Night of Eden 41

 Chapter 41

***

The news of Theodore Macmilan's arrival at Kreutz Castle hardly took a day to spread among the neighboring nobility.

The castle's quiet entrance was stirred as people came to the door with visiting cards.

The butler threw most of the cards away, as the heir to a prestigious family could not open the door to just anyone, but a few made it.

One of them belonged to the Count of Lowengrin.

The Count was a magistrate here in the Ailes, and had hunted with the Duke of Macmilan years ago. The same could be said of Baron Emerson, a distant relative of the imperial family, or of General Kenil, a high ranking colonial officer.

He collected a few visiting cards and took them directly to Master Theodore.

As he looked down at the cards, his master's eyes were very hard. But despite his expression, he immediately canceled the hunt. He then ordered a banquet to be held.

The butler was delighted by this behavior.

His master may have been an unruly only son, but he was never negligent when it came to representing his family.

And today, the guests had arrived, the big shots who ruled like kings here in the Ailes.

"Thank you for the invitation, young master Macmilan."

"It is an honor to meet you."

The four gentlemen shook hands with Theodore, led by Lowengrin.

They headed straight for the dining room.

The butler served a feast of grouse, and the men praised Theodore's hunting prowess.

As was often the case with gentlemen's gatherings, the meal was followed by a smoking party.

They smoked, drank, and played poker late into the night.

"You all remember," said Baron Emerson, "that my wife told me last year that she had bought some paintings at the Roussillon Gallery, and that we had our first quarrel over them."

Baron Emerson's words caused a few heads to turn as they checked their card hands.

"Yes, I do remember that."

"And didn't it nearly get the good Lord Emerson thrown out of the house?"

A smile crossed their faces.

"Well, I hear the value of that painting has increased exactly tenfold in a year."

A steady look of surprise crossed the smiling faces.

Baron Emerson looked at them leisurely, then turned to Theodore, who was in the center of the room.

"It turns out," he said, "that this is the work of a new artist, one that Macmilan has discovered."

A flurry of admiring eyes turned to Theodore.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you. You really have a great eye."

"You're flattering me."

Theodore laughed softly.

"You have a remarkable ability to recognize gemstones."

"And it's not just fine art? He has a keen eye for music as well. I've heard that composers and performers are lining up for sponsorship from the Macmilan family."

"How proud would Lord Macmilan be?"

A few more compliments about Theodore followed. Some bordered on praise and adulation.

"I'm only carrying on the legacy of my predecessors, sir. I'm not sure I'm worthy."

Theodore shrugged it off with a humble answer.

"In that spirit, shall we make a toast?"

Lowengrin raised his glass. The crystal goblet clinked, making a light and beautiful sound.

From then on, the number of empty flasks grew rapidly, and the gentlemen's faces began to show signs of intoxication.

The conversation turned, as it always did when the drinks were flowing, to racy topics. It was mostly about women and gossip in the local social scene.

"Have you heard the rumors about young master Sachi He's on the verge of being disowned by his family."

The room fell silent as someone spoke.

"So that's what happened."

"Aaah...."

Amidst the sighs, only General Kenil, sitting at the far end of the room, narrowed his eyes.

"What is everyone talking about now?"

"Ah, that is to say. There's a viscount who owns some woodland up north, Edward Sachi, and his eldest son, well...."

The man chuckled in disbelief, then continued.

"He's run away in love. He abandoned his family and his inheritance, and the whole family was turned upside down."

"No, how did she do it, what kind of a woman was she, to drive that fine young man to such a state?"

"That's the thing...."

Lowengrin cleared his throat a few times, as if he couldn't quite get the words out.

"She's a maid. Working for his family."

"Ha! How could she!"

Some were dismayed, others grimaced in disgust.

Only one, Theodore, the innermost of the group, remained cold and rigid, showing no emotion.

***

"You must leave right now. Again, this is a secret to  everyone, even the butler at Kreutz Castle, and 

 even Tilly Bryson, who serves the master."

"Yes, I understand."

The servant nodded, his eyes solemn.

"The letter is to be delivered to the Master. It must not pass through anyone else's hands."

"Yes, don't worry. Do you know how many padlocks are in my mouth? More than the pebbles in the bottom of that lake."

Celeste let go of the end of the envelope she'd been clutching.

She had sealed it twice. The servant who was to be the messenger had also personally searched for the tight- lipped one.

Of course, Master Theodore never said the word "secretly”. But after seventeen years as a maid, all of this was second nature to Celeste.

"I'll be back."

"Yes, I'll count on you."

Celeste smiled with satisfaction and patted the errand boy on the shoulder.

The man turned his horse around and spurred him on. His figure disappeared in a cloud of dust.

Back in the study, Celeste stretched first. The lump of stone that had been weighing heavily on her chest for the past few days was gone.

Willow trotted up to her, tail wagging, and the sight of her made her smile.

"Want to know a fun fact?"

Celeste said, meeting my wide-eyed gaze.

"I think Master Theodore might be secretly disappointed when he gets that letter. Do you know why?"

Willow tilted her head to one side as if she understood.

"Because, deep down, he was hoping Dana was pregnant."

She whispered softly, then shuddered in disgust.

"He might have guessed it was Master Edwin's child, they're friends, but they're very strange, snarling at each other for not being able to kill each other."

Willow blinked her big eyes, as if she were scoffing at the ridiculousness of it all.

