Bab 14: Visiting Skellington Town Again
Music Recommendation: One Last Dance- Kris Bowers
—
If Lady Aubrey didn't have to send a gift to one of her friends, or if there had been a ribbon to tie the gift, maybe Eugene would have been the one to receive the letter. And if he did receive the letter, perhaps he would have checked the background of the sender's family. It would have been discussed with Lady Aubrey before the letter would have been discarded, with the thought that it wasn't safe for Eve to be working for the family.
But with Eugene, who had already stepped inside the house, it had left Eve to receive the mail sent to her like a ray of hope.
Eve opened the letter and read the content inside it—
'To Miss Genevieve Barlow,
We hope this letter finds you in good health. One of our close acquaintances shared your educational qualification details, and we are pleased to inform you that we would like you to come and apply for the position of governess in our mansion.
The job would require you to work from morning until four in the evening unless told otherwise. You will be receiving one gold coin and two silver coins as your monthly wage. Further details shall be shared once you are approved for the job.
From the Moriarty House.'
The letter had been sent from Skellington town.
For the first time, a family had invited her to come to apply, and it wasn't the other way round. A wide smile appeared on Eve's lips, and she walked inside the house.
Eugene, who was ready to go to the market and fetch the ribbon, was stopped by Eve, "Let me go and get it. The weather is bright today."
While watching the young lady leaving the house, Eugene turned to look at Lady Aubrey and said, "I think Lady Eve is trying to take the rejections positively."
Lady Aubrey only stared in the direction where Eve had left before she said, "I don't think being discouraged would do any good. The position of governess will open again in some house again, and we can only hope that when it does, she doesn't cause any catastrophe."
"… I think that is hard to avoid when the young miss is involved," murmured Eugene.
When the following day arrived, Eve woke up early and dressed suitably. She brushed the ends of her golden blonde hair with her comb, which was tied up into a ponytail and took a final look at herself in the small mirror.
"No breaking vases. No pouring tea on someone. No slapping," Eve told it to herself, hoping she wouldn't cause any more mishaps. "Today is the day where I shall be offered a job. They will give me the job," she muttered to herself, trying to manifest positive energy around her.
Leaving the house with the umbrella in her hand, she headed towards the local carriage and sat down.
"Where are you going, Miss?" the coachman inquired, and Eve dropped two shilling in his hand.
"Skellington town," replied Eve, and the coachman gave her a short nod, slipping the coins into the pocket of his jacket. Soon, the carriage started to move.
"One more job, Genevieve?" Questioned one of the fellow passengers, a young woman of her same age. But the woman was married to a notable man from the same town, a clerk to one of the Viscounts. And to tell the woman wasn't proud about it would be an understatement.
"Good morning to you too, Heather," Eve offered a slight bow to the woman named Heather. "Yes, the last one."
"Did you not say the same thing the last time we met? As I thought, a woman finding work in this society is hard," Heather shook her head, giving a look to Eve. "There are still a few decent men in our town, who I am sure would like to marry you. And you should do it before you scare them with another outrageous news of yours," the woman laughed in the end.
Eve laughed along with Heather and then commented, "I must agree. The men in our town scare easy by listening to such simple things Makes you wonder if they are brave at all."
There were three women and three men travelling in the carriage. One of the men turned to stare at Eve, and Eve gave him a sheepish smile. But the person turned his gaze to look outside the window.
Heather lightly hit Eve's arm and said, "Trust me and find a suitable man as soon as possible, instead of looking for a job." As they were sitting next to each other, the young woman leaned toward her and whispered, "How long are you going to wear those worn out shoes? Especially in clothes that people are tired of looking at. Look at me, I married a man who works for a Viscount and he earns better than most men in our town. It was only last week that he bought me a pearl necklace."
"It seems like you found a man you wanted. Especially considering you stole the man who was engaged to another woman," remarked Eve, and the smile on Heather's lips faltered.
Heather hid her embarrassment with a chuckle and said, "What can I say, my husband found me to be more suitable for him, than Ms. Fleming."
The passengers in the carriage, who were mildly eavesdropping, looked at the woman for a brief moment, and Heather's cheeks turned red, which was caused by Eve. In a low voice, she warned,
"You should be careful with your words, Genevieve. You do not want to upset someone whose husband has connections with higher social standing families. One word and you might never be able to work anywhere."
One of Lady Aubrey's teaching to Eve was—Unless you are in a higher social position than the other, do not involve yourself in petty fights with the person. Because it will only break the rung of the ladder.
As much as Eve wanted to reply with 'Go ahead', she knew there was no point in arguing with this woman, who liked to play foul.
