that came out of the kitchen. One course followed by another, each more exotic than the next, had come flowing into the dining room until she couldn’t eat another bite.
Relieved when the last course was announced, she politely declined. “I’m sorry, I’m so full, I can’t eat another bite, but it was all so wonderful,” she said. “I’m sure the staff enjoys eating the left-overs.”
Betty had looked at her, shocked. “Oh, I never let them eat the left-overs. Everything is thrown away at the end of the meal. It just wouldn’t do to let them get spoiled by eating our food; they have their own,” she said.
It had taken her a second to realize that Betty wasn’t joking and only a second more for the food in her stomach to begin to churn unpleasantly when she thought of all the waste. Now looking at the mountain of food spread before her, she felt that same feeling in her stomach, thinking about all the times she’d come close to starving. But her growling stomach overpowered her sense of shame, and she dug into the food, finding herself eating more than she should before finally getting up from the table.
After showering and getting dressed, she found herself staring out at the overgrown grounds, watching a lone gardener hacking away at the weeds in a flower bed, wondering what she was doing there. But a knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, and when she saw Josie’s smiling face, it was a relief to abandon them. As strange as it was here, she wasn’t quite ready to give up, hoped that at some point, she’d get a chance to talk to her father, who seemed to be avoiding her.
She followed Josie down the hallway and into a small room lined with mirrors. “Mrs. Francisco should be here in just a moment. Make yourself comfortable,” Josie said, giving her a quick smile. “Just relax and you’ll be fine.”
Janice smiled at her. “Do I look that nervous?” she asked.
Before Josie could answer, Betty came out of a little door she hadn’t noticed. “Oh, good, there you are, Janice,” she said, giving Josie a dirty look. “That will be all for now. You have your instructions.”
Josie nodded her head. “Yes, mam,” she said, then quickly left.
When she was gone, Betty turned to her. “I know all this must be very different to you, but it’s not a good idea to talk to the servants as if they are regular people,” she said. “Letting them get too familiar just leads to trouble. They get ideas in their heads if you know what I mean.”
“Oh, okay,” Janice said, not sure what else to say.
Betty clapped her hands together. “Well, now that that unpleasantness is over, let’s go find you a dress to wear at the party,” she said. “I’ve already packed the rest of what you’ll need for the week, but I thought you might like to help me with the dress.”
“The week?” Janice asked, confused.
“Oh, yes, didn’t I tell you? We’ll be spending the week at the Stuart’s,” Betty said, pushing her toward the door at the back of the room. “The council will be meeting all next week and your father wants us there the entire time.”
Chapter Nine
***Reggie***
Reggie slipped out of the kitchen and took the back way to his father’s study, determined to avoid the party guests until the last minute, Bernice’s words echoing in his head. The last thing he’d expected when he came home was to be thrust into a war within the clan, but he was beginning to see that he might not be able to avoid getting involved. But that didn’t change what he planned to do. In fact, he realized with a start, his plan would throw him right into the middle of clan politics.
Feeling his fate slipping heavily onto his shoulders, he navigated the back passageways of the house, his determination to see Janice safely away from the clan even if it cost him his freedom growing stronger. Bernice and Trevor had both told him to embrace his fate, and if his fate was with the clan, fighting for change, then it would be worth giving up the life he’d built in Stoney Bridge, but he had to do it alone, couldn’t risk bringing Janice into the violence that was sure to follow.
He expected to find his father alone in his study, but when he got closer, he heard a familiar voice, a voice that he would never forget,