TROIS
1820
Nothing you do for
children is ever wasted.
Bellona did not see her brother until the moon was up and it was time for dinner.
The lady Rebekah brought her to the dining room where the man who took Marcellus was already seated at the head of the table. To his right sat Bellona's brother, and to his left sat the other man, the one who had taken them from their old master and given them names.
He smiled at the sight of them. "Ah, sister. I wondered if you would be joining us. How was the little one? I do hope she didn't bite. How the tables would be turned, indeed."
"Oh, save your quips for another, Nik," the lady replied. "You know I find them as charming as a bag of dirt."
Bellona was directed to the spot beside him, while the lady Rebekah took the seat Bellona wanted next to her own brother. She was too small to climb up the chair on her own, but their new master lifted her onto the seat, which was padded with three big cushions to boost her up.
Across the table, Marcellus gave her a small smile. Bellona smiled back, happy to see him.
Servants came and went. Plate after plate after plate of fruits and vegetables and meat and bread were brought to the table, more food than Bellona ever thought possible. Every day, she woke up hungry, and every night, she went to bed without feeling any less hungry.
Back in the old house, the only thing Bellona ever had to eat was bread that was always too hard or bread that was always too mouldy, and dried meat if they were very lucky, but they were never lucky.
Sometimes, scraps would come down from the kitchens, but most of the time, those were given to the hounds. Poor old Babette had been beaten to a pulp by the overseer once for smuggling leftover grapes to Bellona and her brother and the other children, but at least old Babette was still alive and the overseer was dead now.
"Take whatever you wish," said the lord Niklaus, but Bellona only took a single bun. She broke it in two and only ate half. It was so soft, and did not cut up the inside of her mouth, not even once.
When she thought no one was looking, she snuck the other half to her lap and rolled it up in her dress. She never had a whole bun to herself before. Bellona knew all about the importance of saving food.
Marcellus was doing the same thing. They caught each other's eyes and smiled secretly at each other again. Later, they could put their booty together, like pirates after a lucky plunder, rich and stuffed with stolen treasure.
The lady Rebekah was frowning. She grabbed two small bowls and filled them with grapes and berries, then placed the bowls in front of Bellona and her brother.
"Eat," she told them sternly.
They did as they were told. Then they got sick all over the floor.
Bellona's throat hurt as much as her tummy. The half of her bread had fallen out of her dress and landed on the puddle of her vomit on the floor.
She cried out in dismay and tried to reach for it, but then someone was lifting her up, away from the mess, and away from her soft bun, wasted on the floor. Tears flooded out of her eyes.
