The Girl Who Came to Bedlaam

I. Her Arrival

Have you seen her yet?"

Harriet gave me an intense stare, her unkempt bun tilting off to the side

"Who?" I returned with the same air of secrecy while rearranging my cutlery.

Prudence Wellings, the handsome brown skinned maid, set a bowl of water and floating logs of vegetables before me. She gave me an apologetic frown.

My smile was reassuring. "It's alright Prue, thank you."

She hesitated a minute, then offered a quick bow before disappearing down one of the lengthy corridors. The group watched me expectantly.

"Well?" Harriet pressed.

I thought for a minute. "It doesn't look very appetising, which means Mrs. Goods, who's true gift lies in the art of baking rather than the making of a savoury stew, once again attempted boiling turnips. And the bread," I gave it a couple raps with my fork which made an echoing thwack, thwack, thwack! "undoubtedly burnt by Ms. Laggsby who surpasses the head cook in preparing an edible stew." I spread a napkin across my lap. "Need I say more?"

"We're not talking about that!" one of the others said. I stared at her.

"Pardon me, but what are we talking about then?"

The four in my company groaned in unison.

Harriet, the most agreeable of the bunch, leaned forward, her breath causing the peas and carrots to swirl around the iron spoon in my bowl.

"Remember the girl everyone was talking about? The one we were expecting from Leers?"

I nodded.

She looked over her shoulder then dropped her voice to a whisper.

"She's here."

"Is that so?" I clapped my hands. "How splendid! And here I was worried I shouldn't meet her before I left for Olivington in the morning. I daresay, things have a way of turning in my favour!" I pulled the thin gold chain from my wrist and began polishing it with my handkerchief.

"She isn't what we were expecting." Harriet sounded bewildered.

I laughed.

"As true as Gordorf stands, I should hope she isn't! You girls are overly dramatic and at times, highly improper. I have lost all hope in ever getting you dears conformed to proper breeding. And that is a disappointment."

I swirled the contents of my bowl.

"It appears I am only useful for entertaining with plum cakes and raisins, or pretty gifts and party invitations... But perhaps all that will change now that there's a new lamb in need of a good shepherd," I said, changing my tone to a more agreeable one. "Imagine it girls: I, Malia Malstoyke turning our currently unknown lamb into a fine, well accomplished and respectable maiden of Gordorfian society—my greatest deed yet!"

I smiled to myself and with a decisive nod, "Yes, I shall pay my respects accordingly."

Harriet caught my wrist.

"You can't simply go over and make an introduction for yourself, Lia. It isn't proper."

I smiled and raised a brow.

"Proper, eh? And this coming from the one who spent an entire evening flirting with the mayor's son last spring?"

She turned a bright pink and lowered her head.

I patted her hand.

"But you never mind that, I've an idea and one knows once I've gotten something into my head there's no doing away with it until it's settled."