Chapter 6
****
"Teddy?"
"Yes, one of the master’s friends."
"Hmm."
Lou scratched her head.
"Well, I'm not sure who he is. I've seen some of their faces, but I don't know their names. I'm just a maid, just like you, except I'm the head maid."
Lou wrinkled her nose.
"Besides, I've been in the kitchen most of this time. I haven't been anywhere near the guests."
Dana nodded silently.
"But... Why?"
"Oh... Nothing, just...."
The coyness seemed to make Lou more worried.
"Did something happen with the master's guests?"
"...No. Nothing happened."
Dana curled the corners of her mouth, but Lou’s narrowed brow didn't widen.
"I just... I heard someone say he was scary, so I thought I'd just......"
"Scary?"
Lou's eyes widened, and she laughed in disbelief.
"Not 'scary', 'difficult'. They all come from prestigious families and are so valuable."
"...."
"Anyway, I'll see what I can find out about this Mr. Teddy."
It was not good form for a maid to inquire about her master's guests.
"No. You don't have to do that."
For some reason, Dana found it hard to keep looking at Lou.
".........I'm going to go now, I haven't even finished my morning's work...."
Dana walked out to the stairs like she was running away. She squatted down at the top, where she could see all the way down, and rested her chin on her knees.
Her mind was as cluttered as leaves on a river. It was frustrating, like a big stone was blocking her vision.
Dana rubbed her hands absentmindedly on the ground and frowned for a moment. Tiny, gritty grains of sand brushed against her skin.
This was not the time.
Dana reached into the canister and pulled out a small brush.
She needed to polish this center staircase later today. Dusting was essential before applying the polish.
She scrubbed the floor with the soft wool. Shine trickled along the grain of the paulownia wood.
She hoped the diligence of the cleaning would calm her nerves, but to no avail.
"What are you looking at?”
The man's face brought back memories of the previous night.
The glowering eyes, the white smoke, the murky pond that lapped at her legs, and.........
"You know how to swim, don't you?”
The strange words echoed endlessly in her head.
Dana closed her eyes tightly.
***
Edwin was good at playing host.
He could organize and set the pace among his guests, and he was politically savvy.
But even he had a wall to climb, and it was Marcus Drayton.
When he knocked on his door again after a few days of illness, Edwin had to fight to keep a smile on his face.
"I'm fucked, I'm totally fucked."
Marcus had been whining for hours.
"Everyone's going to laugh at me, dumb Marcus, stupid Marcus, cowardly Marcus.........."
Most of the young men were pretending not to hear.
The twin brothers Rob and Pearson were playing pool, the rest were engrossed in poker, and only one was paying attention to him, their host, Edwin.
"It's all because of that maid, that blasted thing made a complete fool of me.........."
He muttered under his breath and poured himself another drink. This was his fifth drink, all straight.
"If she hadn't talked to me first, I wouldn't have fallen into the water like that. I swear to God, she came out of nowhere, and I lost my balance for a second because of her...."
"Yeah, I know, Marcus... no one's laughing at you, so let's forget about it and play a game."
Edwin said soothingly, snatching his drink away from him. But it seemed to fall on deaf ears.
"I'm sure she's out there spreading rumors by now, gathering the maids and laughing at me, saying, 'Master Marcus drowned me,' or something."
"No, no, calm down."
Edwin stretched out his arm to help the staggering Marcus to a chair. But before he could reach him, he was jerked back. Marcus had pushed him.
"You're just as bad, no, in a way, you're worse. You saved that bitch that day. You didn't even pretend to look for me!"
Edwin's patience was wearing thin, and whether he realized it or not, Marcus didn't stop.
"I don't need any of this. I'm not going to trust anyone anymore. I'm going to take matters into my own hands. I'm going to bring that bitch in here and just kick her ass...."
"You can't do that."
The cold voice stopped everyone in the room in their tracks and turned to look at Edwin.
"The girl belongs to my family, and it is my business to punish her, or caution her, or whatever. No one is allowed to interfere in my territory. That's called overpowering."
Marcus's face began to heat up.
"Are you now......... taking the side of the maid?"
Edwin answered with silence.
"Ha! One would think she was your lover, the way you jumped into the water like a black knight that day... no, wait...."
He trailed off, his eyes suddenly narrowing.
"You... did something really happen with that chick, is that why you're doing this?"
"Watch your tongue, Marcus."
Edwin scolded coldly.
"It's no wonder the servants find you so ridiculous."
"What?!"
Marcus exclaimed, his eyes uncharacteristically bright. Edwin remembered that the young man before him was unstoppable once the lid was lifted.
"When you've calmed down, I want you to think. You realize how ridiculous you are talking right now."
The problem was that Marcus Drayton was an unreasonable and irremediable man.
The lecturing tone made him jump to his feet. His hands were clenched tightly, as if he were about to punch someone.
Edwin swallowed a sigh and squeezed Marcus's shoulder, pulling him down.
"Ow!"
Marcus screamed.
"You...... Edwin, you... this... this......."
His shuddering body seemed to be about to crash into Edwin at any moment, and then it flopped downward. Edwin released his grip.
"Marcus, I'm not insulting you by taking the maid's side, but this is my domain, and if there's a problem, I'm the one to deal with it."
Marcus huffed and puffed for what seemed like an eternity, then with an "Aaah!" he stormed out.
With a bang, the door slammed shut, sending a chill wind rushing in.
"Ah, him."
The young men shook their heads.
"Never mind him, Edwin."
"Marcus will be back within the hour, I'm sure."
"I'm sure he's regretting it right now."
Edwin breathed deeply and counted in his mind: one, two, three... one, two, three.... He had to tense up his entire body to keep from showing his irritation and displeasure. When he reached the final twelve, he was able to regain a calm expression.
"What's with the mood? Come on, let's all have a drink."
Ever the mood setter, Edinger stepped forward and had a servant refill his empty glass.
"Here's to you, Edwin, the best host ever!"
"To you!"
The clinking of glasses, the cheering, soothed the tense atmosphere.
The young men returned to their seats. The twins picked up the pool cues they had set down, and the young men at the poker table turned their attention back to the cards.
Edwin returned to the table.
"Whose turn is it? Was it Edinger?"
The paused cards were dealt again, and a pile of chips was stacked.
And just like that, Marcus's commotion was quickly forgotten. But before the hand was over,
"Teddy."
Edwin suddenly called out to him. The man at the head of the table turned his head slowly toward Edwin.
"You know how much I dislike people who talk down to people below them."
The turquoise eyes stared at Edwin for a long moment, then blinked once, slowly.
"The maid didn't do anything wrong, she didn't talk to Marcus first, she didn't go around spreading rumors. She was just doing her job and catching someone who was about to fall. How could Marcus think differently?"
Edwin furrowed his brow.
"Is he out of his mind? He’s going to call up the girl who helped him and punish her...."
"Well."
A languid voice cut through Edwin's words. The sharpness in his tone gave Edwin and the other young men pause.
"I don't think he should get in trouble for scolding a maid, either."
Edwin looked at him in disbelief.
***
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