Bab 4: Obligations
Music Recommendation: Snow- Ben Frost
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Little Eve held her hand close to her chest while her little feet tried to get away from the fair and the scary townsfolk.
Reaching home, Eve closed and locked the door. Her little heart beating loudly in her chest, she moved towards the window to look outside the house, if someone had followed her. Her blue eyes continued to search before she finally gave up.
Her stomach growled. Hunger had been induced in her since her eyes had fallen on the hot bun, and she softly gulped.
'Meow,' came the sound from the corner of the room.
Little Eve turned alert, trying to find where the sound came from.
'Meow.' A little tabby cat appeared near the table, swishing its tail in the air.
"A cat!" Exclaimed the little girl in delight, quickly forgetting what had taken place in the fair. At her excitement, the cat turned startled and stared at her. "Here, kitty kitty kitty..." she tried to lure it towards her.
The cat didn't look at her, and instead, it jumped on the nearby chair and then on the table. It came near the plate that had Eve's lunch, which her mother had prepared.
"Are you hungry too?" Asked Eve, noticing the cat sniffing the plate that was covered.
She went to the table and moved the lid—a piece of meat, potatoes, and a loaf of bread prepared last evening. The cat was quick to sniff the meat, ready to take a bite, but the little girl placed her finger between the cat and the meat.
"Mama says you have to share food," She tore the meat into two pieces. She offered the cat the meat and watching it eat it. Little Eve stared at it with a smile on her face. "Will you come here everyday?" She asked the cat, who was busy eating.
But the cat was greedy and eyed her hand that held the other half of the meat. It hissed at her, and before she knew it, the cat scratched her hand. This resulted in Eve dropping the meat. Startled, her hand pushed the plate, and it fell to the ground with a clatter.
The cat jumped from the table, quickly snatching the meat from the ground before escaping from the window.
"Wait!" Little Eve called the cat, and her heart sunk in her chest.
All alone again, she picked up the potatoes and the bread from the ground. Putting it back on the plate, she started to eat it.
Far away from the town of Crowbury and Brokengroves, there were other towns that consisted of manors that belonged to the wealthy families. While Skellington town tried to be tolerable to people from the lower status, the wealthy side of the land looked at the middle and lower class folks as bugs and worms that needed to be trampled.
In one of the manors and one of the bed chambers, the lamp-lit dimly, but the fireplace was bright enough to shed light.
A naked woman sat upright on the bed, pulling the covers around her used body. Hearing the rustle of clothes in the room, she turned to notice the man wearing his trousers. He then picked up his shirt.
"My family isn't going to be back until the weekend. You should stay the night," the man let her know, a smirk on his lips. "I will pay you twice the price."
Hearing she would be paid twice the amount, it was alluring. The debt that had been increasing over the last few years, she would be able to repay a little more of it.
But she couldn't take up the man's offer.
Rebecca politely smiled and replied, "Thank you, but I need to be home tonight. My daughter—"
"Yes, your daughter. I keep forgetting you have one," he chuckled, picking up the cigarette case from the table. He took one of the cigars and lit it up, taking a large swig, while watching the beautiful woman. "I don't think I have seen her before. You should bring her around. I would definitely want to get acquainted with her, it will be easier to do business in the future," he said, turning behind to reach for the ashtray.
The smile on the woman's face faltered, and her face turned stiff at the man's words. She was here out of circumstances, and she wished and prayed for her daughter to not have the same fate as her.
With careful words, she replied, "I wouldn't want to tarnish your reputation, Sire. If people were to see her here."
"You do not have to worry about it. She can come through the backdoor like you do," stated the man. "Don't tell me that you are trying to hide her because she is more beautiful than you," he looked straight at her, and Rebecca felt sweat form on her back.
Though Rebecca made money by selling her body to make a living, she had tried to keep the dirty claws of these vultures away from her precious daughter.
The man walked towards where she was sitting, leaning forward to come face to face with her. He said, "It will be a while again when I am free from work, and my family members are not home. How about this, I will pay you thrice for two days," he raised his fingers to emphasize his words.
Rebecca's eyes slightly widened, as she had never been offered this amount of money before. More money meant the debt collector wouldn't harass her or her daughter. And maybe she could even spend some time with Eve.
It was just two days, and she would have to worry less about being far away from her daughter. What could go wrong in those two days? She asked herself.
"Okay," replied the woman.
The man looked extremely pleased, knowing exactly how to twist people from the lower class. All he had to do was offer money, and they would do anything. He internally smirked at it.
