The Wolf of Harrow Hall (Tales of the Latter Kingdoms Book 7) Read Online Free PDF Page B

castle, he didn’t understand that a young woman could have just as healthy an appetite as a man.
    Once I was done, I decided I should do what I could to get myself cleaned up and presentable, just in case Lord Greymount might relent and agree to see me after all. Master Merryk had made no mention of a bath, but there was a basin of water sitting on a stand near the fire, along with some clean cloths. I went over to it and washed my face and neck as well as I could, then opened a drawer in the stand and found a hairbrush and comb.
    Since my hair had become quite knotted during my journey to the castle, I knew getting it presentable again would take some effort. I sat down on the stool in front of the dressing table and began working through the tangles. The mirror above the table was age-blackened in spots, but still far better than anything I had to work with back at my grandmother’s cottage. I stared at my reflection, gratified to see that my ordeal of the day before didn’t appear to have taken any lasting toll. True, I looked a little pale, but my dark eyes had no shadows beneath them, and the color had returned to my lips, which had always been naturally rosy pink.
    Once my hair lay smooth and glossy over my shoulders — in truth, it had never looked so fine, as I had never before had the luxury to groom it so thoroughly with such a good brush before — I got up from the dressing table and went to inspect the gowns in the wardrobe. The most elegant of them all was a dress of dark blue velvet with silver embroidery and a collar of soft white fur, but I didn’t quite have the courage to put it on. Instead, I reached for a gown made of finely woven dark green wool and pulled it out, draping it over one arm. In a drawer at the bottom of the wardrobe, I found neatly folded chemises and other underthings, cut more narrowly than I was used to because of the form-fitting nature of the gowns they must be worn beneath.
    A few sprigs of lavender fell from the folds of a chemise as I shook it out, and the delicate scent wafted up to my nose. I breathed it in, thinking of warmer days when those flowers would bloom. But summer was months away, and I had to focus on my rather dire present. What I tried very hard not to think about was my grandmother’s worry over my fate. She must be distressed beyond measure, since of course she had no way of knowing that I had reached Harrow Hall safely, and was now enjoying its hospitality. I could only hope she fared as well as I did, and utter a silent thank-you to the gods that at least we had a good store of wood at hand, since one had been dropped off at the cottage only a few days ago.
    Getting into the gown proved more difficult than I had thought it would be, since it laced up the back. Clearly, it had been intended for a wearer with lady’s maids to help her with such tasks, but I had no such assistance. What I did have was plenty of time, and after struggling with the laces for what seemed like at least a half-hour, I got myself more or less securely fastened into the dress. I could only hope that getting out of it wouldn’t be quite as arduous an endeavor.
    On the floor of the wardrobe were several pairs of slippers. They were slightly large, but since they also laced on, I managed to tie them tightly enough that I thought I should be able to keep them attached to my feet.
    Not that walking in them would be much of a problem, considering that it seemed as if I wouldn’t be leaving this chamber anytime soon. Master Merryk had said he would be back to check on me at midday, but I had no idea how long that might be.
    Once again I went to the window, but although the world seemed marginally lighter, telling me it was later in the day, the sun was obscured by pale grey clouds, and the snow continued to fall. Indeed, it was very difficult to discern where the sky stopped and the storm began, or where the ground even lay.
    Because my grandmother had taught me to be neat, I went and