Janet scrambled off the bench and dropped down to her knees in front of Branford, her hands reaching out for his feet.
“Thank you…thank you, master!”
“I am not your master,” Branford said as he yanked his leg from her reach. “You will not serve me. You will serve my wife. In that respect you are to be her servant and will have to work hard for your wage and boarding. Is that understood?”
“I will…I will still be free?”
“That is what I just told you.”
She looked up at my husband, awestruck and dazed.
“Yes, please, Sir Branford.”
And that was how Janet came to our household.
Chapter 3—Covertly Entice
Our trip back to Castle Silverhelm was largely uneventful. Janet seemed excited and possibly in shock, considering the difference between her life just this morning and the potential for it now. I learned a little about her. She was originally from Seacrest. Her parents had died when she was young, and she had recently turned fifteen years old. She seemed to have endless energy, or perhaps she was having an attack of nerves. She continuously thanked Branford for allowing her to come with us until he grew tired of her and yelled at her to speak no more. Properly chastised, she held her mouth closed and did not speak again during the entire journey.
By the time we reached Silverhelm, it was late in the evening, and I was forced to part from Branford. My monthly cycle had begun, and I was not to have any unsupervised physical contact with males during that time, not even my husband. It was a sacred time for women, and they tended to bond together then. At least this tradition was one with which I was familiar. It was the same in Hadebrand.
Both the king and queen of Silverhelm greeted us when we arrived, and Sunniva quickly assigned Ramona to establish a place for Janet to sleep in the servants’ quarters so Janet could help me prepare my belongings for my stay in isolation.
Branford was obviously distressed and even angry as I gathered, with Janet’s assistance, some of my clothing and moved myself into the Women’s Room for the duration of my monthly time. He took his frustration out on everyone who came near him but especially Janet, snapping at her at every turn until she was practically cowering behind me whenever he moved.
“Branford,” I said softly, trying to convince him with just a look to be calm since we really could not touch each other. It did not appear to work well.
“Can I not have even a moment with you?” Branford moved closer and looked down at me, his eyes desperate and pleading.
“It is not…proper, Branford,” I whispered back. “You know this.”
He growled a curse under his breath and ran his hand through his hair as he stared at the ceiling. He looked back to me for a moment with his brow furrowed and his lips pressed tightly together. His gaze flashed to Janet, who still stood in the doorway, and glared with hatred at her very presence—as if my cycles were somehow her doing. Finally he took an extraordinarily deep breath, blew it out forcefully, and stomped out of our rooms.
Janet was visibly
relieved at his departure. I tried to smile and reassure her.
“It can take some time to get used to him,” I said. She nodded silently with her gaze cast to the ground. What had begun as adoration for her savior had quickly turned to fear. I wished I could tell her he was like a toothless, barking dog, but I could not. I knew my Branford’s teeth were quite sharp.
With everything gathered up, Janet and I walked through the morning room and out the door. Branford was in the hallway, speaking to the guard, Dunstan. He pointed toward the Women’s Room.
“Unless she is locked behind that door,” he said, “you are not to let her out of your sight. Colin will relieve you at dusk and you are to relieve him at dawn.”
“Of course, Sir Branford,” Dunstan said with a nod.
“She is never to be alone. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Sir Branford.”
Branford took a step closer to the young man, standing up to his full height and glaring down at him. His voice was quiet, dark, strained through his clenched teeth, and nothing short of deadly.
“Let me make one more thing perfectly clear,” he snarled. “If I ever, ever catch you looking at her in any inappropriate way, I will make sure you never father children. Do you understand my meaning?”
“Y-yes! Yes, Sir Branford!”
Branford’s gaze flew to mine once more with an intensity I could feel in my backbone. He spoke no more words, but he did not have to do so. I could see in his eyes what he felt, for it was surely echoed in my own. I did not wish to be apart from him at all, and the very idea of not having him with me at night was nearly frightening though I had only been in his company for a handful of days. How strange it was to be so attached to his presence when I did not know of his existence just a fortnight ago.
A late dinner was provided in the Women’s Room for me, Janet, a woman from the kitchens, and two younger women—girls, really, for they could only just be old enough to be included in this room at all. I found out they cared for the garden in the center of Castle Silverhelm.