Maud was storming around her home. She was angry, and uncomfortably so. Her youngest daughter was still soaking herself in the tub. Anne had disappeared off to somewhere, likely to get away from the stink of the cleaning paste.
Maud checked on the water she was boiling, and loaded more wood onto the fire. Morrys' insolence was troubling her. His arrogance, his scoffing at her daughter's plight made her kicked at a barrel chair. She stared furiously at the unfortunate furniture.
That foolish man, that pretentious boy. How dare he belittle her.
Maud checked on the water she was boiling, and loaded more wood onto the fire. Morrys' insolence was troubling her. His arrogance, his scoffing at her daughter's plight made her kicked at a barrel chair. She stared furiously at the unfortunate furniture.
That foolish man, that pretentious boy. How dare he belittle her.
"Mama?" Anne peered around the front door. She stepped back when she saw her other's expression. "The men have gone off. Alistair told me so."
"Watch the water, and fill your sister's tub when it boils. Take the old water and give it to the plants. Then, strip the beds. I want the sheets and blankets boiled, and the pallets thrown out. It's time we stopped sleeping on those filthy things." Maud rifled through the cupboards and threw the tablecloths on the floor."These too. I will be back later."
"Y-yes, mama." Anne watched as Maud paced and ripped anything with fabric out of the chests in the kitchen. "What shall I do with the pallets. I could give them to the cows?" Anne squirmed slightly. Ever since Medea had been found with the bugs, Anne had felt twitchy and itchy all over. Then she had found a bite near her privates when she had slipped away to go to the privy.
"No! You'll pass on these bugs to the animals." Maud picked up a tub of paste and tucked it into a brown bag. "Give more paste to your sister, and comb her hair finely." Then she was gone.
"Watch the water, and fill your sister's tub when it boils. Take the old water and give it to the plants. Then, strip the beds. I want the sheets and blankets boiled, and the pallets thrown out. It's time we stopped sleeping on those filthy things." Maud rifled through the cupboards and threw the tablecloths on the floor."These too. I will be back later."
"Y-yes, mama." Anne watched as Maud paced and ripped anything with fabric out of the chests in the kitchen. "What shall I do with the pallets. I could give them to the cows?" Anne squirmed slightly. Ever since Medea had been found with the bugs, Anne had felt twitchy and itchy all over. Then she had found a bite near her privates when she had slipped away to go to the privy.
"No! You'll pass on these bugs to the animals." Maud picked up a tub of paste and tucked it into a brown bag. "Give more paste to your sister, and comb her hair finely." Then she was gone.
Before Maud could decide her method, the door opened and Alys nearly knocked her over on her way out. "Miss Wrenne! I'm sorry. I didn't mean-" Alys was red faced and frantic sounding. She hastily lowered her voice. "I didn't mean to bump you, I just-"
"No, no, no. I'm sorry, Miss Drayton." Alys waved at the sound of her husband's last name. "Alys, then, and I am Maud." Alys took a breath and calmed herself.
"May I help you, Maud?" Alys said softly. She shut the door gently behind her.
Maud wanted to begin her tirade, but felt that Alys was in a different mood. She glanced at the window cut into the wall nearby and gestured for Alys to walk with her. Alys nodded, looking strained and pale. "Alys, I wanted to talk with you about your brother, and a problem I'm having."
"No, no, no. I'm sorry, Miss Drayton." Alys waved at the sound of her husband's last name. "Alys, then, and I am Maud." Alys took a breath and calmed herself.
"May I help you, Maud?" Alys said softly. She shut the door gently behind her.
Maud wanted to begin her tirade, but felt that Alys was in a different mood. She glanced at the window cut into the wall nearby and gestured for Alys to walk with her. Alys nodded, looking strained and pale. "Alys, I wanted to talk with you about your brother, and a problem I'm having."
