Davina’s eyes widened. “She said that?”
Helen nodded. “She is trying to cause trouble with Mira,” she said. “But she is playing with fire by telling Raymond that. You remember what he used to do to Mira.”
Davina nodded solemnly. “I do,” she said. “Oh, I do. We must tell Lady Isabel right away.”
Helen shook her head. “Astoria will only deny it,” she said. “I fear that something must happen before her wicked scheme will be discovered and she can be disciplined without question. Astoria is out for blood.Mira’sblood.”
They continued to watch Astoria as she finished helping with the food, but that didn’t stop her from remaining to chat with the men. A lone lutist began to play over near the hearth, a man who lived at Axminster and whose sole purpose was to play at mealtimes because Lady Isabel loved music. The man was old, but he was very good, and this was a steady job for him. Everyone at the castle knew him. But neither Davina nor Helen were paying attention to the music. They were watching Astoria,who was speaking to the men and, once or twice, pointed to the dais.
The warning bells were going off in Helen’s head.
“Mayhap I should tell Mira,” she said. “I think she should go to our chamber and stay there for the night. With Astoria on the loose, she should not be here.”
Their focus inevitably moved to Mira at the dais. She had been seated between Lady Isabel and Eric because everyone had been served food and she could take the time to eat, but that had been short-lived. She was up again, managing the servants at the edge of the room. Davina had the same opinion as Helen did. They didn’t trust Astoria—no one did—but other than what Helen had heard, they couldn’t prove that Astoriadidsay it. As Helen said, she would only deny it.
Still…
“I do not know if we should,” Helen said. “It may make things worse, and we will be blamed.”
Davina grunted. “How?”
Helen pointed to the dais. “Because Lady Isabel has guests,” she said. “She will never forgive us for causing trouble whilst she has guests.”
Davina knew that. The experience that guests had at Axminster was paramount to Isabel, and two whining young women, complaining about another young woman, would not go over well. Even if there was a good reason behind it.
Heavily, she sighed.
The pendulum to warn Mira was now swinging in the other direction.
“Then all we can do is keep an eye on Astoria ourselves,” Davina said. “If it looks as if she is going to harm Mira, then we will stop her.”
Helen nodded firmly. “And do it so Lady Isabel does not notice and become angry with us.”
Davina couldn’t disagree. “Is there any way we can simply remove Astoria from the hall?” she said, half jesting and half not. “Sheis the problem, not Mira. Mayhap we can lock her in the vault and forget she is there.”
Helen looked at her. “That may not be a terrible idea,” she said. “What if we can lure her to the vault and lock the door?”
“Then she will cry to Lady Isabel and we would be punished.”
“Not if we deny it,” Helen said. “It would be our word against hers.”
“Our word and the word of anyone who saw us drag her down to the vault,” Davina pointed out. “Nay, Helen. I believe the thing to do is to watch Astoria and protect Mira if we can. Anything else will cause too much trouble and we will end up being punished—not Astoria.”
Helen nodded in resignation. “We will take turns watching her, then,” she said. “I told Mira I would help ensure that the kitchens continue to run smoothly, so I must go there for a while. Will you stay here?”
Davina had her eye on Astoria still speaking with the men. “I will not let her out of my sight.”
Helen knew she meant it, too, but the situation was frustrating at best. When they should be practicing their chatelaine skills, they were forced to keep an eye on a woman who was intent on creating havoc. Maybe. The unpredictability was the worst part. Would she… or wouldn’t she?
God help them, no one trusted Astoria.
At this point, it was a waiting game.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“Douglas,” Isabel said.“It is very important that you allow me to redeem myself with a game of chess. I am certain you realize that no one bests me in my own home. Not even Eric, though he tries.”
She was heavily into the wine this night, on her third cup that Douglas could see. He fought off a grin, not taking her too seriously.
