Chapter 25 Can She Be Trusted
Sharon
It was obvious she was blatantly changing the subject, and as much as I longed to prode further and force an answer out of her, I didn't dare.
It felt good, really good for the first time in my life to have someone willing to spend time with me, that I didn't dare do or say anything that might dissuade her. Who knows, if I played my cards right, maybe I might even be able to claim her as a friend in the near future.
So rather than the words I really wanted to say, I said;
“ Of course you're well loved, who wouldn't love you?” And leaving her with a soft smile on her face, I stretched out on the bed and snuggled into the bedclothes.
My last conscious was to wonder if she had a throat ache from talking all day.
Rever
“I don't understand why you're being so obstinate about this.” I said.
“ I'm not being obstinate, I'm just trying to make you see reason.” Replied my friend and butler who had spent the past half hour trying to talk me out of a decision.
“Your suggestions just do make sense, please take more time to rethink.” He urged.
“ I can assure you that I'm in full possession of my thinking faculties and that I'm putting them to good use.” Was my reply.
“And you are of the opinion that this is a good idea?” “ Yes!!”
“ Frankly I'm quite surprised, you're against the idea.”
“ Like I've retriated more than once, she's a stranger your grace.” He replied with a barely audible sigh.
“ Yes, she's one of our people and I fully understand your sentiments to look out for her. But you've done more than enough; you rescued her from an abusive home, faced danger to your person in the process of transporting her, brought her into the palace, placed her under the care of your own personal healer and gave her a position a lot of girls would do almost anything for. You've already gone above and beyond your grace.”
“Once again, you've exaggerated my good deeds and attributes, all I did was the bare minimum, it was what anyone of good conscience, alpha or not would do.”
“ And I don't think my proposition to have her in closer proximity until we can find a way to awaken her wolf is as improbable as you think it is.” I explained further.
“ We??” Lasmay questioned incredulousy.
“ You take more interest in this matter than I had previously suspected.”
“ Of course I'm interested, it's my duty as the pack alpha.”
“ And I respect such sentiments, but have you stopped to consider the fact that this woman might be a conduit for pier or some other enemy?” He asked.
“ I hardly think that's feasible,” I replied.
“ There's no way pier or anyone else could have known that I would be out of the palace or that I would run into her.”
“ I need not remind you that you have quite an array of enemies who alongside their ruthlessness happen to be blessed with more cunning than you have been known to give them credit for.”
“ Fine Lasmay, fine.” I intoned tired of going back and forth with him.
“ Since you're determined against all my better arguments to think ill of the poor girl, I'll give you a chance to see for yourself and see that she deserves nothing but your compassion and kind thoughts.”
“And just how do you intend to do that your grace?” He asked in a tone that said much more clearly than a hundred words could have done, how impossible he believed the concept to be.”
“ Simple, I'll put her under your care.” “ I beg your pardon.....”
“Such a well favored and high placed courtier as Mr Franson would need someone to tend to his needs during his residence in the palace won't he?” And he has chosen the girl he travelled with.” I said supplying both rhetorical question and roundabout answer.
“ And who better to see to the comfort of his chosen servant than you?” I asked.
(For some reason, I found it hard to refer to her as a servant, thankfully Lasmay either didn't notice my slight wince, or rather chose to ignore it.)
“You'll get her situated close enough to suit my needs and convey the bulk of their needs and wants to her.” I continued.
“ I don't suppose I could refuse could I?”
“No, this will give you a chance to spend time with her, and realize how wrong you have been, in your quick judgement.”
Sharon
I woke up with a start, and instantly sat upright, sure that I had overslept and confident in the anticipation that in the next few seconds I would be besieged by sharp kicks, whose viciousness, not even the daintiness of the foot that conveyed it could deign to lessen.
I was so rooted in this scenario my mind had cooked up (aided no doubt by memories of past events) that I audibly gasped when a look around the room revealed that I was in strange surroundings. I was even more shocked to discover that I wasn't alone in the bed, so shocked that I had to clap a hand over my mouth to make sure I didn't wake whoever it was up with my surprised wheeze.
I'm ashamed to admit,(even to myself) that it took three whole minutes to figure where I was, and the identity of the other occupant of the bed, as well as everything else that led to this point. This realization however did nothing to lessen my dread, it simply replaced one fear with another.
I probably wouldn't get kicked or get drenched with water for not getting up early enough, but judging by how everyone had acted yersterday, only the Lord Shaven knew how they would act if I was tardy on my second day, or horror of horrors, made the darling Betty tardy on my account.
With that fear firmly fixed in my mind, I instantly got out of bed, nearly tripping over my own feet in my haste to get up. Feeling around the until I found my clothes from the day before, I began to dress in the dark.
My bustling around, no matter how quiet I tried to be eventually disturbed Betty's slumber, and she got up just as I laced up the second petticoat, once again protesting (to myself) the needlessness of multiple undergarments.
“ Sharon?” She said sleepily.
“ What in the world are you doing?” She demanded.
“Getting dressed,” I replied, debating with myself whether it would be prudent to do away with either the second pair of bloomers, surely I didn't need that many layers under my dress did I?
“ By jove, it can't be morning already can it?” She cried, striking a match from the box that lay on the floor within easy reach, by this meager light, she searched under her pillow for a pocket watch and endeavored to ascertain what time it was.
Three more matches needed to be lighted before this could be done. When her goal was finally achieved, she couldn't help but exclaim;
“ Why my dear Sharon, it's barely two a.m.”