“He’s not welcome in this room anymore,” I said to Mott. “He shouldn’t work for Conner another minute after what I just saw.”
“You may go as well,” Mott told the servant, who tripped over his own feet in his hurry to leave the room. Mott stared at his knife a moment, then wiped the blade with his shirt as if I’d dirtied it. “Your mother was kitchen staff, I believe.”
“Barmaid.”
“Same thing. Obviously, you have some sympathy for Imogen.”
“It has nothing to do with that. She didn’t do anything wrong and he threw a book at her!”
“And do you think you helped her just now? Do you think that made anything better for her?”
I kicked at the floor, angry with myself, and angry with Mott too, though for no clear reason. Maybe because I hated it when he was right.
“She’s well treated here,” Mott continued. “Tobias’s servant will be disciplined, and you should be on your knees thanking me for not reporting this to Conner. What I want to know is why you took my knife.”
“I told you, I can’t cut the meat without one.”
“Do you feel you’re in danger here?”
“From Roden and Tobias?” I shook my head. “No.”
“From me? Conner?”
“You work for Conner. If there’s any danger from him, there’s danger from you.”
Mott didn’t disagree. He couldn’t. He replaced his knife in the sheath strapped to his ankle, then pointed at the dinner. “Eat up and get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow will be harder than today.”
“There’s nothing to do up here but stare at Tobias’s stack of books.”
“Try to read one. It could only help you.”
“I’d rather join the others. It’s not fair that I’m kept up here while Roden and Tobias get to show off to Conner.”
“Conner is furious with you for losing a prize mare. Trust me when I say it’s better that you stay up here tonight.”
“It’d take a miracle for Conner to choose me as prince.” Despite the truth of my words, I couldn’t help but smile.
“Yes,” Mott agreed, and then added, “Though I doubt even a miracle could save you now.”
I was already in bed when Tobias and Roden came in. If they realized that I might be asleep, they spoke to me anyway.
“We heard about the trick you pulled with Mott’s knife,” Roden said. “Conner wanted to give you a few lashes, but Mott said he handled it with you already.”
“Who’s my dressing servant now?” Tobias asked.
“Dress yourself,” I muttered. “You’ve managed for your entire life until now.”
“Conner’s made us into gentlemen,” he said. “A gentleman would never stoop to dress himself.”
“If he put us in dresses, we wouldn’t suddenly become women,” I said. “You’re an orphan in a costume, Tobias. Nothing more.”
Roden’s servant was in the room, gathering Roden’s nightclothes. Tobias looked at him and said, “Build us a fire.”
Roden and I both groaned. “It’s already warm enough,” Roden said. “Do you want to cook us in our beds tonight?”
Tobias began gathering the papers on the desk near his bed. “I want to burn these.”
“Why?” I asked, propping myself up by my elbows. “What’s on them?”