The Tale of Mally Biddle (16 page)

16
Revenge

Mally stepped into a large sitting room with an enormous claw-footed desk. Behind this desk sat square-jawed, gray-haired, Illius Molick.

Molick glowered at her, his dark eyes raking her form. He seemed to sit in his chair like a bullfrog, his large, muscled arms hunched forward menacingly.

“I have been informed of your presence in my castle.”

My castle?
Meriyal hadn’t been exaggerating. Mally wondered if Molick was this bold around the king. Then again, perhaps he didn’t need to be. Mally didn’t have any doubt that this man could quite easily be controlling the country.

“Yes sir.”

Molick leaned back in his chair, his large, sausage-like fingers intertwined on his stomach.

“You are from Halspeare?” he demanded.

“Yes sir.”

Molick nodded and smiled. Mally tried not to grimace at the sight of it.

“Orphan?” he barked, making Mally jerk.

She nodded, trying to keep the heat from her cheeks. He must have questioned Meriyal.

“Which one?” he sneered.

“Corral and Chestnut, sir,” Mally answered promptly.

Instead of saying anything, Molick scribbled something down on a piece of paper.

Mally’s heart jumped into her throat. If Molick wrote to Corral and Chestnut, he would discover that there had never been a girl named Mally Biddle present there. Then what would she do? He would find out she had lied to get into the castle and where would that lead?

While Mally was silently reeling, Molick poured himself a large glass of brandy, as if taking his time to savor the effect his actions had had. He swirled the glass, eyeing Mally contentedly, like a swollen spider eyeing his next meal. At Mally’s continued silence, Molick’s eyes hardened. He leaned forward so swiftly that for a moment Mally’s frantic brain was sure he would leap over his desk and strike her.

“Are you aware of a barbarous rebel force in this city?” he asked.

Mally’s heart stopped and she hesitated before answering.

“I’ve only heard rumors, Sir Illius.”

Molick eyed her.

“And of course, you would not be lying. I do not like liars in my castle.”

“This is my first time in the city,” said Mally, her heart pounding so loudly that she was sure Molick would hear it. “I assure you, I know nothing about these rebels.” Then she added with a burst of inspiration, “And if I did, I would have nothing to do with them.”

Molick’s eyes narrowed and his ugly, wide mouth twitched into a grin.

“And the passages? Only rumors, as well?”

Mally stared at him. What was she supposed to say to that? Deny the fact that they existed? Of course he knew they existed! Why hadn’t Meriyal told her what to say? In her panic, she said what popped into her head.

“Forgive me, Sir Illius, but what use are the servants’ passages to the Captain of the Knights?”

For a full second, Mally was positive she would be hit. Molicks’ face colored like a blotchy beet. His jaws tightened so much his lips turned white. His narrowed eyes were no more than angry slits.

“You may leave,” he ordered in a low voice.

Mally nearly tripped in her haste to curtsy and run to the door simultaneously. Meriyal was upon her the moment she had closed his door.

“Well?” she breathed.

Mally shook her head, still numb and trembling.

“I didn’t tell him anything,” she whispered. She was out of breath—as if she had run a race.

“Good girl!” said Meriyal, but her face was taunt with tension. “Come, we need to clean out some fireplaces.”

By that evening, Mally was so exhausted and nervous that all she wanted was to curl up on her bed, but she and Lita had agreed to blow out the candles on the first floor as Mildred, who typically did that floor, had a nasty cough and needed the rest. So, at ten till eight, Mally and Lita left Gerda in their chamber and made their way to the first floor. Dinner was finished and by the time they had reached the great hall, it was deserted of knights.

But when Mally had reached the last step of the staircase, Lita halted and cursed under her breath.

“What is it?” asked Mally.

Lita was fumbling in her pockets.

“Did you get the tall snuffer?” she asked.

Mally pulled out the short, silver snuffer Mildred had passed to her at dinner.

“No,” she said. “I thought you were getting it.”

Lita cursed again.

“I’ll get it. Start extinguishing the ones you can get to. I’ll be right back.”