Rebecca wore her clothes and was returned to the spot where she had been picked up this morning in the carriage. The sky had turned dark, the weather colder than the morning, almost as if she would have frostbite if it weren't for the shawl wrapped around her shoulders. But that didn't stop her from shivering.
With the time of Winter here, most of the streets looked deserted, with not many outside.
Somewhere, she was glad. Glad that the weather was harsh enough to send the people to their houses, reducing the eyes and the gossip from the people who lived here. But when she reached her home, she hoped for the weather to show mercy on her daughter, who was curled in a blanket on the floor.
Closing the door, the woman made her way to where Eve laid. Bending down, she gently caressed the little girl's head.
Eve woke up, her blue eyes opening to see her mother.
"Mama, you are back," came the muddled voice of the little girl.
Eve didn't know when she fell asleep, only that she had started to feel terribly cold and had ended up crawling into the blanket. Happy to see her mother, she got out of the blanket and wrapped her small hands around her mother's neck.
Rebecca might have lost respect in front of society, but having Eve next to her, she forgot the despair and the way society looked at her as nothing more than someone who sold her body. She hugged her daughter, patting the back of Eve's head. Feeling her daughter cling to her more than usual, she asked,
"Were you alright today, Eve?"
"Mm," answered the little girl, burying her head in the crook of her mother's neck.
"I brought you some things that you might like," said Rebecca, pulling away from her daughter. But when she took a look at Eve's face, the little one was fast asleep in her arms.
The woman laid her daughter back on the mat and then lay next to her. Pulling the blanket over them, she covered them. Little Eve was quick to snuggle into her mother's arms and fall sound asleep with her mother softly humming something.
Eve had lost her father before her father had the opportunity to hold her in his arms. He was a handsome and kind man who had brought Rebecca to the shore. He loved her very much, and she loved him back. She doubted she could love anyone the way she loved him.
But one day, he was killed brutally. Rebecca had witnessed her lover being killed by men. She remembered the day well as if it had happened a few minutes ago. She stood behind the tall barrel, covering her mouth with her hands to not let the sobs escape and be heard by the other humans.
She looked at Eve's sleeping face, where her lips were slightly parted and her expression filled with innocence. Rebecca knew that her daughter was different. Special like her father.
She had taken a lot of care when raising Eve, making sure people didn't find out what or who she truly was. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips gently on top of her daughter's head.
"I hope you have good dreams, my child. Grow up wise, move up in status, and live a comfortable life. A respectful one. But most importantly," she whispered to Eve. "Be happy."
When it was morning, Eve was bathed and dressed, and so was her mother, who had packed their clothes for the two-day stay. Stepping out of the house, the woman locked the door.
One of their neighbours, who caught sight of the bag in Rebecca's hand, commented, "Good riddance. It looks like the shame is moving away from near our house."
Rebecca bowed slightly to greet the woman, who looked appalled that she had grown a thick skin. The woman turned her face and got back inside her house.
"Mama?" Eve called her mother. "Are we going for a picnic?"
Noticing her mother stretching her hand towards her, the little girl was quick to hold it. Her mother said, "We are going to a manor today, and we'll be staying there for two days. Your mama has work."
"In the manor?" Asked Eve, her big blue eyes staring at her mother while they began to walk.
"Yes, my dearest. And once my work is done, let us go out. Just us," promised her mother, and Eve looked happy at her mother's words. "Okay?"
Eve eagerly nodded.
"Now remember, do not step out of the room. Stay away from trouble and wait for me to come and get you. We do not want to cause any trouble to anyone, do we?" Her mother's voice was gentle as she spoke to her.
"No," came the small voice of Eve.
Before they could reach the end of the road, a carriage with two horses appeared and halted for them. Rebecca squeezed her daughter's little hand, offering her a smile to assure her that she would be with her.
But only fate knew what was in store for them and the danger they were walking into.
Bab 5: A mother's worry
When the carriage arrived at the manor, the coachman pulled the reins of the two horses to stop away from the entrance. He got down from his seat and pulled open the carriage door. He didn't bother to keep a stool nor offer his hand to the woman who stepped out of the carriage.
Rebecca helped Eve get down from the carriage, and the very next moment, the coachman closed the door with a light thud.
The little girl stared at the large building and the gardens surrounding it. She had never seen anything like this before, and her blue eyes took in everything that she could see from where she stood.
"Come, Eve," her mother gently spoke to her, holding her hand and pulling her away from the front.
