She’d been pretending not to notice or even care that Douglas was in the hall, but she couldn’t help but watch the man. She’d had several infatuations in her young life and Douglas was no different. She was drawn to him, her thoughts only of him and the happy life they would have had together had Mira not come between them. She was so focused on him that she clearly saw when Douglas gave Mira something, which must’ve been a necklace, because she’d put it around her neck. That drove Astoria into fits of jealousy until Isabel snapped at her to continue the inventory on the fine pewter plates belonging to Axminster. Startled she’d been caught staring, she quickly turned back to her work.
But not for long.
Something was happening in the kitchen that required Isabel’s attention, so the moment she departed through the servants’ alcove, Astoria headed toward the hearth. Mira was bent over, sweeping out the last of the ashes from the corners while three servants worked with her to clean it all out. Mira had soot on her hands and forehead where she’d bumped it against the fire back, and the moment she emerged from the hearth and stood tall, brushing her hands off on her apron, Astoria was in front of her.
Mira eyed her.
“What do you want?” she asked.
The tone was decidedly unfriendly. Astoria was looking at Mira’s neck, seeing a chain disappear under her bodice where she’d tucked the necklace away to keep it safe.
“What did Douglas give you?” she asked.
Mira had no time for her. “That is none of your affair.”
“Tell me or I will tell Lady Isabel.”
Mira focused on her then. “I do not care if you do,” she said. “My business is my own and you would be well advised to stay out of it.”
Mira wasn’t being a pushover, which only seemed to inflame Astoria. She wanted the girls she bullied to cower and weep. But not Mira. Astoria knew she’d get slapped again if she got too close, so she made sure to stay out of arm’s length.
“Did he give you a necklace to thank you for your favors?” she asked, sneering. “A gift for lifting your skirts?”
Mira had had enough. The servants were hearing this garbage, so she lifted her broom and whacked Astoria in the hip with the bristle end. Soot puffed up, getting on Astoria as she yelped.
“Go away, you liar,” Mira snarled. “Get away from me.”
Astoria was backed into a table by the broom and pushed it away. Mira brought it up again, this time aiming for her head, and clipped Astoria in the neck and face. Black soot puffed again, getting in her hair. Astoria screeched and kicked out, catching Mira in the knee with her foot, but Mira whacked her again with the broom. She did it twice, but in doing so, she came closer to Astoria, who was starting to slap out with both hands to fight back. One hand managed to grab Mira’s left shoulder and part of her dress. Unfortunately, the chain was there and Astoria grabbed that as well. She meant to tear Mira’s clothing but ended up breaking the chain instead. It came apart in her hand.
And Douglas saw all of it.
He’d come back into the great hall because he knew Isabel was there and wanted to ask her a question about security for the visitors. He hadn’t seen Eric in the central bailey, so he sought out Isabel’s advice, but instead he had walked into a fight. Mira was hitting Astoria with the business end of a broom while Astoria was slapping back at her. Concerned, he headed in their direction about the time Astoria got hold of the necklace and yanked. The chain came off in her hand while the cross pendant fell down through Mira’s clothing. That was still trapped in her bodice, leaving Astoria standing there with a golden chain in her hand.
“Stop!” Douglas roared.
Both Astoria and Mira came to a shocked halt at the sound of his loud and angry voice. They froze as he marched up on them, grabbing Astoria by the wrist and prying the golden chain out of her grip. Still holding on to her wrist, he glared at the young woman.
“What is the meaning of this?” he demanded, holding up the chain for her to see.
Astoria was terrified. “I… I did not mean to break it,” she stammered. “But Mira… She attacked me!”
“I did no such thing!” Mira said, but she was so angry that Astoria broke the necklace that she kicked the girl, as hard as she could, in the thigh. “You attacked me first!”
Douglas put himself between the pair as Astoria began to weep. He still had hold of her wrist, but he handed the chain back to Mira, who was also beginning to weep. Before he could comfort her, however, he fixed on Astoria.
“I want you to listen to me and listen well,” he said in a low voice. “Are you listening to me?”
Crying, Astoria nodded. “A-aye.”
“Good,” Douglas said. “Now, this rage against Mira is going to stop now. Do you understand me? You seem to think thatthere could have been some kind of romantic entanglement between you and me, and you hate Mira that she has disrupted your plans. Is that right?”
On the spot, Astoria was horrified. “I—I never said that!”
Douglas shook his head. “Nay, you did not, but ever since I have made my affections toward Mira known, you have gone out of your way to be cruel and vindictive to her,” he said. “Now you have broken a gift I have given to her. I can only assume it is out of jealousy, so I want to make something very clear to you. Never, since the day I met you, have I had any inclination toward a romance with you. Ever. You are petty, small-minded, mean, and stupid. I have never said that to a woman in my life, but I will say it to you. Your ugliness on the inside leaves you ugly on the outside. You are jealous of a woman like Mira because you know you will never be like her, but that is your misfortune. It is not Mira’s, nor is it mine. Your ugliness is of your own making. Am I making myself clear?”
Almost everyone in the hall was hearing this, Helen and Davina included. They were witnessing something that Astoria had needed for a very long time—a proper scolding. Douglas didn’t raise his voice and he wasn’t threatening, but the message was clear and Astoria was so horrified, so embarrassed, that she could hardly speak. All she could do was nod.
Barely.
