Yes, actress Saniyya Sidney of The Passage and King Richard is who I picture as Kitty.
By the way, hope you all had a safe, good, healthy Christmas!
It was the second day since Buckingham had entered Felice's bed chamber without leave. He had not summoned her since then. Not that he wouldn't have liked to, but the fear she'd displayed under his behavior, the quivering vulnerability and child like innocence of her pleadings…they had effected him most strangely. Normally, he would enjoy his women who absorbed his attentions with hunger due to his dashing physical appearance. But his little Gascon country flower had reacted incredibly different. She had welcomed his seduction with as much love as an unarmed hunter facing a raging bear. She'd been actually scared of him! Women had squealed with delight and surprise under him before, yet they had never treated him like a monster!
Where did that come from? How could she resist someone as crazily handsome as him? Unbelievable. Well, perhaps a good night's sleep had remedied that. He would look into that after breakfast.
Kitty was alone, laying out Milady's full ensemble for the new day, setting her skirts, petticoats, lapels, ruffles, bloomers, and outer clothing neatly on the four poster bed. She smoothed her small hands over the fluffy velvet of the dress. It was a beautiful golden and scarlet outfit. Kitty envied Milady. Why did her mistress never allow her to dress in elaborate clothes like that? She certainly was well off enough to afford it!
Someday I'll save up enough to buy my own. And then maybe she'll be proud of me. He must be disappointed with me not to get me one after all these years. Kitty thought dismally.
Kitty was picking up Milady's camisole for today's wardrobe from the trunk when something slipped out and landed with a clinking sound on the stone floor. "Odd." Kitty frowned hard, crinkling up her little nose. Her dark eyes enlarged with wonder. A golden necklace of diamonds, fit for a queen, lay on the floor in a most undistinguished position. "Ohhh!" Kitty clasped her hands to her mouth. "Oh, sweet baby Jesus! Those real diamonds!"
The little handmaid tentatively knelt down, reaching out her hand, afraid to touch the gorgeous jewels but dying to run her small fingers over the smooth stones. "Oh my l-. These will need polished if Milady intends to wear them for the pretty duke." She murmured, mesmerized.
Her fingertips just barely touched the necklace when Milady swayed in through the door. Her coy smile instantly dropped. "Kitty!" She snapped sharply.
"S-sorry, ma'am!" Kitty swallowed. Milady's perfect rosebud lips became a single line. "I d-dropped 'em is all. Honest! I didn't even know they was in there! They ain't broken."
"What the h- do you think you're doing?!" Milady's emerald eyes flared.
"J-just layin' out yo dress, ma'am." Kitty tried to explain. "Put 'da camisole on the bed and the jewels slipped out, an-" Kitty yelped as Milady lunged for her, with the fury of a lioness, pinched her shoulder and fiercely backhanded her across the face. Milady clenched her arms painfully.
"You d- thief!" She accused harshly, shaking the girl so that her head was buzzing. "You were stealing from me, weren't you?!"
"No, ma'am!" Kitty cried, tears spilling out of her eyes, her miniature form trembling. "Honest! I just found 'em is all! Let me go! You're hurting me!" Milady slapped her again. Kitty crumbled into a fetal position on the floor, weeping.
"You're going to regret this, you little demon! I should've known better than to trust you. You, a bastard, an orphan." Milady snarled venomously, snatching up the diamonds. "You were stealing!"
"W-w-wasn't…" Kitty cried.
"This necklace was a precious gift from my beloved brother the Count. And you would sell it, out of selfishness, wouldn't you?"
"No...no!"
"You've done it now, Kitty! After all I've done for you, you betray my trust like this. I will teach you to show ingratitude, you little brat. I'm sending word right away to Captain Rochefort!"
"No!" Kitty pleaded with terror.
"This time, I will hand you over to him. I'm sick of looking at you. He may do as he pleases with you, I couldn't care less! Get out of my sight, now!" Milady jerked Kitty's arm and thrust her through the door. Kitty fled, wailing. Milady forced herself to breathe calmly to steady her nerves. She cradled the necklace gently in her hands, and glanced in the mirror, holding the jewels up to her neck and smirked proudly. She breathed in relief. Her entire diabolical plot had nearly gone up in smoke! She'd narrowly escaped it!
