senior maidservant in Suchdol, of Suchdol
“I keep the kitchen fire hot and the green girls working. I ask no pity, for the Lord knows a useless maid gets put out to freeze.”
Things Alice had written, latest first, with the glosses of her neighbours.
the Thursday before Whitsun, at Vespers
Cecily is hoarding her pennies for a silver clasp from Bynyek. The man is a whoreson cheat who sells tarnished tin and sour wine, but the girl will not listen. I told her a fool and her groschen are soon parted. Christ almighty, the young are thick in the head.
Nota scribaeDictated while plucking a fowl. The air was thick with feathers.
the second day of Easter week, at None
Scrubbed the big iron pots all morning. Master Jan is watching his purse tight since the soldiers came down the road, and he watches us closer. My wrist flared up like a hot coal, but I kept scrubbing. Let him try to find a green girl who can clean a pot like I do.
See that you keep it up. The soldiers take enough without lazy maids eating the rest.
Nota scribaeShe rubbed her left wrist the entire time she spoke, though she denied it when asked.
the Tuesday before Palm Sunday, at Prime
Taking the old man his porridge is the only peace I get in this madhouse. William tells the exact same stories three times over, but he doesn't shout. Slipped Kudla the dog a scrap of fat from the pan, too. Don't tell Anna.
We won't tell, Alice. Just don't let the master catch you wasting fat.
the feast of St Gregory, at Terce
The damp chill gets right into the bones. It has been three winters since Robert's timber cart slid off the track and pitched us into the frozen earth. I'd give a week's wages for a cup of his mother Clemence's willow-bark tea today. The dead take all the best remedies with them.
Candlemas, at Compline
Joan and Edith promised silver to some wandering preacher for masses, and now the parish priest wants his due. Bloody hell, religion is for those with full purses! I covered for them with the laundry today so Jan wouldn't box their ears. They owe me.
Thank you, Alice. We were terrified he'd turn us out to beg.
Nota scribaeDictated in the kitchen. She used much harsher words for the wandering preacher.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
He promised it would be real silver this time! You are just bitter, Alice.
And the Cumans will bring us fresh baked bread, I'm sure.