***
In the evenings, she had dinner and a bath, then went straight to bed. Sometimes, she went to the sauna instead of taking a bath. Getting the sauna built had cost her a great deal of effort and trouble, and Pastor Vopler still had his doubts. “Why should a decent woman like the countess sit naked in a sauna with a bunch of Virman women?” he had asked. Lily explained the health benefits to him, and eventually, even Martha became a convert once she found that the heat helped with joint pain. Hoping to gain the pastor as an ally, Lily asked him to try the sauna just once. He hated it. The heat made him dizzy and nauseous, both symptoms of overheating. Afterward, Pastor Vopler decided that anything so unpleasant couldn’t possibly be immoral, so he left Lily alone about it…and never went back.
During her evening sessions in the sauna, Lily saw that her body was responding well to her new lifestyle. She was still a large woman, but the rolls of fat were gone. That gave her an infusion of optimism about the future. She might never be as slender as she had been in her previous life, but she would be healthy and attractive. The countess often fell asleep with a smile on her face at that thought.
Many nights, she was joined by Miranda, and sometimes by the puppies. People in Ativerna did not keep dogs in the house, but one of the Virmans who knew a lot about training animals told Lily that keeping the puppies close would improve their personalities. He also suggested that she give Mirrie a bitch puppy, and the little girl happily agreed.
Lily knew that, for the first time in her life, Mirrie had a place of her own—a home, a room, a dog, and friends, and hoped she saw Lily as someone like a mother to her. Lily could tell that the little girl still wasn’t sure exactly how to feel about her stepmother, but she never pressed her. Instead, she just loved her, spoiled her, and gave her clear boundaries. For the time being, Mirrie respected those boundaries, but Lily had no doubt that—sooner or later—she would test them. Children always test adults.
Sometimes, Martha joined them at night. Martha would stroke her two girls’ heads and sing them lullabies. Lily was grateful for Martha’s attention, but didn’t completely trust her. So, she frequently complained to Martha about how difficult her life was in Earton and asked her for stories about old times when she lived at home with her father.
I’ll see him in the capital in the spring, so I’d better be ready.
***
It happened at breakfast.
Everyone at the castle knew Lily ate plain oatmeal every morning. On this particular day, she was late to breakfast. She had been working on an experiment in her laboratory and lost track of time. She was trying to obtain mirabilite, but the mineral was refusing to cooperate.
By the time she reached the dining room, everyone was already at the table. Mirrie was in her place next to Lily’s. When the countess walked in, the little girl jumped up to tell her something. “Lily, did you know I can…” She waved an arm, and Lily’s plate of oatmeal slid off the table onto the floor. All the puppies ran over to investigate, but the bitch puppy was the fastest.
Lily called for Emma. She was about to ask for a new plate when Mirrie suddenly screamed. Lily turned to see what was wrong. The puppy was vomiting green foam all over the floor. Lily dropped to her knees. She had never treated a dog before, but she had worked on plenty of patients who had been poisoned—children mistaking medications for candy, adults overdosing, etc.
First, induce vomiting, then give water, and then give an antidote.
“Jaimie! Tahir!”
The herbalist was already by her side. He called for the servants to bring milk and water. Ingrid grabbed Miranda and hurried her from the room.
Working together, Jaimie, Tahir, and the countess managed to save the puppy. Jaimie later told Lily that he thought most poisons showed up faster in dogs, but the overall effect was weaker than it would be in a human. If Lily had eaten her breakfast, they never would have saved her. As it was, the puppy spent the next ten days on a strict diet with bed rest and lots of attention from Miranda, who cried whenever she remembered seeing her beloved pet almost die.
Even as Lily sat with her arms around the little girl, her brain was cold and logical. That was my plate—my oatmeal. No one else eats it plain. Mirrie and her puppy saved my life, But who could have poisoned me, and why? Emma swears there have been no strangers in the castle, so it was someone in the household. Who?
Lily was understandably upset, but her logic returned to her about two hours later when Jaimie came to discuss the poisoning. Thinking quickly, they deduced that her breakfast had contained something like aconitum—wolfsbane. It was easy to prepare and extremely toxic. The countess chewed on her thumbnail.
Who had access to my food?
Helke’s sister had cooked breakfast, but Lily saw no reason for any of the Eveers to want her dead. They were living on her estate and were making good money off of her.
Who else had an opportunity?
She made a mental list of everyone who was near her food while it was carried in from the kitchen and put on the table.
Tahir or Jaimie?
They had knowledge of herbs, but both of them were much better off with Lily alive. She also discounted Taris, as her father’s trusted agent. Helke and Mirrie were also crossed off the list. Lily wondered about Martha, but she was confident the older woman enjoyed her position as the countess’ trusted nanny. Chevalier Avels was a dark horse, but Lily saw no reason he could have to harm her. Ingrid, Pastor Vopler, and his son, Mark, were also above suspicion.
Who brought in the dishes and set the table? Peter, Sara, and Ilona.
Any one of the three could have put poison in Lily’s food while carrying it in from the kitchen, but that would have been risky since the children were already in the dining room and would have noticed anything strange. Lily bit her lip.
