Lord Reginald's Heir

I just worked there, so I don't know the whole story, but I'll tell what I know. I got there in the spring because Ms. Lilly got let go because she was in the family way and they needed a new house maid. They had a staff of at least twenty already but they needed someone to attend to the upstairs rooms and keep everything fresh for when guests arrive.

It wasn't too long after that when Lord Reginald and his young wife showed up. She couldn't have been more than eighteen and she looked awful frightened, like she was being lead into the lion's den. I tried to make her comfortable. She had her own room in the north end of the third floor and I made sure she had fresh flowers every morning.

She and Lord Reginald had only been married for a year when they first came. Lord Reginald was nice enough but he was short and walked with a limp and my master, Lord Leonard always referred to him as "Poor Reginald." They were cousins you see and I don't think he meant anything by it. He surely didn't mean he was really poor. He had more money than anybody we knew. He meant it like on account of his being short and limp, I think.

My master's wife had long passed away and his two grown sons were gone too so it was just him and whatever town wench he kept to keep his bed warm. Reginald would visit nearly twice a year until he got married, the other maid told me. But after he got married, a whole year went by before he came.

Well, Leonard and Reginald had a lot of secretive talks that first week. It was like they were plotting or scheming or something. They left that poor girl alone most every day. She sat by the window and cried quietly to herself all day long. I tried to console her and bring her sweet treats and fruit and I even tried sneaking in a little wine into her tea just to get her to relax a little bit, but it didn't make any difference. Nothing could console her, poor child.

One evening, I was dusting outside the large dinner hall and I overheard Lord Reginald and Lord Leonard arguing.

"It doesn't matter anyway, I don't want to sire a freak," Reginald said.

"You're not a freak," Leonard replied.

"But you don't know what we'll end up with and even so - it seems like it's not going to work anyway. We've tried for a year," Reginald replied.

"Sometimes it takes longer than that," Leonard said. It was like Leonard was trying to talk Reginald out of something.

"It's not like I have any romantic notion about needing to pass my blood line down. My bloodline is full of alcoholics and short cripples. I want my line to start over with some fresh blood. I want my name to carry respect and the people who live on my land to look up to the Lord and his sons. I want big strapping boys to carry on my name. Don't you have someone in mind that could help us out?"

At first, I thought he might be asking Lord Leonard to sire his child! But then it hit me. He was asking Leonard to find someone. No wonder that poor lady was crying upstairs. Her husband was planning to bed her with some farmhand in order to get a strong, tall son. And she wouldn't have any choice in it.

After I heard that, I tried extra hard to take care of the girl. When she was lost in her thoughts, staring out the window, I would gently start brushing her long red hair and whisper to her that she didn't need to cry. It's gonna be okay. I don't know if she heard me, but sometimes it was like she didn't cry quite as hard, so I felt like I was doing some good.

Then one day Lord Leonard called in all us servants and told us that he was going to host a tournament. He wanted all of the strongest men in the village to show up and he was going to have a series of contests and the winner was going to get to live like a king for one night in the palace. The winner would get a fancy meal and get to sleep in a big soft bed.

He told us we should spread the word and tell all of the servants and farmhands to tell their friends that the tournament would take place in two weeks. I didn't let on that I knew what this whole tournament thing was about. He was going to find the strongest, best fighter and give him that poor girl for the night in the hopes that she'll go home carrying his child and the Lord will get his strapping lad to carry on his name.

Well, I've seen some of the young men who work in the village and in the neighboring farms and, to be honest, I kind of envied that young girl upstairs. I mean, there are worse things than getting pounded by one of them big lads. I decided I wouldn't try to thwart the whole thing because I figured that once she saw the big picture and what she would get out of it, she might get on board with this plan.

The next day, in her chamber, I told her about the tournament as if she didn't know, and for all I knew, she didn't, cuz those bastards probably didn't tell her. But anyway, I told her in a way that was all light and airy like, "they're bringing the best looking, strongest men from all over the area to compete to be a king for a night."

I kept mentioning how good looking they'd be even though I don't think there's any one of them worth looking at. But, when it comes down to it, if you blow the candle out, it doesn't matter how they look, right?

So anyway, I built it up and said they'd be the very best athletes and one of them - who was the fastest and strongest and quickest thinker - would be the winner and he would be so grateful to spend the night in a big soft bed that he'd be so happy and appreciative.

And I know it didn't make sense, but I snuck in that he'd probably be really tired and gentle after exerting himself all day in all those sports. That was just so she didn't work herself up worrying about the bedroom stuff and all.

