Night of Eden 96

 Chapter 96

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Saturday came too soon. As soon as she finished her morning business, Dana pulled out her best dress.

It was the one she and Dorothy had tailored in the wardrobe room the day she'd started working at the parsonage, about a year ago. She put on a little powder and a new lipstick. She put on the earrings Noah had given her for her birthday.

Her heart was beating strangely fast when she looked at herself in the mirror. Dana shook her head to clear it and checked the tea pot.

The salt tea was perfectly ready, and the finest blends Scott had insisted on were always available.

Dana flipped open Celeste's notebook and checked the recipe one more time. Suddenly, she thought about her.

How was Celeste doing? Did she really start her own business? And Nicola Richter? Dana briefly wondered if she and Nicola had become lovers.

Perhaps Tilly Bryson would be accompanied Theodore? She'd have to make time to ask him about it.

A few moments later, the door opened and Scott appeared, followed by a group of men.

There were five guests in total. Scott himself, the mayor, the investor, Mr. Weisburne, Mr. Theodore, and a final, unidentified man.

"Mrs. Miller!"

Scott grinned broadly, sticking out his bulging belly. Dana walked over to them. Her smile was as bright and cheerful as ever.

"Hello, Mr. Scott. Hello, Mr. Mayor."

A thin, middle-aged man with a hawkish nose gave her an arrogant glare. Dana walked over to what looked like an obvious "investor.”

"Hello, Mr. Wisburne."

Finally, it was Theodore's turn. She lowered her gaze slightly, not sure she could make eye contact.

"Hi...hello, Mr. Mac....milan."

She hurried to search for the last customer, and then she saw it. A young, beautiful woman walking right next to him.

A sweet floral scent wafted into Dana's nostrils.

"Greetings, this is  Miss Olivia Digby. The mayor's daughter." Someone introduced.

The woman in the boldly off-the-shoulder purple dress looked back at Dana.

"Hello, ma'am, I've heard of your salt tea. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Dana greeted her back, but she couldn't quite remember what she said.

All she could see was the dazzlingly beautiful woman standing too close to Theodore's side.

As she came to rest against his chest, she tilted her head up and whispered something, and Theodore leaned his head, which was much higher than the others, toward her. He looked more handsome than ever today, his face had a faint smile.

The look on his face told Dana a lot.

"Perhaps he will stay longer.”

"The mayor seems to want more from him than just an investment.”

Was this why Theodore might stay longer?

And...

"Look at all the beautiful young couple!”

Much to Scott's admiration, he was not married yet.

Dana realized she was staring at them too openly.

"Would you like to come this way?"

Keeping her smile bright, she gently turned and led them away.

***

Nothing happened to make Dana feel surprised or nervous until they sat down at the table and made light conversation. But when she approached to take their order,

"Salt tea, please, for everyone here."

Everyone’s eyes widened at Theodore’s words. Dana's ears perked up, too. Only Olivia laughed softly.

"Mr. Macmilan is as arrogant and self-serving as rumor has it, deciding what's ours without asking."

She didn't seem to dislike him for it, even though she said it. Dana couldn't help but turn to face Theodore and double-check.

"All... Salt tea?"

"Yes, because there's no reason to come here otherwise, ma’am."

The word 'ma'am' hit Dana like a blunt instrument, as deliberately added as the sudden honorific. She blinked to shake it off, then turned to Scott and the mayor.

"...Would you mind?"

There was a strong sense of discontent in the way the two men exchanged glances. However, they were unable to express it out loud, perhaps due to the heir of the Macmilan’s overwhelming dominance.

"Uh... yes…do that.”

A moment later, Dana and Rachel reappeared before them. She was carrying a set of five bowls with teacups and biscuits.

"I've been wondering what the hell salt tea is."

Olivia was the first to take a sip, and within seconds, her face showed the same reaction that anyone would show. Olivia shook her head, took a couple more sips, and then raised her eyes to Dana.

"...Isn't that milk tea?"

"Yes, that's right, it's milk tea."

Scott frowned for a moment. Dana ignored him and continued.

"I tried adding some salt to it to make it sweeter, but it turned out to be surprisingly good, so I've come to call it 'salt tea'. Today I brewed it with some particularly fine tea leaves...."