The manor's entrance was only for the family members and not for the servants or anyone who belonged to the lower class of the family. Eve's small feet followed her mother, and they entered the manor from the back of the house.
Their path was interrupted by the butler of the house, who was a man in his late fifties. His grey hair was combed to the back, and his stature was of average height. He wore a black uniform along with a disapproving frown on his face.
"Your room has been arranged in the servant's quarters," informed the butler, though he wasn't particularly fond of speaking to the woman sleeping with his Master. His eyes fell on the little girl with the woman, and he instructed, "Follow me."
The other servants didn't speak a word, but their eyes discreetly followed the mother and daughter.
The butler slightly turned back to look over his shoulder and said, "Master has already told me that you will be living here for two days. And during that time, keep in mind to not roam around the corridors of this manor. You shall not step out of the room, unless you are told to. As you know, the manor has frequent visitors and guests. We wouldn't want them finding out about your existence in this place during my mistress's absence."
"I will bear it well in my mind," Rebecca bowed her head to oblige to his words. She then noticed him looking at her daughter. She said, "She will follow it too."
"Good. Because there's no room for any errors here. I wouldn't like my Master's name being tarnished," the butler's words were curt, holding an underlying threat that didn't go unnoticed by the woman.
Once they were brought to their room, the butler left them as he had other important matters to attend to. As expected of a servant's room, it was small and had minimal things like a lantern, a mat and a bedsheet.
An hour later, Rebecca and Eve were summoned by the Master of this manor, where the butler was the one to get them from their room. When they reached the large sitting room, the butler announced,
"They are here, Sire."
Eve, who was looking at the beautiful objects and the clean floor, noticed a buff man standing a few steps away from her and her mother. She clutched on her mother's skirt when her eyes met the man's.
The man had a rough appearance, his jaws holding a stubble and a shadow underneath his eyes. He commented, "Who would even think that you have a daughter this big. Is she really your daughter?"
"She is my daughter," Rebecca's reply was polite, but her eyes were wary. She noticed how the man's thoughts were moving regarding her daughter's future.
Even Eve, clutching onto her mother's skirt, moved closer, almost hiding behind her mother.
"Isn't she lovely," remarked the man. "I am sure she will grow as beautiful as you. She will fetch you a lot of money. And this line of work is the quickest way to make money, don't you agree?" his lips twisted into a smile.
Though Rebecca had agreed to spend two days in this manor in return for money, she was here because she had a debt to this man too. He knew where she lived. Life wasn't easy for the poor, but it was even worse if someone tried to run away from the debt collectors, who were especially rich and had connections.
The townsfolk believed that Rebecca had conceived Eve by sleeping with one of the men she had serviced. And though it had tarnished the remaining respect in their eyes, she took it. It was better for people to believe that lie than they know the truth and tear her daughter from her.
"What is your name, girl?" The man demanded from the little girl.
"Genevieve," came the small voice of Eve.
"Hmm," responded the man, shifting his eyes at the butler, and he ordered, "Take the girl back to the room. I have business with Rebecca," he smirked.
Rebecca turned to Eve, placing her hand on her shoulder. She whispered to her, "I will be back with you later. Go with the butler."
Eve slowly let go of her hold on her mother's skirt, and she followed the butler out of the room. Before the door closed, she turned to look at her mother, who looked at her, while the man in the room walked toward her mother.
Eve was taken to the room, and the door was pulled so that she stayed there and did not cause any trouble. She sat there alone, staring at the wall while obediently waiting for her mother to get back. Food was provided to the girl on a dented plate, which the servants had overused over the years.
"Mama!" Eve exclaimed, running to her mother and putting her arms around her mother when the woman stepped inside the room.
"You have been a good girl, Eve. Waiting for me patiently," her mother praised her, running her bruised hand on Eve's hair.
"I always wait, mama," said the little girl, fondly looking up at her mother.
Rebecca hugged her daughter, finding the comfort she didn't feel all these hours when she was away from Eve. She bent, kissing the top of her daughter's head.
"Just until tomorrow night, and then we'll go out just as you wanted," she whispered, just so that even if someone was walking past the door, they wouldn't eavesdrop on her. After waiting for two hours, she said to Eve, "I have arranged for your bath, where no one can see you." said Rebecca, and they stepped out of their room.
As it was night, most of the servants had stopped working on the first floor of the manor. Rebecca made sure that no one saw them, tip-toeing carefully with Eve before entering the guest room at the end of the corridor. The woman was quick to pour salts into the bath so that Eve could soak in the tub.
