The Clearing

by Lina J. Potter

  Miranda – covered with dust, hair sticking straight up, smile from ear to ear – was handed off to Emma with instructions to wash her and change her clothes. The little girl was warned that she had to clean up before she came to the table, or else the pies would run away from her. Mirrie snorted, but she allowed herself to be led away (and promised not to yell too loudly during her bath).

  With the little girl gone, Lily took a moment to look through her father’s letters. She was disappointed: they all seemed to be written to a child. “Here kid, have a candy and leave the adults alone.” He didn’t tell her anything about his own life or ask her any serious questions. Most of the letters repeated each other almost word for word. In the earlier letters, however, she found phrases like “Aldonai has instructed us to have patience,” “a wife must obey her husband,” and “Jess is a fine young man.” Apparently, Lily had tried to complain in the early years of her marriage. If she did it in her usual manner, it was no surprise that her father ignored her.

  I bet she never once even asked him how his affairs were going.

  Aliya found Lilian to be a spoiled brat, one of those girls who thinks the sun rises and sets around her own ass, with no interests outside herself.

  That has to change. But not in my first letter. First I need to repent.

  Lily sat down at what had been Etor’s desk. She picked up his pen and began to write in crooked letters. The words came to her easily.

  “My beloved father,” I wonder where I got that from? Maybe from Shakespeare. Who cares? “It is with sorrow that I have realized the punishment that befell me for my stupidity and naivety. I lost the child, only because I was not worthy to carry it. Just as I was not worthy of a husband like Jess Earton or of a father like yourself. You have done so much for me, and I have been so ungrateful and arrogant in return. Aldonai has chastised me. Father, I promise that I will mend my ways. I did not understand my duty when I became a countess, and I have been punished. Please do not spoil me with any more undeserved gifts. If I need something for the estate, I will write to you. I thank you for your attentions. I should have done that before, just as I should have told you that I love you. I sincerely hope that your affairs are satisfactory to you. I will pray for you and for my husband. If I had lived more intelligently, Aldonai would not have taken this long-desired child from me. – Your daughter, Lilian Elizabeth Mariella Earton.”

  Lily re-read the letter, folded it and pressed a wax seal onto the fold. She was pleased with how she had used the miscarriage to explain any sudden changes in her behavior.

  That’s enough for the first letter. I’ve repented of my ways. What do I ask him for in my next letter? I’ll wait until Ingrid gets here. We can go over the estate together and make a list of what we need. I may ask him for more food. Nobody in my villages will die of hunger this year.

  Taris Brok accepted the letter and promised to leave at dawn the next day. Lily thanked him and asked the Virmans to help him take her father’s gifts to her room.

  Upon inspection, the gifts were all of high quality, but…

  Pink velvet. Pink leather for boots. Pink!

  I hate pink!!

  She couldn’t send the things back.

  I’ll send them to Helke with instructions to barter them for something more useful. On second thought, I wonder if I could overdye that velvet?

  Just then, Emma came in.

  “Where did you find room for the boy who knows herbal medicine?”

  “In the servants’ hall, my lady.”

  “Good. Take me there.”

  Lily entered the room without knocking. Jamie Meitl, keen herbalist with less than sixteen years under his belt, was grinding something with a mortar and pestle. She smiled.

  He’s excited about his profession!

  “Good day, Jamie.”

  He bowed. “My lady…”

  Lily raised a hand. “Do you have everything you need?”

  “Yes, my lady.”

  “Is your room comfortable?”

  “Yes.”

  “Tell me what you use for dyeing.”

  “Dyeing, my lady?”

  Lily was sadly disappointed by their conversation. She learned that people in her new world used things like St John’s wort and onion skins to make dyes, but that all of their dyes eventually washed out because they had no mordants to fix them.

  If I make batiks, they’ll look like washrags the first time I try to wash them. I certainly won’t buy expensive fabric just to throw it away.

  She tried to remember what she knew about dyes and paints.

  Khokhloma dishes were painted, and people ate out of them every day. I think they were glazed, though. Gzhel dishes weren’t glazed – I know that for a fact. And they were so beautiful – dark blue on white. What made the blue? Indigo? Prussian blue?

  Lily snapped her fingers, trying to remember something. Ferrous chloride and potassium ferrocyanide! She knew how to get both. And if she could dye ceramic dishes, she could dye clothing.

  Fashion is the key to everything! If I can dictate the fashions, I can dictate a lot of other things. It’ll be easy to run a PR campaign in a world where they don’t even have those words.

  Lily knew her chemistry. She would put together a laboratory with glass containers.

  “Put your things in order,” she smiled at the boy. “And I want you to think about what we will need over the winter. I may have time to order some more things. There is an herbalist here at Earton. Ask Emma to take you to her.”

  “My lady, they say that Moraga is not just an herbalist. She is a witch.”

  Lily didn’t even bother snorting. “Do you believe that?”

  Judging by the boy’s face, he didn’t believe it a bit.

  “You’ll have to work with her. She knows some things, but you know some other things. If she won’t talk to you, I’ll speak with her. Don’t travel around the estate by yourself. Always take a Virman with you.”

