What is Hidden (9 page)

“Hey, if anyone has a right to be paranoid right now, I’m sure it’s you.” He paused. “Any chance I can get more information on what happened the other night?”

I sobered up and stared out my window, picking at loose threads on my skirt. “There was a . . . thief. He set fire to our workshop to cover his tracks. I don’t know where my father is, though my neighbors think he was killed, too.” My heart constricted painfully at the reminder.

“Oh, Evie,” he murmured and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I let him pull me close and reveled in the warmth. “I’m sorry.”

“I’ll be okay. I’ve got this position now, so I won’t go hungry or roam the streets or anything like that.”

“I don’t understand why you couldn’t stay in your house and continue your work there. All your talent is going to waste here.” His hand began rubbing circles against my shoulder, and it was oddly distracting.

“The thief got away,” I said simply. “And he knows I’m on my own and that I could land him in the Square. I’d be an easy target at home.”

“But still . . .”

“It’s not forever,” I said firmly. “I won’t slave away as a Serving Miss for the rest of my life. Just until he’s caught and I’m safe again.”

He sighed. “There’s got to be something I can do to help.” We sat silently for a long moment, each lost in our own thoughts.

I seriously wondered how he found me here. He had to have one amazing informant, if not
dozens
of amazing informants. It was beginning to make me uneasy, how little I knew about him.

“Aiden,” I said hesitantly, wanting to get at least some basic answers to set my mind at ease.

“What if I could find you a job with the mask makers here?” he asked suddenly. “They always need assistants for the more menial skills. I know you’re better than that, but it would at least get you out of the kitchen. I don’t think I could get you a better job without drawing attention to you.”

“What?” I asked, startled and incredulous. “How would you manage to do that?”

“I know people,” he said cryptically, smirking slightly.

Those must be some people
, I thought. “And what makes you think those people will do you a favor?”

He laughed. “Oh, don’t worry about that. I have lots of favors in my pocket. But what do you say?”

I didn’t even have to think about it. Away from the madhouse kitchen, Vera, and the others? “Yes, please!”

Laughing again, he said, “Consider it done. I’ll try to talk to them tomorrow, and we’ll see what happens. Unfortunately, I don’t know if I can do much for your room without raising suspicion.” He looked at my meager living space—made even more pathetic looking by his lantern—and frowned. “I’ll see if I can get you blankets and things, though. Why didn’t you just bring some from your house?”

“I couldn’t carry anything else,” I answered matter-of-factly. “I’m not a packhorse.”

“No, that you are not.”

We both grew silent again, and I began to feel the effects of my busy day. I tried to choke back a yawn, but it snuck out, betraying me.

Aiden noticed and stood quickly. “I’m sorry—you must be exhausted. I probably should have waited until you got some sleep, but I just had to make sure it was really you.”

“No, I’m glad you came by.” I smiled at him. “It’s always a good thing when I see you.”

“And let’s keep it that way,” he said, grinning. “Hopefully the next time you see me, you’ll be in a better position. I can’t promise the people will be any nicer, though.”

“I’ll take my chances. Truly, thank you.”

“It is truly my pleasure, my lady.”

Smiling at his formality that had always felt more like a term of endearment, I wrapped my arms around him again and bid him farewell. He returned the gesture with both arms this time, then stooped to pick up his light,
smiled at me one last time, and disappeared down the dark hallway.

Shedding my clothes and mask for the second time, I crawled into bed, truly exhausted. Naturally, with my body so tired, my mind decided to race, asking unanswered question after unanswered question. I was determined to get some real information out of Aiden the next time I saw him, no matter what it took.

I also needed to work on my cover story. He wasn’t one to just let something go; I knew that much about him. I knew he’d drill me about the attack on my house, and any encounter I had with the thief. And if I knew him at all, I’d wager that he’d take it upon himself to help find the scoundrel.

I sat up in bed, my heart beating hard. If I wanted to find someone, the most obvious way was through Aiden. And he’d be more than willing to help me. If anything, I’d have to work to keep him from putting himself in any danger or taking unnecessary risks. He was a little hard-headed that way. He always thought he knew what was best, and I pitied any man that dared to disagree with him. My job then was to enlist his help while still keeping myself hidden. I could do it, somehow. I knew I could.

Filled with a renewed hope, I lay back down and drifted to sleep, dreaming of what my life would be when it was all put back together.

A
harsh bell startled me out
of my bed. I fell onto the cold stone floor as I floundered around in confusion. I glanced out the window as I reached for my mask; it wasn’t even light out yet. I could see the slightest hints of dawn approaching, but it was still far too early for my liking. I was used to getting up early but not before the sun was up. This was unnatural, especially after a late night. I wagered I’d only gotten about five hours of sleep.

When I was properly awake, I wasn’t sure if I had been dreaming the night before when Aiden came to my room. His promise to get me into the Masking Workroom sounded too good to be true, so I got ready to work in the kitchens. Mentally and physically, I would be ready to work but hoped that I wouldn’t be there for long.

I groaned as I pulled my clothes on and shivered in the chill of the not-quite-morning air. My arms and back ached from the workout they’d gotten yesterday. I’d always thought I was fairly strong, but this duty worked a completely different set of muscles. It was exhausting.

As I wandered into the kitchen, I was taken aback by
the flurry of action and commotion. I thought and hoped things would be more low key in the morning, but the kitchen was just as hectic as it was for dinner, if not even more so because I still felt half asleep. I fell in line to collect my own breakfast—a simple but delicious-smelling warm cinnamon-spiced porridge—and sat at the table to eat. Again, I was left on my own, which was much more desirable than having someone like Jeza accost me.

