Chapter 27

Wren's POV

Grayle took her time over the little book she wrote her notes in before she answered.

"The young master's asleep. He's not to be woken. Go and wait in the side hall till you're sent for."

I didn't dare ask anything else. Two little maids took me back to the hall where I had stood in a row that morning.

Two women were sitting there already, the same two I had seen led away to the Prince. They both looked up when I came in, and they didn't look at me the same way.

We were going to be in the same house, doing the same work. It would be stupid to make enemies on the first day. So I nodded to them.

The round-faced one spoke first. She had a pleasant, comfortable look and she smiled at me, but her eyes went over me from head to foot. "And what do we call you, dear? I'm Goody Fletcher."

"Goody Fletcher. I'm Darrow."

"Look at her, Wick," Goody Fletcher said, and nudged the woman beside her with her elbow. She didn't lower her voice, quite. "Look at Goody Darrow's figure. We've all just had babies, haven't we? And yet some of us come out of it looking like that."

The other woman had a long face and a long nose, and she let her eyes rest on my chest, and then on my waist, and then she made a small hard sound through her nose.

"You're right, Fletcher," she said. "We're from respectable homes, the two of us. We're here because we've plenty of milk and we know how to handle a baby." She took her time over the rest. "Some people, well. Some people are different. I couldn't say what it is they've got that made His Highness keep them."

My face went hot. I wanted very badly to answer her. But I had only just got through that door, after begging on my knees for it, and I wasn't going to be thrown back out of it over a woman like Wick.

So I said nothing, and looked at the doorway instead.

Sol. Somewhere in this house. When he saw me, would he hold out his arms? Would his mouth go square, the way it did, and would he cry out all the fright of these three days at once? Or had he already forgotten me? Three days is a long time when you are a month old. Thinking it made the softest part of my chest ache and swell.

And Linnet. Briar had her at the Tallow Cat, with the milk I had drawn off before dawn. Would it last her the day? I had promised Briar that if I got in, I would find some way to send word, and meet her at the west gate of the house. I couldn't let finding Sol make me forget his sister. Both of them were mine, and I would not choose between them.

* * *

Evander's POV

Dunne was sitting by the cradle in the young master's room, watching the small shape asleep in it. I could see her counting under her breath. Another half hour and he would wake, and then we would come to feeding again.

"He'll be waking soon, won't he?"

She jumped and turned, and got up to curtsy. "Highness! What are you doing here at this hour? You were up with him all night. You should be asleep."

I waved that away. My eyes felt full of sand. "I can't rest. I want this settled. Find him a nurse he'll have and I can stop worrying about it. If this goes on much longer, there'll be nothing left of me."

I looked into the cradle, and rubbed my forehead.

"If none of these three will do, have your people find more. And you can ease the conditions a little, if you have to."

Dunne looked at me with the sort of pity she used to keep for my skinned knees. Then something changed in her face. She looked as if she had just found out the answer to a question she'd been worrying at all morning, and been very relieved to find it.

"Yes, Highness," she said, and smiled at me. "Yes, of course. I think so too."

I had no idea what she had decided. But she looked a good deal happier than she had a minute before.

* * *

Wren's POV

Grayle came into the side hall with her face set. "The young master's awake. You'll each go in turn and try to feed him."

All three of us stood up.

"Goody Fletcher, you first."

"Thank you, mistress." Fletcher was all smiles. She lifted her chin and went off after the maid at a quick step.

That left me and Wick. We both stood looking at the doorway.

Fletcher was brought back almost before she had gone. The smile had left her face. Her mouth was pressed tight, and she looked puzzled and hurt, as if somebody had been unfair to her.

"Goody Wick," Grayle said.

Wick took a breath and squared herself and went. She went out briskly enough. She came back with her shoulders down and her eyes fixed on nothing.

Both of them. My heart began to race. My palms were wet.

Wick passed close by me on her way back to her seat, and as she went she said something so low that only I could hear it.

"Don't look so pleased. You'll do worse. He'll at least let us hold him. You won't get near him." Her lip lifted. "Come here to nurse, have you? Whatever it is you've rubbed on yourself, I can smell it from here. Who are you hoping to catch with that?"

She went and sat down with her back to me.

I didn't know what she meant. I couldn't smell anything on myself. I couldn't smell anything that a wolf could.

I was still standing there when Grayle pointed at me.

"Darrow. Your turn. Go on, then. Hurry."