She had never met anyone like Arabella Caldwell. He woman was confident, self-posed and incredibly elegant. Her voice rang like silver bells and Milena was sure she made every head turn upon entering a room.
As it would seem, Milena wasn’t the only one that was intrigued by Arabella.
Rebecca Clarke was a shy girl, seventeen years of age. Her dark brown hair hung straight down and stopped right above her shoulders. She hung on Arabella’s every word.
“It brings out the green in your eyes, Becky,” Arabella smiled, “and if you put up your hair like this, no man will be able to resist you.”
“Are you sure?” Rebecca whispered. A heat was spreading across her cheeks.
“Trust me,” Arabella winked. She focused her attention on Milena now. “You my dear, are a different story. You don’t need any adornments. You are a rare beauty.” She combed her fingers through Milena’s hair. “Ah,” she sighed, “if I didn’t have Nate, I’d be worried.”
She withdrew and held a puzzled look. “Blue I think,. A dark shade. Don’t you have such a gown, Amelia?”
Amelia bit her lip. She had to already share her dresses with the gypsy girl, but now her best gown as well? “I… was planning on wearing the one myself,” she said.
“Nonsense, my dear,” Arabella said, “blue is not your color. Lavender I think.” She stared Amelia up and down. “Yes. Positively.” She clasped her hands. “No worries. I have a blue one that will suit just fine.” She patted Milena’s hair again and turned her eyes to the doorway. “Emily dear. Come join us.” 

Emily rolled her wheelchair into the room. She gave a shy smile. “Hello.”
“We were just discussing what color gown to lend your new friend for the banquet.”
“Are you and Jackson hosting another party?” Emily asked with a dreamy look in her eyes. “I wish I could go.”
“Ah, but you’re still too young my sweet,” Arabella said, “there will be many more parties to come for you to attend.”
A sad expression crossed the younger girl’s face. “You’re very kind Ara, but you know as well as I that I’m never going to attend a fete.”
She lowered her eyes and bit her lip. No own would ever ask her for a dance. No man would ever look at her with interest. No one ever did, aside from the family. They only saw the chair.

Milena looked at the girls sadly. Gently she placed her hand over Emily’s.
Emily gave a watery smile. “Don’t feel sorry for me, Leah. I’m glad you get to go. You’re going to be beautiful.”
‘You are beautiful,’ Milena thought.
“Don’t be sad, Emi,” Amelia said to her sister, “I’ll tell you all about it when we get back.”
“I know,” Emily said. Still, she’d rather attend one herself. “I’m sure it will be lovely.”

***

Grim faces sat around the fire of Oszkar’s kumpania, after hearing the news brought by Nikolai and Imrich.
“I warned them I did ,” Oszkar said, running a hand across his face.
“This was no fault of theirs, Oszkar,” Andrei said, “the gadje hate us. They will always find an excuse to cause us harm.”
Nikolai stared into the fire and threw in some random twigs. He held a thoughtful expression. Ramiro had waited too long. He shouldn’t make the same mistake. He took a deep breath. “Oszkar, may we sit and speak?”
Oszkar turned to him and studied the young man for a while. He nodded. “We may.” He stood up and motioned for Nikolai to follow him into the wagon. “Sit,” he said, “and we will talk.”
Nikolai took a deep breath. “It’s about your daughter…”

***

“It’s a magnificent animal,” Daniel said appreciative while patting the bay horse’s neck.
His friend Jacob nodded and smiled. “I bought it from the traveling folk.”
Daniel cocked an eyebrow. “Gypsies?”
“Everyone knows they have the best horses,” Jacob defended.
“Yes,” Daniel said, “and the don’t usually sell them to non gypsies. How did you get by it?”
Jacob nodded. “I understand your worries, Daniel, but I am no fool. I know a good horse when I see it. It has no flaws.”
“I can see that,” Daniel said, still admiring the horse.
“They were going to sell it a the horse market, but they changed their minds and sold it to me instead.”
“How fortunate.”
“Do you want to give him a try? Feel how it moves?”
“Are you sure?”
Jacob laughed. “I know you want to.” He handed Daniel the reins. “Go on.” He watched as his friend mounted the animal. It had been a lucky coincidence indeed to have come across the gypsies.

***

The servant girl, Anna, gasped when the stack of towels she was carrying tipped over. The freshly washed pieces of cloth spilled all over the floor.
Quickly she dropped to her knees to pick them up before the lady Blackwood would see.
When another pair of hands appeared next to her, she flinched.
Carefully Anna looked up and recognized the gypsy girl.
The young woman sat on her knees, gathering the towels and neatly folding them.
Anna stared at her nervously. The girl had been in the household several days now, but it still made Anna uncomfortable. Gypsies couldn’t be trusted. How could the family stand for it?
But Anna knew better than to speak her thoughts, especially to her superiors. She needed this job. Her family depended on the money.

