Night of Eden 11

 Chapter 11

***

Rosaline couldn't help but panic. 

"...Where do you think we should start...what do you think we should redo?”

"Everything." 

Theodore glanced at Dana and added. 

"Except the dress."

That was a relief to Rosaline. Stifling a sigh that threatened to burst from her chest, she turned back to the maids.

 "You heard the man, take it all off." 

The maids pounced on Dana again. Hats, earrings, necklaces, brooches... many things that had been hanging heavily were gone. And as he had instructed, everything but the dress was started over. It was Theodore Macmillan, not Rosaline, who made the decision. 

"How about this one? It's an amethyst from the Cecil Islands, hard to come by, and Roman's craftsmen worked it." 

She held up a mauve, rocaille-encrusted hairpin. 

"Not good." 

Theodore replied dryly. Rosaline quickly held up another pin, trying to keep her smile. 

"What about the sapphire, then? I think it would go very well with the color of the lady’s eyes." 

Instead of answering, Theodore ran a hand through his hair as if he were terribly bored. Clearly, he was being deliberately rude and demanding, but Rosaline was willing to put up with it for one reason only: he was a Macmillan. 

The Macmillan family had a deep appreciation for art and philosophy. The family owned dozens of galleries, and the mansion was crowded with young artists, philosophers, and thinkers seeking patronage. As an up-and-coming Perón designer, Rosaline was desperate to gain the Macmillan family's approval. 

"I see you want something new and unique, then....?" 

Rosaline smiled softly and walked toward the end of the table.

 "How about... this?" 

She hadn't expected much; she'd brought along what some apprentice from the colonies had been quietly working on in the corner, just in case. But a glimmer of curiosity flickered across Theodore's otherwise stoic face. He nodded in approval.

 "This would be perfect in a chignon."

Rosaline walked over to Dana and began to work on her hair. A moment later, Dana's side-parted hair, loosely swept to one side, was an odd mix of blue, green, and white. 

"It's a gemstone called jade. It's very unique and exotic, isn't it? It would look great on any color of hair, even blondes."

 Everyone in the room, including the assistants watching, could not help but nod.

 "Simplicity is the beginning of elegance, and now that I know a little about your taste, I'm going to skip the hat altogether." 

Starting with the hairpin, the necklace, gloves, and shawl were changed. That alone took half an hour. Everyone was exhausted except Theodore. Dana’s hair was disheveled, and the maids were thirsty. Nostrom was equally exhausted, but worst of all was Dana, who was barely hanging on, looking as if she might collapse at the slightest touch. 

One of the maids noticed the sweat on her back and whispered something to Rosaline. Nostrom's eyes narrowed as he watched, feeling a little sorry for the maid who had been standing there like a doll for hours. 

"Master, perhaps they should rest a bit?" 

Theodore's eyes wandered over Dana's pale face for a moment.

 "...should we?" 

As soon as he had gotten the permission, Nordstrom turned to Rosaline and the maids.

"I'll have tea and refreshments ready in the parlor. Please step out and rest for a while."

"Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness." 

Nostrom led the way, and Rosaline wiped her sweat with her handkerchief and glanced back at the maids. 

"Let's go." 

The maids followed them, smiling wryly. In their wake, Dana turned to Nordstrom as if for permission. Nordstrom nodded. Dana gathered the hem of her skirt and took a cautious step to follow them. 

"...You're not going anywhere dressed like that."

 A cold, hard voice caught the small of her back. Dana stood frozen in place, feeling her heart sink. She wasn't wrong. Nordstrom hadn't the slightest intention of letting the fitting maid enjoy refreshments in the master's clothes. But he wasn't about to let her stand there alone, either.

 "I'll help." 

Nordstrom stepped forward, but it was no use. 

"You stay here." 

With that, Theodore pulled out a cigarette and lit it. Nordstrom, Rosaline, and the maids froze in place. 

"...Hastings, your lord?"

A long puff of white smoke billowed out, then slowly dispersed into thin air.

 "Yes." 

Dana barely answered.

"Pick one, anything. Something your master would like." 

Dana went blank. Another puff of cigarette smoke blew out. Nordstrom and Rosaline, who had been staring blankly at the white trajectory, turned to face each other. They exchanged a glance and then disappeared outside. A stifling silence descended.

 "Didn't you hear?" 

Dana's body reacted instantly, having heard a similar pinprick from Rosaline. She walked over to the table. It was a continental fair, with jewels of all kinds glittering and shining. ...What would her lady like? Dana drew her eyebrows together and thought hard. But no matter how hard she tried, her thoughts scattered like grains of sand. 

Her trembling hand picked up a random item. It was a large ring in a case. Dana moved on shaky legs and cautiously approached Theo. He was dressed in a white shirt and plaid vest. She vaguely remembered a story she'd heard from a maid. She had said that most of the students at Master Edwin and Lady Liana's school dressed like that. 

She wondered if he went to the same school? 

Dana thought idly, and for a moment she felt ridiculous. Who cared if Theodore MacMillan went to the same school as her masters or not?