“My Lady, I would not worry so if I were you,” Taris volunteered. “Just have all three of them tortured until one of them confesses.”
Lily snorted. “There is no logic in that, Taris. The one who confesses will be the one who fears pain the most, not necessarily the guilty one.”
Taris frowned. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
She turned to Jaime. “Where could this person have gotten the poison?”
The healer scratched his head. “Wolfsbane is easy enough to find, but you have to know how to prepare it.”
“Can you ask the old woman who deals in herbs? What is her name, Moraga?”
“Yes, My Lady.”
Leis jumped up from his seat. “I will bring her in for questioning.”
Lily waved for him to sit down. There would be no witch-hunts in Earton. “No, Leis. I will not have you interrogating people behind my back.”
She turned to Jaimie. “Ride down there quietly, so that no one sees you. I don’t want a lot of talk Otherwise people won’t leave her in peace.”
“Yes, My Lady.”
“Find out everything you can. I want to know if anyone came to her to buy wolfsbane or asked where to find it.”
Jaimie’s face was serious. “I will do my best, My Lady. I promise.” He picked up a sack and left the room.
Lily watched him leave. She would have liked to go herself, but that would have looked strange. She turned to Pastor Vopler. “Pastor, can you question the three servants? I don’t want them hurt, but perhaps you could speak to them as a man of the church…”
“That is merciful of you, My Lady.”
Lily knew that it was pure calculation, not mercy, but she said nothing to dissuade him.
He’s a decent man. We could use more like him in both worlds.
The countess ran her hands through her golden hair and turned to Leis. “Keep all three in the dungeon for now. There is plenty of room with all the slave traders gone. If they are innocent, I will pay them for their trouble.”
Something about the whole affair bothered her. Is my unknown enemy stupid, or did something emboldened him? None of the three had attempted to run, and the rest
of the household was going about its business. Does that mean that no one has a guilty conscience? None of this makes sense.
Lily decided to hold off on further steps until Jaimie returned from his visit to the old woman.
Taris cleared his throat. “Shall I write to your father, My Lady?”
She nodded. “Do that, my friend. I may write to him, as well, but not today. My mind is too full to write.”
Just then, they heard a muffled noise in the hall. They looked around at each other. Someone was listening at the door. Moving silently, Taris slipped over to the door and opened it, revealing a very dejected little girl.
She ran to the countess. “Will my puppy Liliona be all right?”
Lily put an arm around the little girl. “Of course she will. I promise.”
Mirrie sniffled and buried her face in Lily’s shoulder. If her stepmother made a promise, she was inclined to believe it.
***
Jaimie looked down at the old healer with respect. “Good day, Moraga.”
“Be well, my boy. What brings you here?”
“Something has happened. Someone tried to poison the countess.”
“Is that so?”
“It was wolfsbane, Moraga.”
The old woman turned away and began rummaging through some sacks in the corner of her kitchen.
“Moraga, you know something! Wolfsbane doesn’t keep long, and you’re the only one who knows how to prepare a strong infusion. Nobody at the castle has that knowledge.”
Still, the old woman rummaged through her sacks of dried herbs.
“Moraga, I beg you!”
She turned suddenly. “You should stay out of this, boy.”
“Lilian Earton has been kind to me. She is kind to me now. She has given me a home, she pays me, and she feeds me.”
“She wasn’t always like that.”
“Does that matter? She is good now, Moraga. She is good and intelligent.”
“Did she send you?”
“Yes. She wanted me to find out what you knew without raising a fuss.”
Moraga said nothing, and Jaimie said no more. Silence hung in the room. He knew that the old woman would tell him what she chose, and that pressure would achieve nothing. Five minutes passed, and then ten, fifteen…
Finally, the old woman sighed. “You are right. I sold the infusion. It’s fresh, from this year’s crop.”
“No one else could have done it. I knew it was you. The countess thought the same thing.”
“But she sent you instead of her soldiers.”
Jaimie was silent. Moraga slapped her hand on the table. “Fine! I sold the infusion. It loses potency quickly and becomes useless after a few weeks.”
“Her ladyship says that is because we use the wrong base. She knows of a substance that can keep herbs fresh for a long time.”
Moraga raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”
“I brought a bottle of it with me. I will leave it for you, I promise. Who bought the wolfsbane?”
The old woman winced. “She visits me often; a guest. She started coming back before the countess fell ill. That’s when she started.”
“How long ago was that?”
“Almost as soon as her ladyship arrived in Earton. This woman knows nothing of the art of herbs, so she paid me handsomely. For the infusions and for keeping my mouth shut.”
“What is her name?”
“I don’t know, but I can tell you what she looks like.”
Jaimie listened intently to the description and nodded. After a pause, he asked, “Why did you decide to give her up to me?”
Moraga shrugged. “I owe a debt to the countess. She has always sent you to visit me…” her voice trailed off.
It was true. Whenever Jaimie paid a visit to Moraga, the countess gave him gifts for her – small things like a bolt of fabric or a basket of fruit. This time, he had a large bottle of alcohol. He poured a little of it into a glass and excitedly told the old woman about its properties. An hour went by before either of them noticed.