Mally watched her scurry back up the long staircase. Upon turning to the great hall, Mally’s first thought was that they wouldn’t need the tall snuffer as some candles were already blown out, leaving the huge room shadowy and cold. A banging and rattling from a dark corner drew her attention and upon inspection, she found an open window: the reason for the cold and lack of candlelight. The wind hadn’t stopped since she’d been out picking hunter’s horn. It must have intensified and forced the unlatched window open. Each time the wind whistled past, the window banged fiercely against the stone wall. Mally shut and latched it, rubbing her arms as she gazed out into the wild night.

A hand gripped her shoulder and jerked her around. Something hard hit the side of her face, making her stumble. She blinked as stars erupted before her eyes. She was hit again and fell against a tall candelabra—she felt a horrible searing in her shoulder. The candelabra smashed onto the floor and candlesticks cascaded on top of her. She tried to rise from the floor, still trying to steady her sight. It came back just in time to see a large booted foot fly through the air to smash into her side.

“Think you’re the same as us?” said a harsh voice somewhere above her. Even though her head was reeling with pain, Mally knew who it was.

“No, you think you’re
better,
” Bayard sneered, answering his own question. “I’ve been wanting to knock some proper respect into you.” He kicked her again. “You’re not worth the grime you wipe away,” he spat venomously.

“Who’s there?”

Mally was dazed with pain.

“Who’s … Mally! Are you all right?”

Mally groaned, her eyes squeezed shut. Nathan had joined them.

“Tripped,” Bayard explained pleasantly from somewhere above Mally. “Shouldn’t be so klutzy, should she? Could get
hurt
falling over things.” Bayard chuckled again and Mally heard his footsteps casually retreating.

“Bastard,” Nathan cursed under his breath and Mally moaned again. There was another inaudible curse above her and a frantic shuffling as Nathan crouched down beside her. Gently, he half pulled her into a sitting position.

Mally blinked her eyes and Nathan’s face swam into focus.

“You’re bleeding,” said Nathan tersely. “I’ll get you to Rosa—she’s closer.” He tried to lift Mally to her feet but Mally gasped and gripped her side.

“Easy! Easy! Come on now, lean on me. There you go.” Mally leaned heavily on Nathan as they slowly walked across the great hall to the kitchen. “You’ll be fine. We’ll have Rosa look you over. You’ll be all right, Mally. You’ll be all right.”

Mally’s eyesight was still blurred. Her side felt like it had been rammed, her cheek throbbed, and her shoulder stung. She was only half aware that they had reached the kitchen door, but the shriek that followed made fresh stars burst before her eyes.

“Mally! Oh—Nathan, what happened?”

Nathan helped her into a chair as he explained to Archie and Rosa what he thought had transpired. Mally was grateful. Her ey
esight was finally returning and her head had stopped spinning—but the pain in her cheek, shoulder and side seemed to double. 

“That
bastard
,” Archie spat as Rosa dabbed Mally’s cheek with a damp cloth. “He only has enough guts to fight when his target’s alone and unsuspecting! He should be locked up!”

“Lenzar’s been turned upside down,” said Nathan heatedly. “The innocent are in the dungeons while the criminals are running free.”

“I think you’ll be okay,” said Rosa, worry all over her face. “Some bad bruises … but your shoulder—I’ll need to clean that—”

She rose and hurried to a cabinet before rolling up Mally’s sleeve. Mally gritted her teeth as Rosa cleaned the cut on her right shoulder, which must have come from the sharp metal work of the candelabra.

“You’ll be all right,” said Rosa soothingly. “This cut isn’t deep.”

“Rosa’s right. It could have been much worse,” Nathan agreed grimly.

“There, much better,” said Rosa, having finished bandaging the wound.

“Thanks …” said Mally. She felt ashamed … weak. People had been warning her something like this could happen. Ivan, Galen, her mother, Meriyal … they had all given her hints without saying what they feared would happen. She had angered Bayard and he had finally found his revenge. Mally wondered grimly if this attack had been enough to satisfy him.

Some of the bitter thoughts in her brain must have shown on her face for Rosa suddenly said, “Some rest is what you need. I’ll make you some deep sleep tea.”

Mally didn’t have the strength to argue. Pleased, Rosa put a kettle of water on the fire and bustled about pulling out jars of herbs and flowers from cabinets.

Mally couldn’t bring herself to look at Nathan or Archie. Instead, she stared at her knees.