 "Here...." 

Dana set the case down carefully on the marble table in front of him. He opened his mouth, not even glancing at the ring she'd chosen.

 "Sit," he said, gesturing to the chair across from him. Dana did as she was told. The man's eyes bore into her pale face, intent.

 "Do you like it?"

 "...Yes?" 

"Do you like it?" 

Dana was shocked to realize that the cold gaze was now resting on the clothes and jewelry she wore.

 "No, I don't... not... at all...." 

She shook her head in disbelief. 

"That's a shame, I took the time to change it for you." 

Dana remained frozen. Theodore stubbed out his cigarette and leaned back. Even with the distance between them, Dana felt as if he were strangling her.

 "You can be honest with me. I like it."

 "...!" 

Theodore's lips twitched up at one corner as he stared into violently fluttering blue-gray eyes. 

"I don't like deception, as I'm sure no one does, especially the pretense of the unintelligent." 

The displeasure and disgust pouring from him washed over Dana like a tidal wave. 

"Who would be fooled by something as lowly as you, huh?" 

Another shadow fell over her. Her breath caught in her throat. Her mind was going blank. 

* **

He had no idea why he suddenly remembered him. Was it the little puppy squirming at his feet? When was his owner going to look at it, with those pitiful eyes? 

Edwin put the book down and stared down at the puppy. The puppy rolled over on its belly, facing the ceiling, apparently happy that its owner was finally paying attention to it. Edwin smiled and stroked the puppy's round belly. The little body sagged as if begging for more. ...in case it was stepped on. The puppy's perfect alertness reminded Edwin of someone else. 

Marcus Drayton.

To placate the sniveling jerk, he'd had to open the bottle of Romanée he'd saved that day. As he watched the vintage wine he had intended to drink on his sister Liana's birthday slide down his throat, he wondered over and over if it was worth it, what Theodore had said. 

"If he finds out, he'll try again." 

Edwin smirked and hoisted the puppy up with a flourish. The puppy wagged his tail eagerly, not afraid to dangle so high. He was reminded of all the things he'd been putting off. He called for the maid. 

"You asked for me, Master." 

Edwin's first order was to stop the mushroom picking. The maid made a face of incomprehension. Edwin explained what had happened that day at the waterfall. The forest, which was unusually slippery from the rain, the mushrooms, which were concentrated in dark and dangerous places, and the accident at the waterfall.

 "Of course, it's not directly related to the mushroom picking event, but if it wasn't for the event, she wouldn't have gone to the dangerous valley. It's too dangerous for the maids, and you must stop it at once, and I'm sure I can convince Mother."

"Yes, sir...." 

She replied immediately, but Rosi’s face darkened with remorse.

 "I'm sorry, Master. It's so embarrassing and regrettable that I found out about something that I should have known and dealt with first as a head maid... through you, backwards."

 "I didn't say it to blame you, don't take it so hard." 

Rosi blushed, but spoke cautiously.

"But who is this maid you say drowned?" 

Edwin suddenly realized he didn't even know her name. He eagerly described her appearance. Light brown hair, blue-gray eyes, a small, white, slender face... That was enough for the maid to recognize her.

 "I think it's Dana."

"Dana?"

 "Yes, Dana Boden, a good and conscientious girl, and a lively and amusing one, too, whom Lady Liana says she would like to have as her companion." 

Edwin looked at the head maid in surprise. Rosi continued with a smile.

"Last year the lady found her and spent some time with her, giggling all day with her, jumping in the pond to catch frogs, ripping the netting off her expensive hat to try to catch butterflies... she seemed to enjoy herself immensely. It was as if the Count had regained the cheerfulness he had before he became ill." 

"Is that so?"

Edwin thought for a moment, then looked back at the maid. 

"Will you fetch her now, I'd forgotten to take care of her." 

Maid Rosi gave him a pitying look. 

"I'm afraid she's not here right now. She's at the Shore." 

"The Shore?"

 "Yes. Mr. Nordstrom has asked her to do some work for him." 

"Mr. Nordstrom?" 

Edwin repeated, placing the puppy in his hand on the floor. 

"...... He's Theodore's attendant, isn't he?" 

"Yes," Rosi covered her mouth for a moment and laughed. Then she spoke in a lowered voice. "Well, Master Theodore says he has a surprise in store for Lady Liana, and Dana has gone to the Shore to help with it." 

Edwin's brow narrowed at once.

 "I suppose he intends to present the young lady with a set of dresses, and have her try them on like a fitting maid. Otherwise, why would he need her?" 

Edwin moved slowly to the window. 

"...What a gift she would be, don't you think?"

 "...Yes."

 As Edwin answered, something soft squeaked and landed on his ankle. It was the puppy. He remembered Theodore watching Marcus through the fogged window. And the young girl looked up at him with those same puppy eyes.... Was it a coincidence that Theodore had taken Dana in as a fitting maid? 

His once clear vision blurred for some unknown reason.

 * * *

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