Bab 7: Unheard pleas
On reaching the first floor, the little girl took a peek into the beginning of the corridor until she spotted her mother. Her uneasy heart turned calm, and she entered the room. What Eve didn't know was that this was a double room. A room that was separated by glass.
But her mother was not alone. Next to her stood the man who owned this manor, and his butler stood a couple of steps behind him.
"Turn into one of them!" The man held the back of her mother's head.
"Please stop!" Her mother cried and pleaded, "You have mistaken me for someone else! You have known me for long!"
"Doesn't seem like it was enough to know who you are," said the man, dragging the woman towards the bathtub, where the water was present. He forcibly pushed her into the water, "Turn!"
"I am only a human, Sire. Please believe me," Rebecca beseeched the man, her heart growing anxious as she didn't know how he even knew about it. When she had come to the room, both he and the butler were already there.
"Sire," the butler said, "I saw it with my own eyes. The little girl's skin shimmered like a diamond!"
"Where is your daughter, Becca?" The man spoke to her sweetly, bending down and patting the woman's head. Fear appeared in the woman's eyes for her daughter's life. "Go find her right now!" He ordered his butler.
The butler bowed his head and stepped out of the room.
"No!" Rebecca tried to scramble her way out of the bath, "She is innocent! Don't hurt her!"
Eve placed her little hands on the glass, "Mama!" She called, but no one heard her.
The man slapped Rebecca with his hand, "Shut up and sit still!"
"No!" The woman kicked and slapped him, using all her strength. The man tried to restrain her, but the woman kicked hard enough against the bathtub that it broke, and water spilt on the floor. "Please spare us! She is a little girl!"
Eve watched the man catch hold of her mother's arm, maltreating her.
"Who would have thought you were hiding such a treasure with you?" The man couldn't wait to get his hands on the little girl. He examined the woman with narrowed eyes, digging his nails into her arm.
"We don't know anything about them, Sire! I don't know what the butler saw, but it wasn't true—" Rebecca gasped, staring at the man.
The man dipped his hand deep into Rebecca's stomach, and he said, "If you don't know, I have no further use of you. It is unfortunate that we had to part ways like this." He pulled his hand back, and the woman staggered backwards.
Eve, standing in the other room with her eyes wide, noticed her mother's dress turning red near her stomach.
Rebecca looked down at her stomach, a painful expression casting on her beautiful face, which was filling up with regret. Her lips parted and trembled, "P-please don't…"
"Mama!" Eve shouted when her mother fell to her knees.
The man said, "I will take good care of her, or maybe send her sooner to you once you are gone." His hand shot to her neck, squeezing it.
Seeing her mother in pain, Eve tried to look for a way to get to her mother.
Though in pain, Rebecca picked up the ceramic piece of the shard that belonged to the broken tub, and she used it to stab one of his eyes.
"Argh!" The man growled in pain and anger. Blood oozed out from the wound that had been inflicted on him.
Rebecca didn't stop there, and she used another piece of the shard to push it against his stomach and hurt him.
"Mama!" Eve came running into the room where her mother was.
"Eve!" Rebecca's eyes widened. The emotion in her eyes was somewhere between relief and worry.
Her body was trying to fail her, but her daughter's safety came first! Taking hold of Eve's hand, she quickly pulled her out while the man struggled to remove the sharp pieces from his face and stomach.
Rebecca huffed for air, her face contoured in pain as she hid both her and Eve in the corridor before making way down the stairs. The butler would be here soon, and they had to leave this place before it! But she forgot to pay attention to her wound, which was bleeding and leaving drops of blood on the floor.
At the same time, the butler had found the room to be empty without the girl, and he headed back to where his Master was right now, missing crossing paths with the mother and daughter.
Most of the servants in the servant quarters, it made it easier for them to pass through the corridors before they reached the kitchen, leading to the manor's backdoor. But it wasn't as simple as she thought it to be because she met a woman in the kitchen.
"Who's there?" Questioned the woman.
"It is me, Rebecca," replied the woman while keeping Eve close and hidden behind her.
"This is not the time to be here. Don't you know that servants are not allowed after midnight unless you have an order?"
Rebecca had no time to chit chat, but at the same time, she didn't want to alert this maid, who could call the others. The woman noticed her be in pain and asked,
"Are you alright?"