"My apologies. I didn't intend to hurt you," the woman accepted Eve's apology with her nose up high but half-heartedly. "I meant to say you are an intelligent and beautiful woman, Heather." A cunning one added Eve with a smile.
"That I am," replied Heather, "Maybe when I have children, that will be soon, I will hire you to be their governess. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Maybe that would be the day she would quit being governess, thought Eve. During the remaining journey, the women didn't attempt to speak again to each other, letting each other be.
When Eve stepped down from the carriage, the people sitting in the carriage couldn't help but take a peek at Skellington town, which appeared far superior to the other towns. She walked slowly and elegantly, without being hasty with her footsteps as it would attract more attention to her than the few people recognising to be the same person who had caused the little commotion in here a few days ago.
The Moriarty mansion was located quite far from where she had gotten down from the carriage. It took Eve more than fifteen minutes by foot before she arrived at the mansion's entrance gate.
"This place is bigger than I thought," Eve murmured to herself, slightly daunted by the size of the mansion.
When she had started to read the letter the previous day, she had come to believe it was from a middle-class family. But after finding it came from Skellington town, it made her believe that it was possibly from a 'poorer' family compared to the rest of the families in the town. The last eight families she had met were mostly wealthy, but none could compare to what she stood in front of right now.
At the moment, two maids were working outside the mansion, tending to the garden.
She took a deep breath and finally made her way toward the mansion's entrance.
Before she could walk a few steps more, she noticed the servant in butler's uniform making his way towards her, and they bowed at each other. The man smiled at her politely. His blonde hair was combed to the side, and he appeared to be a few years older than her.
"Good morning. I am Alfie, the butler of the Moriarty family," the butler introduced himself, "Miss….?"
"Miss Barlow," replied Eve, noticing the butler quickly skimming her appearance, but the expression on his face didn't change. "Genevieve Barlow. I was sent an invitation—" she pulled the letter from her dress pocket "—to come to apply for the job of governess."
The butler took a look at the letter, reading it before he said, "Let me lead you to Miss Allie's piano room. Please, follow me."
As they walked through the expansive corridors inside the mansion, Eve asked the butler, "Will I be speaking to Mrs. Moriarty or Mr…?" her voice trailed, remembering her previous job interview.
The butler took a second before he replied, "Your job will be approved depending on your interaction with Miss Allie. If she likes you, the job is yours to keep, Miss Barlow."
"The parents wouldn't mind it?" Asked Eve, and the butler smiled.
"Mr. and Mrs. Moriarty are occupied today with work. This way please," the butler guided the way for her, taking her up the stairs.
The pillars and the ceilings inside the mansion had been intricately carved. There were plenty of candle stands placed near the walls to brighten the place. The more she walked, the more it seemed like a castle than a mansion.
"I hope it wasn't too hard for you to find your way here to the mansion," said the butler, and Eve shook her head.
"Not at all. How old is Miss Allie?" Eve thought it was better to know a little about the girl, she would be a governess.
"Miss Allie is nine years old," answered the butler, and after walking a little more, they finally came to stand in front of a large double door. The butler turned the knob and opened it for her "Miss Alli—" his words were interrupted by the harsh blare of the piano keys pressed together.
A grand piano was placed at the centre of the big room, and a young girl with brunette hair sat on the bench, who didn't bother to look up and meet their eyes. Eve took a quick look around the room, which held book racks against the wall. It seemed like the study room of the young girl. And then her eyes fell on the mirror on the wall of the other side of the room.
The butler quickly said, "Miss Barlow, why don't you and Miss Allie spend some time getting to know each other. I will be back in a moment with refreshments." And like a whirlwind, the butler disappeared behind the door that he closed on his way out, leaving Eve alone with the girl, who didn't bother to acknowledge her.
Eve was used to being questioned by the parents and discussing their children before meeting them. Even though she had been rejected several times before, she had never felt the air to be this thick.
While Eve contemplated how to approach the little girl, Alfie, the butler, made his way to another room in the mansion. He knocked on the door and, upon permission to enter, stepped inside the room. Bowing his head, he informed,
"Master Vincent, the governess who slapped Mr. Walsh is here."
"Is she now," one side of Vincent's lips curled.
Bab 15: Shameless Mr. Moriarty!
Eve looked at the girl, who continued to sit there in front of the grand piano, her small hands hovering above the piano keys. She was a little girl, and all she would have to do was get to know her, Eve thought to herself.
When she took two steps toward the girl, the girl pressed the piano keys again, and the harsh sound made Eve halt her feet. She turned to look at the door, wondering if she should perhaps wait for the butler. She turned back to look at the girl.
