The Knight's Mysterious Maid
Chapter 379: A change in the manor (4)

Chapter 379: A change in the manor (4)

"Your hair is damp from the snow melting. Are you sure you don’t want to have a warm bath?" Heidi asked as she dried Annalise’s hair with a cloth. She worried about Annalise becoming sick after this.

They were in Rafael’s bedroom which had changed to also being Annalise’s bedroom this morning to warm up Annalise with the fireplace.

"No. It will be dried soon. Did you succeed with what I instructed you to do?" Annalise asked, leaning on the arm of the chair she sat on.

"One of them. I was able to find out where the dungeon is and learn that Rafael went there yesterday with his father. As I told you, you can get all the answers you seek with a little seduction. The knight told me more than I was looking for. You will save me if Rafael gets upset with me for telling you, right?" Heidi asked.

If Rafael did not want Annalise to know where the dungeon was, he might get angry with her for helping Annalise.

"He will not be angry with you. He might be impressed that I found out about it. And what about the things being said in town? Did you hear anything about Travis?" Annalise asked.

She couldn’t walk around the town as she wanted without Rafael since she might become Travis’s target. Not that Annalise minded. Instead of making a fuss to leave, Annalise was counting on Heidi to gather what she needed to know.

Who better to get answers from than maids who liked to gossip and sometimes shared gossip with maids from other homes? Getting what she needed to know was free when she used the maids.

"I have not heard of anything special other than the party. Everyone is looking to see how grand his home is and now that it is known he is Lady Beatrice’s brother, they are curious why he is here. There are rumours that a woman will soon wed Rafael. I don’t think the woman they mean is you," Heidi answered.

"I would get more answers for you if I were to go to the market-"

"No," Annalise stopped Heidi. "I don’t know if there are more spies like Olivia in the manor. Everyone here knows that you are my maid. I can’t have you running around the market without me. You could be in as much danger as I am. Refrain from going to the market without me or a guard."

Heidi’s body felt cold and it wasn’t due to the snow. "I am in danger?" She whispered.

"You won’t be as long as you don’t run off somewhere alone. I’m not certain that you would be taken, but we should think that you might be and be careful with the places you go. Still, the town would have more gossip," Annalise said, thinking of how she would get that gossip.

Rafael wasn’t in the manor right now and she knew he wouldn’t be pleased with her suddenly leaving when he wouldn’t be aware she was not here.

"Whatever fight that man is involved in it is not your fight, Annalise," said Ezra.

It was his time to guard her while the others did whatever they wanted.

"What concerns Rafael is my fight. No wonder your time with women doesn’t last long," Annalise mumbled.

Heidi froze while Ezra pushed himself off the wall he was leaning on to get closer to Annalise and Heidi.

"What do you mean?" Ezra asked. His time with women lasted enough.

"You don’t see their problems as your own. That’s why everyone says you don’t have a heart. I need to help Rafael any way I can even when he isn’t looking for help. It shows that I care about him. When we get rid of his uncle, Rafael and I can go back to just thinking about the truce. Besides, it is my fight because his uncle is taking away from the time I could be spending with Rafael," Annalise answered.

Like now, Rafael had left after playing in the snow with her to meet with his father somewhere to most likely talk about Travis. Travis was hosting a party in two days and before that party, River was going to do something to Travis.

Annalise looked forward to Travis meeting his demise how River saw fit and while Rafael was busy planning with his father, Annalise wanted to listen out for whatever Travis was doing which was why she wanted to hear what was said in the market.

Travis’s announcement of a party would have all eyes on him since the town wasn’t familiar with him and knowing that he was the brother of Beatrice Callahan, there was all the more reason to watch him because the town wanted to know if she was welcomed back to the Normans or if Travis would expose more about her past.

"That is enough," Annalise said, stopping Heidi from drying her hair. It was good at this point for sitting close to the fire to finish drying it. "I should send Ezra to town. I’ll be less worried about you than Heidi. You can take Thomas with you since he knows the market well."

"I must guard you. Not find out about his uncle. What happened to our deal that I would not get in your way as long as you don’t let your father know you are sleeping with the knight? Your father will one day find out about the two of you sharing a room," Ezra said, folding his arms. He was happy to overhear her things were moved to Rafael’s bedroom.

He was thinking of being strict with Annalise to make her go back to her room. He doubted her and the knight was just lying around in bed. He tried not to think so much about what she and Rafael might be doing since Annalise was like a daughter to him. He did think about Phillip snapping him like a twig.

"Don’t get yourself pregnant," said Ezra, reminding her of their deal.

"Right," Annalise answered.

Ezra narrowed his eyes at Annalise, feeling like she wasn’t taking him seriously. "I mean it. I don’t want to have to explain to your father how someone I was supposed to be keeping from a man ended up pregnant in my care."

"What do you think my father would be more upset about? If I were to be pregnant or marry Rafael when he is not around?" Annalise questioned, wanting an honest answer.

"I am not answering that," Ezra replied in an attempt to not put any ideas in her head. Phillip would snap for both options. Both would end in him wanting Rafael’s head. "You are not to marry or get pregnant right now. You are far away from home where it would be safe for you to carry our future leader."

"I can protect myself and everyone seems to forget that the child’s father would be the commander of knights. What?" Annalise asked Heidi after noticing Hiedi’s expression.

"Nothing. I am just a little surprised to hear you speak of a child. Are you hoping for one now?" Heidi inquired.

"No. I was just making Ezra panic about my father killing him for not doing the one job given to him. There are too many fights these days for me to think of a child now. Now, back to who I will send to town. I am sending you and Thomas to listen to gossip about Travis and if you hear anything about a woman named Delilah, inform me," said Annalise.

She walked to the table where there was money she set aside from her allowance meant to be spent today.

"This should be enough to let you buy whatever you need or bribe someone. You will only need to do this for two days since Travis will soon die," Annalise said, holding out the bag of money for Ezra to take.

Ezra sighed, knowing it was better he did it than Annalise deciding to do it herself. He walked to where Annalise stood and took the money. "I better get to see whoever I am stalking die and get me more money for having to do this job."

There were things he noticed in the manor that he wanted for himself, but he didn’t have enough money to buy them. Annalise needed to pay him for the extra work he was doing. She had a rich man at her side to be able to pay him.

"I will," Annalise agreed.

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