Page 25 of Lion and the Lamb: Easter

“Oh, my lady!” said a serving girl in surprise, dropping a platter of food. “I didn’t see ye there. I’m sorry.” She looked down at the mess.

“Don’t worry, I am not going to reprimand you. Just be sure to clean it up before Lord Lionel finds out.”

“Thank ye, my lady,” said the woman with a curtsey, getting down on her knees to clean up the mess.

Rachael picked up her skirts and ran to the mews, stopping for a moment to look around to make sure no one was watching before she entered. Stepping inside, she took a moment for her eyes to get accustomed to the dark. From the far end of the mews she heard two people talking.

“Do you like the way I look?” asked Winifred.

“I do,” replied the boy. “I was hoping to see you and that’s why I came to the castle with the ledgers.”

“I’m glad you did.”

“Is this where your father is keeping the shipments now until they go out to the clients? I noticed they weren’t in the dockhouse, and your grandfather always kept them there.”

“No, silly. This is the mews where we keep the birds,” said Winifred with a giggle. “My father is keeping the shipments in the basement of the alehouse now. I saw some men moving the things in. He must think it’s safer there since a lot of things have gone missing lately.”

“I’m glad I got to see you again, Fred.” There was silence and then the sound of kissing.

Rachael knew she had to step in and stop this before something happened that Winifred would someday regret.

“Fred? Are you in here, sweetheart?” she called out. Silence. She let out a sigh, knowing the youths were trying to make her think they weren’t there. “Well, I guess she went back to the great hall. No use missing out on my supper.” She pretended to leave, but ducked behind the open door of the mews, just inside in the dark shadows.

Sure enough, Winifred and the redheaded, tall boy named Gilly snuck out of the shadows, holding hands.

“I’d better go before I’m caught,” whispered Gilly, reaching out and kissing her on the lips again. “When will you come back to the docks or the tavern to see me?”

“Soon,” she said, staring up at him with stars in her eyes.

“Goodbye,” said the boy, sneaking out of the mews.

Winifred watched him go, smiling.

Rachael stepped out of the shadows, clearing her throat.

Winifred jumped and held her hand to her heart. “You were spying on me?” she spat.

“Nay. I was doing the motherly thing of looking after my stepdaughter. You shouldn’t be in here kissing that boy. If your father finds out, he’ll be furious.”

“Well, don’t tell him,” she said, her eyes narrowing in aggravation. “Gilly likes my new look and now he’s even kissed me.”

She sounded so proud of it, and Rachael realized it was all her fault for making the girl look so good.

“Rachael? Winifred?” came Lionel’s voice from the stairs leading to the great hall.

“My father!” Winifred’s face went white. “If he catches me in the mews, he’ll know I’ve been up to something.”

“Well, mayhap he should know.”

“Please, help me, Lady Rachael,” the girl begged. “I really like Gilly and I don’t want Father to find out and kill him.”

“Mayhap you should have thought of that before.”

“I’ll do anything you ask. Just please, help me so he doesn’t find out.”

Rachael was going to object, but then she realized that mayhap she could use this to her advantage.

“All right, I’ll help you.”