Chapter 9
Life returned to its usual rhythm after the modest splurge for Kyle's birthday. That is, until one sweltering evening when I found myself on our porch, sewing a patch onto one of Kyle's hopelessly butchered pairs of pants. The porch, mercifully shaded by the roof Kyle had constructed, was my refuge from the blazing summer sun.
It was then that our neighbor, the ever-scandalous woman entangled in an affair behind her husband's back, decided to grace me with her presence. She was in her late thirties, unremarkable in appearance, with medium-length brown hair and black eyes. Not particularly memorable, her looks would blend seamlessly into any crowd. However, her personality was... unforgettable, to put it kindly. She was a whirlwind of unfiltered sass, and I am quite certain her moral compass had been broken and tossed into the sea long ago. This woman even had the audacity to flirt with me, suggesting I might join her in exploring her carnal whims. Truly, she was a lost cause.
"My dear lovely Ann... sweetie..." Her voice oozed false charm, each word slathered in so much artificial sweetness that it sent a shiver of disgust down my spine.
"Mrs. Armstood," I said curtly, sparing her the barest side-eye while my hands remained focused on sewing Kyle's pants.
"Oh, come on now, just call me Helena..." she crooned. From the corner of my eye, I could see her leaning casually against the porch pole, arms crossed, a picture of misplaced confidence.
"And what brings you here, dare I ask?" I asked dryly.
"You said you weren't interested in women, but how come you've been seeing one lately?"
What?
I paused.
Was she daft? Perhaps she had taken leave of her senses entirely. Her accusation was as nonsensical as it was baseless, and frankly, I had no patience for whatever fantasy she was concocting. I returned my attention to Kyle's pants.
"Ohhh," Helena purred as if we were already engaged in some torrid affair. "Denying it, are we?"
It was always like this with Helena. Her incessant prattle continuing until I shoo her away.
"Mrs. Armstood, whatever you are accusing me of exists solely within the realm of your imagination. I see no reason to defend myself against such baseless nonsense. Now, if you would be so kind as to remove yourself from my porch pole, turn on your heel, and take your leave, I would be most grateful."
Undeterred by my frosty reception, Helena leaned in further with an audacity that could only be admired by the thoroughly shameless. "Not until you admit you've been with a woman. Blonde hair, absolutely dazzling, with blazing red eyes. The Duchess of Ivoryspire, to be exact."
Was this woman mad? "Perhaps it is time to have your eyes examined, Mrs. Armstood."
Helena chuckled. "My eyes are perfectly fine. I've seen her around here lately. In fact, I just passed her moments ago. And guess what? I asked her what brings her to our quaint little neighborhood. Do you know what she said? She said she came to see you," Helena declared triumphantly. "So, why are you denying it? If you've given her a chance, why not give me one too?"
"Why don't you take your confidence and ask her for a chance yourself?" I suggested coolly. "After all, you have just declared her to be attractive."
Helena smirked. "Ah, so you are having a thing with her."
For heaven's sake. I tilted my head back, my eyes fixing on the porch roof as though seeking divine intervention. I took a deep breath, attempting to calm the storm of irritation rising within me.
Kyle returned just in time. He parked the carriage, climbed down with a nervous energy, and approached me with a look that screamed, "I am about to confess to something dreadful."
"Welcome back, Kyle," I offered him a reassuring smile.
Helena, still loitering like an unwelcome storm, turned to Kyle and made a face so sour it might as well have curdled milk. With one last longing glance at me, as though I had somehow betrayed her delicate affections, she huffed and retreated.
"I see Mrs. Armstood stopped by," Kyle glanced after her retreating figure. "She looks like she ain't too fond of me."
"Ignore her. Go inside. I made fish stew for lunch." My attention returned to the pants I was mending, but Kyle lingered, fidgeting like a guilty child.
Finally, he pulled a folded letter from his pocket and handed it to me. "On my way home, this older fella stopped me. Never seen him before, but judgin' by his clothes, he's proper loaded. He handed me this and said he expects me at his estate tomorrow mornin'."
I took the letter, my curiosity piqued. Poor Kyle couldn't read or write despite my earnest attempts to teach him, and before I came into his life, he had relied on the post office staff to read his letters for a fee.
I unfolded the letter and began to read. After a moment, I closed my eyes briefly to think, then turned to him. "Where exactly have you been gathering logs this past week?"
"In the south forest, outside the city," he replied quickly.
"This letter says you have been trespassing on Viscount Huntsman's hunting grounds and chopping down his trees."
Kyle's eyes widened in shock. "Th-that land's supposed to be owned by no one!" he stammered. "What am I gonna do, Ann?"
"Calm yourself, Kyle. Let us think this through carefully. You used to gather logs in the north forest. What made you decide to go south this time?"
"A man I met told me the south forest was closer, had more trees, and even better game for huntin'."
"And do you know this man well?"
"Just met him not long ago. He seemed friendly enough. Genuinely nice, y'know? Said he goes there for resources himself."
"So, a stranger, supposedly kind and helpful, advised you to begin gathering logs on land you hadn't verified, which just so happens to belong to a viscount?"
Kyle's face paled as realization began to dawn. "Oh no. What if he tricked me?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but my words faltered as Helena's earlier remarks echoed in my mind. Millicent had told her she came to see me. A thought crossed my mind, one so outrageous I almost dismissed it outright. Surely Millicent would not stoop so low as to scheme against us poor commoners, setting Kyle up to trespass on a viscount's land.
Would she?