"I just have a bad stomach ache," replied Rebecca, the panic continuing to grow along with the excruciating pain. "Can I get a glass of warm water?"
The woman stared at her before giving her a nod. And when the woman turned her back on her, Rebecca quickly made her way towards the corridor which led to the door. She quickly unlocked it and started to run with Eve. They couldn't go through the gate, but there was a gap at the back from where one could escape.
"Catch them! They are there!" A man shouted from behind. Rebecca turned for a moment and noticed the butler, the Master of the house and some of his men running towards them.
One of the men quickly caught up to them and held Rebecca. Tears started to brim in the woman's eyes at her inability, and she let go of her daughter's hand.
"Run Eve!" She screamed, and the little girl turned stunned.
Eve's lips trembled, and she didn't want to leave her mother, "M-mama…" When she tried to get closer to her mother, her mother said,
"I will always love you… Now run!"
The man caught hold of Rebecca, and before another man could catch Eve, the little girl started to run. She ran through the little gap in the fence, making it difficult for the man to follow her as he didn't fit through the gap.
Eve saw her mother, who had tears in her eyes. Her mother smiled, a smile that was filled with sadness. The Master of this manor stepped behind her mother, and with one swift movement, he pierced his hand through her back.
A sob escaped from Eve's lips, watching the smile on her mother's face leave and her eyes turn lifeless.
"Catch the little girl! I want her right now!" Ordered the man in anger.
"Mama!" Eve called her mother, who didn't respond as Rebecca fell on the ground.
She started to run, running as fast as she could while sobs escaped from her lips. Unable to contain the grief and horror that took place in front of her eyes, tears turned to pearls, falling on the forest ground that she had entered.
"Where is she?"
"The rat must be right here!"
"Spread to find her quickly! She mustn't be too far!" Yelled the men, who were trying to find Eve.
Eve hid under the large rock for a minute before she started to run again. While running next to the stream, she missed her footing and slipped into the water. The current of the water was strong and it carried her forward, while she tried to keep her head above the water.
Not soon, Eve lost her consciousness and she drifted towards the calmer side of the stream.
While the men continued to search for the little girl, a moving carriage appeared which was being pulled by two horses. The carriage came to a halt, when the coachman caught sight of something shining under the moonlight first before he noticed it was a little girl.
"What's the matter, Eugene?" Came the question from inside the carriage that belonged to a woman.
"Lady Aubrey, I see a body near the stream," replied the young coachman with a frown.
"Hm?" The carriage door opened, and out stepped a woman who appeared to be in her late forties. She had a stern face, yet her eyes held warmth. She wondered which wealthy one decided to throw a person in the water, or which poor man must have committed suicide.
The coachman walked to where the person laid and moved closer to the person, and he said, "It is a young girl. She doesn't belong to the town." It was because this town was occupied by the wealthy, and it was no place for lower-class folks.
Lady Aubrey walked towards the girl who was soaking wet. Bending down, she checked the little girl's pulse. At the same time, the woman's eyes fell on the girl's bare legs. Something shimmered on the girl's skin, and the woman frowned, staring at her.
"What do we do, milady?"
"Help me get her into the carriage."
Bab 8: Hasty morning
Seventeen years later...
An older woman sat in a wooden chair, reading a newspaper that her servant had bought. Her hair was tied up, and wrinkles marred the sides of her downturned eyes. She turned to the next page when she heard the loud footsteps above. But the woman's eyes didn't shift away from the newspaper.
The servant, who was in the kitchen preparing tea, raised his head and stared at the ceiling. The hurried footsteps continued, which was hard to not listen to until something crashed, and the servant's eyes widened.
Even Lady Aubrey, who had been quietly reading her newspaper, closed her eyes and a sigh escaped from her lips, "I wonder what she broke this time. I can only imagine why the families have not hired her."
"She isn't that bad, milady," the servant quietly laughed before his madame gave him a stare, and he cleared his throat.
"I thought with my experience, she would turn into a fine governess. After all she was quick to pick up her learnings and excellent in most of the things. But I didn't know she would excel in being clumsy and break—"
Loud and hurried footsteps didn't stop as they quickly descended the stairs, and a young woman came into view. She almost slipped when she placed her foot on the last stair but quickly caught her balance.
"That was close," murmured the young woman. Stepping on the ground, she bowed in greeting, "Good morning, Aunt Aubrey!"
