Petronella & the Trogot Read Online Free PDF Page B

woman. She shouteth at me and sometimes hitteth me hard. But Lady Fortesque handeth down her dresses to me when they hath gone out of fashion. She wanteth me to looketh nice. Then, Barden asketh if I knoweth where my mistress keepeth her jewels. Yes, I telleth him. I always helpeth her putteth them on.
    â€œBarden smileth. Taking the shawl from myn hands, he wrappeth it around himself then rolleth his trouser legs up. Finally, he putteth the bonnet on. ‘Let us goeth to thy mistress,’ Barden sayeth, ‘we shall giveth her a nice little surprise.’ Seeing me arriving at the castle in the darkness, with what looketh like another woman servant, the guards openeth the gates to letteth us through. ‘Taketh me to thy mistress,’ Barden ordereth me, twisting myn arm cruelly until I must needs let out a small scream. Terrified by this man walking next to me, I leadeth him up the stairs to Lady Fortesque’s drawing room. When we arriveth behind the door, Barden maketh me stand in front of him and pointeth a dagger in my back. ‘Go in,’ he whispereth, ‘and doth nat ye dare tryeth to stop me.’ With my trembling hand, I openeth the door. My mistress were writing a letter at her desk.
    â€œBarden hath never seeneth such a beautiful and large room. Flowers everywhere, little silver caskets, carved wooden chests, a large mahogany table and a padded gilt couch. The windows were drapeth either side in heavy gold satin. Neither could he helpeth seeth the diamond encrusted rings on her fingers and the giant emerald that dangleth from her gold necklace.
    â€˜Marian, who on earth hath ye brought with ye,’ Lady Fortesque sayeth with surprise.
    â€˜My Lady, I...’ I feeleth the tip of his dagger in myn back.
    â€˜Ye stupid, girl, how dare ye bringeth vermin to myn house?’ Lady Fortesque shouteth to me.
    Barden letteth go of me and, like a bull, furiously rusheth over to Lady Fortesque.
    â€˜Nobody calleth me vermin,’ he shouteth back. She spitteth at him in the face, calleth him scum of the earth. Barden were even more angry. He standeth in front of her. And she slappeth him hard around the face. So hard it were that she felleth straight over backwards and hitteth her head on the hard marble floor. Her eyes was wide open. She muttereth some words. She were nat dead.
    I panicketh and yelleth out of fright. Barden slappeth me hard. He telleth me I must needs calm down but I keepeth crying and repeating: ‘What hath ye doneth?’ Barden were still staring down at Lady Fortesque. He knoweth nat what he must needs doth. Then, he hath an idea. ‘Quick, let us putteth her in that wooden chest. By the time they findeth her in there, we shall be far away.’
    â€˜No!’ I beggeth him. ‘Please, please, we must needs telleth Lord Fortesque. We must needs explaineth that it were only an accident.’
    â€˜No! Never!’ Barden shouteth. ‘Ye must needs do as ye be telleth.’ With that, Barden tuggeth at Lady Fortesque’s necklace until it cameth off in his hands. Then, he pulleth off her rings one by one. ‘Quick, let us escapeth out of here,’ he shouteth to me. He grabbeth myn arm, pusheth me out the door and kicketh me down the staircase. He throweth the shawl over his head and wrappeth it tightly under his chin. I were too terrified to look either left or right. I simply walketh out of the gates with Barden as if I were in a trance.
    Once out, Barden darteth into a fast run and were soon to be seeneth far away in the distance. I were left there on myn own, trembling. What were I to doth? I could nat goeth back to the castle. Neither could I goeth back home and upset myn ill father. No, all I could doth were to sleep under a big tree for the night. I huddleth against the tree, curleth up into a ball to protect mynself from the cold and the dark. There I stayeth until daylight breaketh. I were waketh up by Lord Fortesque’s