Part 7 (1/2)
Madouc sighed, shrugged and ignored the mischief. One morning, while taking breakfast with her maid-in-attendance, Madouc discovered a dead mouse in her bowl of porridge. She wrinkled her nose and drew back in distaste. Glancing around the table, she noted the covert attention of the six maidens; clearly they were aware of what she would find. Chlodys clapped a hand over her mouth to restrain a giggle; Devonet's gaze was limpid and bland.
Madouc pushed the bowl aside, pursed her lips, but made no comment.
Two days later Madouc-by a series of mysterious acts and feigned stealth-so aroused the curiosity of Devonet, Chlodys and Ydraint that they followed her surrept.i.tiously in order to spy out the reason for her strange conduct. Clearly, it could only be scandalous, and the potentialities were delicious indeed. So tempted, they followed Madouc to the top of the Tall Tower, and watched as Madouc climbed a ladder up to a range of abandoned dovecotes. When at last she descended the ladder and hurried off down the stairs, Devonet, Chlodys and Ydraint emerged from their hiding places, climbed the ladder, pushed through a trap door and cautiously explored the dovecotes. To their disappointment, there was nothing to be found but dust, dirt, a few feathers and a bad smell, but no evidence of depravity. Glumly they returned to the trapdoor, only to discover that the ladder had been removed, with the stone floor a daunting twelve feet below.
At noon the absence of Devonet, Chlodys and Ydraint was noticed, to the general perplexity. Artwen, Elissia and Felice were questioned, but could supply no information. Lady Desdea put a sharp question to Madouc, who likewise professed puzzlement. ”They are very lazy; perhaps they still lie asleep in their beds.”
”Not likely!” said Lady Desdea crisply. ”I find the situation most peculiar!”
”So do I,” said Madouc. ”I suspect that they are up to no good.”
The day pa.s.sed, and the night. Early the next morning, when all was still, a kitchen maid, crossing the service-yard, heard a thin wailing sound coming from a source she could not at once identify. She stopped to listen, and finally fixed upon the dove cotes at the top of the Tall Tower. She reported her findings to Dame Boudetta, the housekeeper, and the mystery was at last resolved. The three girls, dirty, frightened, cold and aggrieved, were rescued from their high prison. In hysterical voices they denounced Madouc and blamed her for all their discomfort. (”She wanted us to go hungry and starve!” ”It was cold, and the wind blew, and we heard the ghost!” ”We were frightened! She did it all on purpose!”)
Lady Desdea and Lady Marmone listened with stony faces, but were at a loss to adjudicate the situation. The issues were confused; further, if the case were brought to the attention of the queen, Madouc might well bring accusations of her own, in regard to dead mice in the porridge, for instance.
In the end, Chlodys, Ydraint and Devonet were brusquely advised that climbing around abandoned dovecotes was behavior unsuitable for highborn young ladies.
Up to this time, the affair of the rotten quinces, along with King Casmir's embarra.s.sment and Madouc's subsequent travail, had been sternly suppressed. Now, through some clandestine source, the news reached the ears of the six maids-in-waiting, to their delight. Over needlework, Devonet spoke softly: ”What a sight, what a sight, when Madouc was beaten!”
”Kicking and squalling, bare bottom high!” said Chlodys quietly, as if awed by the thought.
”Was it truly so?” marvelled Artwen.
Devonet nodded primly. ”Indeed! Did you not hear the dismal howling?”
”Everyone heard it,” said Ydraint. ”Still, no one knew where it came from.”
”Everyone knows now,” said Chlodys. ”It was Madouc, roaring like a sick cow!”
Elissia spoke with sly mirth: ”Princess Madouc, you are so quiet! Are you discontented with our conversation?”
”Not altogether. I am amused by your jokes. Sometime you shall repeat them for me.”
”How so?” asked Devonet, puzzled and alert.
”Can you not imagine? Someday I will marry a great king and sit on a golden throne. At that time I may well command the six of you to my court, that you may produce some of this 'dismal howling' which seems to be so amusing.”
The maidens fell uneasily silent. Devonet was the first to recover her composure. She gave a tinkle of laughter. ”It is not certain, nor even likely, that you shall marry a king-since you have no pedigree! Chlodys, has Princess Madouc a pedigree?”
”No pedigree whatever, poor thing.”
Madouc asked innocently: ”What is a pedigree?”
Devonet laughed again. ”It is something you do not have! Perhaps we should not tell you this, but truth is truth! You have no father! Elissia, what is a girl who lacks a father?”
”She is a b.a.s.t.a.r.d.”
”Exactly true! Sad to say, the Princess Madouc is a b.a.s.t.a.r.d, and no one will ever want to marry her!”
Chlodys gave an exaggerated shudder. ”I am glad that I am not a b.a.s.t.a.r.d.”