Lady Aubrey placed her hand on her chest, feeling her heart jump out of her chest. She said, "What have I told you, Eve? Slow and careful steps. The world isn't running away anywhere and where are you going this early in the morning?" The woman asked, noticing the dress that Eve wore.
Eve raised her hand that held a letter, and there was a broad smile on her lips, "I have a calling from one of the families I had applied to be a governess. The letter had somehow been buried in the desk and I saw it only an hour ago."
"That is wonderful news, Lady Eve!" the servant sounded excited.
"Indeed it is. But also shocking that you got a call after what you did to the last family. I can only imagine that they haven't heard about it yet," Lady Aubrey looked at Eve with stern eyes.
Eve looked up at the elderly woman and sheepishly smiled. She replied, "It wasn't m—"
"You poured hot tea on the woman's hand!" Lady Aubrey reminded her. "For heaven's sake, who even does that?"
"It was purely unintentional. In my defense, the woman had her hand stretched too wide and had brought it near me when I picked up the kettle," replied Eve, where even she couldn't believe something like that had happened.
Eve had leaned forward, smoothening her peach dress to remove any possible wrinkles. Now twenty-four years old, she wanted a job to support the woman who had raised her as her niece.
After Lady Aubrey's husband, Mr. Rikard Dawson, had passed away from consumption, the woman tried to live as thriftily as possible with the little money that her husband had left behind. Being a former governess, she had tried to pass all the knowledge she had to Genevieve. Tried because Eve had a hard time walking between the lines.
"Is this Lady Eve's seventh time attending the interview?" the servant inquired.
"Eighth, Eugene," Lady Aubrey murmured and asked Eve, "Can you make sure to not break anything this time?"
Eve nodded solemnly, "Of course! I will be very careful not to break anything or... pour tea on anyone," and Eugene nodded as if the young lady would not do something out of character.
"You will get the job this time, Lady Eve!" He cheered for her and asked, "Let me serve the tea and I will take you to the mansion."
"Thank you, Eugene, but I will be fine. I should hurry now. I will see you later," Eve quickly walked to where Lady Aubrey sat, kissing the woman's cheek.
"Good luck, dear," wished Lady Aubrey, and Eve quickly hurried towards the main door. On her way, she picked up the long, pointed, purple umbrella and dashed out of the door.
"Lady Eve seems to be confident today. Hopefully she doesn't miss the local carriage," murmured Eugene after looking at the watch on the wall.
Lady Aubrey held a severe look on her face, and she asked, "Did you check all the families that Eve applied for the job of being a governess?"
Eugene nodded, "I did. Most of the families were from middle class families, and they are all humans."
"That's a relief. But we can never be sure," replied the elderly woman.
Though Lady Aubrey and Eugene were humans, they had knowledge about the dangerous creatures who lived amongst them. But that wasn't the main problem. The problem was that even though they knew about these creatures, they couldn't identify who was a human and who was the creature because of these creatures' perfect disguise.
"It has been more than a decade since we came across one of them. Almost as if they don't exist," said Eugene, adding a spoonful of tea leaves into the vessel of boiling water.
"Don't be fooled, Eugene. It is all pretense, cloaked in the wool of innocence," stated Lady Aubrey, her eyebrows drawing close. "And no matter how cautious you are, it is sometimes not enough."
Lady Aubrey, who already knew the truth about Eve, had tried her best to protect the girl since she had taken her in. It wasn't safe for a mermaid with the creatures who had camouflaged themselves in the society. The last time someone had caught a mermaid, the mermaid had been put in a glass tank. The next day, word reached her ears that the water in the tank had turned red as someone had eaten the poor mermaid.
On the street, Eve's feet were quick as she headed in the direction of where the local carriages would leave in less than two minutes. The mansion where she was headed was located in the next town, and if she went by walk, it would only make her delay in reaching the place.
Though the weather was bright and sunny this morning, with no hint of possible rain in sight, Eve still carried the umbrella with her. Something she did for some years now. The umbrella swayed back and forth with every step that she took, and so did her golden blonde hair that had been tied with a peach coloured ribbon. Since she had turned twenty, she had stopped letting her hair down in public. With her appearance that hadn't changed, it was hard to get a job, as the seeking families looked at her as if she was too young to be a governess.
