“You are wasting your time on me,” she said. “Astoria, you have always been petty and small-minded, but the way you have treated me over the past two days is unforgiveable.”
“I know, Mira.”
“You turned against me for no reason at all other than the man you had your eye on happened to have his eye on me. That was not fair.”
Astoria kept her head down, properly contrite. “I know,” she said. “I am sorry. I only wanted to apologize to you for my behavior.”
Mira didn’t believe her for a moment. “How long have we known one another?” she said. “Ten years? More? A very long time, which means I know you well. I’ve seen your cruelty toward others and I know how vindictive you can be when you do not get your way. I also know that you do not suddenly change your mind and decide you’ve been behaving poorly, so whatever game you are playing with me, I urge you to stop. It will not work.”
Astoria sighed heavily. “I am not playing a game,” she said. “And we have known each other a long time. I have considered you my friend.”
“Not lately you haven’t.”
Astoria kept her head lowered. “Jealousy does terrible things to a person,” she said. “I cannot control it. I do not know why.”
Mira could hear a hint of the girl she’d known all these years in those self-centered comments. There had been a time when Astoria was fun and lively, but that was before her friends all became women before her, becoming pretty and refined, while she grew very tall and remained plain. Realizing she was not the prettiest girl in the room had been a blow, and ever since then, her pettiness came forth quite easily.
Sometimes, Mira missed that friend she used to know.
But not tonight.
“Just… leave me alone,” she finally said. “Mayhap with time I’ll consider your words, but for now… just leave me alone.”
“As you wish,” Astoria said. “But I actually came to you on another matter. I was afraid you would not speak to me if I did not apologize to you first.”
“What matter?”
Astoria gestured toward the keep, where there was a fortified exterior door that led to the sublevels where they kept the stores. It was the exterior entrance for ease in taking provisions down to storage, while there was a larger door, and stairwell, that was located in the kitchens.
“I was sent to find you and tell you that there is trouble in the storeroom,” she said. “I’ve been told to fetch you.”
Mira frowned. “What trouble?”
Astoria shook her head. “I do not know,” she said. “I think it is rot in the grain. It must be bad if you have been requested.”
Mira looked confused. “Rot in the grain?” she repeated. “I was just down there earlier and saw no evidence of such a thing.”
“Then you had better make sure.”
Mira shrugged and stepped through the door. She had no reason to disbelieve Astoria because Mira handled the inventory at Axminster along with the cook, both of them making sure there were always plentiful supplies. Therefore, it wasn’t an unreasonable suggestion or request from Astoria, who knew thatvery well. In fact, she watched Mira head over to the inner bailey, with the keep just a few feet away. Mira disappeared from view and Astoria gave her about a minute to get to the storage vault door.
After that, Astoria ran back into the hall. Spying Davyss de Winter seated near the dais, arm-wrestling a de Lohr soldier while men placed bets and cheered him on, she’d just found the vessel by which to deliver the devastating news to Douglas of Mira d’Avignon’s wanton ways.
The last part of her plan was about to take place.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The best thingabout lying in wait for someone was the very fact they had no idea what was coming.
The element of surprise was on Raymond’s side.
Knowing Mira would probably run if she saw him, he made sure to position himself in the shadows at the bottom of the staircase that led from the small service door. The vault was illuminated by several torches that were secured to the walls because servants were coming in and out due to the feast, and he went so far as to remove some of the torches so the area would be darker.
Less chance of his being seen.
As a child, he’d spent a good deal of time hiding in this storeroom, playing with his friends, so he knew the place well. With the exception of inventory being in different places, it had changed little over the years. It still smelled like damp earth and straw, which was spread over the bottom of the dirt to keep the moisture at bay. Truthfully, he found some comfort in that smell.
He was rather glad that he and his father had stopped at Axminster for the night.
