Dream of Me/Believe in Me

remote as to be absurd, back before the summons to her family's manor, to stand beneath the hate-filled gaze of her half-brother and learn she was to be given in marriage to a stranger who, should he fail to love her, would all unknowingly destroy her life.
    But that would not happen, she was quite resolved. Hawk
would
love her. Never mind that she had scant knowledge of men and even less of marriage. Aware that in her ignorance she might make some dreadful error thatcould ruin everything, she had hatched the admittedly unusual but, she thought, reasonable plan to come to Hawkforte as one of her own servants. Cleverly disguised, she would learn everything she could about the man whose wife she was to be. When she had done so, the servant girl would vanish—the black dye washed from hair that was naturally golden—and the Lady Krysta would appear, fully prepared to be the best—and best loved— wife the Lord Hawk could ever have.
    It all made perfect sense to her; indeed, she was quite pleased to have thought up so resourceful a plan. True, Thorgold and Raven had tried to discourage her, until she reminded them, gently to be sure, that they were hardly experienced in such matters. The intricacies of marriage were at least as much a mystery to her beloved servants as they were to Krysta herself. But not for long. Oh, no, before very many days had passed, she was certain all her questions would be answered, her concerns resolved, and her course clear.
    All perfectly sensible.
    So where to begin? As she studied the activity in the bailey, she noted that the people looked healthy, well fed, and adequately if plainly dressed. Everybody seemed to have some task to do and was going about it diligently. There was even a little group of children sitting together as they carded wool.
    Children fascinated her; she had been the only child in her own home. There she had lived from her birth until the day scant weeks before when she left for the journey to Essex. While her father lived, he had visited her frequently but he never even suggested that she leave her home and come to the family seat, where her half-brother and half-sisters, the children of his first marriage, resided. After his death, she had remained apart, content enough with her life. Yet she had always had the unsettling sensethat she was merely biding time, waiting for something to happen.
    Now it had and she could not repress her excitement, especially since she had actually seen the Lord Hawk. Eagerly, she scanned the bailey again but there was no sign of him. She was disappointed but not overly so, for there were still the children. Irresistibly drawn to them, she approached with caution, unsure of her reception, but when a hazel-eyed urchin looked up and smiled, her hesitation vanished.
    “May I help with that?” she asked, indicating the wool they were carding. One of the little girls, apparently the leader of the small group, regarded her for a moment, nodded, and handed her a set of paddles set with wire teeth closely fixed together. Krysta settled down beside them on the dusty ground, studying how they went about their task and trying hard to do the same. Her first few efforts were clumsy. The paddles were more difficult to manage than she'd thought and she skinned her knuckles several times.
    “Like this,” the little girl said and placed her small hands over Krysta's, showing her the proper motion. With that help, she did better and soon felt she had the knack of it. When the children nodded approvingly, she couldn't help but be pleased.
    They worked in silence for a short time before the little girl asked, “You're one of the foreign lady's servants, aren't you?”
    Krysta nodded, disliking the lie but telling herself yet again that it was necessary. “My name is Ilka.”
    “People say Lord Hawk doesn't want to marry her. He's only doing it for the alliance.”
    Despite the tightening of her throat, Krysta managed to reply. “Perhaps he'll change his mind when he gets to know her.”
    “Perhaps.” The little girl looked unconvinced.
    “What's your name?” Krysta asked after a pause.
    “Edythe.” She introduced the others, who nodded shyly.
    “What else do you do besides this?” Krysta asked.
    Edythe shrugged. “All sorts of things. We help with the flocks, bring wood and water, cook, whatever needs to be done.” She hesitated a moment before adding, “Lady Daria likes everyone to be busy.”
    “What about Lord Hawk? Does he think