"You mean that." I beamed a bright smile at him, thrilled at the realization that, even if I had not made the best first impression, he did not hate me.
"I do." He gave me a roguish half-smile and added, "It is not every day a man gets to spend time alone with a beautiful young lady."
My smile fell and I shook my head. "If you are flirting with me, I am afraid I am far too tired to reciprocate right now."
He chuckled. "Then when will you be available for flirting?"
"You shall have to try your luck another day," I said, waving him off and turning to continue the trek home. He stayed at my side and did not say anything else. When I reached the familiar fence surrounding my family's pretentious mansion, I stopped.
"This is where I live," I said, pushing open the small wooden door in the red brick wall.
"Shall I accompany you in?"
"It would probably be better if I went in alone." I did not think that Mother and Father would appreciate the knowledge that their daughter had spent her afternoon in a dirty, torn dress, alone in the company of a gentleman known as "the wild man". "Thank you for your assistance, Master Convarta." I gave another graceful curtsy and a shy smile.
He bowed. "I shall see you again soon, I am sure, Mistress Renvalda."
I was in the washroom being subjected to a thorough scrubbing by my care-maiden, Mirella, when I realized that I had never given him my name.
The thought ate at me as Mirella spread a healing salve over my bruises, as I dressed in a simple dress, and all through Mother's lecture on manners and living up to our family name.
I tried not to scoff at her words. Our family name had only recently been elevated to the upper strata thanks to an inheritance from a great-uncle I hardly knew.
Once Mother left, I rested in my bed and pondered on the afternoon's events. I was unsure whether I was surprised by Mistress Ildasan's actions or not. Certainly she could have injured or killed me, but I had no proof of her involvement. I knew very well that in a confrontation, my word would not stand against hers.
Perhaps the best thing to do would be to set her up, to ensure that she would be seen the next time she attacked me. I was not naive enough to think that this was the end. She had not achieved her aim. In fact, she had done quite the opposite, providing me a memorable first interaction with Harford Convarta. She would likely be anxious to remedy her error and might grasp at any opportunity.
A plan began to form. It was daring, possibly bordering on foolish, but I felt I could pull it off. I would just need some assistance.
Thankfully, in the hour before the family began the rush to prepare for the evening entertainment, from which I would thankfully be excused tonight, I managed to send off a note to Anassia and have a brief conference with my older brother, Remdon.
With my plan set in motion, I was able to relax in bed with a book until after I had eaten the simple dinner sent up from the kitchen. With a full stomach and the exhaustion of the day, I changed for bed and was asleep before I could even consider checking the park for Harford Convarta's nighttime visit.
The next day, I was up even earlier than usual, quite a feat for the one who was already the earliest riser in my family. Still, I wandered downstairs as the servants were still preparing breakfast and spent a pleasant half-hour reading in the library.
After my usual light breakfast, I joined a still bleary-eyed Remdon for our usual morning horseback ride in the larger park at the other end of the ridge.
For my plot against Mistress Ildasan to work, I needed to be seen following my usual schedule as quickly as possible. Though the ride certainly rattled my bruised and sore body, I was grateful to get out of the house and away from Mother's fussing and lectures, though it was a temporary reprieve.
Sure enough, I spent most of the afternoon subjected to Mother and Fernillia going over the proper behavior of a lady of the upper strata with me. I listened half-heartedly as I worked on a small sketch.
Our evening was promised to Fernillia's good friend Lenitta's evening picnic. We were to dine in Lenitta's family's extensive back garden under the light of the setting sun. It sounded lovely, but I knew that the reality would likely be crowded and far from the casual atmosphere that one associated with picnics.
My suspicions were confirmed when Mother instructed Mirella to dress me in a lovely, off-the-shoulder gown. It had a wide enough skirt that I could sit on the ground, but was far finer than what I would have chosen for a picnic.
When we arrived, we found a large group already spread through the yard. Some were sitting at the small tables that had been set up in the middle. Others lounged on blankets strewn over the lawn. I found Anassia alone on a blanket near her parents and joined her. Remdon came as well and over our plates of rich, luxurious food far too sophisticated for a true picnic, we discussed the coming days.
"I must return to my usual schedule so she does not suspect a trap," I whispered.
"I understand that. I just am not sure what you think she will do when she catches you supposedly alone."
"We will certainly see. Since I do not believe her capable of outright murder, I am sure she will try to stage some sort of accident. You will have to remain hidden, Anassia. It is also absolutely critical, Remdon, that you have someone else outside my circle of friends and family there. The more impartial the witness, the stronger our case."
"I do not like this," Anassia said, sharing a look with Remdon. "You should not put yourself in danger."
"I will be in danger no matter what I do. I can either control the situation and use it to my advantage or she can catch me by surprise again and possibly achieve her aim. I am going to beat her."