Evelinde was forcing herself to sit up. "Come. We have to wash your hair and get you dressed."
"How long have I been soaking?" Evelinde asked blearily as she noted her fingers and toes were wrinkled from the water.
Mildrede took a moment to bark at the other three maids to get packing, then answered, "Quite a while. It took me longer than I intended to convince Mac all was well, then Edda demanded I do first one thing and another for her."
The maid shook her head with disgust as she picked up a pail and splashed it over Evelinde's head to dampen her hair. "I will not be sorry to see the back of that woman."
Evelinde murmured an agreement and closed her eyes as Mildrede began to wash her hair with scented soap. She heard the door open again and blinked her eyes open, risking getting the soap in her eyes, to see a maid hurry in, a mug in hand.
"I brought the mead, Mildrede," the woman said, hurrying toward them.
"Put a little of my tonic in it, Alice," Mildrede ordered. She nodded toward the chest by the bed. " 'Tis in my medicinal bag on the chest. A smaller leather pouch with an x scratched into it."
The maid did as instructed, and Evelinde closed her eyes again as Mildrede grabbed up a pail to rinse her hair.
"I am sure I will be fine without the tonic, Mildrede," she said once the maid finished pouring out the first pail of water.
"The tonic will help. 'Tis better to be safe than sorry," she assured her, pouring another pail over her head.
Evelinde didn't bother to protest further. She supposed it couldn't hurt.
"There. Up you come. We have to dry your hair and dress you." Mildrede wrapped a linen around her when Evelinde stood, then held her hand to brace her as she stepped out of the tub. She urged her to a chair by the fire.
"Alice, where is the—Oh good," Mildrede muttered as the maid rushed over with the doctored mead. Handing it to Evelinde, she said, "Sit there and drink your tonic while I figure out what you should wear."
Evelinde accepted the mug with a smile of thanks for Alice, then lifted it to her nose and sniffed. That was enough to tell her this was going to be one of those tonics that caused more pain going down than it eased. She considered refusing to drink it, but rather than argue with Mildrede, she plugged her nose and tipped the mug to her lips. No amount of nose holding could cover the foul taste of this brew, however, and Evelinde nearly gagged on the pungent liquid the moment it hit her tongue.
"Gawd, Mildrede, 'tis horrible stuff," she complained with a shudder as she lowered the mug.
Mildrede turned from the gowns she was sorting through to shake her head. " 'Tis not. You should barely be able to taste it."
It was what the woman always said to get her to drink her medicine, and Evelinde gave her usual disbelieving snort, then plugged her nose and downed the rest of it.
"Do I have to eat the dregs?" she asked reluctantly when she recovered from downing the last of it and found the bottom of the mug full of small bits of crushed leaves and twigs.
"What?" Mildrede was suddenly at her side, snatching the mug from her. She peered at the contents, and then cursed and whirled to Alice. "What did you put in here, girl!"
Evelinde felt trepidation rise up along her spine at the panic in the woman's voice.
"I—the one you said to. With the x," the hapless Alice gasped, following Mildrede when she rushed to snatch up her medicinal bag and dump its contents on the bed.
"Which one did you use?" she asked.
"That one." The girl picked up a small pouch.
"Nay!" Mildrede gasped in horror.
"Is it wrong? You said the one with the x on it," Alice cried with distress.
"That is not an x, 'tis a cross," Mildrede snapped. She glanced down into the mug with a frown, and asked, "How much did you put in?"
"I—You said just a little," Alice answered evasively.
"Aye, I did, but this pouch was full and is now half-empty."
"Well, it tipped a bit as I was pouring it in," the girl said apologetically.
"Dear God," Mildrede breathed.
"What is it, Mildrede?" Evelinde asked, alarmed when her voice came out terribly slurred. She tried to gather the linen around herself to stand and cross the room, but found her hands