Chapter Seven
Katherine woke slowly beneath the soft, flowered covers of her four-poster bed, blinking in the hazy morning light. She was somewhat surprised that her chambermaids were nowhere to be seen—surprised, and perhaps disappointed as well.
She did not really understand it, did not dare to analyze the ramifications of her confused feelings. She knew only that something seemed to have changed. The disturbance made her feel just the faintest bit uncomfortable.
Yet, as her unfocused eyes cleared gradually, Katherine came to realize that one of the girls was, indeed, standing right beside her great canopied bed. The maid’s back was turned, however, and apparently she had not heard Katherine wake. As Katherine watched, the girl seemed to be looking at the floor.
“Oh, you naughty litt
