Page 15 of A Curse of Hope and Shadows: Part I
She found Thomas by one of the outbuildings, a sort of carpenter’s hut, fixing the cracked chessboard.
“You’d think he’d order a new one, but no,” he said, catching her gaze.
“Why’s he so attached to that one?”
“I think his mother gave it to him.”
At that, Adeline paled. Gifts from dead parents were impossible to replace, and she wondered how the Young Lord must feel at having damaged such a thing.
“You all right?” asked Thomas.
“Fine.”
“Can be a bit scary, the first time.”
“Not the first time I’ve been shouted at.”
“Minty tells us you used to be a midwife’s apprentice.”
“I was.” She hoped he didn’t ask why she wasn’t any more.
“Lots of screaming there, I’m sure, but it’s not really aimed at you, is it?”
A pause, uncomfortable despite the warmth of the day, shivered between them.
“It’s all right to be scared of him,” Thomas added.
Adeline knew there was some truth to that, but she knew there was something else behind that anger, something the lord didn’t share. Something that scaredhim.
“How long have you served the family, Thomas?”
“Three years, now. Took over from my older brother. It’s good work, but it’s a bit dull at times. Repetitive. He had wider ambitions.”
“So you didn’t know the Young Lord before?”
He shook his head.
“Has he ever actually hurt anyone?”
Thomas scratched the back of his neck. “I don’t think so. Well, there’s a rumour that he took a swipe at Hughes once when fully transformed, and that’s why he doesn’t talk much any more, but that’s got to be rumour. There’s been a lot of broken glass and furniture over the years, though. Sometimes that’s hit someone. Not really good enough, is it though? Boy his age ought to be able to control his temper.”
Adeline wasn’t sure she was yet to hear the butler, Hughes, speak. He was a tall, imposing man with a dark contenance, who always wore stiff, high collars. She couldn’t imagine him beingscaredinto silence, though.
“Certainly,” she agreed, thinking of all the times she’d dumped cold water on her youngest brothers when they were fighting like a couple of rabid dogs.
Her brothers. Her family.
It was Sunday tomorrow.
“That’s a pretty smile you have there, Miss Adeline.”
“I’m going home tomorrow,” she said, feeling light at the thought.
“Well, you enjoy your day off. You’ve earned it.”
Adeline wasn’t sure that was true; she’d done less work these last few days than she’d ever gotten away with at home, but she thanked Thomas nonetheless.
That night, Mrs Minton gave her her first pay packet. She counted out the coins in earnest, and drew out a tally in her notebook. She’d never earned her own money before, and there was a warmth in her chest from the feel of it, even if she knew it wasn’t hers, not really, that it had another mistress in mind.
