“And for your loyalty and level of performance,” I persevered, feeling drattedly awkward, “which has always been at a high standard, I shall be giving you a rise in pay.”
“That’d be lovely, thank you,” she said quietly from behind me, still wrapping my naked front with gauze, but sounding like she meant those words.
The intimacy of our situation was not lost on me.
The fact that I’d not once considered how I’d entrusted such intimacies to Josette without thought (until then) was also not lost on me.
I struggled with feelings of shame and hoped Antoine’s voice didn’t sound in my head as I persisted.
“I’m also in a position to add to our numbers. However, if you agree to accompany me as I carry out my plans for the future, then I’d like you not only to see to employing someone you feel you’ll work well with, but overseeing that someone once I’ve hired them.”
“Help with my duties?” she asked, the pitch of her voice rising in surprise.
“You’ve worked diligently for some time. I’m in a position to remunerate you to show you my appreciation as well as retain some help for you with said duties.”
“I would…that would…I would be grateful for that, Lady Franka.”
“Excellent,” I murmured as I felt her tying the dressing in place.
“I’m done,” she announced.
I carefully pulled my robe up my back, closed it at the front and cinched it loosely at the waist before turning to sit properly on the chaise.
Josette had already bustled away and was dealing with wet bathing cloths, organizing jars and bottles and gathering my spent clothing.
I’d never once observed her in these duties. I actually didn’t know what became of my attire and items of my toilette after I’d swanned from the bathing room. But now I saw the end of my toilette, as the duration of it, not to mention the time prior to it, heralded nothing but work for Josette.
“Josette,” I said softly and her eyes darted to me as she stopped moving. “Come sit with me, please,” I requested.
Having said “please,” I felt that was enough of a kindness and stopped myself from patting the cushion beside me, which was a bizarre urge I had in that moment.
She threw my clothing over a beautifully-appointed clotheshorse and moved my way. Her step was tentative but her gaze held mine.
She sat next to me, and in deference to my wounds I turned carefully to her.
“I’ve made a decision about what’s next for me and our earlier discourse was done in order for me to share that, in what I’ve decided, I’d like you to remain with me. However, I’ll say what’s next, what I have planned, is most unusual, and of course your life is your own so your decision to accompany me, or not, is also your own.”
“All right, Lady Franka,” she said hesitantly.
“And obviously, from what I’ve already shared, I’ll give you an excellent reference and a healthy stipend should you decide against continuing with me. Enough that perhaps you can take some time to yourself. Travel or…” I flipped a hand, “whatever you enjoy doing. Or you may wish to learn an additional trade. It will be your coin to do with as you wish. But regardless, there will be no need to fret if you don’t find alternate employment immediately. You’ll be safe.”
As I spoke, I ignored her mouth falling open.
I continued to ignore it as I prompted, “Do you understand that?”
She nodded slowly and said, “Yes, milady.”
“Good,” I replied, shifting in my seat, ready to get on with it. “Now I’ll share that I’ve had time to reconsider the plans I had prior to my parents being incarcerated, and even though this means my options for my future are now more extensive in the Northlands…”
Her look turned from astonished to confused, but I ignored that too and carried on.
“I still feel an adventure would be just the thing. With the loss of Master Antoine, Fleuridia—”
Josette didn’t make me utter it, saying swiftly, “I understand, Lady Franka.”
I nodded smartly and declared, “So I’ve decided to cross the Green Sea.”
At this, not only did her mouth drop open but her eyes grew large.
“That’s quite an adventure for anyone,” I went on, even though her expression shared she knew that and then some. “So I do understand if you’d rather not. If you have ties to Fleuridia, family or…” I shook my head, having no idea what she had, “acquaintances you’d not like to be that far away from.”
“My family’s dead, milady.”
That was when I finally shut my mouth and stared at her.
I stopped doing that to inquire, “All of them?”
She nodded. “Mother, father, sister.”
Bloody hell.
“I…well,” I stammered, pulled myself together and asked, “If you wish to share, would you like to tell me how such a thing came about?”
“A bridge crumbled under their sleigh,” she informed me readily. “The sleigh fell through and somehow flipped as it descended. My father got free, but my mother and sister were trapped under it at the bottom of the river.” She shrugged as if this mattered little to her, but I could see the pink in her cheeks that seemed pronounced due to the sudden pallor of her skin. “My father died because he stayed in the water trying to pull them free.”
This was…
Well…
Unthinkable.
With naught else in my power to do, I simply whispered, “Josette.”