The Debutante (Season Series #2)

Chapter 43: A Most Loyal Maid

I waited with bated breath to see if either of the footmen recognized Elspeth from earlier. To her credit, her hands didn't shake as she stood there, sternly staring down the pair of footmen who'd up until recently been about to beat me into a pulp.

"Just drop those and be on your way," the first footman snapped and my stomach unclenched. He hadn't recognized her.

"As you wish," she said, her little voice strong as she strode across the room. Instead of heeding his command, however, she busied herself by the fire. When the footmen exchanged an annoyed look, her eyes found mine. I could tell that the men were debating what to do about the meddlesome maid, especially since my presence at the palace was supposed to be a secret. If Elspeth talked about what she'd seen in Dorian's sitting room, there would be hell to pay for the pair of footmen. As an internal debate raged between the two, Elspeth widened her eyes at me, glancing up to a place just above my head to the left. Risking a look, I noted the tipped-over marble bust on the table I'd slammed into.

"Mr. Fletcher had asked that this room be left alone," the bitten footman finally said, turning around to look at Elspeth, "So what are you doing here?"

Still crouched by the fire, she peered warily up at him.

"I'm here to tend the fire, unless of course you'd want Mr. Fletcher returning to an icebox instead of a room," she said, her normally meek voice unwavering.

"He never told us he sent for someone," he replied, taking a few casual steps to put himself between her and the exit. Elspeth let out an annoyed noise in her throat, chucking a log into the fire and reaching for the poker to nudge it into place.

"I take my orders from the head housekeeper," she said, an edge of annoyance in her voice as she rose, "And I think she'll be quite interested to hear about a pair of footmen knocking a lady to the floor."

Both of them looked around at her before exchanging a look, the air thick with tension. The larger footman moved first, advancing towards Elspeth and forcing her to back away towards the wall. I seized the opportunity of their distraction to hoist myself to my feet, snagging the heavy marble bust. They'd almost backed her into the corner when I advanced on them from behind.

"Oy! Don't forget about me!" I shouted, testing the weight of the bust in my hand. Both footmen whirled around to face me as I charged them. Elspeth suddenly brandished the fireplace poker she'd been hiding in her skirts, swinging it around to club the larger footman across the head. He cried out, distracting the other footman and allowing me to swing the bust to crack him on the side of the skull. He collapsed into a heap as Elspeth continued raining blows on the other footman. He finally managed to seize the poker from her, shoving her roughly against the wall, defenceless. When he raised the poker to strike, I whacked him in the back of the head with the bust. He staggered forward, but didn't fall. Elspeth grabbed the poker as his arm came down towards her, giving it a solid yank to throw him off balance. He tumbled forward head first, crashing into the wall. Elspeth didn't wait to see if he rose again, she continued raining blows down upon his prone form until I dropped the bust and seized the poker to still her frenzied strikes. She was wild-eyed when she turned to me, blinking in surprise as if only just remembering why she had come.

"We must hurry!" she said, chucking aside the poker as she grabbed my arm to push me towards the service door. Her stricken eyes seemed only just then to notice the two prone men on the floor, widening with horror.

"How do you know how to fight?" I asked, following her out the door. She closed and locked it behind us, chucking the key into the dark depths of the corridor beyond with a shudder.

"My Da used to beat my brothers," she said, "So they taught me how to fight someone larger before he set his sights on me."

"Oh Elspeth," I breathed, wondering how such a cruel fate could be dealt to such a sweet, gentle girl.