Chapter Thirteen
“Is there something wrong?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at her.
She wasn‘t touching the drink and instead was staring at the teacup a little strangely. My heart sank. Had she only been pretending to not know what I‘d just done?
But her eyes then began to water, a timid smile twitching at her lips.
“No, it‘s just… this is really nice of you, Miss. Thank you for being so considerate,” she said, softly. “I know I‘m just an attendant, but you‘ve really made me feel like a part of the family by doing this.”
I watched as she took a sip and instantly my heart leapt. She‘d drunk the tea and hadn‘t hesitated when asked to serve it to my parents.
A bright smile instantly broke out on my face and I ran to her, grabbing her hands in mine excitedly.
“Thank you…,” I said sincerely.
“Miss?” she asked, confused. “What‘s wrong? Why are you thanking me?”
“Because the letter I gave you yesterday was to say that I would poison my parent‘s tea tonight, and you happily served it to them and even willingly drank it too. This means you didn‘t read the letter,” I said,
calmly explaining.
She jolted away from me and frantically turned to the tea she had just drunk in disbelief.
“It‘s okay! Relax! It was just some lemon and green tea leaves. I‘m terrible at herbology anyway.”
“Miss, why would you play such a nasty prank on me like that?” she asked furiously, raising her voice.
I hadn‘t intended to make her angry, but I suppose I did just admit to trying to poison her.
“Please lower your voice. It wasn‘t a prank. I did it to make sure I could trust you,” I explained. “There is someone after me, Lucy. They‘re going to kill me. I can‘t give you all the details and you absolutely cannot tell my parents. If you do, then I won‘t be able to protect myself. I can‘t do this without your help.”
She looked at me warily like I was insane, unable to find any words to respond.
“I‘m not crazy, Lucy,” I said adamantly. “If you help me, I‘ll even pay you double your yearly salary for your time and discretion. So please… help me.”
It took a few moments but, finally, her eyes softened and she nodded her head in agreement.
I think she could feel now that this wasn‘t a prank but actually a very real threat that I was begging her to help me with. Not just a child‘s silly fear, but something far more substantial.
lifted off my shoulder as I was finally able to tell
my eyes, feeling my body
over and engulfed me in a hug, something which quickly triggered old memories of my last attendant, Sophie. But I allowed her to embrace me nevertheless, despite that pain inside. I needed to push those thoughts out if I was going to survive. I needed to learn to
me to
any time, jumping
amass some funds independently. I also require some investment
Chapter Thirteen
for me. The best one you can get,” I said, listing everything off. “I will have a few more instructions but if you can help me with these things to start off with, it would really help me so much. Being fourteen I, unfortunately, can‘t do any of these things myself. You‘ll be acting
my requests. I think these were probably the last words she ever
like a kid, Lucy, but I really need you to trust me. Can you do
hesitant but eventually nodded her
dead in the eye. “If someone approaches you and
do you
about that yet,” I said. “I‘ll be coming into some wealth within the next few weeks that I
head again before, suddenly, my mother walked into the kitchen, oblivious to the serious conversation that
you two talking about?” she asked with
air that had just been between Lucy and I only moments
know… boys and stuff…,” I said slyly
me a reluctant smile
Having a girl talk about Aleric, are we?” my mother said
stifle the urge to cringe and, instead, forced my smile
“…Something like that!”
time I was safely back in my room, I was immensely relieved to be alone with my thoughts again. Because whilst stage one
gone so well last night and was eager to move on
letter from the abandoned lot. I was pleased to see that the seal still was intact and
did see Myra in passing who gave me a small smile and wave. I
I really needed to remember. Like some sort of… major event? I had to shake it off though. Whatever it was would come back to me eventually and I had
going by painfully slow. So much so that I found myself looking out the window during Modern History, in my own world. I could hear the teacher in the background
Chapter Thirteen
then suddenly called from the front of the
and saw Mrs Newman staring at
quickly all turned their
I missed that last part. What was the question?”
the class quietly snickered at my
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