Felice was pacing her room, unsure of how to avoid Buckingham again. Locking the door was impossible, he surely had keys to every room in the palace. Perhaps if she barred the door with the chair, of the vanity?
The door burst open, startling Felice so that she jumped back, afraid Rochefort had found her. But no, it was only poor Kitty who raced in frantically. The girl dashed to Felice and buried her face in her waist.
"Kitty! What is the matter?" Felice gaped, horrified.
"M-M-Milady…is v-v-very angry w-w-with me…" Kitty blubbered. Her lip was bruised and bleeding, and she was shaking. Felice gently pulled Kitty away and her face grew hot when she saw the injuries.
"Did she do that to you?!" Felice asked angrily.
"She struck me! She's never done that before!" Kitty bawled.
"Shh. Sit down. Catch your breath, Kitty." Felice told her, pulling her to the bed. She set her down, then grabbed a handkerchief, dowsed it in the water basin, and gingerly patted Kitty's bloody lip. "Now, tell me what happened."
"I-I can't." Kitty shook her head anxiously.
"Kitty, she hurt you!" Felice replied urgently. "I'm your friend, Kitty. Tell me." She said firmly. Kitty looked up at Felice longingly, her beautiful dark eyes rimmed with red.
"I-I was layin' out Milady's clothes for the day, and…" Kitty blubbered. "And somethin' sparkly fell out. Was a necklace. A necklace with real diamonds."
"What?" Felice's jaw dropped. "A diamond necklace?"
"They was real pretty." Kitty sniffled. "I just wanted to touch 'em. Milady said I was tryin' to steal 'om her! But I wasn't! I wasn't, honest! Just wanted to touch 'em, they was so pretty…"
"Kitty? Kitty! Have you ever seen that necklace with Milady's other jewelry? Ever?" Felice asked suspiciously. "Can you remember?"
"No, I ain't never seen' em. I'd 'member seein' those diamonds if she was wearin' them to pretty, gussied up parties." Kitty answered.
Felice's indignation for the so called countess was rising by the minute. She didn't know where exactly those diamonds came from, but if everything Athos had said about this woman was true, and so far that had seemed the case, then Milady must have flown into a rage because the necklace didn't belong to her and she was afraid Kitty would give her away. That theory made the most sense, and Felice's Gascony gut feeling seemed to agree with it.
"You've told me the truth, Kitty?" Felice asked.
"Y-y-yes. I'm so afraid, Miss! Please help me!" Kitty sobbed.
"Yes, I'll help you."
"Milady's going to punish me! She's gonna sell me off to her right hand man. I don't like him! Please don't let her do it!" Kitty begged desperately.
"Who is this man you speak of, Kitty?" Felice prodded.
"Someone named Monsieur Rochefort."
"Rochefort." Felice snarled, as if his very name was poison.
"I do not want to go with Monsieur Rochefort, Miss! He frightens me so. Once he commanded me to inform Milady that he had arrived, but I told him that she was indisposed, of which she truly was, and he backhanded me across the face for insolence. He told Milady that I should've been horse whipped for disrespecting him! If Milady hands me over to him, and spreads tales that I was stealing from her, I-I don't know what he'll-He'll whip me! I just know he will! Or, or worse!" Kitty shuddered in terror.
Until now, every time Felice had thought of Rochefort or seen him nearby, she had felt fear. A haunting terror would sweep over her, causing her to shudder, and space out at the memory of what he tried to do to her. But this...this new information ignited something inside her, so sudden and so fierce that it overpowered her own fear, for Kitty's fate. I'm a woman. Naturally, he'd go after me. But Kitty...she's only a child! Only God knows what he'll do to her...Felice seethed. A burning anger gripped her core.
She gripped Kitty's shoulders. "Listen to me, Kitty. Listen closely! You're not going anywhere with that vile man!" Felice declared curtly.
"B-but Milady said-"
"Bother that! You needn't stay under the same roof as her any longer."
"What do you mean, Miss?"
"I can get you out of here. We're going to escape." Felice promised.
"How? It is not possible!"
"Have you heard of the reputation of Gascons, Kitty?"
"N-no."
"Well, one thing you should know, dear girl: Gascons never back down from a challenge!"