My Shadow

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

“Mother, Mother!” Eddy called as they reached their home. One of the men took the girl from Eddy’s arms and Eddy jumped down off of his horse. His mother and sister appear in the doorway. “We found this girl. She has a cut on her head and it’s bleeding again!” he called.

While they had been travelling back, her cut had reopened and begun to bleed again. They had also decided that she must have fallen to have hit her head like that. That led to the question, why had she fallen? Had someone pushed her? Had she been running from someone or something and slipped?

Eddy’s mother came over to them with his sister, Matilda. “Let’s have a look at her,” Mother said. “Where did you find her?” she took the girl from the guard’s arms. “Matilda, go get a servant to prepare a room!” Matilda nodded and disappeared inside again.

Matilda was twenty and was to be married on Saturday. She would leave the family to go and live with her new husband and they probably wouldn’t see her for ages. Matilda would do anything for them in the last few days before she goes as she loved them and didn’t want to leave them. The man she was marrying lived on the opposite side of the country and it would take days to get there.

Louis sneaked up behind Eddy but Eddy was waiting for him and turned round to face him. Louis was fourteen, and very annoying. His black hair was short and was kept flat on his head. He seemed to think that he would be leader when their father left even though he was the youngest. Louis gave Eddy a cheeky grin and Eddy punched him in the arm.

Their mother coughed. Her blonde hair was about her shoulders and the slight breeze making it wave out behind her. People said that Matilda was the spitting image of her whereas Louis was the spitting image of their father. Nobody knew who Eddy looked like.

“Where did you find her?” their mother repeated.

“We found her by the river, in the woods, where we usually hunt.” Eddy replied.

“Did she know where she was?” Mother asked.

“I do not know, Mother, she is unconscious. It is impossible to ask her.” Eddy replied. Matilda appeared at the door again, a ruff around her neck.

“The room is ready, Mother.” She left again. Mother passed Eddy the girl and she led the way to the room which the servants had prepared.

They passed the banquet hall with decorations hanging from every wall and a table currently being set up by some of the servants and maids. The preparations reminded Eddy of his party and his heart sank. He’d much rather make sure the girl was all right than go to a silly party with girls trying to get him to dance.

Mother opened the door to one of the bedrooms and Eddy walked in, placing the girl on the bed.

“Will she be all right?” he asked.

“I do not know. She is a peasant. Hardly any food in her; probably no strength either.” His mother replied. She began to work on the girl, wrapping her head up in a cloth, tightly to stop the bleeding.

Matilda burst into the room. “Come along, little brother, let us dress you for the party tonight!” she exclaimed and tugged Eddy out of the room. Eddy followed her to his room where she began searching through his chest, looking for clothes. When she had found what she had wanted she pulled them out and laid them on the bed. Eddy looked at them.

There was a silk shirt with frills at the cuffs and neck, some close fitting trousers which were plain and not striped as usual. While Eddy changed, Matilda left the room and when she returned he was dressed and she was carrying a doublet. Eddy pulled it on and Matilda beamed. “There, you look very handsome!” she said, her smile still on her face. “I must go and get dressed, Francis is coming tonight. I must look my best!” Matilda rushed out of the room. Francis was the man she was going to be married.