As if my thoughts summoned her, I heard Jeza’s shrill laughter as she walked into the room.

“You know just looking at her she’s going to be a disaster,” she was saying, “I doubt she’ll be here more than a week.”

I clenched my teeth. She was clearly talking about me, and it sounded like she didn’t like me any more than I liked her. I watched her and the two girls beside her out of the corner of my eye.

“She’s not very bright,” Jeza continued as she filed through the serving line to pick up her breakfast. “It’s a wonder she got in here at all.”

I closed my eyes, foolishly hoping that would help me escape her notice.

That didn’t quite work out the way I’d hoped as suddenly my hair was drenching in hot cinnamon porridge.

Shrieking, I leapt up and spun around to see Jeza, empty bowl in hand and a smug look on her face.

“Oops,” she said, propping the bowl against her hip. “I didn’t see you there.”

I glared at her and opened my mouth, but before I could say anything, she cut me off. “I wouldn’t say anything if I were you.” She glanced meaningfully above my
left shoulder. Vera had arrived just behind me and was speaking to one of the cooks. “You don’t want to draw any more attention to yourself, now do you?”

I hoped she tripped and fell into the canal the next time she left the palace. Or that I would have the chance to push her.

“Sit,” she commanded as if I were a dog. When I didn’t obey right away, she heaved an exaggerated sigh and gestured toward Vera again. “She’s about to give the morning announcements. You can’t leave now, and you can’t just stand there.”

I’d like to tell her what I could or couldn’t do, but, unfortunately, she was right.

I sat and combed through my hair with my handkerchief, dumping the clumps of porridge into my abandoned bowl, dreaming of all the ways I’d like to get back at Jeza as Vera made her way to the front of the room.

For some reason, Jeza and her cronies decided to sit next to me, whispering as the kitchen mistress checked on the morning preparations. I tried to ignore them, but it was like trying to ignore a fly constantly buzzing in my ear.

“Have you seen some of the dresses the maids upstairs have turned up?” she asked in that annoying whisper. “They’re all in a tizzy getting ready for the ball and some of those creations are just ghastly.”

“I heard one lady hated her dress so much she refused to wear it and dared her maid to wear it herself! At the masquerade! Can you imagine?” They all laughed, although I didn’t see what was so funny.

“Some people think that just because the prince will be picking his bride there, and just because he has his
pick of the women of the kingdom, that anyone has a chance. As if the prince doesn’t have better taste than to choose some
nobody
.”

They continued to gossip as I fought to make my hair presentable. Then they suddenly fell silent, save for the sounds of their spoons.

“Really, Miss Evelina,” Vera chided me, amusement ringing in every word. “Even simpletons know how to bathe. I thought you said you were more intelligent than that.”

I bristled at her words but bit my tongue.

She waited, plainly expecting some kind of retort, but I refused to give Jeza the satisfaction. When it become clear I wasn’t going to say anything, Vera sighed. “Well, if you have nothing to say for yourself, you best get to your station. And thank your lucky stars that we did not have fish this morning.” She wrinkled her nose at the thought and whisked herself off to torment some other poor soul, Jeza and friends in tow.

I scrambled to find something to cover my wet hair, eventually settling for a napkin that looked only crumpled and not actually used. I quickly braided my hair and tucked it under the gold-colored material, all the while marveling they used such fine fabric for napkins here.

The rest of breakfast passed much like dinner the night before. It was a little more low key: the dress wasn’t so elaborate, the tables weren’t as full of guests, and there was no after-meal entertainment. Despite all of this, it was still clearly a formal affair.

The complete royal family was in attendance again, although there was no repeat of last night’s uncomfortable attention from the prince, thank goodness, nor did he
vanish partway through the meal. They were again dressed elaborately, with different masks, though the same style.

Maybe that was something I could learn from working in the masking room. Assuming Aiden followed through.

After breakfast was over and cleaned up, we were free to do as we wished. Most of the younger girls went to lessons provided by the palace, which I could attend as well, but it was only basic reading and writing, which I already knew. It seemed the older girls usually went into town to see family or run errands or stayed to do other chores in the palace.

Luckily, I was free to go, but I didn’t really have anything I wished to do. I certainly didn’t want to go into town; I was too tired from yesterday but not so bored to look for more work.

I decided to familiarize myself with the palace a little more. I knew my room, the kitchens, and the main hall, but that was about it. I’d spied some gardens from the dining hall windows that I’d been itching to explore.

However, I didn’t make it much further than the hall-way I hoped led to the servants’ entrance when I heard a high voice calling.

“Evelina!”

I turned at the sound of my name and saw Carese jogging toward me. “Is something wrong?” I asked, alarmed at her pink face and somewhat disheveled hair.

“No, not at all. I’m just glad I found you.” She put a hand to her chest as she caught her breath. “I’ve been running all over trying to find girls. His highness has called an emergency council meeting, and I need servers, but everyone’s already busy with other duties or in town. You’re the
only other one I’ve found, but the two of us should be able to make do, I think.”

“Of course,” I said. “What do you need me to do?”

Carese explained quickly as we walked back to the kitchens. “You’ll just need to follow me to the council rooms. During the meeting itself, the two of us will fill drinks in the same manner as dinner, though there are only twelve council members plus the king and prince.”

“Both will be there?” I asked, surprised. I didn’t think the prince would attend, since he wouldn’t speak.

“Yes, along with lords from different parts of the island and some ambassadors, I believe.”

“Anyone I need to worry about?”

She winced. “I’m sorry about the other night. You should have had more preparation than you did before going to the floor. I’m not sure how you were missed.”