A princess on the run, Briar Aldrich has no choice but to take on the role of scullery maid when Lord Sterling Huntington stumbles upon her in the woods and doesn't recognize her. But how safe is she actually in his home? And how safe is her heart?
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Mrs. Woods needed the sprigs of thyme and basil leaves that she had collected for dinner. She knew that she needed to get the herbs to her as soon as possible as the old cook would have already started the venison rub. So Briar told herself that her running from the gardens was because she needed to get her herbs back to Mrs. Woods and not because of the scene she had witnessed among the flora. Besides, it didn't matter. Lord Huntington was free to kiss and be kissed by anyone he wished. He was a lord. She was a servant. Well, not truly.
She turned the corner near the stables and rushed into the servant's passage, past the bustling men and women going about their duties, and to Mrs. Woods' side where the old cook put her to work rubbing the meat with the fresh herbs and dried spices she had laid out. Briar did as she was told, preparing the meat while Mrs. Woods put the potatoes on to boil. Her hands were wet with the juice from the minced garlic which made it slippery work but still not distracting enough. She scolded herself under her breath for her inattention to detail once it was revealed that she had left out the pepper.
"Can't forget the pepper," Mrs. Woods chided. "I've told you Lord Huntington likes his venison well-peppered."
Briar curled her lip at the mention of his name but did as she was told, dusting a heavy portion of black peppercorn over the meat and pressing it in with her fingers. She felt tears welling up in her eyes and told herself that it was the onion that Mrs. Woods was chopping. Still, after the events of the day, from what she had witnessed in the garden to the confrontation with the lord's brother by the lake, Briar was certain of one thing. She wanted to go home. For the first time since her arrival, she felt truly homesick.
With the threats from Lady Cora and the unwanted advances of the youngest Huntington, Briar felt, for the first time, that she might be in danger. She knew what happened to servants who displeased their masters and knew even better what happened to servants who assaulted them. Theodore Huntington could have her thrown into prison for her treatment of him. The only thing keeping him from doing so was the lord's favor. And she was not so sure she had that anymore, what with the days of ignoring him in favor of his sister's threats and now being caught having just assaulted his brother. She imagined their friendship had come to an end and so, perhaps, had her time here in Northbrook.
Once the dinner was finished and the other girls were sent upstairs to deliver the food, Briar hung up her apron, promising Mrs. Woods that she would be back in time for cleanup but that she needed a breath of fresh air. Instead of going outside, however, she turned the opposite way down the servant's hall and emerged in the parlor. Knowing everyone was enjoying their dinner, hearing the voices carrying down the hall from the dining room, she snuck up the stairs and toward the lord's study. There she found an empty bit of parchment and a pen.
She sat down and wrote her letter to Sir Alfred Hughes, telling him that she feared for her safety and that they would need to find another place for her to hide. She mentioned that she had made friends with the Duchess and that she felt her only option would be to appeal to her for help. A Duke's holdfast would be far better protected than a lord's keep and the Duke of Corinth had already adamantly declared himself against the rebellion. She knew of his reputation and she knew the Duchess' kindness. She had no reason to suspect that they would turn her away if they knew who she truly was. And they could perhaps be her only remaining option. She could not return to the palace and the rebels expected her to head for Baliene. Corinth may be her only remaining option. She wrote all of this in the code that she and Sir Alfred had created for their covert communications when she was very young. It was a simple one but quite unbreakable for the unsuspecting reader. If someone intercepted this letter before it reached Sir Hughes, they would not be able to make heads or tails of it but she knew he would remember their code and he would know exactly what she meant. He would come for her here and she would try to get out herself. He would know that if she weren't here, she would be in Corinth. She sealed the letter without signing it and slipped it into her apron pocket. She would have to find Arthur and slip it to him the first chance she got.
