Bathory's Secret: When All The Time In The World Is Not Enough (Affliction Vampires Book 1) by Romina Nicolaides Page A
Authors: Romina Nicolaides
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and stretched extensively before getting up and washing her face and underarms in her basin. The soiled washcloth on the floor reminded her of Oriana's offer. I could learn to read, she thought to herself and wondered if she could take up this wonderful opportunity without being discovered by the Countess.
Looking out her window to the barn she saw that the shutters were closed so the girls were still asleep. If she was going to learn to read, she would have to push herself to make sure that none of her other duties were neglected. Getting dressed quickly, she rushed up the stairs to the west wing eager to get some binding done before having to tend to the girls. Touching her pocket for the key as she constantly did, she was alarmed to find it wasn't there. Her heart started beating very fast and she ran up the stairs and towards the binding room. I can’t believe I’ve lost the key; she's going to kill me!
She reached the binding room and was relieved to see that the key was in the door where she had forgotten it the night before, and everything inside the room was just as she had left it. The huge wave of relief was felt all over her body as neither the precious key nor the secret journals appeared to be missing or damaged. To her good fortune, no one had seen the key hanging from the lock despite its large iron ring. She took it out of the lock and put it in her pocket. Thinking back to why she hadn’t locked it, she remembered the scream that had led her downstairs. The scream wasn’t Oriana. Did I dream it? She often had frightening dreams when she was under pressure but normally they included people she knew. The man at the vegetable market was a frequent inhabitant of her nightmares, though now he seemed small and insignificant compared to the Countess. Removing the key from her pocket once again she locked the door behind her and got to work.
At the chapel bells’ afternoon chime she took a break from her page sewing and went downstairs to check on the girls. She would have to get them up, feed them and help them dress which was quite a time-consuming exercise. The shutters were closed so they were still sleeping. At least they were doing better with the nighttime schedule than she was. Miloš had also followed instructions and had delivered the breakfast trolley which smelled of delicious eggs, bread, meats and some kind of fruit. She could feel her tummy protest.
Gently opening the doors she wheeled the trolley inside and called out to them.
“Good morning girls, it’s time to get up and get ready for class.”
She headed for the fireplace and rekindled the almost dead fire. She then proceeded to open all the shutters as the girls slowly came to.
“It really is incredible how much mess four little girls produce,” Kati said as she collected shed underclothes, bonnets and socks from the floors and bedposts. What she thought was still clean she folded and placed on each girl's trunk and the rest she put aside to wash while they were going to be in lessons.
It was late afternoon by the time they were all ready and Kati diligently escorted them to the Library. As the others ushered in and found their seats Kati pulled Oriana aside.
“I’d love for us to start what we talked about yesterday, if we can,” she whispered into the girl’s ear.
Oriana smiled and nodded frantically, without saying anything else. They all entered the large room and opened their books and began to revise until the Countess arrived. She could come at any moment so they all had to keep busy quietly. Kati cleared the ash in the fireplace and lit a new fire. She wiped down the lacquered tabletop as much as she could considering the girls were sitting around it and left the room as soon the Countess made an appearance. She quickly returned to the barn to finish tidying up after the girls and hastily washed their clothes focusing only on the stained parts. The frequency with which these
Looking out her window to the barn she saw that the shutters were closed so the girls were still asleep. If she was going to learn to read, she would have to push herself to make sure that none of her other duties were neglected. Getting dressed quickly, she rushed up the stairs to the west wing eager to get some binding done before having to tend to the girls. Touching her pocket for the key as she constantly did, she was alarmed to find it wasn't there. Her heart started beating very fast and she ran up the stairs and towards the binding room. I can’t believe I’ve lost the key; she's going to kill me!
She reached the binding room and was relieved to see that the key was in the door where she had forgotten it the night before, and everything inside the room was just as she had left it. The huge wave of relief was felt all over her body as neither the precious key nor the secret journals appeared to be missing or damaged. To her good fortune, no one had seen the key hanging from the lock despite its large iron ring. She took it out of the lock and put it in her pocket. Thinking back to why she hadn’t locked it, she remembered the scream that had led her downstairs. The scream wasn’t Oriana. Did I dream it? She often had frightening dreams when she was under pressure but normally they included people she knew. The man at the vegetable market was a frequent inhabitant of her nightmares, though now he seemed small and insignificant compared to the Countess. Removing the key from her pocket once again she locked the door behind her and got to work.
At the chapel bells’ afternoon chime she took a break from her page sewing and went downstairs to check on the girls. She would have to get them up, feed them and help them dress which was quite a time-consuming exercise. The shutters were closed so they were still sleeping. At least they were doing better with the nighttime schedule than she was. Miloš had also followed instructions and had delivered the breakfast trolley which smelled of delicious eggs, bread, meats and some kind of fruit. She could feel her tummy protest.
Gently opening the doors she wheeled the trolley inside and called out to them.
“Good morning girls, it’s time to get up and get ready for class.”
She headed for the fireplace and rekindled the almost dead fire. She then proceeded to open all the shutters as the girls slowly came to.
“It really is incredible how much mess four little girls produce,” Kati said as she collected shed underclothes, bonnets and socks from the floors and bedposts. What she thought was still clean she folded and placed on each girl's trunk and the rest she put aside to wash while they were going to be in lessons.
It was late afternoon by the time they were all ready and Kati diligently escorted them to the Library. As the others ushered in and found their seats Kati pulled Oriana aside.
“I’d love for us to start what we talked about yesterday, if we can,” she whispered into the girl’s ear.
Oriana smiled and nodded frantically, without saying anything else. They all entered the large room and opened their books and began to revise until the Countess arrived. She could come at any moment so they all had to keep busy quietly. Kati cleared the ash in the fireplace and lit a new fire. She wiped down the lacquered tabletop as much as she could considering the girls were sitting around it and left the room as soon the Countess made an appearance. She quickly returned to the barn to finish tidying up after the girls and hastily washed their clothes focusing only on the stained parts. The frequency with which these
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