Chapter 84: Three Days
Rose gasped. She had forgotten about this part. She had been so tired and just wanted to be left alone that she had forgotten why she was even here in the first place—to save her father. If she didn’t go back, the crown prince might just revoke the pardon. Or worse, he might charge her father with treason, and he would be tortured before eventually being killed. She couldn’t let that happen.
"There is also the fact that if the crown prince gets wind that I helped you, I have far more to lose. These girls depend on me—I can’t do anything to jeopardize them, and I already have. If I don’t get you to the crown prince and hopefully get the gold pieces back, we will be in ruin. It might seem too much to ask of you, but there is far more at stake."
Rose nodded. It was selfish of her to make such a request of Lady Delphine when she had done her best to get her out of the masked auction. If she had gone to someone else, Lord knows what atrocities they might have required her to do.
"’Ow do ye do it?" Rose suddenly asked.
"Do what? Lay with someone I don’t love?" Lady Delphine asked with a laugh.
Rose nodded, surprised that Lady Delphine had understood what she meant immediately.
Lady Delphine smiled, causing her eyes to wrinkle. "Oh, to be naive and innocent again. I’d give anything. How do you do the dishes?" she asked.
"What do ye mean?" Rose asked, confused. She couldn’t figure out what doing the dishes had to do with this.
"The dishes," Lady Delphine repeated. "How do you clean them?"
"Like I’m supposed to," Rose replied, unsure of what Lady Delphine wanted her to say.