Page 85 of Bosse
Hoping the woman remained fixated on her task, Alifair moved six steps back toward the doorway where she’d entered.
She cleared her throat and said, “Good morning.”
Hessie jerked and turned fast, grousing, “Why are you here now?”
Talk about looking guilty.
“Eriko just finished asking me about the wolf shifter that escaped. I saw no reason to try to sleep for an hour or two. What can I do?”
She’d clearly caught Hessie off guard.
The woman frowned at the floor as if it had insulted her somehow, then lifted her head. “Kylie will be here with wash crew soon. Go outside with them when she shows up. I will give one of those servants a day of easy work in kitchen.”
Easy work. Was she serious?
Alifair wanted to make a fist pump. Finally, she got a work assignment that might help her. She’d gladly follow Kylie around and find out as much as she could about that woman.
Slapping a smile on her face, Alifair said, “I will be happy to do whatever you need.” She stopped short of thanking the mean woman for the chance to study the outside structure of the castle.
Hessie shoved a hand in her direction, dismissing Alifair and her words.
That woman must have been with Krol before he took on this castle. She cared only about pleasing him and held some position of power, even if it was only over the female servants.
Alifair stifled a yawn on her way outside.
Women began to show up outside, gathering into a small group. Alifair moved over to act as if she was expected to be there.
A sharp female voice asked, “Is everyone here? We do not have all day to finish the laundry.”
Looking toward her right to find the owner of that voice, Alifair stared at Kylie with a blue head cloth. She wanted to grab Kylie and shake her until she told Alifair where Rez was being kept or at least make her admit who she was feeding at night.
One of the ladies said, “Hessie kept Nicci to help her today, Kylie.”
Kylie lifted her hand, counting the heads. She stopped on Alifair. “What are you doing here?”
“Hessie sent me out to help.” Alifair did not smile at Kylie. She arranged her face into quiet acceptance to match the other women.
Grumbling to herself about training someone new, Kylie said, “Follow how the other servants work, and do not be slow.”
Alifair nodded in response. She could probably run circles around Kylie, but that would draw attention she didn’t want. No, she needed to sink into the background so that she could track Kylie’s comings and goings.
The day dragged on while washing clothes and linens in a large tub outside, then hanging them over a rope stretched between two poles sunk in the ground. She’d never been one to hold hate in her heart, but that organ had a special dark corner for Krol.
He made the servants carry out their work based on ancient practices, but he had a computer and copy machine upstairs. What a jerk.
All during the hours of cleaning clothes on a washboard, she had no better view of the castle than the day she’d been taken in through the front doors. She’d never been so thankful to hand off the final wet shirt to the women hanging them.
Kylie announced, “All of the washing is done. We have another task.”
Mentally complaining about this entire fiasco, Alifair dried her water-wrinkled hands and headed over with the other servants to find out what slave work they had to do next. But she kept hope alive that this woman would be important to finding Rez.
“Walk around the castle gardens inside here.” Kylie pointed at some vegetation growing along the wall. “Look for vegetables and fruit ripe on the vine. Do not make the mistake of picking anything not ripened.”
One of the women asked, “What if it’s rotten? Do you want us to pick it and throw it away?”
“You willnotfind any fruit that has rotted. There is a sweep of the gardens made every other day.”
Unbelievable. Alifair should have weaseled her way onto gardening duty before now. She snatched up a wide wicker basket perfect for picking flowers. The fact that someone had planted gardens alongside this side of the castle wall made lots of sense. Animals could not wander inside here and steal food.
