Chapter 12
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Tap. Tap.
If someone hadn't knocked at the door at that moment, Dana might have collapsed in a heap. The suffocating corset, the acrid cigarette smoke, the harsh words and incomprehensible accusations that could hardly have come from the mouth of a noble master... it was all pushing her to her limits.
"Excuse me, Master. I've brought some water."
"Come in."
The door opened, and Nordstrom approached. His expression hardened at the sight of the maid, pale and blue.
"...Drink," he said, filling his master's glass with water and turning to the maid.
"Drink this, too."
Dana stared blankly at the cup of water in front of her, then lifted it to her mouth. Gulping, the lukewarm water slid down her dry throat, and her frantic pulse slowly returned to normal.
"...Thank you."
Dana set the cup down with a small bow. Nordstrom watched as her hands and shoulders trembled slightly, wondering what else had happened to make her so shaken. What on earth could she have done wrong…?
He had no doubt that his master had played a role in the young maid's behavior. Rosaline, who had escorted him to the drawing room, had said something similar: "Why does Master seem so angry with the girl? I was annoyed with her at first, too, because she was a bit slow and frustrating, but then she was so eager to please, and I was thinking, she's such a nice girl...."
Nordstrom was also puzzled by the unexplained anger that flowed from his master, even though he warned her not to say anything unnecessarily strange, as his temper was cold and his way of speaking was natural. His master was the kind of man who was sometimes called a personality disorder by his friends. As an only son and heir, Theodore MacMillan was selfish, self-centered, and incapable of caring, as most noblemen were.
The problem was that he was not only handsome and perfectly formed, but also exceptionally talented in academics, the arts, and everything else. Moreover, in public, he knew how to hide his true nature and act like a perfect gentleman, so in social circles, all of his fatal flaws were dismissed as 'natural' or 'that's what made him more attractive.
“But... now that I've seen him in person... I can see why they call him 'God's Grace'...."
Despite being treated with such disrespect, Rosaline's eyes sparkled like a girl's, and the maids exchanged lascivious giggles. The man’s sculpturally handsome face and tall, graceful body, which fit perfectly in his tailcoat, always elicited such a response from women. Nordstrom hoped the young maid would do the same.
Hadn't the Duke of Macmillan always urged him to do so? Hadn't the Duke of Macmillan always told him to take care of the young master, to keep him from ruining his fragile reputation... With that in mind, Nordstrom had knocked on the door cautiously, but the sight of the maid’s pallid face was disturbing. He cleared his throat once and opened his mouth carefully.
"Master, I'm afraid the maid is not going to be able to...."
"Yes, that's enough." Theodore replied, rising to his feet. "Go tell the wardrobe master. I'll call it a day, come back in three days."
The master's cold, hard gaze turned once more to the maid across from him. "You go, too."
Nordstrom walked over to her, unable to hide his disappointment. "Get dressed first," he said, his tone noticeably different from the first time he had seen her. He was worried that she would return to Belvida and spread negative words about the Master and the people of the Macmillan family, but he was also sympathetic.
"...Oh, no, I can... I can... ."
Nordstrom had always disliked stuttering, with its indistinct finishes and rambling. But was it the lingering milk on her rosy cheeks? Or was it the fact that she just went about her business without a hint of upsetting? Strangely enough, Dana’s stuttering didn't bother him.
"You don't need more water, do you?"
It was probably the first kind and gentle gesture the maid had encountered since arriving. Her doe-like eyes flickered as she looked up at Nordstrom, and then they began to well up with tears.
"Thank you..."
"I know how hard it must have been for you today. Everyone's been a little... harsh on you," he said soothingly, leading Dana to the curtains. "I hope you don't take it too hard. We've all been on edge with work. Miss Rosaline said you did very well for your first time. If there's anything else you need, ....."
He was about to add, 'anything,’ Nordstrom startled out of his thoughts by his master’s sudden harsh voice, "I thought I told you to give my message to the wardrobe master."
Nordstrom swallowed his embarrassment. "...Yes, yes."
Nordstrom turned away from Dana and headed for the door.
"Wait."
“Yes, Master."
"...What? Ah...yes, I should have a tip ready, shouldn't I? Make sure the wardrobe master and her assistants are paid, and that girl-"
Nordstrom could almost see the maid's startled expression, though it was impossible to see through the thick curtains.
"Give her the clothes."
Nordstrom had to force himself not to show his surprise.
"The clothes she wore smell like a maid’s now."
"Ah...."
"I can't give my fiancée something like that."
Nordstrom's pupils hardened, and his gaze went to the curtains. His face burned with embarrassment.