Well, the day finally came and I thought young miss lady would shake herself right out of her corset. She wouldn't stop shivering no matter how warm we got her room and none of the other servants could understand why she was so shaken up. I kept whispering, "It's gonna be okay. They're nice men. Every one of them competing today is a good boy." Even though I didn't know half the men in the competition, and I was just saying that to be kind to her and she probably knew it.

I brushed her hair and fixed her up for the tournament and she just sat on her bed shivering and looking out towards the window where the games would take place. She was to sit with the other ladies on the main balcony while their husbands cheered from the ground-level. When it was time to go, it was like her feet were walking without the rest of her body agreeing to go. She just put one foot in front of the other and looked around the whole time like she was lost in another world.

During the tournament, I fetched drinks and ran about trying to keep everyone comfortable. I got a glimpse here and there of the events going on, but I mostly stole glances at my lady to judge by her expression whether she was hoping for one particular fighter or another. If she was, she didn't let on. When the final round was won, the ladies stood and cheered and I snuck a glance below to see who it was but I could only see a tall bloody mess being congratulated and swarmed by peasants. He was whisked off to be cleaned up and the ladies retired to the sitting room to wait for dinner.

My lady begged off of dinner and went to her room, saying that she wasn't feeling well. I realized this was part of the plan. The winner couldn't see her at dinner or he'd know she was the Lord's wife. They were planning to sneak her into his room in the dark and not mention who she was, like she was some kind of prize for the day or something. Rich bastards can be schemers.

My lady sat by her window while everyone was at dinner. I ran back and forth, helping serve all the lords and ladies while also sneaking away to check on little Miss.

At dinner, I tried to get a good look at the winner to see what my lady had in store for her. He was nearly as tall as the ceiling and had to lower his head when he came through the doorway. He looked strong enough to have lifted the solid oak table by himself if he wasn't so exhausted from sporting all day. He wasn't bad looking if it weren't for the scratches and bruises all over him. I think if it had been a normal day, he would have looked half okay for a farmer boy. As it was, he was all beat up and bruised and I was glad it would be dark in that room because he might scare her right out of her skin if she could see all of his injuries.

When it was bedtime, I helped Miss into her white silk nightie and robe and brushed her hair for her. She never seemed to take her eyes off the dark sky out her window. I was bold enough to whisper, "It's going to be okay, miss. He seems like a nice boy." She didn't seem to mind that I knew what was going on. I think she was too scared to care.

When the time came, Lord Reginald entered and told me I was dismissed and that he would care for Little Miss for the rest of the evening. I didn't go far, though. I wanted to make sure she was okay. When they emerged from her room, I noticed something odd. She had on a servant's frock. Of course. She couldn't go to him as a lady. She must be disguised as one of the palace servants!

Lord Reginald led my lady down the back stairway to the second floor where they had the winner put up in his fancy suite for the evening, living like a king. There were no servants around, so I guessed that Lord Leonard had directed them all to care for the lords and ladies on the other side of the palace for a few hours. I hid in the shadows and watched as Lord Reginald kissed his wife's hand and lifted her chin up to look him in the eyes. "I told him you were part of his prize but that you are a shy girl and need a gentle hand. He assured me that he would treat you kindly and I believe him. He's a good boy, my love, and we do this for our land and our name and our future. Remember that. No one will ever know about this."

He opened the door and led her into the winner's bedchamber. Then he closed the door and stood in the hallway for a long time before he retired to his room. I snuck up to the door and put my ear to the keyhole, but all I could hear was murmuring. I fell asleep there, right outside that room. I was startled awake a few hours later when the door opened. My lady shook my shoulder and whispered, "help me find my room, Maggie."

I took her arm and led her up to her room where she removed the servant's frock and lazily donned the white silk nightie and robe again. Then she slipped under the covers and fell asleep instantly. I'd never seen someone so tired.

My lady slept like she hadn't slept the whole month she had been staying with us. She was still in bed late into the morning when I came by for the fourth or fifth time to check on her.

"Everything okay?" I asked her when she was finally up and ready to take breakfast.

"Yes, yes, thank you," she said with a shy smile. I don't think I had ever seen her smile before that morning.

"You okay?" I asked again, wanting to make sure she wasn't hurt or bruised or anything.

"I'm great, Maggie, thank you. Please don't worry about me." She sat on her window seat and sipped her tea and looked out the window like she was seeing the gardens below for the first time. It was like she'd never noticed them in all the days she'd been staring out that window.

"I'll go let the Lords know you are feeling better," I said as I started to leave.

"Maggie?" she said, as I was almost out of the door, "can you keep a secret?"

"Sure, ma'am, I won't tell nobody."

"Can I tell you about last night?"

"Of course, ma'am, I won't tell anybody. Is everything okay?"

"Yes, Maggie. Just close the door and come sit with me."