Chương 41: Chapter 41: Conversation By Night

The interior of the building was dressed in dark wood and had paintings on the walls just like in the palace. We ladies, together with Madame Orangerinne, were quartered on the ground floor. To my knowledge near the kitchen, my noses picked up a sweet, intense smell as we were on our way. Not all the maids were allowed to travel with us, which is why I only saw Nathaly and Mandy arrive. Unfortunately, it was with the very people I had fallen out with. Holly's maids had all come along because they also worked for someone else. Did it worm me that she got on so well with Nicolas? Yes, a little, at least enough to make me wonder. There were two four-poster beds with curtains opposite and a single chair in the room. "Well, this is more rustic than I thought," I whispered straight out. Holly carried a carrier bag on her left shoulder and dropped it on one of the beds, "Eliza and Dolly told me it was because we were staying here for a fortnight max. We ended up leaving in a big hurry, so they didn't have enough time." I wondered if I should confess the real reason to her. After all, one third of us were here because of me, the other two were already different. I swallowed as Holly started at me urgently. Her hair and skin were rimmed by the sun breaking through the window. She looked like a saint who had seen right through me. I made sure we could talk in privacy and locked the gate to the hallway. I sat down on the bed and collected myself. Could I trust her? She was a stranger to me. Uncertainty made me put my eyes on my hands in my lap, "What I'm about to tell you really needs to stay between us. It could get me and you in trouble, all of us, actually..." As no reply followed I continued, "It is not and was not a coincidence how Marina Temper and Annabeth Benisch lost their lives. It's more of a miracle that it hasn't gotten to me yet. All three of us were infiltrated into this casting, a certain Revolutze Leopold Rauch has it in for the monarchy and is striving for anarchy. He blackmailed us with all the secrets, the details are beside the point. Leopold attacked me in the library and was banished to Raingency, where he awaits his death sentence. We suspect Marina was poisoned and Annabeth..., she did kill herself, but only because she was forced to." I saw it as impious to judge Anna's actions, she had a good reason. "Nicolas knows about this?" I fell silent, I had already said too much. Holly came over to me and sat on the other side of the edge of the bed. I didn't dare look up. There was a knock on the door, a seconds later Martin stepped in to let us know that dinner was served. When he saw both our faces he raised an eyebrow, "Would you rather eat in your room?" Martin always had such a good sense of the interpersonal. I rose and smiled barely noticeably, replying that it would be desirable. "As you wish, I will instruct the staff to put something together for you both," he bowed, forgetting to close the door behind him. I heaved a sigh and pushed everything back into place with the latch. "It must all be terrible, always keeping secrets and being on guard." "Yes, it is...awful." She cleared her throat, "Is that why you spend so much time with the prince and always disappear." I froze. It was more complicated than she thought, but I would let her believe that.