maidservant in her brothers' house, of Suchdol
“I do the real work while my brothers play lord and steal my dowry. My hands are cracked to prove it.”
Things Emma had written, latest first, with the glosses of her neighbours.
the Monday before Whitsun, at Terce
The widow Magdalena says she will bring the bailiff on us over Margery's hound Cernik. The dog just barks at her stupid birds. He is the only creature in this house that does not yell at me, but we have no coin for fines.
the third day of Easter week, at Vespers
William is off to Kuttenberg again to play his lute for drunkards instead of doing honest work. I hope a mercenary breaks the wooden thing over his empty head. Meanwhile I have a mountain of torn tunics to mend before dark.
Those drunkards pay good pennies, sister. More than scrubbing iron pots gets you.
Nota scribaeShe wrung a rag so hard the dirty water hit my boots.
the second Friday of Lent, at None
Roger sat at the supper table and claimed again that our father Adam promised him the thirty-pace strip for a cottage. He was drinking at the alehouse when the sweating sickness took father. I was the one holding the water cup to his lips. The land is my rightful dowry.
the Tuesday after St Matthias, at Prime
John is plowing the edge of the far strip again. He says the household needs the yield to eat. He acts like the lord of the manor, but he is just a thief plowing his sister's earth. I turn the soil all spring and he takes the crop.
We must all eat, Emma. You have a roof over your head, do you not?
Nota scribaeDictated in the yard. The woman did not look up from her scrubbing once.
Candlemas, at Prime
The water in the bucket was frozen solid this morning. I had to break it to start washing the pots before Robert even stirred in his bed. Winters pass since the sickness took father and nothing changes. My hands ache from lye and cold.
I pulled the heavy stumps from that field ten years ago, I need my rest. Stop your complaining.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
Keep your voice down about the fines, Emma, you will have the whole village talking about our business.