“Here you are.”

Rosa handed Mally a cup of heavily scented tea.

“You should probably drink it when you get to your room,” Rosa advised. “It’s fast acting. Nathan can take you.”

Mally thanked them again and rose shakily. Nathan quickly wound his arm around her as she hobbled from the room.

They walked all the way to the corridor of ugly oil paintings without saying a word and when they finally reached the corridor Mally quietly murmured her thanks again before disappearing into her chamber.

Mally was surprised to see that Lita was not in bed. Where had she gone to? She should have been back with the snuffer long ago. But Mally was too tired to go in search of her. She inched into the bedroom, tiptoeing past a sleeping Gerda, and downed her tea. It was richly flavored and dried her mouth, but in seconds, she was fast asleep.

17
Beside the Gooseberry Wine

Mally woke feeling like she’d been beaten. Then she reme
mbered with a sour taste in her mouth that she
had
been beaten. She groaned and rolled over on her side, squinting at the window. Bright sunlight streamed through the glass in radiating glory. She looked at the two beds beside hers. They were empty. How could she have overslept? What time was it? Meriyal would have her head! She leapt out of bed, only to double over in pain. Cursing her throbbing side she dressed as quickly as she could.

A mirror hung on the wall opposite the door to her bedroom. With trepidation, Mally looked at her reflection. Her first reaction was relief. She didn’t look nearly as bad as she was expecting—or as she felt. Her side burned like fire. Her cheek was blue and sha
dowy. She pulled up her sleeve past her shoulder and unwrapped the bandage. The cut wasn’t too deep and looked to be healing. Rosa was right. It probably wouldn’t even scar. Cheered, Mally rolled down her sleeve and took a stiff step down the corridor.

“
Mally!
”

It was amazing how accusing Meriyal’s voice could sound. It snapped and cracked like a whip. Mally waited for her to reach her, anticipating a long tongue lashing for lateness.

“What are you doing on your feet?” Meriyal demanded.

“I—I’m sorry?” asked Mally, thrown for a loop.

“Look at the state of you!” Meriyal exploded, making Mally flinch. “Nathan and Archie told me everything. Come on, we’re going to the sickroom.”

“But I—”

Mally’s assurances that she was fine and didn’t need to be seen to were left far behind in the corridor of ugly oil paintings. Meriyal gripped her wrist and tugged her up two flights of stairs to the fifth floor, ignoring Mally’s pathetic attempts to escape.

“Didn’t I warn you?
Didn’t I?
” Meriyal hissed like an angry goose. “I told you not to go about the castle
alone
.”

“I wasn’t alone!” Mally argued. “Lita was with me.”

“Until…?” Meriyal pressed, her angry face inches from Mally.

Mally seemed to shrink.

“Until she left to get the snuffer.”

Meriyal nodded in grim satisfaction. “I’ll be speaking to that idiotic girl,” she said in a dangerous tone before jerking Mally down an extremely bright corridor, lined on one side with high, arching windows. “I
told
you,” she repeated heatedly.

Mally bit back a sour retort. Did Meriyal think she had
enjoyed
the encounter?

“Gladys!” Meriyal shouted as she dragged Mally through two arched doors into what Mally assumed was the sickroom. She’d never seen the sickroom and had hardly even been up to the fifth floor except to carry firewood to a few of the rooms.

The sickroom was very large and long with beds lining both walls. It had every appearance of supreme cleanliness and peacefulness—that is, without Meriyal’s screeching voice ricocheting off the walls.

“Gladys! Gladys, where—”

“Hush, Meriyal! There’s no need to shout.”

A woman around Meriyal’s age appeared at the far end of the room. She was much taller than Meriyal with wispy gray hair and thin wrists.

“And why have you decided to disturb my peaceful solitude?” Gladys asked tartly, wrapping a long shawl about her thin shoulders. “I was in the middle of a tarot reading.”

“Mally,” Meriyal replied shortly, jerking her head toward Ma
lly.

“Oh, my.”

Mally felt heat flush her cheeks as Gladys stared at Mally with shock. Mally was sure Meriyal was teetering on another ‘I
told
you.’

“It’s really not that bad!” Mally said defiantly.