Dana glanced at Theodore for a moment, then continued.

"Mr. Macmilan... I thought you'd prefer a plain old salt tea, so... I made it exactly the same as I usually do, and I hope... I hope it’s not rude.”

"Rude? Not at all. It's very good."

Olivia replied, taking another sip and folding her eyes at Theodore.

"It was a bit arrogant and selfish, but Mr. Macmilan was not wrong in his choice, so please try it."

She responded with a small smile and lifted her teacup to her mouth. Dana didn't want to wait to see Theodore’s reaction. She took a step back, not liking the constant glances between the two of them.

"I hope it fits in everyone else's taste, too. Now, if you'll excuse me......."

Dana started to turn away, but Wisburne stopped her.

"One moment, ma'am."

He pulled Dana to her feet, then glanced around the room.

"I'd like Mrs. Miller to join us. Isn't the development of Lewis Station a matter that requires the cooperation of an ordinary member of the Merchants' Association like yourself?"

Scott and the mayor looked at each other in surprise again. Mr. Wisburne looked only at Theodore, as if their wishes were unimportant.

"As you wish."

Permission was granted. Dana was seized with an ominous premonition. It wasn't because of Theodore.

The words 'the cooperation of a common Merchant's Guild member like you' echoed in her head. In her experience, the word 'cooperation' had been used more often than not to mean 'one-sided notification'.

"What are you doing? Sit down."

Scott scolded her for standing so far away. Dana inclined her head slightly toward them, then stepped carefully to the edge of the chair. Wisburne glanced back at Scott.

"So, please continue your story."

Scott coughed and opened his mouth.

"Ah, so, as I was saying, we're going to connect the train station to Third Avenue, turning it into something no one has ever thought of before."

He spread his arms out wide on either side of him, almost theatrical in his exaggeration.

"Only quality shops will be allowed - boutiques, galleries, and high-end salons by mainland artisans - and it's my goal, and the mayor's, to keep the public out of it entirely, and then make it so extravagant and luxurious that even the emperor of the continent would want to come here. That's called 'differentiation' among investors these days, isn't it?"

Differentiation?

Dana couldn't help but frown.

"But what about the workers who commute from the station to the factories? Don't they pass through these streets every day? No investor will be willing to come forward unless we address that issue."

Right on.

Dana's hands tightened. A slow swirl was building at the bottom of her chest.

"Ha! For a tycoon, Mr. Wisburne, you are a small-scale man.”

Scott snorted.

"Let them go their separate ways. Let the laborers go among the laborers, and the non-laborers among the non-laborers, and what's the matter with that......."

"No, it's not that simple, the workers will have a longer commute, we've done the math with that in mind, but it's at least twenty minutes more walking, and there will be a huge backlash."

"Ha! Mr. Wisburne, I'm a little disappointed in you, too."

The mayor, who had been silent, spoke up.

"Isn't that what differentiation is all about? It's not about getting rid of the rat hole, it's about making it a different pathway, and if that's not enough for you, then what the hell do you expect me to do? If I have to listen to every little thing, I'll never get anything done, let alone develop!"

Wisburne crossed his arms in surprise at the mayor's forcefulness, then glanced at Dana.

"And how do you think you're going to convince shopkeepers like Mrs. Miller who do business with them?"

"Oh, that's......."

Scott's voice momentarily lost its edge. It was one thing to keep dirty laborers out, but quite another to keep customers out of the merchants' shops.

"First of all, the Porche shop has nothing to worry about, Mrs. Miller doesn't have to hang herself just for them. She sells blended teas in the afternoon. If it turns out to be a street of distinction in the future, that's just as well. Luxury tea will sell like hotcakes, don't you think?"

He turned to Dana and smiled wickedly. Dana couldn't stand it. All she could think of were the tired faces of her customers, their hardships momentarily forgotten over a cup of salt tea.

"No."

Her tone was so strong that the atmosphere immediately stiffened.

"I'm...."

Dana had to pause and tighten her grip on her stomach as her voice kept shaking.

"I... I don't... I don't think that kind of development... is right."

Scott straightened from his lazy recline and shot her a warning look. Dana turned to the mayor without looking away.

"You're comparing my guests to... 'rats'. They're not rats. They're people, just like you, Mr. Mayor."

