Page 15 of Pippa of Lauramore
It’s too hot to hide under a cloak, so I sneak down to the laundry and find a garden maid outfit in one of the cupboards. There’s no one in the laundry today. They’re all enjoying the festival. Many are competing in the events.
It takes me a little longer to find a wide-brimmed straw hat, but I manage it. I wrap my hair up with a scarf, careful to cover up any sign of red, and top it with the hat. The bodice is a little itchy, but the skirt’s not as long as my gown, so it’s easier to move in.
It will do.
Anna had her tea, and I sat with her until she fell asleep. I have my embroidery with me, and I plan to work on it while I watch the event. Even with as horrible as she felt, Anna inspected it before she dozed off. If I don’t have a good chunk of it finished by tomorrow, she is going to know I slipped away.
I nod to the guardsmen on duty. Only one recognizes me. He gives me a wink and then looks the other way.
The sunshine on my shoulders feels marvelous. I’m thankful I didn’t find a long-sleeved kitchen girl’s shift first.
The events are outside the palace walls, but there is still a lot of hustle and bustle in the garden. Very few villagers work during festivals, and those who do choose to run food and trinket stalls. Children chase each other around the flower beds. Friends sit on benches, chatting.
No one pays me any mind.
A few months ago, the fruit trees in the courtyard were in full bloom, and now they are covered in small, green fruit. The mountain cherries blush pink. Soon we’ll have summer pies.
I pass several cottages and their small vegetable gardens. Chickens cluck from their little yards, and several sheep bleat in greeting as I pass. The stones are almost hot under my slippers. I would have liked to wear my riding boots, but the skirt is short enough they would have been visible. It will feel good to leave the courtyard and walk in the meadow grass.
Another set of guards stands at the palace gates, but even as they keep watch, they laugh and call to people they know. I tilt my head to the side so my face is shadowed by the brim of my hat and pass through without question.
The mountains are vibrant green after yesterday’s rain. Unlike the craggy, jagged peaks up north, these mountains are soft-stepped terraces blanketed with meadow grass and moss. The arena has been set up on the terrace below the palace. There are a few sheepgrazing near the festival grounds, but most of the herds have moved farther up the mountains.
Sheep are the only livestock that do well on our rocky, flat cliffs, and we have a special breed that thrives here. With little black faces and the softest white fleece, Lauramorian Whites are the dearest sheep.
The visiting princes and lords have tents set up on the other side of the arena, and with the slight breeze, their colorful flags wave in a lazy manner. I pause on my way to the arena.
Do I dare go find Galinor? Surely someone will recognize me.
“Can I help you find something? Are you lost?” a familiar female voice says from behind me.
I close my eyes and scrunch my nose. I suppose I do look a little misplaced, standing by myself, staring into the distance. I turn slowly and give Leonora a guilty smile.
“Pippa!” she whispers, her voice low but harsh. “What are you doing?”
“Anna has a headache. She’s sleeping now. I thought I would sneak out for a moment and see how everything is going.”
“Where did you find that?” Two dainty fingers pull on the fabric of my skirt like it is infected.
I grin. “In a cupboard in the laundry.”
“No one saw you?” Her voice is incredulous.
“That’s the beauty of it—everyone’s here!”
I shouldn’t be, but I’m pretty proud of myself.
“Listen,” I say. “I’ll just find a seat and watch the rest ofthe competition. I have embroidery to work on,” I add, holding up my needlework.
She looks at me, more than a little skeptical. “You’re not going to try to find Galinor?”
I huff out a frustrated breath. “I want to, but I don’t think I dare with all these people. Who knows who I’ll run into.”
“Alexander was there last time I checked, and I do believe that’s where Percival disappeared to.” Leonora looks thoughtful. “I’ll see if I can find Galinor for you. Where will you sit?”
I point out a spot in the shade of the awnings.
“Keep your hair tucked up.” She coaxes a few loose strands into my scarf. “If it escapes, you’ll be found out for sure.”
