Read Online Afton of Margate Castle by Angela Elwell Hunt - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Angela Elwell Hunt
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outside of the castle wall carries everything down into the moat. The lord’s very proud of his lavatory, ‘e is, and I hear ‘e’s planning to build them all along the outer wall for the knights, too.”
“It’s just like him to keep up with everything,” Lunette added, pouring something cold and oily into Afton’s hair. “If King Henry’s castle adds a thing, Lord Perceval doesn’t blink an eye before he’s adding it, too.”
Afton glanced over at the famous lavatory. It was a dark recess, a wooden shelf with a single hole, and a pile of hay lay off to the side. “For what does Lord Perceval use the hay?” she asked shyly.
Lunette covered her mouth and giggled. “Honestly,” she squeaked when she had caught her breath, “Where did ze mistress find you? Out in the fields?”
Morgan silenced the younger maid with a stern look, and Afton shivered while the two of them continued to scrub her hair and skin. Yes, she had come from the fields, and what of it? She had come from a small mud hut with sun bleached grass on the roof and chickens underfoot. But in that rough home had been babies, and laughter, and the earthy smells of hard-working people and nurturing animals.
Afton clenched her chattering teeth and shut her eyes tightly to block out the most recent and vivid memory of home, that of Corba in a rage. Surely her mother could not have done those things! But the sound of the slap, the sting of her flesh, and the flurry of arms and legs that literally kicked her away were still in the forefront of her memory.
But Endeline was tall and darkly beautiful and smelled faintly of roses and summertime. Her arms had been extended, and her words were honey-sweet. In her realm there were soft mattresses to sleep on, lessons to learn, and a girl playmate. There was a boy with smiling eyes.
Lunette stopped rubbing the coarse cloth across Afton’s neck, and Afton opened her eyes. “You really should bless ze star you were born under, you know,” Lunette said. “It’s not every girl who gets ze chance to live with ze Lord’s family. Me, I have been here two years, and a more noble family is not to be found.”
Lunette gave Afton’s hair a final rinse, and Afton told herself Lunette was right.
***
After the bath Morgan dressed Afton in a simple white cotton tunic. From her bed, Endeline nodded approval and snapped her fingers at her daughter. “Lienor, dear, show Afton around the castle,” Endeline commanded. “We want to make her feel at home.”
Lienor grumbled as she rose from her study table, but she grabbed Afton’s hand and reluctantly led Afton out of Endeline’s chamber. Her reluctance vanished, however, as soon as they were down the wooden staircase and out of Endeline’s sight. “There is a room for my brothers up above my mother’s chamber,” she explained, pointing overhead, “and a room for my father’s chaplain. The chapel is up there, too, of course. But the hall is on this floor.”
Afton wanted to explain that she had already visited the great hall, but Lienor pulled her through it and kept up a steady stream of patter. “Those little rooms off to the side are for the pantler and cupbearer, but my brothers and I play in there during the day. The servants sleep in here at night. Everything happens in here, or so it seems.”
Afton nodded numbly, and Lienor pulled her out of the hall and down the great stone staircase to the first floor. “Here and below are the cellars,” Lienor explained, skipping toward the huge arch that served as the entrance to Perceval’s home. “You will not want to go down there. I have been down there only once, and found it a dark and creepy place. Not even my brothers venture down to the cellars.”
The girls passed through the archway and a narrow hallway, and past the hallway Afton glimpsed the blue of open sky. She followed Lienor willingly into the soft afternoon sunshine and across the sturdy drawbridge that carried them over a
“It’s just like him to keep up with everything,” Lunette added, pouring something cold and oily into Afton’s hair. “If King Henry’s castle adds a thing, Lord Perceval doesn’t blink an eye before he’s adding it, too.”
Afton glanced over at the famous lavatory. It was a dark recess, a wooden shelf with a single hole, and a pile of hay lay off to the side. “For what does Lord Perceval use the hay?” she asked shyly.
Lunette covered her mouth and giggled. “Honestly,” she squeaked when she had caught her breath, “Where did ze mistress find you? Out in the fields?”
Morgan silenced the younger maid with a stern look, and Afton shivered while the two of them continued to scrub her hair and skin. Yes, she had come from the fields, and what of it? She had come from a small mud hut with sun bleached grass on the roof and chickens underfoot. But in that rough home had been babies, and laughter, and the earthy smells of hard-working people and nurturing animals.
Afton clenched her chattering teeth and shut her eyes tightly to block out the most recent and vivid memory of home, that of Corba in a rage. Surely her mother could not have done those things! But the sound of the slap, the sting of her flesh, and the flurry of arms and legs that literally kicked her away were still in the forefront of her memory.
But Endeline was tall and darkly beautiful and smelled faintly of roses and summertime. Her arms had been extended, and her words were honey-sweet. In her realm there were soft mattresses to sleep on, lessons to learn, and a girl playmate. There was a boy with smiling eyes.
Lunette stopped rubbing the coarse cloth across Afton’s neck, and Afton opened her eyes. “You really should bless ze star you were born under, you know,” Lunette said. “It’s not every girl who gets ze chance to live with ze Lord’s family. Me, I have been here two years, and a more noble family is not to be found.”
Lunette gave Afton’s hair a final rinse, and Afton told herself Lunette was right.
***
After the bath Morgan dressed Afton in a simple white cotton tunic. From her bed, Endeline nodded approval and snapped her fingers at her daughter. “Lienor, dear, show Afton around the castle,” Endeline commanded. “We want to make her feel at home.”
Lienor grumbled as she rose from her study table, but she grabbed Afton’s hand and reluctantly led Afton out of Endeline’s chamber. Her reluctance vanished, however, as soon as they were down the wooden staircase and out of Endeline’s sight. “There is a room for my brothers up above my mother’s chamber,” she explained, pointing overhead, “and a room for my father’s chaplain. The chapel is up there, too, of course. But the hall is on this floor.”
Afton wanted to explain that she had already visited the great hall, but Lienor pulled her through it and kept up a steady stream of patter. “Those little rooms off to the side are for the pantler and cupbearer, but my brothers and I play in there during the day. The servants sleep in here at night. Everything happens in here, or so it seems.”
Afton nodded numbly, and Lienor pulled her out of the hall and down the great stone staircase to the first floor. “Here and below are the cellars,” Lienor explained, skipping toward the huge arch that served as the entrance to Perceval’s home. “You will not want to go down there. I have been down there only once, and found it a dark and creepy place. Not even my brothers venture down to the cellars.”
The girls passed through the archway and a narrow hallway, and past the hallway Afton glimpsed the blue of open sky. She followed Lienor willingly into the soft afternoon sunshine and across the sturdy drawbridge that carried them over a
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