First at Last

Chapter Eleven

I awoke the following morning to a knock at my door. I looked around to find that I was no longer sitting in the chair by the fire; I was lying in my bed, and William was not in my room. I went to the door and unlocked it, sliding the bolt out.

Agnes came in, her eyes sparkling, as she smiled at me. "Good morning, Miss." She said, setting down my breakfast tray on my bed.

"Good morning, Agnes." I said, smiling, a little surprised by her enthusiastic countenance. She was usually quiet and timid.

She curtsied to me and exited so that I could eat my breakfast. After I had eaten my breakfast, I bathed and dressed in a simple pale blue gown and tied my hair back to keep it out of my eyes.

I went to the library for my lessons, where Miss Grimoult droned on, and I could hardly stay awake. She smacked my wrist a few times for dozing off during her lessons. It was so boring; it would be hard not to fall asleep.

I stopped paying attention partway through and was staring out the window, at the dust swirling through the streams of sunlight.

"Erika Lovet," Miss Grimoult snapped sharply, implying that had not been the first time she had tried to get my attention. "Have you heard anything I've said?"

I looked up at her. "Not really, Miss Grimoult." I said truthfully.

"Well, since you have hardly heard a thing I've said, this is a waste of time. You may go." She shooed me toward the door.

I thanked her and hurried out of the library. I ate my midday meal in the kitchen, watching everyone work. It was a small platter of soft cheeses and fresh bread and fruit.

I had a lovely conversation with Chef Louis as he prepared our dinner. He talked quite a lot about his home life in Renwick—a country just north of Belhaven.

He spoke of how he and his family had been refugees during the War of Sierre, when the people of Sierre had turned to slaughtering the people of Renwick. They traveled to Belhaven to seek refuge and found that they quite liked it here. Apparently, Louis' father was the village blacksmith and had made a name for himself. He'd done work for people of his own stature all the way up to royalty.

Louis continued chatting amiably as he kneaded bread dough, seasoned the pork roast, and chopped vegetables, pausing only briefly to direct servants and kitchen staff.

I listened to his long, well-told story, until one of the younger servants of the house came into the room. "Miss Lovet," she said, her voice soft. "Your mother is asking for you in the ballroom. She will not wait long."

I'd completely forgotten about my dance lessons! "Thank you." I said, standing. I thanked Louis and told him he should tell me the rest of his story at a later date, to which he replied with exuberance, "You bet I will!"

I smiled and made my way to the ballroom. Mother and Monsieur de La Reue were waiting for me when I entered.

Mother was glaring at me, her arms crossed, her face severe. If I were being honest, she didn't look much different from how she usually looked. "You are late. Where have you been, Erika?"

"I was in the kitchen, Mother." I said and then turned to Monsieur de La Reue. "Good afternoon, Monsieur de La Reue."

He nodded his head curtly at me, his eyes narrowed. "Good afternoon, Lady Erika."

And so went my dance lessons. I had to admit, I was much better than I had been when I started. Now, I only stepped on his feet when I was not paying attention. It was no longer because I just did not know how to dance. But this dance, I hardly made any mistakes, besides an occasional misstep.