by Laura R Cole
*
The laughing couple remained unaware of the pair of eyes upon them, even as those eyes narrowed to slits at their shared amusement. “Devon,” Jezebel said slowly in a dangerous voice, “the rest of your people can handle the task of looking for spies. I have a special job for you.”
Devon followed her gaze and gave a nod of understanding as he recognized the servant girl laughing with Gryffon. “And what kind of job would you like it to be?” he asked.
“Simply watch for now,” she answered languidly. “I want to see what they're up to. Then, perhaps, we'll have to make it something more interesting.”
Devon gave another curt nod and left to set their plans into motion. Jezebel stood watching a few moments more before turning on her heel, her cloak spinning out behind her as she stormed off into the shadows of the alleyway.
Jezebel had worked herself into a tantrum by the time she reached home and immediately rang for a servant to bring her a cool towel for her head. How dare he embarrass me like this? She paced back and forth in the library. And with that low-life peasant nothing who obviously doesn't know her proper place in life. She stomped her way to a chair and sat heavily down into it. He should be grateful that I reduced myself to his level to lavish my attentions on him. And how does he repay me? By running around with that, that lowborn hussy! I can't let anyone find out.
At that moment, a homely servant girl practically tripping over herself hurried in. She curtsied a greeting and hastily brought the towel forward. She turned to leave, but stopped mid-step, with wide eyes like a trapped animal, when her mistress spoke.
“Can you believe that he would do that?” Jezebel asked the girl, feeding off of the fear she could practically taste emanating from the maid.
“N-n-no, my lady?” the girl stuttered with a bewildered expression, slowly taking a step back into the room with obvious trepidation.
“Can you believe,” Jezebel went on “that Lord Gryffon would have the gall to steal from me?”
The girl gave her an astonished look, and shook her head, but could not get a sound to escape from her lips. Her silence didn't matter; Jezebel ignored her and continued on blithely. “I have him here out of the goodness of my heart. Charitably taking him in when everyone else had deserted him. I even tried to make it look better for him by allowing him the pretense of courting me while he was here, even though I would never really be interested in a lower noble.” She sighed, feeling a little better now that she was able to talk about it, formulating the lie as she spoke. “And what does he do? He has the nerve to take a cherished family heirloom from me. It must have been him because I know none of you,” she waved a hand at the girl indicating that she meant the servants, “would do such a dishonest thing.” Jezebel now turned to the girl and stretched out a hand which the girl took timidly. “Come, sit,” Jezebel commanded, trying to soothe the silly little thing now. “What's your name?”
The girl sat gingerly on the chair, as though afraid her very touch could soil it. And it very well might. Who knows how often these people bathe, Jezebel fleetingly thought to herself, making a mental note to have it cleaned. “Katrina, my lady,” the girl answered in a soft voice, barely above a whisper.
“There now, Katrina, I couldn't very well let him blame it on one of you innocent people, now could I?” The girl shook her head and Jezebel smiled. “That's right, dear. You may go now.”
The girl rose at once and made her way to the door, catching herself at the room's threshold, where she turned to give Jezebel a quick curtsy on her way out. Jezebel frowned at the door as it shut behind her. She’d tried to treat the thing nicely, and the brainless little ninny hadn't been able to keep her wits about her. Next time she'd know better than to bother treating the help as people. At least this one was quite mundane looking. That was some consolation. Unlike that whore that Gryffon is paying attention to. I should have thrown her out the first time I laid eyes on her. I knew she'd be trouble. She sat glaring into space. Perhaps I'll have to arrange a little trouble for her...Yes, that would suit me very nicely.