“I have to go now. The countess is waiting for me.”
“I understand. Describe the girl to her. She won’t be hard to find.”
“You’re right. I just don’t understand why anyone would go to all the trouble.”
Moraga turned away. That was none of her business. The wealthy people of this world would have to deal with their own problems.
***
When he got back to the castle, Jaimie immediately found Lily.
“She used to buy an herb called devil’s flower that causes madness, but recently she started buying wolfsbane.”
“Why the devil’s flower?”
“I believe she was putting it in your food.”
Lily frowned. The story she had invented for her father was quickly starting to look like reality.
“But why? Who was it?”
“Moraga didn’t know her name, but she said she lives at the castle. She always came at night, and she wore a cape to cover her head. She’s been at it for a long time.”
“What else did she say about her?”
“She’s young. She started visiting Moraga almost immediately after you arrived here.”
“Then it isn’t Martha or Tara. How about the servant girls? Mary or Ilona or Sara?”
“Moraga said she had a scar on one hand. A small one, between two fingers.”
“Didn’t she try to conceal it?”
“She did, but Moraga has sharp eyes.”
The countess nodded and turned to Leis, who jumped up and ran from the room. She turned to Taris. “Is it really that simple?”
He shook his head. “It wasn’t simple at all. The old woman might have missed that scar. Any number of things could have kept us from finding out who did it.”
Lily reflected that criminals were not always as intelligent as they thought they were. The girl had done what she could. She covered her head with a cape and made her visits at night. How could she know that Moraga would see the scar and, more importantly, tell what she knew? If the old herbalist had acted out of self-interest, she would have pretended to know nothing. After all, she couldn’t be sure that Lily wouldn’t punish her for preparing the poison, even if she hadn’t known who it was intended for.
Ten minutes later, the three servant girls were brought before the countess. Lily nodded at Leis. Sara had a scar on her hand. Mary and Ilona were released. Sara could tell that her game was over, but she had no intention of giving up easily. Sitting with Leis on one side and Taris on the other, she kept her eyes on Lily. Breathing heavily, she lifted her upper lip, which made her look like a large rat. Lily observed her coolly.
“Will you tell me why you were poisoning me, or do you need help telling the truth?”
“I only wish I had been successful,” Sara hissed. “At least I managed to kill your brat!”
Lily bit her lip and put a look of suffering on her face. She didn’t care in the least what had happened to her recipient before she woke up in her body, but she couldn’t risk showing that.
Time for the waterworks!
“Taris,” she whispered, “my handkerchief.” Her father’s agent quickly handed her the square of lace. She hoped he didn’t notice that her eyes were still dry. When he turned away from the countess, he began to rake the guilty servant over the coals. After a good ten minutes of threats and screaming, Sara gave up at least part of her story. Lily was humbled by what she heard.
I can’t believe I made such a huge mistake!
When she got rid of the Grismo family, Lily and the others forgot that there was another pigeon coop in Earton…
Sara was the niece of Fred Darcey—his sister’s daughter. That was why they had different last names. Still, Lily couldn’t understand why Sara had wanted her dead.
Several of the Virmans were sent to bring in Fred and his family, while Leis and Taris continued to work over Sara. Unfortunately, the young woman didn’t know much about the plot. All she knew was tha
t her uncle told her to get a job at the castle, which she hadn’t minded. Then he told her to put devil’s weed in the countess’ food, which she was also happy to do. Her uncle was the head of the family, and he had the power to marry her off if she didn’t follow his orders. Sara knew herself well, and she understood that any man she married would start beating her before their first month of marriage was over.
After a while, she had taken a true dislike to the countess. To make matters worse, Jess Earton started paying attention to her whenever he stayed at the castle. He was even foolish enough to say things like, “I wish my wife had a nice bottom like yours,” and he gave her a cheap ring. That was enough to make Sara go off the deep end. She truly wanted to see the countess dead. Hearing all this, Lily just sighed.
Why do people always think of criminals as being evil geniuses? For every Moriarty out there, I bet there are two thousand idiots who just knock someone upside the head with a frying pan.
The countess kept her view to herself, however, and listened to every detail of Sara’s story. She needed to know who was behind this newly uncovered attempt to get rid of her.
Fred Darcey couldn’t possibly have anything against me. Someone hired him to do it, and that’s the person I have to find.
The interrogation went on until late in the night. Sara, Fred and the rest of his family were taken to the dungeon by the Virmans. Lily had no desire to know what happened to them there. She had already proven that she could watch someone be tortured, but she wouldn’t repeat the feat.
It was shortly before midnight when Leis knocked on her door. Lily threw on a warm robe (it was a new one, made by one of the Virman women) and slipped out into the hall.
“Mirrie is asleep in my bed. Have you found anything out?”
Leis nodded. Both he and Taris Brok, who was with him, looked guilty. As Lily soon learned, Fred’s weak heart hadn’t held up to the Virmans’ questioning. Thankfully, he had described his client before he passed away.
Palace Intrigue Page 8
