maidservant at Trosky castle, of Trosky
“I boil the castle linens in lye until my hands crack, and I try to keep these foolish girls working.”
Things Matilda had written, latest first, with the glosses of her neighbours.
the feast of St Pancras, at Vespers
Tobias sent word to count the winter gear. I paid good silver for a padded jacket for Emma when the frost was bitter, and now the ungrateful girl will not produce it. She wears it under her gown or hoards it in her chest, and we will all face the chamberlain's wrath if the ledger is short.
Nota scribaeShe pointed a wooden paddle at me while saying this, scattering suds on my robes.
the third day of Easter week, at None
Spring is well upon us and Alice still scurries away whenever I walk past the tubs. I gave a month of wages for that heavy-backed cleaver. I lent it to her for the winter slaughtering, and she repays me by playing the fool. I want my iron back.
I only misplaced it in the lower kitchen, I swear by the Virgin it will turn up before Whitsun.
You were too soft on her, Matilda. I told you so when the snow was still falling.
Maundy Thursday, at Prime
Hauling wet wool up to dry will be the death of my shoulders. The wind is fierce today and the younger maids whine about their fingers. They do not know what raw hands are until they have plunged them into my boiling coppers all morning.
the feast of St Gregory, at Sext
There are more of the king's soldiers on the road, which means the bailiff locked the lower gates again. We cannot get our laundry carts out to the bleaching field. These armies only make my work twice as hard, and bread dearer besides.
It is frightening with so many strange men outside the walls.
Nota scribaeDictated near the hearth in the lower kitchen, where her apron was steaming dry.
Candlemas, at Terce
Every hand is needed for the slaughtering today. Young Alice had no blade to quarter the carcasses, so I let her use my new iron cleaver. I paid in silver for it down in the settlement, so she had better wash the blood off it proper when she finishes.
It is a fine heavy blade, I saw her hacking the bone with it this morning.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
I am not hoarding it. The weather is warm now, I merely put it away.
I reckon she pawned it to Gilbert down in the settlement.