The little girl wore a black dress that stopped right below her knees. She wore a braid over the top of her head while the rest of her hair was let down to fall below her shoulders. She took a closer look at the girl, noticing the girl's posture was stiff as if ready to dart out of the room.
"My name is Genevieve Barlow. Some find my name to be a mouthful and prefer to call me Eve," Eve introduced herself to the girl, but the girl continued to ignore her. "If you do not mind, may I come take a look at the piano, Miss Allie?"
But the girl didn't respond again. This was harder than she thought it would be, Eve thought to herself. Children from wealthy families were often spoiled and didn't like to listen to anyone. It was also one of the reasons why most families hired governesses to discipline the children.
Eve took the liberty to speak again, "Do you hate the thought of having a governess. I can understand that with your free time that is now going to be replaced with someone managing it, you must feel uncomfortable. But I can assure you that learning isn't all bad, and it is quite fun if done in the right way. It helps in shaping your future, and if possible, be the smartest one in the room."
The girl finally seemed like she had decided to turn to look at Eve for the very first time. Compared to the girl's previous actions, her face seemed relatively innocent. The little girl continued to stare at her.
"I come from the town of Meadow. Have you ever been there?" Eve questioned the little girl, which was a dumb question. Because no wealthy family would step into a lowly town like Meadow, lest bring their children there.
In response to Eve's question, Allie shook her head.
"It is a bustling town. Very rarely peaceful. We have music there on Thursday evenings in some of the inns. They play the piano," and on Eve's words, the little girl slid to the side, giving Eve space with a blank expression on her face.
Eve's gaze fell on the space of the bench, slightly surprised.
"Would you like me to play the piano?" At Eve's question, the girl nodded, and without hesitation, Eve walked towards the grand piano and took a seat right next to the small girl. "Hm, what do I play?"
Eve's fingers started playing the black and white piano keys. The music was simple, something that was often played at the inn. She paused after a minute, turning to look at the girl, and said, "I would love to hear you play, that is if you have started learning it. Else it is perfectly fine, after all, we all start from the beginning," she added, wanting to befriend her.
The little girl turned hesitant, her body stiff. But as if obedient to the request, she started to play. Eve was surprised by the little girl's talent because the song that she chose wasn't easy. As if sensing Eve's stunned gaze, the girl turned suddenly aware and pressed the keys together before she stopped playing.
"I don't think I have ever heard any young girl playing as beautiful as you have. Your parents must be very proud of you," Eve praised the girl.
But the girl didn't seem happy with what she played with, and she brought her hands to place it on her lap. For a moment, Eve wondered if the girl was dumb. She then said,
"You shouldn't feel disappointed. You have plenty of time to practice and to improve," saying this, Eve picked the same song that Allie had played a minute ago.
The little girl looked surprised, staring at the woman.
"When I was of your age, I was terrible at playing piano. I made so many mistakes that my aunt believed it was better if I didn't touch the piano anymore. But you are far ahead of me," Eve encouraged the little girl, who looked slightly hopeful.
Curious, Eve asked the girl, "Did you have a governess before?" Allie nodded. "Did she quit?"
"Since when did governesses start to be nosey?"
Eve's eyes snapped to look at the door and caught sight of the familiar man with darkened silver hair. The peaceful look on her face was quick to turn sour.
"What are you doing here?" Eve asked, getting up from the bench and glaring at the rude man.
Apart from the black trousers and a grey vest with a white shirt, the man wore a subtle smirk on his lips. Even though she didn't feel his eyes move, she could tell he had scanned her. Her cheeks turned slightly red, remembering his last words to her.
Stepping inside the room, he said, "This is my house."
"That cannot be true," Eve spoke her thoughts out loud. The man gave her a solemn look before nodding. A look of horror appeared on Eve's face. This was her employer?! "I-Is this your—"
"My sister," replied the man. He walked inside the room and came to stand next to the little girl. "To think you are a governess. Are you sure you hold 'all' the qualification that has been mentioned in your records?" he clicked his tongue.
The little girl's eyes only moved from the man to the woman and then back to the man.
"Of course, I do," Eve replied confidently, staring back at him. There was no way he knew what she had done in the past. The rude man was bluffing, thought Eve.
Eve and the man with coppery brown eyes stared at each other, and as seconds passed, the man finally asked, "You seem to have finished your schooling from a fine place, Miss Barlow. Especially one that doesn't allow children lower than middle class to enroll in it. Aren't you a little too young for the job? How old are you again?"
"Twenty-four years old," answered Eve. She couldn't believe that out of all the houses, she had ended up in this man's house.
