Chapter 23
***
"1 dried strawberry, 1 dried apple, and 8 parts mint in... in proportions...."
Dana looked at her tiny notebook and eagerly wrote it down. It was a recipe she'd gotten from Celeste shortly after her blending class.
"Ma...te...and... Lemon... Grass... The spices are... cardamom... Ginger...."
Her handwriting was unnaturally smooth. Partly because she had practiced so hard, but mostly because of the sturdy wooden desk that supported the paper.
Celeste had placed it in Dana's room a few hours ago. It was a small, cozy desk with a solid oak top, drawers, and holders for pens and ink.
Pens, ink, and paper were enough of a luxury for her, but to have a desk this pretty...
Dana ran her hand along the wood grain. It was cool to the touch, soft and tickled her palm.
Suddenly, she remembered her fountain pen.
What on earth could Ms. Celeste be discussing with the Duchess?
Could she be trying to warn her?
That her son had thoughtlessly given his fiancée’s maid an expensive item she would never use?
...No, that couldn't be it.
Dana shook her head.
Celeste had said it was 'just a glass of water'. It was unlikely that the Duchess would be so angry with her son.
Hadn't the man said something like that before?
That Celeste, who came from the slums, had gotten so much in return for his mother's services, like a house and land...
Then what the hell?
She racked her brain and couldn't even come up with a guess.
Dana's eyebrows drew together and she shook her head.
Stop thinking about it. You were supposed to clear your mind until you got back to Belvida.
Dana drew her knees up onto her chair.
Ever since she had impulsively brought up Lady Liana earlier, a possibility she had never thought of before had been pounding in her chest.
What if she just ran away and told Master Edwin everything?
Wouldn't he listen if she pleaded with her heart?
Dana had a strange conviction that he wouldn't just turn
her away.
She hadn't even thought about that possibility until now because she was afraid that no one would believe her.
When the teacup broke, surely the maids must have thought she had done something wrong?
Her vague sense of insecurity was fueled by her perception of Master Edwin as a 'man' who made her heart flutter.
But the moment Dana uttered the words 'Lady Liana', she realized a very important fact-one so obvious that she hadn't even realized it-that he was her 'lord'.
Yes, Master Edwin was Lady Liana's brother.
Surely he would listen to Dana, even if only out of concern for his sister.
What brother would not be surprised to hear that the man who was to be his sister's husband had done something despicable to a maid?
And this was Theodore Macmillan, a man whose behavior was enough to make any parent worry.
Judging by the way he kept referring to Master Edwin as "him" and "the one you call master," the two may not be as close as she thought.
...If he does something strange again, just run away.
What if there was no carriage?
But with two strong legs like this?
Shore and Belvida were separated by the Corinthian Forest. If she walked all night across the forest, she would reach Belvida.
As soon as she got there, she would find Master Edwin and tell him everything.
Perhaps Master Edwin would believe her, unlike the others.
He's the lady’s only brother!
Dana blushed and stared off into space, then lowered her knees again and straightened her posture.
So, for now, let's just study hard and not think about anything else.
When she had these precious things at her disposal...
With a calmer touch, Dana picked up the pen again. She dipped the nib in ink and placed it on the paper.
Then she began to trace the words carefully, letter by letter.
****
It was a cool evening with low clouds.
A matte, dark navy robe draped gently over the body of a man who had just finished bathing.
Theodore loosened the waistband and leaned back in his lounge chair.
He closed his eyes, intoxicated by the languid feeling.
The view of the Cologne Mountains, which he had crossed from the lake this afternoon, stretched out before him.
The servant was right: there were only a few days of the year when you could see such a majestic view.
After practicing shooting, they rode until the sun went down. They rode at a trot, so by the time they reached the cottage, they were drenched in sweat.
The dinner of cod with white beans and wine was excellent.
As Theodore summoned the chef to offer words of praise, he realized that for the first time in months, he had spent a day in great contentment.
A cool breeze blew in through the open window. Theodore looked up at the sky. A cluster of moons bathed the sky in a purple hue.