Celeste's brow furrowed.

"But... but... otherwise, why else would Master Theodore be so interested in Dana?"

She continued, almost to herself.

"Well, yes, it could be quite the opposite, it could be that he's just worried about Master Edwin, even if he is a rival, he can't benefit from his fiancée's brother being embroiled in scandal, anyway."

Celeste set Willow down and pulled the curtains wide.

"Well, thank God. I didn't play a part in using Dana, and I've done my part, so that's that, then..."

Celeste nodded to herself. Oh, how her Master's ridiculous instructions had given her a headache.

"Well, I didn't do it out of the goodness of my heart. If she was pregnant, I was willing to help her. I was going to sneak her out of Belvida and take her to my place. It would be much better for Dana. Being a handmaiden... It's not a very nice job, actually."

Celeste patted Willow's head as she said that. She was starting to feel sleepy, her head spinning from days of thinking.

Blinking, blinking, she glanced absentmindedly out the window and was startled awake.

A carriage was pulling up at the far end of the driveway.

Who could that be? She wasn't supposed to have company.

Celeste narrowed her eyes and drew the curtains wider.

It wasn't an ordinary carriage, but a large, ornate one, all white and gilded.

She could see the footman hurrying down the stairs to greet the unexpected visitor. So did Wimfred, the butler.

The four-seater covered coach looked vaguely familiar. The clincher came when the lion on the coach's flag came into clear view.

"Oh my God!"

Celeste screamed and frantically ran down the stairs. The carriage doors opened just as she reached the front door.

Mr. Nordstrom was the first to step out. Dressed in the full regalia of his home, he turned around immediately and took a woman’s hand as she disembarked.

Amethyst-studded leather shoes and the hem of a dress the same color as his own appeared.

"We'll have to extend the pavement, look how bumpy the road is...."

The woman's feet hit the ground.

"Madam!"

The woman looked back at Celeste.

Her peridot eyes sparkled softly beneath her pompadour-styled, brown hair.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm home."

It was Isabella Macmilan, Celeste's true owner, the eleventh Duchess of Macmilan.

***

The Duchess's unannounced visit was enough to turn Shore upside down. From the laundry in the basement to the attic at the top, servants from every nook and cranny gathered in the parlor.

Isabella Macmilan turned her back on them and looked out the window.

"They say he's swollen and feverish, and if that's not a sight to behold, I don't know what is. The Grand Duke's house is in a frenzy because of it. He held a tournament, and now there's a plague in all of Peron."

"Oh, my God, how the Grand Duchess must have devastated."

Celeste retorted, pouring her a cup of tea.

"So the regatta was postponed, and I, one of the sponsors, suddenly had nothing to do. I was considering just going to literary nights with Liana, but then I realized how much I missed the taste of your tea."

"I see."

"That's why I came running."

"Good for you."

"So why did Teddy go to Kreutz all of a sudden? Did he get a new piece of art or something?"

Isabella muttered and pushed herself away from the window.

"Oh, it’s so cute."

Willow came over and wagged her tail.

"Is it Liana's puppy?"

Isabella laughed and scooped Willow into her arms. Willow meekly snuggled into the duchess's arms, as if she knew who was at the top of the hierarchy.

"Master Hastings is a sweetheart. How many other brothers in the world would take such care of their sister?"

Celeste's brow wrinkled as she watched. All sorts of complicated thoughts raced through her head, and her mouth tickled strangely.

"Excuse me, madam...."

"Huh?"

Isabella patted the dog and glanced her way.

"I have something to tell you."

Isabella recognized immediately that the maid's tone and eyes held a hint of secrecy.

"Wait."

Isabella handed Willow in her arms to Wimfred.

"Now get out of here."

The chilling tone of her voice made Wimfred and the other servants drop to their knees. Then, in a line, they disappeared beyond the pillars.

Celeste waited until the last servant's hem was completely out of sight before she looked back at her master.

"...Willow, that puppy, it's a little strange, to say the least."

Isabella's eyes widened as she turned to face Celeste.

"The puppy... why?"

"I don't think it's just a gift for Lady Liana."

"What do you mean?"

Now it was her turn to say 'Dana Bordon’.

Before Celeste's tongue could move, those innocent, kind eyes flashed up as if for the last time.

"What's wrong?"

Isabella raised her eyebrows impatiently.

"What in the world could possibly be causing Celeste, the Belle of Heaven, to be so hesitant?"

"Uh... I mean...."

Celeste turned to face the Duchess's smooth, wrinkle-free face.

And then she realized.

She realized how she had really felt about Dana all through her training.

She wanted Dana so badly. More precisely, she wanted to make her her own, without the interference of any other superior, be it the Hastings or the Macmilans.

Celeste had no intention of being a handmaiden for the rest of her life and doing her master's bidding.

She planned to run her own business one day, and nothing would be more reassuring than to have someone as humble and underestimating as Dana by her side.

"Huh?"

The Duchess’s vivid green eyes gleamed with urgency. Celeste stood before her master's blinking eyes, deciding what to say and what not to say.

It might make things difficult for Dana in the moment, but in the end, it was for her own good, Celeste assured herself.

"Master Edwin, I think he may be harboring inappropriate feelings for that maid."

"...The maid?"

"Yes, the girl is training to be a handmaiden."

In the next few moments, there was a flurry of stories, many of which Isabella Macmilan could not have guessed.

***

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