Once wrapped and dressed, the mother and daughter stepped out of the room. They reached the end of the corridor and used the stairs to get down, only to face the butler.
"What do you think you are doing here?" Questioned the butler, his shrewd eyes staring at the insolent woman. "Don't you know that these floors are for the family's guests, and not for a servant, less a woman of the streets to take a stroll?"
Rebecca let out an internal sigh of relief, thankful that the butler hadn't arrived when they were stepping out of the room. Bowing her head, she apologized,
"Forgive me, for I wasn't aware about it."
The butler's eyes narrowed at their backs, and he then turned to look at the stairs from where they had come. He wondered what they were doing up there. Though the woman said she was exploring this side of the manor, he didn't believe it.
His eyes fell on the woman's hand, and he demanded, "What is that you hold in your hand? Did you steal something from the rooms?"
Rebecca's eyes widened at the accusation, and she shook her head, "I didn't steal anything." She hid the jar from which she had poured salt into Eve's bath earlier.
"Show your hands!" Came the firm words of the butler, who wasn't going to let her leave without inspecting her.
Eve's eyes widened on hearing the butler's voice move one octave higher as if to frighten them. She saw her mother stare at the man and then stretch her hand to show the empty jar.
The butler snatched the jar from Rebecca and looked at the jar that looked old. He asked, "What is this?"
"There were biscuits that I had brought from home," replied Rebecca without losing her composure because there was no way one would know what they were up to.
Not convinced, he turned the top of the jar and stuck his nose inside it.
"It smells like salt," he pulled the jar away from his face and handed it back to the woman. "See yourself back to the servant's quarters. We have guests in the manor, and we wouldn't want them to see you both," the butler glared at them.
Rebecca closed the jar and hurried to the servant's quarters, holding Eve's hand.
While her mother was pulling her, she caught sight of something shabby at the top of the stairs, but she couldn't see what it was. When they reached the room, her mother locked the door and let go of her hand. The woman leaned against the door, placing her hand on her chest as if to calm her heart.
The little girl stared at her mother.
Rebecca only hoped that they would be able to leave the manor day after tomorrow without any suspicion being raised about them. She wondered if she should take Eve for the bath at midnight tomorrow, or maybe it would be better to leave the manor in the evening, she thought to herself.
"Mama scared?" Asked Eve, and Rebecca sat on her knees on the floor.
The woman pressed her lips on her child's forehead, "Never." She would not appear weak in front of her daughter, and she would be strong for her daughter's sake. "I am just glad you are safe."
"Me too," came the small voice, and Rebecca smiled.
"Do you know how precious you are, Genevieve?" Asked her mother. "You are mine and your father's sweetest child."
"Papa too?" Asked Eve, and Rebecca nodded.
"Yes, your father's too. He loved you very much, before you were even born," replied Rebecca, pushing the baby hairs back on Eve's forehead.
Eve's eyebrows furrowed, and she asked her mother in sorrow, "Why won't he come meet me?"
Rebecca's heart sunk in her chest. She didn't know how to explain to Eve about death. "Your father… he's somewhere far. It is difficult for him to come, but that doesn't mean he loves you less," she assured Eve. "Come, sit here with me."
Picking up Eve, she placed the girl on her lap, who laid her head on her chest.
"Never feel that your father didn't want you. He was looking forward to meeting you. He would talk to you everyday. Telling you how much he loved you. To be brave, to never give up, and to believe in yourself. He loved us a lot, he wouldn't want you sad. Remember what I told you?"
"No tears," replied Eve.
"That's right," answered her mother, putting her arms around her. "Aren't you the most understanding child. Remember that after every night, you have morning to look forward to."
Rebecca sang a lullaby to Eve that quickly put the little girl to sleep.
The next day was no different to the previous day. Where Rebecca was summoned to provide her company to the Master of the manor, while Eve was left in her room. Hours passed, and the little girl continued to wait even after evening passed to night.
Eve's mother turned to look at the clock in one of the rooms. She had tried to leave, but the man had stopped her from leaving the bed.
She requested the man, "I should go now. My daughter might be frightened as she hasn't seen me for such long hours, Sir."
The man took hold of her hair, playing with it, "What's the hurry? It isn't like she's living somewhere else, but under my roof. Don't worry, my butler will make sure to feed her."
But that wasn't what worried her. It was getting late, and she had to take Eve to the bath.
Her chest started to drown in anxiousness with every second that passed by with the thought of her daughter being exposed.
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