“Perhaps you should sit down, dear,” Gladys advised.

Mally expelled a sigh of exasperation and gingerly lowered herself into a chair.

“How did it happen?”

“Bayard.” Meriyal spat out his name like an ugly swear word. “He attacked her last night.”

“Why didn’t you come to me?” Gladys asked, shocked, halting her inspection of Mally’s cheek. “You should have come to me!”

“I—”

“Meriyal! I just heard!”

Mally turned in her chair to see who had joined them. A thin woman with mousy brown hair had just rushed through the sic
kroom’s open doors. Mally recognized her immediately: Nanette Lynwood.

“Are you all right?” Nanette asked, staring down at Mally with such intensity that Mally suddenly felt like a child.

“She’ll be much better once I’ve looked her over,” said Gladys in Mally’s silence.

“Rosa tended me,” Mally said quickly.

“Good choice,” Gladys commended in approval. “Rosa knows her remedies, since she has a young boy whose favorite pastime is climbing trees and finding snakes. Oh—is that a birthmark?”

Startled by the question, Mally nodded.

Gladys had just rolled up Mally’s right sleeve to inspect her shoulder. Directly below the bandage was a small, pale birthmark in the shape of a paw print.

“I’ve never seen one shaped like that. Have you, Meriyal?”

“No, I haven’t,” Meriyal agreed, leaning in for a closer look. “But they come in all different shapes and sizes.”

“What a curious shape,” Gladys exclaimed. “A paw. Fascina
ting. Have you ever seen one shaped so curiously?” Gladys asked Nanette.

Due to the silence that followed, Mally glanced up at her. Na
nette stood very still, staring at the birthmark on her shoulder.

“No, no I can’t say I have,” Nanette answered.

“Fascinating,” Gladys repeated. “I suppose it could mean you are unlucky, my dear. The cat can be quite unlucky.”

“Like last night?” Meriyal insinuated.

Mally ignored her.

“I am no more unlucky than the next person,” she said tartly.

“And feisty,” Gladys observed, her eyes lighting up. “That could also mean courage, independence … why, why even—”

“Enough of your inner eye, Gladys!” snapped Meriyal. “Could you please see to Mally? I believe Nathan mentioned something about her side.”

“Oh, yes,” said Gladys quickly, color high in her cheeks. “If you would stand over here, dear?”

After a close inspection of her heavily bruised side behind a curtain, Gladys approved of Mally returning to her duties.

“But take it easy,” Gladys said with a severe shake of her finger. “No heavy lifting and not much bending. Your side got the most abuse. Rub this ointment on it when you wake up and when you go to bed. It will help ease the ache. And I’m going to want to see that shoulder again tomorrow. We don’t want it getting infected.”

But the moment Mally left the sickroom, she wished Gladys had told her to return to bed. Not everyone knew what had ha
ppened, and almost everyone who spotted her watched her go by with shocked, opened mouths. Once she had explained for what seemed the fifteenth time why she was bruised, she had half a mind to lock herself up in her bedroom for sanctuary.

“No, really Hattie, I’m fine,” Mally repeated dully.

“Fine? How can you be fine? Look at you!”

“It looks bad I know, but—Lita!” Mally shouted loudly as she spotted her friend in the crowded corridor. She gripped hold of Lita’s hand and quickly excused herself from Hattie.

“Where have you been?” Mally hissed as they traveled quickly past the many onlookers.

“Trying to find you,” Lita replied. “It’s a large castle.” Lita stopped walking and turned to face Mally. “Look at you.” Her voice wasn’t pitying or shocked—it was bitter and hard. “I want to put snakes in his bed.”

Mally smiled at the attractive idea.

“Really, a nice adder or two under the sheets—you’d hear his screams from the north tower,” Lita continued as they started walking again.

“Don’t,” Mally advised.

“Archie wanted me to find you,” said Lita. “We don’t like the idea of you walking about the castle after the attack.”

“I don’t think Meriyal would mind me being in the kitchen for a while,” Mally agreed. “She had me up in the sickroom this morning.”

At her words, Mally was startled to see Lita’s eyes take on a watery shine.

“It’s all my fault!” she exploded, angry tears rolling down her cheeks. “If I hadn’t left you—if I hadn’t forgotten that
stupid
snuffer!”