  “But they…”

  “I’ll let them know they are to guard you.”

  “Thank you, my lady.”

  Lily narrowed her eyes. “You may want to buy from her if we’re low on something.”

  “I think we have enough herbs for an army.” The boy gave a smile. It was timid, but a real smile. His opinion of the countess had obviously undergone a change for the better during their trip back to Earton.

  Suddenly, Lily had an idea. “What about emetics and laxatives? Do we have enough of those?”

  “What for, my lady?”

  Lily waved away his question, but she left his room with a bag of senna, tincture of digitalis and hazelwort powder. It was a fantastic combination.

  How about that, Shirvey? I’ll salt and pepper your dinner with this stuff and later tonight your blood pressure will go sky high and you’ll have diarrhea and vomiting. Once that happens, I’ll be able to get that letter from you. I may even have you shipped off to Africa. Or better yet, to Altver. If Aldonai is merciful, you’ll make it to Altver with Taris Brok without dying. You may not even need to visit the local doctor.

  Lily ran into Leis Antrel in the kitchen. She had run in to grab an apple and found the captain of the guards working on a huge hunk of meat accompanied by a plate of beans.

  When he saw Lily, he tried to chew, swallow and stand at attention all at the same time. He looked so ridiculous that she felt sorry for him.

  “Sit down and finish your food.”

  He remained at attention. From where Lily stood, it looked as if he were devouring her with her eyes.

  Am I a countess or a piece of meat?

  “Were you looking for me, my lady?”

  “Yes. You serve my husband, don’t you?”

  “Yes, my lady?”

  “Are you and your men mercenaries?”

  “No, my lady. We are his personal guards.”

  That’s bad. Or is it good?

  “What instructions has he given you?”

  “To accompany Lady Mira
nda to Earton, along with his agent, Shirvey Lindt, and Taris Brok, and to get further instructions from his manager here.”

  Lily nodded.

  The estate manager won’t be giving instructions to you or anybody else.

  “Do my words carry weight?”

  “Of course, my lady.”

  She nodded again. “Did my husband say anything to you about me?”

  “Not at all, my lady.”

  Of course he didn’t. He’d be just as surprised if his favorite chair opened its eyes and started running around giving orders. So what do I do now? Keep them here?

  It seemed like a good idea. She could use the extra reinforcements, and she didn’t relish the idea of them carrying tales of her doings back to her husband.

  But can I make him respect me? I can certainly try.

  Lily looked at Leis. He had the eyes of a born soldier. Lily didn’t know much about the local culture, but she knew plenty about soldiers. She could read what this particular soldier was thinking at the moment: “Caution! Woman! Ought to be doing woman’s work!”

  If I keep him here with his men, I’ll have to be harsh with them. Can I do it? And what about the Virmans? They have a totally different mentality and their own customs. I don’t need a local Armageddon in Earton. I also don’t need to spend most of my time ironing out conflicts between soldiers and Virmans.

  Lily wished Leis was a different kind of man – shrewder, more intelligent. But he was like a board – straight and inflexible.

  At least I can use them for work around the estate.

  “Leis, I want you and your men to stay at Earton for now. There is work for you here.”

  “Yes, my lady.”

  “Your first assignment is to take Taris Brok to Altver and then accompany him back to my father’s house.”

  Leis bowed. “As you wish, my lady.”

  Lily nodded and left the kitchen. In the hallway, she leaned against the wall and sighed. She was sure she had sweated through all her layers of clothing.

  If I can make this man loyal to me, it will be worth it.

  She could tell that Leis was like a dog. He was honest and trustworthy, but not very smart. If she could show him that she understood him, he would carry her slippers for her. Lily was more than familiar with that type of military man. They tended to respect people who punched them in the face. Or who were otherwise stronger or more powerful.

  I can’t do either. I’ll have to come up with something else.

  All of a sudden, she realized she had forgotten the apple she had gone to the kitchen to get, but she didn’t want to go back in. Instead, she went off to find the glassblower’s apprentice. All the apprentices had been given rooms near each other in the servants’ wing. Eventually Lily planned to put up a separate building to house her craftsmen, but there were more pressing projects, like cleaning the castle thoroughly (again), fixing up the fortifications and digging out the moat.

  The glassblower was cautious and spoke little when she came into his room, but Lily worked on earning his trust. She told him he could choose any of the outbuildings except the smithy for his workshop. When she left him, she was turning over a number of ideas in her mind. There was plenty of work ahead.

  I’ll let the craftsmen get their workshops arranged before I throw new ideas at them.

  “Why did you run away? I’ve been looking for you!” Miranda came barreling around the corner. Lily caught her under the arms and tried to toss her into the air. It didn’t look like much, but the girl screamed in delight and wrapped her arms around her stepmother.

  “Aren’t you just a teddy bear!” Lily teased her.

  “Me?”

  “I’m not talking about myself. You’ve grown as fast as a baby elephant.”

  “I’m not an elephant!”

  “Then who are you?”

  “Miranda Catherine Earton!” the girl shot back, nose in the air. Lily couldn’t stop herself from pinching the little nose.