"...What, what?"

The mayor's eyes hardened.

Dana knew she shouldn't have raised her voice. But she couldn't stop the fire from burning in her chest.

"They're... They're not criminals, they're not bums, they're just... hard-working, tax-paying... Good citizens, and it's a shame you have to block their way... Wasn't Third Avenue built with their tax money, too?"

The mayor's eyebrows arched, but only for a moment.

"Ha! You're a young lady, but you know one thing and not the other. Taxes make you different, so you should be more different. People who pay more taxes should get special treatment. It's in our federal law."

The word "law" made Dana shrink back for a moment. But logic and reason had long since been swallowed up by the image of Mrs. Sampson hugged her and cried.

"I don't know if this is the right analogy, but... but my grandfather always said that if you sweep away the cobwebs because you don't like the look of them... you end up with nothing but vermin."

A sudden shiver ran down her spine, but Dana continued.

"If you treat my guests like that... like a spider's web... you'll end up spinning it. It's gonna hurt everyone here, too. In this world... there is no being that can survive on its own.”

Silence descended. The atmosphere quickly grew chilly.

Dana knew what she had done: she felt as if she had been thrown naked in front of the enemy. Tears welled up in her eyes. If she cried here, nothing would be more ridiculous. Dana rubbed her eyes and searched for a good excuse to leave.

"How long am I going to have to listen to this?"

Everyone's heads snapped around at the sudden question. Theodore set his teacup down silently and met everyone's gaze.

"I was not expecting to hear a debate about laborers' rights on a short trip."

He turned his uncharacteristically cold, bored gaze on Scott. Scott froze.

"It's not that I'm not interested in investing, really, but I'm a little tired."

He looked back at the mayor, and the mayor hummed and coughed and averted his gaze. His cold gaze whirled around to Wisburne.

"I didn't like you from the moment you put that poor lady in the middle of the room, why can't you be a gentleman?"

"Ah... I... I think it's because...."

"I agree, Mr. Macmilan."

A cheerful voice interrupted. It was Olivia, and she jerked her head toward her father, the mayor.

"Mrs. Miller isn't entirely wrong, Dad, to make hard-working people unable to walk."

"Olivia...."

"Oh, I wish we could stop talking about uncomfortable things, because if I had known this was going to happen, I would have refused when you asked me to come with you."

The mayor was at a loss for words, and Scott wiped the sweat from his brow with his handkerchief.

Theodore had been staring at Dana since earlier. Dana didn't look away, either.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not here to blame you and judge you.”

"I just want you to show me how sorry you are. I'll be waiting.”

What could he really mean?

"I have one question."

Theodore began, his eyes unreadable. It was directed squarely at Dana.

"Tell me..."

Dana could barely answer.

"Where is your husband?"

"...What?"

She couldn't help but repeat dumbly.

"Your husband."

He repeated, pronouncing it slowly. The out-of-the-blue statement stunned not only Dana but also the others. Even Olivia, who had never been one to argue with anything, narrowed her eyes.

"All of a sudden... that's... why... do you you ask...."

"Because I was wondering where he was hiding like a rat while his wife was being humiliated like this."

Dana stiffened. As she held her breath, overwhelmed by the strange stare, Scott cautiously opened his mouth.

"Uh... Mr. Miller is... He's not here. He's gone to Angus on business and won't be back for two months."

"Ah, work."

Theodore repeated coldly, not taking his eyes off Dana.

"I've been hearing about it since I got here. How much the owner of the teahouse cares for and loves my wife. It's strange that I don’t see him at all. What's so important about it?"

Scott couldn't help but feel that something was wrong, but he couldn't help but answer.

"That... Mr. Miller... I mean... He usually stays by her side at the tea house, but... Uh... He's had a little trouble with his loan......."

"Loan."

Theodore cut in again. Scott just shut his mouth.

"You have a very good husband, Mrs. Miller, as the rumors say."

His voice was low and cold, sending shivers down Dana's spine.

"To leave his beloved wife all alone like this for so little money."

Under the intense stare, everything faded away, and it was just Theodore and Dana.

"I wonder if he's anxious."

Dana's heart, which had been beating so rapidly earlier, thudded into a full-blown roar. She was lost in confusion.

***

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