Mouse turns the corner

“I believe you know everyone here, do not you, dear?” the Duchess asked. “You have met Ana?”

“Yes, I believe so,” Mouse said. “I think I know everyone I can see.”

“But where is Wyn?” Hetty looked around. “I do not believe you know Sir Egelric’s steward, Ethelwyn.”

“What?” Sigefrith cried. “He’s here?”

Mouse could have said the same.

“He is here somewhere…” Hetty said.

“Who invited him?” Sigefrith demanded. “I thought he went home after his little dunking?”

“Sigefrith…” Mouse whimpered.

“Now, Sigefrith,” Hetty scolded softly. “I will not allow anyone to tease him about that. And I invited him. If I had known it would be a problem, I would not have invited you at the same time,” she said pointedly.

“It’s no problem, Hetty,” Sigefrith said, chastened. Then Lady Lili arrived and set herself to talking to him, if not to distracting him.

Mouse knew that Sigefrith only wanted to protect her, but she felt far too guilty about her own role in that little disaster to feel comfortable about accepting Sigefrith’s help. She feared that when she had recounted the story to him and Wynflaed, still trembling in outrage, she had made Ethelwyn sound a little ruder and herself a little more winsome than was truly the case.

That last “Save it” in reply to her apology was still ringing in her ears, but since then she had often tormented herself with the thought of what lingering echoes might be produced when a man was told by a young lady that she wished to dance around his grave—even if he believed her a maid.

But she thought he must know the truth by now. It was no wonder he was nowhere to be found. He must have been livid with rage if he had not been warned that she’d been invited.

“But I think I know Ethelwyn already, too,” Mouse pleaded. “There’s no need to introduce us…”

“I do not think so,” Hetty said. “When I mentioned you to him, he did not know you. He did not even know you were called Mouse. He thought it very cute, however,” she smiled.

“But are you certain we haven’t met?” Mouse asked. Surely, she thought, Hetty could not be unaware that she and Ethelwyn had fallen together into the moat of Hetty’s own castle.

“I do not know,” Hetty said, “but let us go find out. He may remember you when he sees you after all. But I think you will like him, dear, if you do not know him. He is a very charming man.”

“I’m certain,” Mouse mumbled.

“And so kind! He was so kind to me when I still lived with my brother Egelric and was having an unhappy time. And he is the sort of man who will do favors for one, and then pretend he has no idea who did them. It means he thinks we ladies are not clever enough to figure it out, but we must love him for it anyway,” she giggled. “Some men are too shy to admit they are thoughtful.”

“Of course.”

Mouse tried to follow meekly after, but Hetty managed to get behind her and herd her along.

“I think he must be in the other room near the fire,” Hetty was saying.

But as soon as they turned into the shadowy place between the pillars that divided the rooms, Mouse found herself face-​to-​face with Ethelwyn himself.