Free The Silver Bowl by Diane Stanley

have grown out of it, then. That sometimes happens. What about your necklace—aren’t you going to wear it, take it out from under your bodice so folk can see it?”
    â€œWhat necklace?”
    â€œOh, come on. No use pretending to me, you goose. I seen it when you’re getting dressed and such. A fine little silver circle hanging on a chain.”
    â€œOh,” I said. “My mother gave it to me. She said I was to keep it hidden, as it isn’t seemly for someone of my station to wear such a thing.”
    â€œWell, not for every day, no. She’s right about that. But if you’d told her you was going to a king’s banquet now, I betcha she’d say different.”
    â€œI don’t know.”
    Winifred put her hands on her hips and looked at me square on. “What’s it for, then, if not to look pretty? Eh?”
    For comfort , I thought. For remembering. For protection. Good magic to balance out evil.
    She still stood there, head cocked, watching me at my thoughts. “Truly, Molls,” she said, “it’s not that hard a question.”
    I felt for the chain at the back of my neck and gave it a gentle tug, lifting the silver disk out from where it lay warm against my heart.
    â€œYou’re right,” I said. “I shall wear it.”
    As soon as we’d finished dressing, we went up to the kitchen and joined our fellow servants. We would be given instruction on how to behave, after which we would all go down to the hall together and be seated before things got started.
    We waited in the alcove, near the silver closet, so as to be out of the way of the kitchen staff. They were frantically putting the final touches on the first-course dishes, arranging things on the serving platters, saucing them as needed and garnishing them with herbs, or lemon slices, or apples, or flowers.
    I noticed that the door to the silver closet was ajar. Thomas must have been in there, finishing up his accounts. He noted down every piece that ever went out of that room. Later, after the banquet, he would do it all again—checking in every platter, every flagon, every bowl as it came back. If so much as a spoon went missing, Thomas would know it.
    Now here he came, locking the door, heading in our direction. And oh, my stars! He wore a black velvet doublet embroidered all over with silver and pearls, and dove gray silken stockings, and pointy black slippers topped with fluffy bows. Framing his face was a fine lace ruff, and on his head was a velvet cap embellished with a silver gray plume!
    This was not the Thomas I knew, the quiet man who dressed so modestly and never called attention to himself. Indeed, at times I tended to forget he was highborn, and not some common servant as the cook was.
    â€œThomas,” I said. “You are a wonder!”
    â€œAs are you,” he said. “Little Molly, all tricked out with ribbons.”
    I touched my hair and blushed.
    â€œAnd what have we here?” He’d noticed the silver disk. “May I see it?”
    I held it up so he could have a closer look.
    â€œSilver filigree,” he said. “Child, this is a very handsome piece.”
    â€œI know. My grandfather made it a long time ago.”
    â€œYour grandfather worked in silver? How amazing. Perhaps you were destined to work with it too.” He smiled. “I see there are initials here, woven into the design.”
    â€œYes. The W is for William and the M for Martha . Those were my grandparents’ names.”
    â€œAh,” he said, and released the disk so that it dropped very delicately back onto the front of my gown. “Well, it’s a beautiful piece. You’re most fortunate to have it.”
    I nodded, but he had already turned away. He would be off to the king’s chapel now to see Elinor wed. Then he and the other noble servants would begin the procession—up the grand stairway, and through the great double doors, and into