Maud paused before the threshold of the Drayton and Foxe home. She had to calm herself if she was to get what she wanted. This household and the inhabitants was unknown to her, except for a few passing chats at the fireside. Morrys she had already become familiar with, but his sister Alys and her husband were not close to Maud. Alys' mother in law was a woman to be avoided though, but that was all Maud knew.
Maud nodded again. She looked at the woman next to her and folded her into a tight hug. Alys accepted the embrace gratefully.
"I have good news for you then," Maud said when they parted. "Morrys has not been indecent with my daughter." Alys sighed, relieved. "My daughter has discovered she's carrying vermin on her body and in her hair." Alys looked green at the idea. "Morrys does not see the the severity of the situation that I see. We must wash everything we can, otherwise everyone will be bitten. If these bites get rotten, then our party will perish slowly." Alys looked even worse. "From within," Maud added. She felt cruel doing so, but she could see Alys being repulsed, and if she could get Alys on her side, then others would be more likely to see her argument.
"I have good news for you then," Maud said when they parted. "Morrys has not been indecent with my daughter." Alys sighed, relieved. "My daughter has discovered she's carrying vermin on her body and in her hair." Alys looked green at the idea. "Morrys does not see the the severity of the situation that I see. We must wash everything we can, otherwise everyone will be bitten. If these bites get rotten, then our party will perish slowly." Alys looked even worse. "From within," Maud added. She felt cruel doing so, but she could see Alys being repulsed, and if she could get Alys on her side, then others would be more likely to see her argument.
"Oh?" Alys asked.
"My youngest daughter, Medea, recently came home-"
"Oh, what did Morrys do this time?" Alys cried. "Honestly, he's such a fool. He means well, but Foxe men are strong spirited!"
Maud blinked. "What? Morrys didn't do anything, except be a fool. What are you speaking of? What has Morrys done?"
Alys sighed. "Sometimes, Morrys gets into his head that a woman may like him more than she really does, so he may, well..." Alys shook her head. "Morrys may be forward, is all. He's never taken advantage of a woman!" Maud nodded, understanding that Morrys would not forcibly bed a woman. "His hands and lips may wander, is all," Alys finished. She sighed and shut her eyes.
"My youngest daughter, Medea, recently came home-"
"Oh, what did Morrys do this time?" Alys cried. "Honestly, he's such a fool. He means well, but Foxe men are strong spirited!"
Maud blinked. "What? Morrys didn't do anything, except be a fool. What are you speaking of? What has Morrys done?"
Alys sighed. "Sometimes, Morrys gets into his head that a woman may like him more than she really does, so he may, well..." Alys shook her head. "Morrys may be forward, is all. He's never taken advantage of a woman!" Maud nodded, understanding that Morrys would not forcibly bed a woman. "His hands and lips may wander, is all," Alys finished. She sighed and shut her eyes.
Maud felt some regret when Alys fled the scene and dashed for the privy. Maud followed at a sedated pace, and lingered outside the outhouse. She could hear Alys throwing up into the privy box. Maud wetted a spare square of cloth from her brown bag and gave it to Alys when she came out. "I am sorry if I made you ill-" Maud paused when she saw Alys look at her with her hand on her stomach. "Oh."
"I thought I might have been ill, or that I wasn't suited to the food here," Alys started. "I have some bites as well, near my privates..." Alys' voice faltered but picked up again. "I thought maybe a pox, but then I began to feel ill. I've been ill two or three times a day now for the past week. Maybe the flu, but then..."
Maud nodded. "You and I will talk then, and we shall help each other." Alys nodded, a faint smile on her lips.
"I thought I might have been ill, or that I wasn't suited to the food here," Alys started. "I have some bites as well, near my privates..." Alys' voice faltered but picked up again. "I thought maybe a pox, but then I began to feel ill. I've been ill two or three times a day now for the past week. Maybe the flu, but then..."
Maud nodded. "You and I will talk then, and we shall help each other." Alys nodded, a faint smile on her lips.