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Authors: Marie-Louise Jensen
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for a moment. I allowed her to take my hand and draw me down next to her.
‘Shall we begin with a gift?’ asked Maria unexpectedly. With a smile, she drew a slim box from her reticule and offered it to me. I hesitated. She sighed again and opened it. Inside lay an intricately wrought gold chain. ‘It’s for you,’ said Maria simply.
‘Why would you give me this?’
‘Because I thought you might like to wear it with your new clothes when they are ready,’ Maria explained patiently.
‘Yes, but why are you giving me an expensive gift?’ I asked. ‘I hardly know you.’
‘I told you already. I desire to be your friend.’ She drew the chain from the box and fastened it around my neck. ‘There, is that not charming?’
I touched it uncertainly. It felt cold and unfamiliar against my skin. I had never worn a necklace before.
‘Thank you, I suppose,’ I said. I sounded ungracious. I still did not trust her.
Maria brought other gifts over the next few days. An ivory comb, a silk scarf, an embroidered cushion. I stuffed them all in my linen chest as soon as she left.
With the gifts came gentle questions. Where did I disappear to all day? Who were my particular friends in the castle? Neither my taciturnity nor my open dislike could keep her away from me.
I took to seeking refuge in the stables even more frequently than before to escape Maria’s company. I stroked Arianna and apologized for not being able to ride her. ‘All these grand people are everywhere, Arianna, and they would stare to see a serving girl upon so fine a palfrey as you,’ I whispered.
I kept Tom company in the harness room, even helping him clean the mountains of stained leather the guests created, until the head groom caught me and sent me away.
‘Tain’t fitting, Mistress, for you to be working like a stable girl, whatever your mother’s misfortunes may be,’ he said firmly, shooing me out.
Deprived even of this pastime, I climbed up to the hayloft and buried myself in the hay, lying there for hours on end with nothing but my own thoughts for company.
One day, upon my return to my room, I entered and stopped dead, thinking I had gone into the wrong room in error. A bedstead hung with curtains stood in the place of my old palliasse and there was a washstand and two comfortable wooden chairs which had not been there before. Maria’s doing, no doubt. I ought to have been grateful to her, but I was not. A scented pomander lay upon the bed. Another gift from Maria. It reminded me of Maria’s sickly scent, and turned my stomach. That could not even be banished to my linen chest; it would make everything else stink. I went to the window and dropped it out into the moat.
No doubt Maria would be sniffing out where I had been today like a bloodhound. It seemed she had been set to spy on me. No doubt my father wanted me watched. Why else would a fashionable, grown-up lady trouble herself with me?
And indeed, Maria sent her maid for me later that afternoon to escort me to her room. It was a grand chamber, close to the great hall and had clearly been recently refurbished. I was glad not to see her in my mother’s room this time. She had no business usurping Mother’s position.
The seamstress was awaiting me, and with Maria’s sharp eye on her she fitted my new clothes and made some last-minute adjustments. Stomachers were laced and unlaced around me. I was pushed and pulled out of the various kirtles and gowns. The clothes were heavy and strange.
I looked down at myself in my new pale yellow evening gown. I thought I must look years older—quite grown-up. And very grand. Only my unruly auburn hair still felt untamed and familiar. The kirtle beneath the gown was shimmering gold and caught the afternoon sunlight when I moved. The chemise was cream with fine lace edging, and looked beautiful against my pale skin.
‘I feel quite different,’ I said nervously.
‘Indeed you do. This is the real you.’ Maria considered me, her head on
‘Shall we begin with a gift?’ asked Maria unexpectedly. With a smile, she drew a slim box from her reticule and offered it to me. I hesitated. She sighed again and opened it. Inside lay an intricately wrought gold chain. ‘It’s for you,’ said Maria simply.
‘Why would you give me this?’
‘Because I thought you might like to wear it with your new clothes when they are ready,’ Maria explained patiently.
‘Yes, but why are you giving me an expensive gift?’ I asked. ‘I hardly know you.’
‘I told you already. I desire to be your friend.’ She drew the chain from the box and fastened it around my neck. ‘There, is that not charming?’
I touched it uncertainly. It felt cold and unfamiliar against my skin. I had never worn a necklace before.
‘Thank you, I suppose,’ I said. I sounded ungracious. I still did not trust her.
Maria brought other gifts over the next few days. An ivory comb, a silk scarf, an embroidered cushion. I stuffed them all in my linen chest as soon as she left.
With the gifts came gentle questions. Where did I disappear to all day? Who were my particular friends in the castle? Neither my taciturnity nor my open dislike could keep her away from me.
I took to seeking refuge in the stables even more frequently than before to escape Maria’s company. I stroked Arianna and apologized for not being able to ride her. ‘All these grand people are everywhere, Arianna, and they would stare to see a serving girl upon so fine a palfrey as you,’ I whispered.
I kept Tom company in the harness room, even helping him clean the mountains of stained leather the guests created, until the head groom caught me and sent me away.
‘Tain’t fitting, Mistress, for you to be working like a stable girl, whatever your mother’s misfortunes may be,’ he said firmly, shooing me out.
Deprived even of this pastime, I climbed up to the hayloft and buried myself in the hay, lying there for hours on end with nothing but my own thoughts for company.
One day, upon my return to my room, I entered and stopped dead, thinking I had gone into the wrong room in error. A bedstead hung with curtains stood in the place of my old palliasse and there was a washstand and two comfortable wooden chairs which had not been there before. Maria’s doing, no doubt. I ought to have been grateful to her, but I was not. A scented pomander lay upon the bed. Another gift from Maria. It reminded me of Maria’s sickly scent, and turned my stomach. That could not even be banished to my linen chest; it would make everything else stink. I went to the window and dropped it out into the moat.
No doubt Maria would be sniffing out where I had been today like a bloodhound. It seemed she had been set to spy on me. No doubt my father wanted me watched. Why else would a fashionable, grown-up lady trouble herself with me?
And indeed, Maria sent her maid for me later that afternoon to escort me to her room. It was a grand chamber, close to the great hall and had clearly been recently refurbished. I was glad not to see her in my mother’s room this time. She had no business usurping Mother’s position.
The seamstress was awaiting me, and with Maria’s sharp eye on her she fitted my new clothes and made some last-minute adjustments. Stomachers were laced and unlaced around me. I was pushed and pulled out of the various kirtles and gowns. The clothes were heavy and strange.
I looked down at myself in my new pale yellow evening gown. I thought I must look years older—quite grown-up. And very grand. Only my unruly auburn hair still felt untamed and familiar. The kirtle beneath the gown was shimmering gold and caught the afternoon sunlight when I moved. The chemise was cream with fine lace edging, and looked beautiful against my pale skin.
‘I feel quite different,’ I said nervously.
‘Indeed you do. This is the real you.’ Maria considered me, her head on
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