“Now, just stop right there, Lita,” Mally ordered sharply. “That’s enough of that. He’s probably been looking for his oppo
rtunity and if it hadn’t have happened last night it would have happened on another night.” Then she added in a softer voice “It wasn’t your fault.”

Lita gave a great sniff and they continued to the kitchen.

“What took you so long, anyway?” Mally asked.

“Gibbs and Rendle. They stopped me and made me reorganize their daggers. They kept me all night.”

Mally turned to Lita, a thought coming to her.

“Do you think they were in on it? To separate us?”

Lita looked ashen but said quickly, “How could they have known we were doing the first floor last night? Mildred always does it. And they didn’t make me forget the snuffer.”

Silently, Mally agreed with her. It had just been an unlucky day. Maybe Gladys was right about her birthmark.

The moment they entered the kitchen, Archie and Rosa stopped what they were doing and rushed to Mally.

“Take a seat! Take a seat!” Archie ordered, though in a fatherly way. “Good heavens, look at you.”

“Have you eaten anything?” asked Rosa with concern. “I noticed that you weren’t in the chamber at breakfast.”

“You haven’t eaten!” Archie exploded when Mally shook her head. “Dear Lenzar, girl, how are you supposed to recover without proper nutrition?”

In a matter of seconds, Mally had been pulled up to the large table and Archie and Rosa had placed before her wedges of three different cheeses, bread, roasted pheasant legs, steamed greens, and a gooseberry tart.

“But I can’t eat all of this!” Mally exclaimed as Archie spooned more sauce over the pheasant.

“Don’t complain, Mally.” Lita, whose eyes were now dry, was staring at the spread with great interest, “What you don’t eat won’t go to waste.”

It became apparent to Mally rather quickly that Archie wanted to keep her in the kitchen all day. Mally argued that this was ridiculous.

“I have jobs to do!”

“I can give you jobs,” said Archie stubbornly. But what he really wanted was for her to sit and drink the tea Rosa kept putting in her hands. That he didn’t even offer the most obvious job—mushroom hunting—only made it clearer to Mally that he had no intention of sending her from his sight.

“I can’t stay here forever,” Mally stated. “I am going back to work tomorrow.”

Archie’s mustache billowed in frustration.

“Fine,” he barked, “but not without a guard.”

“Archie!” Mally exclaimed.

“I don’t want to hear it! You’re not to go anywhere alone,” he ordered. “Lita will be with you constantly. And maybe Nathan. Yes, he’d be good and perhaps—”

“Nathan has his own duties. I am not going to ask him to put them aside to be my bodyguard,” Mally replied firmly, crossing her arms. “Nor anyone else.”

When Mally was finally able to extract herself from Archie, the sun had begun to set. She wasn’t in any mood to eat with the rest of the servants—she was tired of explaining and tired of their co
ncern. Lita, who had to serve once again, promised to bring her some dinner when she was finished. So Mally returned to her bedroom alone. Her side ached terribly and she let out a sigh of relief when she lowered down on her bed. She tried to stay awake for Lita, but was soon fast asleep.

***

The next day was Thursday, and Mally woke, stiffer than ever, but happy with the prospect of leaving the castle for a few hours. She would see Sam today. However, during breakfast, Meriyal informed her that Evelyn would be accompanying her into the city.

“Evelyn?” Mally gasped as Lita gaped like a fish beside her. “But why? I’ve been in the city alone before!”

“Evelyn wants to go with you,” Meriyal said in a don’t-argue-with-me tone.

Mally snorted. She didn’t believe that for a second. This was all Archie’s doing, she just knew it! And clearly, Meriyal wasn’t against it.

“And a letter came for you.” Meriyal handed Lita a tightly rolled parchment that Lita glanced at before putting in her pocket.

“Why couldn’t she have
you
come with me?” Mally fumed to Lita when Meriyal had left them.

“Couldn’t have, Mally,” Lita grimaced. “I’m cleaning Molick’s study today. There’s no way that I would be able to get out of that job.”

Mally’s eyes widened, remembering her one encounter with Molick. In all the insanity, she hadn’t talked to Lita about it.

“He wanted to know about the passages,” said Mally. “But I didn’t tell him anything.”