Milena stood up at the same time Anna did and handed her the towels. The girl took them from her awkwardly. “There is no need to you to do that,” she said stiffly.
Milena bit her lip. She wished Anna would like her better.
Anna curtsied and hurried away from her to get back to her chores. She glanced back over her shoulder before turning the corner.
Milena watched her sadly. She had only meant to help. It was not like her to sit idly.
Her eyes moved to the large window at the far end of the hallway.
Daniel was in the courtyard, trying out a horse. Another young man was watching, a delighted smile on his face.
Judging from the finery he was wearing, he had to be from a wealthy family. She wondered if he was one of Daniel’s friends.
Her eyes returned to Daniel, the wind playing with his wheat- colored hair.
The horse was a magnificent animal, strong and healthy.
Milena gasped.
She knew that horse.
But that was impossible.
Breaking away from her initial shock, she turned and darted down the hall. She had to be sure. She needed to see the horse up close. 

As she turned the corner, she almost collided with someone. A loud gasp made her realize who it was.
Cecily Blackwood stared at her bewildered and disapproving.
Milena bit her lip and gave a hasty curtsy, trying to walk around the woman.
“Wait,” Cecily called.
Milena stiffened. She wanted to go outside to see the horse, but it would not be proper to disobey someone older. And she was still a guest in this house.
Milena waited patiently for Cecily to speak. “Amelia and Rebecca are in the salon, embroidering. Why don’t you join them?  Amelia will show you how it’s done.” She didn’t like the idea of having the gypsy girl wander around the house. Better to have her somewhere in sight.
Milena held back a sigh and nodded at the woman, even though she had no desire for embroidery.
With heavy steps she made her way to the salon.

Cecily let out an exasperated sigh. She would be glad to see the girl gone, but her mother did not share that opinion.

“She is well enough. Her injuries have almost healed. It is time for her to leave.”
“Shame on you Cecily. This is not how I have raised you. The poor child has nowhere to go. You know most people do not like gypsies.”
“She is a stranger, mother. Who is to say it’s not some ploy to gain our trust and then rob us all?”
“Cecily! Don’t be heartless. What if the same thing had happened to Amelia? Or Emily. Would you not want someone to take care of them?”
“I would look for them No one has come for this girl. What do we know about her?”
“I’m sure it will be fine now that you have her under your wings,” Ruth said, “besides, she is kind to Emily. That child has too few friends as it is. The girl stays.”

Cecily sighed again. When her mother put her foot down, there was no changing her mind. And now Arabella Caldwell had taken an interest to the gypsy girl as well.
Everything she had worked for was on the line. Reputation was everything. She couldn’t let one girl ruin that.

***

“What are you doing here all by yourself?” Dorin looked up at the sound of Ihrin’s voice. He had distanced himself from the kumpania and sat by the river.
Dorin lifted his basket and Ihrin nodded. “I will leave you be.” She turned around.
“There is no need…” Dorin cleared his throat and left his sentence unfinished.
Ihrin looked at him. “I did not mean to disturb you in your work.”
Dorin gritted his teeth. “Your presence does not bother me.”  He wanted to bite his tongue. Why was he always so awkward with conversations?
An amused smile played around Ihrin’s lips. “Well then,” she said, “as I do not bother you, may I sit with you and speak?”
“You may sit and not speak,” Dorin answered. He was in no mood to talk.
Slowly Ihrin sat down, trying not to take offense. Dorin was a gruff man. Everyone new this. Still, she would have liked it better had he been nicer.
Things had been strained ever since the gadje had attacked. She desperately wanted things to get back to normal. To see Daria dance again and Ramiro laugh. For Carmen to come out of her daze.
She sighed. Her life had been so secure and safe. She had taken too many things for granted.
And in a few moments it had been lost.
She glanced at Dorin and bit her lip. “Do you have reed to spare?”
Dorin considered one moment, but nodded and shove some towards the girl.
Ihrin took a deep breath and quietly set to work. Perhaps working would be good.
Perhaps then she could forget.

***

Milena bit her lip to stifle a yawn. How could anyone be content with this pointless occupation?
Across from her, Rebecca and Amelia were concentrating on their stitches, every now and then engaging in some giggly conversation.
And even though the embroidery looked pretty, it served no purpose.
Milena shook her head. They’d be better served to learn how to mend clothes. Just yesterday, she had witnessed Amelia toss away a dress she had ripped when it could easily have been repaired.
Instead, she was stitching tiny flowery patterns onto a piece of cloth. It made no sense.
“How do you keep your stitches so small?”
Rebecca’s soft voice made her look up, surprised that the shy girl had addressed her. She was studying Milena’s work with awe.

From across, Amelia looked up as well. It was true. The gypsy girl’s stitches were fine and delicate. She eyed it curiously. How could such an unsophisticated girl make such delicate handiwork?

Milena bit her lip. How could she explain it to them? She had mended Ramiro’s shirts so many times, as well as Petsha’s and Laszlo’s. This was not so different.
She held up her hand helplessly.
“Could you show me?” Rebecca asked and she sat down next to Milena.
Feeling very self-conscious, Milena set to her embroidery again with the young woman hovering over her.
After a moment, Amelia seated herself closer as well, unsure  how to feel about the situation. The gypsy girl didn’t seem to be anyone special and not much stood out about her. And still she managed to intrigue Amelia’s friends. First the world-wise Arabella and now Rebecca as well. She felt a pang of jealousy and tried to suppress it. It was not becoming of a lady to belittle someone else. And the girl really did have a talent for stitching.
Amelia sighed. Perhaps her grandmother had been right. Perhaps she should try harder to make the girl fit in. After all, they had a banquet to attend. And the Blackwood name was at stake.
There was some work to be done.