On her way, a man greeted her with a slight nod, "Good morning, Ms. Barlow. Fine morning, isn't it? And you look as radiant as always."
"Good morning, Mr. Humphrey," Eve returned the greetings with a bow, "It must be the blessings from the sun," her words were polite.
Mr. Humphrey was the manager in one of the timber mills, and like many other people, he was beguiled by Genevieve Barlow's beauty. He had been subtly trying to get closer to her, crossing paths and trying to talk to her. But the young woman seemed not to get his subtle point across, and he asked,
"You seem to be in a hurry. Would you like me to drop you to the place where you are going?"
"Thank you for your offer, Mr. Humphrey, but I wouldn't want to bother you. I should reach on time using the local carriage," replied Eve.
"Are you sure about it?" Enquired the man, "My carriage is waiting right there, and you may find yourself to be more comfortable in traveling in it than the local carriage. It was only three days ago that I added two more horses to the carriage and the seatings are softer than a bed. A woman like yourself should be treated with comfort an—"
"I don't know if it would be right to take your carriage. I would feel terrible to think you would have to walk to your workplace," Eve's words were serious, and an empty chuckle escaped from Mr. Humphrey as he had planned to accompany her. What word of his even gave way that he was giving his carriage to her without him in it?
Wanting to be in her good books, he didn't correct her and smiled, "You do not have to worry about me. Treat what is mine as yours."
With men, who were often polite to her, over the years, Eve had ended up ignoring their subtle advances.
"You are very generous," she noticed the coachman of the local carriage shouting that the carriage would be departing soon. Her eyes shifted to look at Mr. Humphrey when he asked her,
"If I may ask, where are you going?" inquired the man, his eyes wandering to look at her neckline and then the shape of her bosom before looking at her wide hips. She would birth many children, and he internally nodded to himself.
At the question, Eve replied, "I have an interview for the job of governess," her voice holding a hint of excitement which the man didn't take note of as if he was busy admiring her womanly curves.
Mr. Humphrey slightly threw his head backwards and laughed in amusement. He shook his head, "Are you still looking for one? I think you will be far more suited to being a wealthy and known man's wife. Let the man take care of you and do the job, as it is his duty."
Eve's eyes subtly narrowed, but the polite smile didn't leave her face. With a coy smile, she asked, "I don't think I have been fortunate enough to meet a well known man, Mr. Humphrey."
Mr. Humphrey's smile immediately fell, and he tried to smile, "I doubt that you haven't noticed the right one yet. Men who are wealthy, have status in the society and are confident. Someone who can take good care of you" Saying this, he tugged on the sides of his coat and stood even straighter than before.
"Are you talking about yourself?" Eve directly asked him, and Mr. Humphrey's mood brightened that she was finally paying him attention. After several months, he finally got her to look at him as a suitor for her. But then she said, "Of course, you're not. You are a modest and humble man. I don't think you would ever boast about such things. Because those kinds of men don't appeal to any respectable woman."
The man was left tongue-tied. Because if he agreed, he would be losing his opportunity of making her see him differently. But if he didn't, it meant he was openly accepting that he was a man who was boastful and had no appeal.
Eve offered him a smile, and bowing her head, she said, "I should hurry now. Have a good day, Mr. Humphrey." She left the man with no chance to woo her this morning, just like many other days.
Mr. Humphrey's servant came to stand next to him with flowers in his hands while both the men watched Genevieve Barlow getting inside the local carriage.
"Sir, what should I do with the flowers?" the servant asked politely, as his master had earlier ordered him to buy the flowers for the lady, who now left in the carriage.
"Throw them," Mr. Humphrey's polite smile turned into irritation. "Eve deserves fresh flowers and not the flowers of yesterday."
"Sire, if I may speak... There are many women in the town who have been trying to gain your attention. Why go for a woman who doesn't notice your feelings?" Asked the servant, only to end up getting a stare from his master.
"It is always the fruit that grows at the highest branch that tastes better than the rest. Ms. Barlow is a fine woman. Her beauty is unmatched in this or the other four towns from here. Her grace and elegance is something women thrive for. There is an innocence in her eyes that makes me want to..." Mr. Humphrey didn't continue his words but turned away from the place where the local carriage had been standing. "If not today, one day I will make sure she's mine."
Hadiah
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