With the intention of leaving for Tilla’s room right away, Anastasia ordered Martha, “Fetch my woolen cloak, will you? We are leaving.”
Martha was still reluctant to let the Queen leave her room and wander to the servants’ quarter. There was no telling who held grudges against her. Since the King wasn’t present in the castle, Martha feared that it might be the perfect opportunity for them to take an action against her.
In order to make the Queen give up on the idea of visiting Tilla during the night, she wanted to think of a plan.
As she went to the bedchamber and shuffled through the clothes in the wardrobe, Martha suddenly recalled that she had yet to offer the tonic to the Queen.
She lightly clapped and thought, ‘Right! I will go to the kitchen to fetch the tonic. And when I come back, I will say that Tilla is already asleep. That way, the Queen won’t keep on insisting about roaming around at night.’
