The Knight's Mysterious Maid-Chapter 221: Sign (3)

"Why is this marking here? Is someone here?" Annalise wondered, looking around for one of her people to come forward.

There was no reason why anyone on this side should have this marking on a gate unless a guard saw it and repeated it. Now it had become a trend here with a whole new meaning.

"You look to be enjoying the gate," Thelma said.

Annalise looked away from the gate to Thelma. "One of the children’s drawings caught my eyes," she answered.

Thelma walked closer to the gate to look at the marking Nicolas made one day. "None of the children made that. You need to run along so they aren’t waiting for you.’

"I’m sorry. I was going to ask about the little girl swinging by herself," Annalise replied, pointing to where the little girl stayed by the tree.

"Where are you from?" Thelma asked, drawing closer to Annalise to get a good look at her. She glanced at the marking on the gate and then turned her attention back to Annalise. It was odd that she was here with Rafael and not Beatrice as a maid.

"I am from a small town," Annalise answered.

"It must have a name. Surely, you know the name of the town you are from," said Thelma.

"Pardon me, but I don’t like to share where I am from with someone I do not know. Maybe after I spend some time here, I will state where I am from-"

"You seem to have the proper sense for a maid. You sound like you have received good schooling. Your parents must have had a bit of money to send you to learn how to speak well. Can you read?" Thelma asked, suspicious of Annalise.

She spoke like she had received proper training as a lady. Thelma was fortunate to go to a good school for a few years thanks to her hardworking parents. She learned to read better than her peers who resided near her childhood home.

She got a small taste of what the wealthy gave to their children because her parents didn’t like how one group of people got to gain knowledge while another group were seen to have no need to learn to read or write since they would serve the wealthy.

Annalise didn’t like the sudden questions. Her mother and father taught her everything they knew. Reading and writing were normal where she was from. Her parents tried to teach her all that they knew about this side of the kingdom, but being here, Annalise realised there was so much more to learn.

Why did this woman need to know if she could read because of her looking at the marking?

’Does she know?’ Annalise wondered.

Thelma didn’t have much to say to her before she looked at the marking on the gate.

Annalise thought of her people who left and sometimes came to this side. Some ended up creating families and staying or returning home with their children because they found themselves in danger.

Annalise looked around at the orphanage once more. Someone might have deemed this a safe place to come to, but she would rather them make the journey back home where it was really safe.

"Do you read?" Thelma asked again.

Annalise continued to make her feel suspicious and now Thelma wanted to go to Rafael to ask where this maid came from.

"My parents taught me what little they knew and I continued to learn on my own. I can read just like many of the servants I know. Do the children here not receive schooling?" Annalise asked since it shouldn’t be only her being asked about.

She didn’t see why there was a need to know if she could read. Cara and many of her friends in the manor could read and write. There were a few maids and other servants who couldn’t and didn’t plan to since they had no need for it, but then there were others who wanted to learn from those who could read.

Annalise couldn’t remember who mentioned it to her when she said she had to write a letter to her family, but she remembered being told she should hide it since some of the wealthy didn’t like seeing the maids writing or reading without any flaws.

"Of course they do! I teach them what I know," Thelma said out loud as she was passionate when it came to the children. She taught them and then there were people eager to be tutors who would pass through the town and stop to teach the children before moving on.

The orphanage was far from what many thought it was.

Rafael was curious about Thelma and Annalise talking so he slowly approached them to listen to what they were saying.

"Then why does it matter if I can read?" Annalise retorted. She was getting the feeling that Thelma knew more about the marking and was testing to see if she was from the border.

Rafael returned to Annalise’s side to help her with Thelma. "My father wants to know if there is anything you need fixed," he said, standing in between Annalise and Thelma.

Thelma had more questions for Annalise since she was always curious about the marking and why Nicolas used to show interest in the people who stopped to look at it and seemed to understand what it meant. Why was he always so secretive?

Whenever she asked him about it, Nicolas would always respond that it meant nothing. That it was simply a funny drawing like the children did. Yet, he would walk away with people who came asking about the marking and have shushed conversations with them that he never wanted to tell her about.

Thelma thought it meant trouble since it would bring all sorts of people to their doors looking for help. No one ever stuck around for long when she couldn’t give a response about the marking. They only showed up when Nicolas was around.

Visitors stopped coming and looking at the marking until Annalise showed up with Rafael. Thelma didn’t want any more curious people showing up to cause harm to the children. She wanted to hit Nicolas for dying and never telling her about the mark he made. She was also angry with herself for never trying to get rid of it.

"Where did you get this one?" Thelma asked, testing to see if Rafael at least knew.

"She came looking for work. Despite how she looks, she is harmless. She is just the type of person you need to lure out the spiders in corners of the room. You should go so my father can get to work on whatever needs fixing," Rafael said, smiling like he always did as a child to make Thelma forget about what was on her mind.

Thelma looked at Annalise once more before walking off so she could get a lot of holes sealed up by River.

"All I did was stare at a gate and then I was questioned about if I knew how to read and write. I think I am just a person others find hard to take a liking to at first glance. I wanted to ask if you minded if I played with the little girl outside. She is swinging by herself," Annalise said, looking off in the direction of the little girl still watching her. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

This little girl might be the only one with sense in Annalise’s opinion. It was best to stand away from everyone else.