* * *
Until they reached Belvida, Dana was as dazed as a ghost. She could see nothing, hear nothing, not the sound of the cool stream, not the beautiful flower paths. All she could think about was the cold eyes staring down at her in disgust.
'Flimsy, smells like a maid...'
She had never heard such an insult in her life.
'Who would be fooled by a lowly thing like you?'
Why on earth would the man think such a thing? No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't think of any reason for him to be so misunderstood. She wanted to ask, wanted to figure it out, wanted to somehow unravel this injustice. Her fists clenched so tightly that her skirt crumpled, and for a moment, Dana shuddered.
No, it was useless. People sometimes enjoy despising, loathing, and tormenting others for no good reason. That was how Belvida's maids had treated Dorothy. Dana felt like Dorothy right now. How miserable she must have been...?
She remembered the day of the mushroom picking, her face flashed before her eyes as she was scolded for pretending to like her. Anyone treated like that would be forced to stand up like a hedgehog.
Dusk had fallen. After a long, late afternoon ride through the sunset, she finally arrived at the rose-arched gates. Unlike on the way out, Dana was accompanied by a coachman, not Nordstrom. Dana stepped down from the carriage with a thud.
"I say again, in three days... next Tuesday at noon. I'll be waiting for you here, and you'd better be on time."
Dana nodded weakly, not having the energy to answer.
"Never be late. I don't like people who don't keep their appointments."
"Yes."
The coachman turned his horse's head and sped out the front gate. A cloud of dust kicked up, blurring Dana's vision. Standing there, she turned slowly, heading in the opposite direction, not straight for the maids' quarters. She had to collect her thoughts before she was surrounded by her companions.
Her shaky steps took her first to the pond. But she didn't make it halfway before she had to stop. The calm pond with its water lilies was no longer soothing to Dana.
"Fetch it."
It was a swamp, filled with the man's ghost. Her heavy head turned toward the hills behind the main house. What about Seyfried? Unfortunately, it seemed that the beautiful tree would not comfort her either. The black boots that stood against it belonged to the man. Her wandering steps led her to the barn, where she found herself at last.
"Hush, Miss Dana."
Noah's cheerful voice seemed to calm her racing heart. Dana walked briskly. By the light of the sparse lamps, she reached the top of the field where the barn stood. But when she knocked on the barn door, it wasn't the young man with the bushy hair and hunting cap pressed down on his head who poked his head out, but his boss, the trainer.
"Noah's gone to Ponoa to get his harness fixed. He won't be back until tomorrow morning."
Dana swallowed her disappointment and turned away, the area around her now pitch black. Dana took a lamp from the trainer and headed back to the maids' quarters. The grasshoppers chirped. The wind was chilly against her skin. By the dim light, she reached the outbuilding that housed her quarters. A round light swayed at her feet, illuminating the matted grass and stone floor.
"Oh, my God, Dana Bodan!" came a thunderous cry from somewhere. Dana's head snapped up, startled, and there before her was Maid Rosi. She rushed frantically toward Dana, jingling a packet of keys.
"Where the hell are you and what are you doing here?" she asked in disbelief. "If you're ahead of schedule, you should have reported to me, I was worried something had happened to you somewhere!"
"I'm sorry."
She bowed quickly, but Dana was puzzled. The head maid never said she had to report to her when she returned. And how else would she know she was back early? The coachman must have gone straight back to the Shore…
As if reading Dana's mind, the maid spoke up.
"I was at the Shore earlier. Master Edwin sent me on a sudden errand."
Dana nodded.
"He asked me to bring you back with me on the way, but when I got there, Mr. Nordstrom told me you'd already finished your work, so I came here, and you weren't here...and no one said they'd seen you...and do you know how worried I was?"
Rosi looked down at Dana with a reproachful look.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize that...."
Dana bowed her head again, and the maid sighed.
“There you go. I'm glad you're back safe and sound. By the way, I heard you did a great job, and Mr. Nordstrom was very complimentary."
Dana stammered, unsure of how to respond.
"And Master Theodore called in the best designer in Feron? He ordered not one, not two, but three dresses for the young lady, and not only that, but he took care of your clothes as well."
Dana's face flushed as the humiliation of the day returned.
"In fact, I was just about to ask Lady Liana if I could have one of the clothes made for you. I know you're not an official maid, but you're still going to be at her side for the foreseeable future, and it's a bit unseemly to see you in a maid's outfit...."
"......."
"Anyway, I'll be going now. I have to go straight to Master Edwin. He's very curious about the surprise, and he's insisted that I report to him as soon as I see you. I'm sure he'll be pleased to know that his brother-in-law has thought of such details."
Rosi smiled broadly. Dana smiled back, reluctantly.
* * *
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