crazy bi—ah, Lady Knecht—has stirred up the whole damn city. Her own escort had to fight their way back here."
The last two sentences were muttered over his shoulder. He was already well across the villa grounds, Kata and the girls trotting at his heels, heading toward the largest coach Kata had ever seen in her life. Also, from the looks of it, the most luxurious.
The door to the coach was flung open—by a woman's hand from the inside, not a servant's from without. That in itself was enough to convey the urgency of the moment. From what Kata could see of the woman herself, in the dark interior of the coach, she looked as if she normally expected servants to wipe her ass.
The officer practically flung them inside. Kata went last, making sure the other girls stayed reasonably calm, then clambered aboard and shut the door behind her. She barely had time to register the presence of an elderly man sitting next to the coach's owner—his skeletal face looking even more apprehensive than those of the girls—before she was flung onto the cushioned seat by the coach lurching into motion.
The same expensive-looking hand reached out and held her steady. "Not to worry, girl," came a cultured voice. "I assure you this coach is very well made"—at that moment the coach practically flew into the air, driven at a gallop over the little barrier in the gateway of the villa; Kata prayed the voice was telling the truth—"and I always employ the very finest coachmen."
She stared up at the woman. Nothing registered at first except a pair of very dark eyes, set closely together in a narrow face. The eyes seemed somewhat amused.
"I apologize for the unseemly nature of our departure." Kata's eyes widened. The woman was obviously from the nobility. A quick glance at the clothing was enough to tell her that much. Apologizing to slaves?
"I'm sure most people think I'm crazy to have done it," the self-assured voice continued. "Uncle Undreth here certainly does! But I simply couldn't leave Vanbert without letting everyone know—finally!—what I think of Drav Albrecht. And precisely which way he ought to be gutted."
Was she crazy?
"But enough of that." The dark
The last two sentences were muttered over his shoulder. He was already well across the villa grounds, Kata and the girls trotting at his heels, heading toward the largest coach Kata had ever seen in her life. Also, from the looks of it, the most luxurious.
The door to the coach was flung open—by a woman's hand from the inside, not a servant's from without. That in itself was enough to convey the urgency of the moment. From what Kata could see of the woman herself, in the dark interior of the coach, she looked as if she normally expected servants to wipe her ass.
The officer practically flung them inside. Kata went last, making sure the other girls stayed reasonably calm, then clambered aboard and shut the door behind her. She barely had time to register the presence of an elderly man sitting next to the coach's owner—his skeletal face looking even more apprehensive than those of the girls—before she was flung onto the cushioned seat by the coach lurching into motion.
The same expensive-looking hand reached out and held her steady. "Not to worry, girl," came a cultured voice. "I assure you this coach is very well made"—at that moment the coach practically flew into the air, driven at a gallop over the little barrier in the gateway of the villa; Kata prayed the voice was telling the truth—"and I always employ the very finest coachmen."
She stared up at the woman. Nothing registered at first except a pair of very dark eyes, set closely together in a narrow face. The eyes seemed somewhat amused.
"I apologize for the unseemly nature of our departure." Kata's eyes widened. The woman was obviously from the nobility. A quick glance at the clothing was enough to tell her that much. Apologizing to slaves?
"I'm sure most people think I'm crazy to have done it," the self-assured voice continued. "Uncle Undreth here certainly does! But I simply couldn't leave Vanbert without letting everyone know—finally!—what I think of Drav Albrecht. And precisely which way he ought to be gutted."
Was she crazy?
"But enough of that." The dark