Immediately noticing the look on her young charge's face, Marta put down a bolt of blue silk and asked, "What have you done, Tessa?"
"Oh nothing," Tessa answered with a smile, "just helping the doctor with some shopping."
Knowing there was probably more to it than that, she shook her head and muttered, "I'm sure he was delighted to have your help."
"Oh Marta!" she said in an exasperated voice as she absent-mindedly fingered a section of black lace. "He is so infuriating!"
"Lucky for him you like infuriating men," Marta offered lightly.
"Sometimes I just wish I could tell him the whole truth," Tessa continued, either ignoring or oblivious to Marta's comment. "Then there wouldn't be all this sneaking around at night just to see him. And then he'd know that it was actually *me* that he was in love with and that he was too wrapped up in the Queen to realize it!"
"Tessa, what's the matter with you?" Marta asked in a hushed voice. "Is your corset on too tight? Of course you can't tell him the truth. The more people who know the Queen's identity the more dangerous it is for you. And frankly I think it is too dangerous already."
Tessa sighed but she knew Marta was right. Telling Dr. Helm the truth would only complicate things. At least for right now, she'd have to keep up this charade and at the same time try to convince him that she wasn't a spoiled brat.
Marta ran a gentle hand over Tessa's cheek.
"You are doing wonderful things for this village Tessa," she told her. "And even though I worry about you, I am so proud. And as for the doctor...things will work out as they are meant to work out."
"Well that makes me feel much better," Tessa replied, a touch of sarcasm coloring the words.
"Come on," Marta urged causing Tessa to smile and thread her arm through Marta's as they moved on to the next stall.
"Oh, Marta, look!" Tessa said as she pointed to a small square table that had been set up in the shade of one of the stalls. It was covered in what looked to be red velvet cloth on top of which rested about a dozen miniature dolls. About 2 inches high at the most, the carved wooden dolls were dressed all in black and sported a black lace mask over long, cascading brown hair.
Marta's eyes grew wide as she and Tessa came in for a closer look.
"Madre de Dios," Marta whispered as she gingerly picked one up and looked at it.
"It's me," Tessa whispered back.
"It's the Queen," Marta corrected with a slight smirk. "My people used to make dolls like this and use them as protection for the caravans. They're supposed to embody the spirit of one who has passed on. When we were children we got them as gifts."
"These people see me--the Queen--as their protector," Tessa replied solemnly.
Just then two small girls, dressed in modest but clean dresses ran up to the stall.
"Mira, mira!" one of them shouted. "Esta la reina de espadas!"
For a split second Tessa's heart lurched but she quickly realized the girl was referring to the dolls.
"It's the Queen!" the other little girl joined in as she reverently picked up one of the dolls in her grubby hands. Turning to her friend she said, "The Queen loves us, no? I want to be like her one day. Then I will protect the village."
Marta saw such a look of genuine warmth and gratitude on Tessa's face she had to swallow the lump in her throat.
"You see, Tessa," she spoke in a low voice as she took the girl by the arm and led her from the stall. "You have touched these people's lives, and they will never forget you for what you've done."
"I know that Marta," Tessa admitted. "Sometimes it just helps to see it."
"Now, back to our shopping," Marta announced with a smile. "Come, I need to buy a new pitchfork."
"Why?" Tessa questioned.
"Because ever since that little run in with Raoul, I cannot seem to clean the blood off," Marta explained grimly.
"Marta!" Tessa replied scandalously, as she glanced around them. "Now who's corset is too tight?"
