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“We did use a cold spell on a wet cloth to keep the swelling down,” Elle said Then she added bitterly, “Had enough experience dealing with this sort of thing before”
Cassidy rose and stepped aside, giving Shira roo to the other end of the parlor, flanked by Archerr and Powell, she faced Dryden, as flanked by Elle and Maydra “Explain, Lord Dryden”
“Prince Grayhaven’s guest hit Birdie,” Dryden said
A flash of rage, quickly chained From Dryden
“What guest?” Powell asked, but his tone said he already knew the answer
“Thatwoman”
Oh, Hell’s fire This was bad She’d only had this experience once, when an aristo witch who had been a guest had tried to coerce a foot “bedroom work” Because of the social difference between an aristo and a servant, her butler had refused to say the woman’s name when he’d come to her and reported the abuse
Orto say the witch’s name had been the measure of the man’s contempt for her behavior
“You mean Lady Kermilla?” Powell asked
Dryden nodded
Elle said, “Lady Bitch,” under her breath, quietly enough that Cassidy pretended no one had heard the housekeeper’s opinion of the other Dharo Queen
“Why would she hit Birdie?” Cassidy asked Her sto milk Hadn’t she voiced concerns about Ker with her? The court had adored the pretty, dark-haired girl; the servants had disliked her
“Birdie was cleaning her rooirl she could clean—and the way you allowed her to do for you But that other one didn’t want her things touched, wanted Birdie to be using Craft all the ti”
“That makes no sense,” Cassidy said
“It does if the Lady doesn’t want anyone picking up an object and noticing so at Dryden
The butler nodded “Birdie picked up a bottle of scent from the dresser—a bottle that still had the theft disk on it”
Frowning, Cassidy looked at Powell for explanation
“A spelled disk of paper-thin stone,” Powell explained “It was a common practice in the shops favored by the Queens and their aristo companions to put such a disk on s Since he didn’t want to lose an eye or his tongue, the e the theft, even if he saw the person do it But a bottle of scent, for example, that left the boundaries of the shop with the disk still on the bottle would be spoiled”
“Spoiled?” Cassidy asked
“I on the kitchen floor,” Maydra said “Of course, the way some of those spells worked, the scent smelled fine until it warmed on the skin for a little while So the Lady was usually well into her social engage rong”
“Oh” Cassidy cla her hand, she s to smile about “So Birdie picked up a bottle of stolen scent and Kermilla hit her”
“Yes,” Dryden said “When I reported the abuse to Prince Grayhaven, Ker to steal froirl”