Page 9 of Once Upon a Midnight Clear

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 quickthunk. “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.”

Chapter 4

ThedayoftheChristmas ball arrived. Ella had returned to the dressmaker’s shop in the market to pick up the three gowns for Lillian, Daniella, and Lucinda. As she helped them dress, she thought of the woman she met the day she went to the grocery. She wondered, not for the first time, who Noella Fairchild was and why she had offered to give her a gown for the ball.

Ella waited for them at the foot of the stairs. Lucinda descended first in a bright yellow gown trimmed with the ruffles around the scooped neckline and the full skirt. She flashed Ella a wicked smile. Daniella was right behind her wearing a turquoise gown in the same style with the same ruffle around the scooped neckline. Each of them had fur-lined cloaks to match their gowns. With their bright and flamboyant colors, Ella decided both of them would be quite out of place at an elegant Christmas ball.

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