7
The next morning, Lydia was in very high spirits. “Ah, my girls! Last night was a raving success, if I say so myself,” my stepmother said as Genevieve and I took our seats at the dining table.
“It was a lovely ball,” Genevieve said, stifling a yawn.
I grabbed a roll and began to eat.
“I’ll never forget my Season. King Maximus was quite the catch back then,” Lydia said, sighing.
Genevieve and I exchanged faces.
“All the girls vied for his attention, but sadly he was engaged to Queen Cordelia,” Lydia said. “It was rumored that she and her sister, Nerissa, were great beauties in their kingdom. Strange place, Aquatia.”
“Have you ever been there, Mama?” my stepsister asked.
Lydia shuddered. “Never. I heard it’s full of magic and odd creatures. If they’re anything like witches, I’ll never set foot there. Thank goodness the queen was one of the normal ones. But never mind that. I’ve received wonderful news today!” My stepmother shuffled through the pile of letters next to her and pulled out a creamy envelope.
“Who is that from?” I said, setting down my roll.
“A Lord Strongfoot,” Lydia said. “His daughter is a friend of yours. Why haven’t you girls told me you’re acquainted with a lord’s daughter?”
“Oh, Tori!” Genevieve said. “She’s a lovely girl.”
“Well, her father has extended an invitation to the two of you to stay with them during the extent of the Season. They say their manor is only minutes away from the palace. Can you believe it? Minutes!”
Lydia’s eyes gleamed as she looked at us. The woman was clearly having the best month of her life. Cedric favored Genevieve and I danced with a prince. And now, a lord was offering us free food and lodging at his manor minutes away from the palace. I wondered what my stepmother would say if I told her the duchess hated me, the prince spilled ice water over my dress on purpose, and Lord Strongfoot was actually a blacksmith with a great deal of money.
“Are we going to accept the invitation?” I said.
“Is there any question?” Lydia said, waving the letter in the air. She looked ready to fly off her seat. “Helene! Start packing the girls’ things. They’re going to a lord’s manor!”
The prospect of a change of scenery and an escape from Lydia’s delirium were extremely appealing. I was eager to meet Tori again and curious to see the Strongfoot manor, and how generous Captain Greenwood’s reward had been.
The news lightened my spirits and I bore the rest of the day relatively well, despite my frustrations at Helene crowding my room with suitcases and folding my gowns wrong.
After hearing the news, Theodora and Rowena insisted on coming with me, but Lydia told them that a lord would have enough handmaids to serve a dozen young ladies.
“Plus,” my stepmother said begrudgingly to Theodora, “your baked goods are unmatched. I couldn’t possibly find a replacement.”
That night, Genevieve and I sat cross-legged on the floor in her room, repacking our suitcases. It seemed that Helene, after nearly a decade of working for us, still did not know how to fold silk gowns correctly.
Genevieve shook out the skirts of her rose-colored riding gown. The split skirt was slightly creased from Helene’s folding. Her stomach let out a loud growl.
“Oh my. I feel like I could eat a horse,” Genevieve said, rubbing her stomach.
I stood and stretched. “I’ll go down and see if Theodora can spare us something to eat.”
“Maybe a few of her raspberry tarts?”
“Perfect.”
I descended the stairs and traversed the hall to the kitchen. It was almost an hour past ten, so Theodora would still be preparing tomorrow’s breakfast. When I entered, there wasn’t a soul in sight. The oven was lit and the smell of baking bread permeated the air, but nothing was on the counter. I turned on my heel, ready to tell Genevieve the bad news, until I heard voices from the servants’ break room. It was usually deserted this late at night, yet a light shone beneath the door.
“...poor girl. She wouldn’t have to do this alone if her mother were still alive.”
“Hush. We promised not to bring that up again as long as we’re here.”
“I know. But now that her magic is emerging, we’ll have to break that promise. You say it happened in the gardens?”
I stilled, recognizing Theodora and Rowena’s voices. They were speaking of magic! I tiptoed past the counter and flattened myself against the wall.
“Yes. I’m sure it’s her Emergence. She said she saw something purple. Lo and behold it was a patch of weeds too far away for anyone to see, much less identify.”
Someone’s shoes scuffed along the floorboards. Theodora was pacing. “Is there any other explanation?” She sounded desperate. “Has our spell really worn off after a mere sixteen years?”
“It was bound to. Magic cannot be suppressed for long.”
My breath became uneven. Was Rowena talking about the purple smudge I had seen in the garden? It had been a mere hallucination—a result of poor sleep. What were they going on about with spells and magic?
“What do we do, Rowena, if we can’t come with her? What did Master Flora say?”
Paper crinkled. “He told us to suppress it again by any means possible. He wants us to remove her magic for good.” Rowena’s voice shook. “How could we do that to her? Without her knowing consent?”
“She won’t know what she has lost. It’ll be painless for her.”
“Seraphina would never allow it.”
“Seraphina is dead.”
Rowena sobbed.
“Now, now, Rowena. It will all be over soon,” Theodora said, her own voice shaking. “Amarante will never know she has magic. To her, it’ll be
