmother and tell her it would be at least another hour before luncheon was served.

Her stepmother sat at the head of the table. She placed the bowl in the middle. Her stepmother shoved off the linen cover and glowered at the bread. Her fiery glare bored into Ella with a searing intensity. Her anger radiated from her like waves of blistering heat.

“Stale bread is all you have to offer for luncheon?”

“I’ve only just returned from the market and—”

“I don’t want your excuses,” she snapped.

Ella stood frozen in place, the words clotting her throat.

“Well, get to it!” she said.

She hurried out of the dining room as Lucinda and Daniella snickered. In the kitchen, Ella put together their luncheon including a small portion for herself. After she served them, she returned to the kitchen where she sat alone at the scarred wooden table and stared down at her half-empty plate.

A knock on the back door startled her.

She opened the door to see an elderly man standing on the other side. He was hunched over and held a gnarled cane in one hand. The knit cap on his head barely covered his ears. His jacket was threadbare with what appeared to be a moth-eaten hole on his shoulder. When he smiled, he had crooked stump teeth, his face wrinkling with the movement making his eyes squint.

“Beggin’ ya pardon, miss. I was walking down the road there heading through town to the next.” He pointed to the road behind the house. “Could ya spare a wee bit of bread and water for me?”

Ella hesitated.

“I don’t want to be any trouble. Just a bit a bread and then I’ll be on me way, eh?”

“Just a moment.” She pushed the door closed.

She found two-day old bread which she cut in half and wrapped into a linen napkin for him. She poured water in a small cup, then reopened the door. She handed him the bread.

“This is all I have.”

“Thank ya, miss.” He took the bread and cradled it against his chest as if it were a prize.

“And water.” She handed him the cup.

He drained it, then returned it to her with a smile of thanks. “I’ll be on me way, now. Thank ya, miss.”

She watched him hobble away back toward the road before she closed the door. It was odd, really. There were rarely strangers in the area and certainly they didn’t knock on doors and ask for food and water. It occurred to her, too, how strange it was she’d met two strangers in one day.

But she paid it no more mind as she set about cleaning the kitchen of the luncheon dishes and prepared for dinner that evening, humming a familiar Christmas tune her mother used to sing to her. It gave her comfort as she went through the day’s drudgery.

Noella Fairchild waited for Percy’s return in the carriage at the edge of the village on the dirt road. She shivered even under her thick cloak as the wind turned from the north. With a flick of her wrist, an ermine-lined muff appeared in a sprinkling of fairy dust on her hands. She settled back into the seat to wait.

She dozed off, her head against the padded wall, as the sun dipped to the horizon. Percy had been gone for quite some time. No doubt doing all he could to find out who the girl was.

“Here he comes now, madam,” the driver called.

Noella jarred awake at the driver’s words. She pushed open the carriage door and hopped out, eager to hear the results of her footman’s investigation.

Percy was more than a footman, though. He’d been with her for more years than she counted as her advisor in all matters. Even when she came up with the foolish idea of finding a suitable young woman for her son. He’d tried to talk her out of it, but she had refused to listen.

“Well?” she asked as soon as Percy was within earshot. “What did you find out?”

“She lives in a small house a few miles that way with her stepmother and stepsisters.” He pointed back up the road behind him. “She’s a servant, madam. The three women she lives with are less than kind to her.” He sniffed derision.

“A servant girl, you say.” She tapped her finger against her chin.

“However,” he continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “She is kind despite being treated as though she were nothing more than dirt on their shoes. She gave me stale bread.” He held up the bundle.

Noella’s eyes widened in shock as her heart did a quick thunk . “She didn’t recognize you, did she?”

“No, madam. My disguise was convincing.”

Noella nodded. “Good, good. Do you think she’s worthy?”

He tilted his head to the side making a curl of dark hair fall across his broad forehead. “Madam, I believe only you have the answer to that. I will say, though, she was singing a familiar Christmas tune as I left.”

Her heart swelled with joyous anticipation. Excitement skittered through her as her mind raced with possibilities. She swung open the carriage door with alacrity.

“That’s good to hear, Percy. Come! We have much work to do!”

Percy climbed in after her and closed the door.

“Let’s away, Alfred!”

The carriage lurched forward as the horses started a swift gallop.

“I do hope you know what you’re doing, madam.”

“I do, too, Percy. I do, too.”