housekeeper at Semin, of Semin
“I keep this house standing, just as my mother did before me. Lord knows someone has to, or my brother would eat dirt and wear rags.”
Things Alice had written, latest first, with the glosses of her neighbours.
the Thursday before Whitsun, at Terce
Adam Ford is out in his yard again, digging in the muck like a hound after a bone. It breaks my heart to see him so lost since Felice passed, Lord rest her, but I wish he wouldn't shout at my Elizabeth when she walks past. The girl is jumpy enough as it is.
Nota scribaeShe wiped her hands on her apron no fewer than six times while telling me this.
the second day of May, at None
Oats have gone up again. How am I to feed four mouths when the groschen buy less every week? I sent Janek to town with clear instruction, and he came back with half a sack and a stupid look on his face. Soldiers on the roads, he says. Soldiers don't eat all the oats in Bohemia.
I gave the miller what you gave me. He said take it or leave it, the army needs the rest.
He speaks true, Alice. The requisition men were through yesterday taking everything they could load on a cart.
Then they can eat it raw, for I've no firewood to spare them either.
the Tuesday after Easter, at Vespers
Every time I hear the bell for mass, my stomach turns over. Two years since Maurice took the fever, two years since he went to Prague, and two years since we promised to walk barefoot to Sedletz. Two groschen. That's all we owe the Lord. I look at Richard every morning, waiting for him to say today is the day we go.
We haven't the time, Alice, you know that. The timber needs felling. When the roads are safer, we'll go.
The roads will be exactly as safe when we're burning in Hell for a broken vow, Richard.
Nota scribaeSpoken very quietly, so the servants would not hear.
the eve of St Joseph, at Sext
Caught Elizabeth scrubbing the same pot for the third time today, staring out the window like she's seen a ghost. If she works any harder without looking at what she's doing, she'll wear a hole through the copper. Lord preserve us, a head full of nothing and hands moving out of fear.
Her father was Jezhek. You can't expect much better, Lord rest him.
I'm sorry, mistress. I'll fetch more wood for the fire.
the morrow of Candlemas, at Prime
Up before the sun to set the fire. My mother Sybil, God rest her soul, always said a cold hearth makes a lazy house. Richard dragged his boots across my clean floor yesterday evening. He is a grown man who fells trees for a living, but I swear he leaves more mud behind than a stuck pig.
I was tired, Alice. And your stew was good.
Nota scribaeShe dictated this while sweeping.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
I lost something, Alice. I'll shout if someone treads where I'm looking.
I didn't mean to look at him, mistress, I swear. I have my own work to do.