"Please drink."
Celeste handed him the tea as if she'd been waiting for him. Theodore sipped it, savoring the flavor.
"It's unique, isn't it?"
"Is it ginger?"
"Yes. Do you like it?"
He nodded.
"Shall I make you another cup?"
"Sure."
Celeste had noticed earlier that the Master seemed to be in a good mood for some reason.
As she heated the teapot, her mind raced with all sorts of things she needed to tell him, the most pressing of which was Dana Bordon.
"But, Master, I don't think she really knows anything."
Theodore paused in his tea.
"What do you mean?"
"...This."
Setting down his teacup, Theodore stared at the fountain pen.
"Well, she brought this and asked me to keep it for her. She said she was worried about losing it...."
The man's long hand reached out and picked up the pen. His unreadable eyes spilled over the slick nib.
"At first I thought it was ridiculous, so I just laughed it off, but do you know what she said?"
Celeste paused in her tea steeping, then continued.
"She said she'd never seen anything this good in Belvida, and then she started talking about Miss Liana...."
"...."
"I thought at first she was just being silly, knowing all about it, and the head maid there does a very thorough job of educating her in that sort of thing, doesn't she?"
"..."
"But you know what else she said? She said we should emulate the Hastings' thrifty attitude, so we can't use anything the master doesn't use......."
Celeste's face was a complicated mix of amusement and pity.
"Anyway, that's when I realized. Oh, this kid doesn't know anything. That's why she's acting like that... her eyes sparkling with sincerity when she spoke, as if she was really proud."
Theodore put down the fountain pen noiselessly.
"But now that I think about it, it's no wonder she doesn't know. The question is, does Lady Liana know yet?”
Shaking her head, she poured a moderately warmed cup of water over the gutter.
"Countess Hastings asked the madam very earnestly to keep it a secret from Miss Liana, at least until you are married."
Celeste's face was filled with regret.
"I... At first I didn't understand what the Countess was doing, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense...."
Celeste looked down at the teapot as she spoke. The hourglass had long since bottomed out, and the ginger flavor was overpowering.
"...I'm sorry, I'll make another."
She shook her head, then dumped everything on the strainer onto a saucer and began mixing the tea leaves again.
"...all mothers feel the same way. What parent wants to tell their precious daughter that the family is falling apart, and that... It’s at a time like this, when a marriage proposal that had been going on for a very long time was just about to come to fruition. I'm sure the master understood her feelings, which is why he was willing to listen to her request."
"...."
"Anyway, it's only put me in a bind. Should I, or should I not, tell Dana Bordon the truth, that House Hastings is on the verge of bankruptcy...."
Celeste's face was a mask of frustration as she stared into space.
"We don't even know if she's really capable of being a lady's maid yet, and under the circumstances, I don't think it's fair to tell her family secrets she doesn't even know."
Celeste paused to pour a cup of tea.
"Even if she does get a passing grade, I'm not sure if it's better to tell her the truth or to keep her in the dark."
"..."
"I think she'll be sensible enough to know how to use something better than her master, but she's also stupidly naive in a way, isn't she?"
"..."
"That's why I'm going to ask you, master, because I can't make a good judgment on my own...."
After muttering, Celeste realized that her Master was being overly wordless, and her gaze automatically turned to the pen he had put down.
"What do you think, Master? Perhaps you should ask the madam...."
"Celeste."
A soft voice interrupted her. But the words that followed were anything but gentle.
"Why are you so noisy today?"
Celeste's mouth fell open soundlessly.
She looked at her master with a dumbfounded expression on her face.
"....I apologize, Master."
She apologized quickly and set the freshly brewed tea down in front of him.
Theodore stood up without looking at her.
"...You don't like it?"
"Not much."
He muttered coldly and stormed out of the room.
Celeste could only stare after him, her face flushed with embarrassment.
***
To donate for extra chapters for my series or to tip me visit my kofi page
Write a comment
Virginie (Thursday, 03 October 2024 17:40)
I hope that she has the occasion to tell Edwin , he will believe her.