Threatened [W&W Book 2]

Chapter 7

Author's Note:

Whoops, just realized I saved this not published this on Friday.

😭 My first missed update.

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Anya woke early in the morning. The book was still beside her and she worried what everyone would think of her that day. She had to make everything work. She had to convince them that she was what she said and competent besides.

If only Thorne had found a real lady's maid. Of course, a real lady's maid probably would not have her skills in magic. They also would likely not have a brother who would sink to the levels of such company he could use to coerce them.

It was pointless to sit around agonizing. She decided to find something to eat, and then she would see what Lady Waldwick needed of her.

Anya realized with some surprise that she was hungry. While Missus White had mentioned set meal times, Anya had no idea when they were. She decided to go to the servant's dining room to find out.

The castle was busy for such an early hour. Anya passed several servants in the hallways, and tried to look as if she belonged there. It probably worked, because no one looked at her twice.

The servant's salon was empty of both people and food when she arrived. She turned to leave, and almost ran headfirst into a blond headed girl about her own height.

"Oops! I'm sorry," the girl said quickly. Anya thought that it was rather her own fault.

"No, it was me," Anya said.

The girl smiled at her and looked at her carefully. She appeared to only be a couple of years younger than Anya herself, but Anya felt eons older. "Are you new here?" the girl asked.

"Yes," agreed Anya.

"You're probably the new lady's maid for Lady Theresa," the girl guessed. "My name is Ildri and I work for chef."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Anya," she replied.

"That's a nice name. I've never heard it before."

Anya was named after her mother's grandmother. "It's not completely uncommon," she hedged.

"True enough. My name is unique enough so perhaps I should not talk. So what's it like working directly for our lady?" Ildri wondered

Anya shrugged. "I just arrived yesterday. She seems as if she's kind."

"She's nice enough. She's not exactly your normal lady, either," Ildri said mysteriously. Anya could see that the younger woman wanted her to ask. Besides being friendly, the girl could be a useful source of information while she resided at Wildwood.

Anya hated that she was already scheming about people like practical commodities. It was almost as if there was some part of Thorne's evil manipulations that simply transferred from him to whomever he used in his schemes. First he had corrupted Gage and now he was doing the same to her.

Ildri glanced around. "Were you looking for breakfast?"

"Oh, yes," Anya said, startled out of her dark thoughts.

"I thought so. You looked as if something were bothering you. I figure that you were likely hungry."

"That's exactly it," Anya agreed.

"Well, you're a little early for breakfast. Come with me to the kitchen and we'll find you something," Ildri said, and started walking.

Anya paused. "Missus White told me not to bother the kitchen staff."