  “Not yet. You haven’t grown up quite enough to use your full name. Look at you: your dress is covered with spots and your nose is dirty. Have they been using you to mop the floors?”

  “No.”

  “Then where did you find so much dirt? I see we need another general housecleaning tomorrow.”

  “How does that work?”

  “It’s where you throw away everything that didn’t get thrown out during the last housecleaning.”

  Miranda giggled. “But why?”

  “So that little girls don’t go running around looking like big piglets. And so their nannies won’t be mad at them.”

  Miranda’s face fell. She suddenly remembered Calma and the lecture she would get. But Lily got down on her level: “That’s why I have a very important job for you to do.”

  “What job?”

  “Judging by how filthy you are, you are good at finding dirt. I want you to go around the whole castle looking for dirt, and I’ll send servants with you to clean wherever you tell them.”

  Lily decided to send a pair of Virmans along to help keep Miranda in line.

  It will be good for her, the servants will see that she and I are on the same page, and the castle will get cleaner!

  “Really?”

  “Cross my heart and hope to die,” swore Lily. She picked the girl up. “Now tell me, kitten, do you have any toys?”

  “Yes.”

  The things Miranda pulled out to show her stepmother were surprisingly un-toy-like. She had a couple of oddly shaped figures carved out of wood, some alphabet blocks, wooden puzzles and two ugly ragdolls.

  Hmm. I see they haven’t figured out how to make soft, plush bunnies and teddy bears. I’ll also have to let Helke know how he can improve on these wooden puzzles.

  Looking down at Miranda’s sad little collection of toys, Lily decided to clear her schedule and spend the day playing with the child. She would finish taming her while she showed the dressmakers how to make stuffed toys.

  We can stuff them with dried moss or hay. I’ll find something! I already wrote the letter to my father, I won’t poison Shirvey until dinnertime, the soldiers are staying here for now, and the teachers have the day off. That means I can spend the rest of my day with Miranda, Irene, Lidia and Marcia.

  She picked up a pair of shears and made a note to herself to design some real scissors.

  It’s easier to cut your hand with these than to cut a piece of fabric.

  By evening they had finished their first plush toy: a slightly crooked and rumpled teddy bear with adorable button eyes (Thanks to Helke!), a button nose and a mouth that opened and shut. Lily winced as she held it up. She could have done better by herself, but the girls and Miranda needed to learn. They were absolutely charmed.

  They gave the first bear to Miranda, and Lily started sketching other animals on birch bark. Cats, rabbits…it was just the beginning. She could make crocodiles and snakes and lots of other exciting animals. Buckwheat husks would work well as a filler.

  Zero waste production!

  Judging by the shining smiles on the dressmakers’ faces and the way Miranda clutched the teddy bear to her chest, the idea was a success. Lily knew that if she organized her workers properly, they could produce hundreds of plush toy animals, complete with clothes. She would write to Helke and ask him for advice.

  By the time they went down for dinner, Lily and Miranda were best friends for life. Lily knew perfectly well that Miranda was by no means tamed – she was sure to have trouble with the little girl in the future – but she had her interest and cooperation. That was a good start.

  

  “Do you think this is the work of Maldonaya?” The pastor looked closely at his informant, who shivered. He had his speech memorized.

  “Of course! Women were not created for worldly affairs. It is impossible that her husband instructed her to do these things.”

  “You are right, my child. But she is a countess.”

  “Doesn’t Aldonai have power over
all living things?”

  “He does,” the pastor conceded.

  Maybe he does, the pastor thought to himself, but one must think before one acts. We all saw what happened when that arrogant Aldon took it into his head not to give the Lion of Wellster the divorce he wanted. The dogs were finishing his entrails by the next morning. Everyone knows what took place, but there’s no proof. I want to live. I must be cautious.

  He was sorry his gambit with Lily had failed, but Jess Earton was a serious man who had proven himself in a number of border skirmishes. If that cow with the emerald bracelet was telling the truth, it wasn’t worth the pastor’s while to interfere with her. Jess would have him dumped in the ocean to drown in some nice shallows.

  It’s a shame it didn’t work out, but I’d like to keep my head.

  She was a countess, the daughter of a wealthy shipbuilder, and Lilian Earton’s husband was the king’s own nephew. It just wasn’t worth it. He would have to hunt in other forests.

  The pastor was a practical man. He believed in the church, but he also paid close attention to worldly powers because he liked three meals a day. He knew there was an easy way to learn the truth: he could write to Jerrison Earton about his wife’s business dealings and see what he replied.

  Neither man noticed the lame servant who had slipped behind the alter when they came in, quiet as a mouse. He heard every word they said, and once they left he ran off to tell his master.

  “Why has Aldonai punished me by giving me a son with the brains of a pig?” asked the Honorable Torius Avermal as he stared at Darius in disgust. “You fool. Do you have any idea what you have done?”

  “What do you mean?” asked Darius, sincerely confused.

  “You went running to the pastor with your stupid gossip.”

  Darius bit his lip. How did his father know about that? “Father, I…”

  “Shut your mouth, idiot! I have bent over backward to earn the goodwill of the Countess of Earton, and here you are trying to make a shilda[1] out of her! It’s all just too stupid for words!”