The Consolation Prize (Brides of Karadok #3) - Alice Coldbreath Page 0,63

and flick a dusting cloth over the furniture in the solar, a room that she had so far neglected. The tapestries that hung there were so dirty and faded that Una could not make out their decoration, but the collection of books looked delightful. When she opened their pages, the ink was still strong and vibrant, and she looked forward to spending an hour or two with them, when the place was set to rights.

On one side of the solar was a wide oriel window protruding outward, which afforded a lovely view from the front of the house. Una appreciated this for a moment, before turning to inspect the carved chairs and small, cunningly wrought tables dotted about. They would be perfect for sewing, embroidery, and quiet reading. In one corner stood a harp that was not as dusty as the rest of the items and Una wondered if Rose perhaps played it.

It was a charming room and she was sure she would spend many pleasurable hours in it. It just needed sprucing up, that was all. She spent a good while, setting things to rights before it crossed her mind that Otho must now be meeting with the prospective housekeeper.

Unable to suppress her curiosity, Una descended to the great hall, tempted to interrupt the interview for a glimpse of the woman. However, something about her brother’s expression when he said Armand had entrusted the task to him, stopped her. Instead she vowed to wait for Otho to bring the woman to her and instead plied a cloth over the wooden screen until it gleamed.

From the snatches of conversation, she could catch, it seemed Mrs. Brickenden was a local woman with two grown daughters now settled in their own households. She sounded of middling years and eminently respectable. Una felt sure Otho would hire her and was not surprised when she heard him confirm this aloud. Mrs. Brickenden evinced no great surprise or enthusiasm toward her engagement and Una hastily retreated to the other side of the hall to await her introduction. To her surprise and perturbation, she heard the outside door slam some minutes later and realized the thought must not have occurred to her brother.

She crossed the hall into the kitchen and found Otho alone and looking pleased with himself.

“Well? Did you hire someone?” Una demanded, plunking her hands on her hips.

He nodded. “Aye, a very capable woman by the name of Brickenden.”

“And where pray, is my introduction?”

Otho opened his mouth and then closed it again. Then he scratched the back of his head, looking abashed. “I did not think.”

“I would have thought Mrs. Brickenden would have wished to meet her mistress,” she responded indignantly. “Indeed, I think it most peculiar of her that she did not request such a thing.”

Otho looked alarmed. “Nay, Una, don’t take on. It isn’t like you to cause a commotion over so little a thing.”

“So little a thing?” she cried. “This is of the greatest import to me, Otho!” She turned away from him until she had mastered her sudden rush of feeling. “You must understand that I have had no say in the people I have been surrounded with since … since I can remember!” She took a steadying breath. “You seem to forget, brother, that I have been under house arrest for three years! Surrounded by people who were hostile toward me!” She gave him a very level look. “Did you tell this woman that her mistress will be a Northerner?”

Otho blinked. “What does that signify in these times?” he rumbled awkwardly. “If any of these servants even look at you askance, you can just dismiss them after all. You must not attach too much significance to them. They will be beneath your notice in any case.”

“They most certainly will not, Otho!” she retorted hotly. Lowering her voice, she added with spirit. “You seem to forget, I am no longer a princess, but the mistress of her own home! How can the members of my household be beneath me? Such a notion is ridiculous!”

Seeing her evident distress, he hastened to her side and placed a conciliatory hand on her arm. “Una, I did not think. That is, I did not realize you felt this way. You must forgive me.”

She unclutched her fists at her side and took a deep breath. Outbursts of emotion were not common to her and she always felt wretched rather than relieved in the aftermath. Otho pulled out a chair for her and she sat down