"You barely appear to be more than twenty. You must have very good genes," the man's voice drawled, and Eve's body stiffened at his words.
"Yes, I have been told that often," replied Eve, and then she said, "My aunt, Lady Aubrey Dawson was a former governess. She used her connections to help me to get into the institute. I am glad that you have arrived. Is there anything that you would like to know about me? I am very good with children an—"
"How's your bottom?" Her eyes turned wide like saucers. "Going by your anger that day, it seemed like you fell pretty hard." The man asked her with a straight face, that Eve was dumbfounded by his inappropriate question.
Before things could get more awkward in the room, she corrected him, "I meant to ask questions about me as the governess to Miss Allie."
"What a shame," hummed the man, his eyes lingering on her face.
Something gnawed her mind with the way he looked at her with curled lips and arrogance in his eyes. She took in his features without being too obvious—strong jaw, sharp nose, and full lips. His silver hair was unkempt, as if he couldn't bother himself to comb it.
Right on time, Alfie, the butler of the mansion, arrived in the room with a tray of biscuits and hot teacups in it. The butler bowed and announced,
"How many cubes of sugar would you like to take in your tea, Miss Barlow?"
"None. I would like to be excused," Eve quickly offered a bow, "Thank you for having me here."
She doubted she would be able to work under the same roof where this man was. This was the first time she would not take the job even if she were to be offered. The man was not only rude, but also he had not an ounce of shame by asking about her bottom!
"Quitting already? That was faster than I thought," remarked Mr. Moriarty.
"I am not quitting," Eve was careful with her words.
"Of course, that is because you are still unemployed," he reminded her. "I wonder how that feels."
"I think I would willingly choose to stay unemployed, than being hired by a man like yourself," she had met a fair amount of people before, but she had never met a man as rude as this one.
"A man like myself?" Mr. Moriarty chuckled. "Was it my question about your bottom being in pain?" This time it wasn't just Eve, but even the mansion's butler turned startled and decided to stare at the wall as if he hadn't heard a word. "You speak as if it was caused by me."
"If it weren't for y—"Eve stopped mid-sentence before their conversation could be misinterpreted. She noticed the crooked smile on his face. She spoke to the man lowly, "You… don't you feel ashamed for saying such things in front of a little girl?"
"The people in this world took so much shame with them, that they barely left any for me," he replied. "Maybe you can share some with me?"
"I hope you find some then," and she dashed out of the room without sparing another word.
Alfie cleared his throat. Though he had spent quite a few years with Master Vincent, still he wasn't getting used to the unfiltered words from his master.
But it was the little girl who broke the silence by tugging on Vincent's vest.
"Please, ask her to stay," the little girl pleaded with her small voice, and Vincent cocked his head to the side.
Eve climbed down the flight of stairs, not looking behind as she tried to remember where the entrance of the mansion was located.
"Miss Barlow," she heard the deep male voice behind her, and she paused, but without turning back to look at Mr. Moriarty.
"Thank you for the invitation letter but I will have to refuse the opportunity. I just remembered I have something else to do and need to get back home," replied Eve, without meeting his eyes when he came to stand next to her.
"Are you sure that is what you really want?" He asked her, and Eve nodded. "I don't think families would be pleased to find out that you fooled the administration and didn't take quite a few mentioned subjects as written on your file."
Eve's eyes widened. She didn't agree with his words, which would only confirm what she had done.
He smiled at her like a saint, "I am sure you will find this place quite pleasing, considering not everyone pays a governess handsomely. And your little secret will be safe with me."
Eve's hands clenched into fists. Until now, no one out of Dawson's house knew about it, and it had been more than five years since she had finished her schooling. She felt a trickle of fear run down her spine. How did he find out…?
Before either of them could say something, two men with expensive clothing appeared in the corridor, walking not too far from them. One man appeared to be related to Mr. Moriarty because of their similar looks, and when Eve's eyes fell on the other person, who had a scar on his face, it brought bad memories back to her mind.
"W-who is that?" Eve whispered.
For years, she had tried to remember the person's face, but the monster's face who had killed her mother had faded over time. Could this be the same person?
Vincent's eyes lazily shifted to look at the men before looking back at Eve. The look on her face had changed as if the curtain had dropped, and he noticed the anxiousness in her eyes. How interesting, he thought.
"The one on the left is my father Eduard Moriarty. And the other one is Lennon Morris. Saw something interesting?" He questioned her, and Eve quickly looked back to meet his eyes. He then said, "My sister seems to have taken a slight liking towards you and would like you to be her governess."
When Eve didn't respond, he said, "I am sure Allie will understand your reasons." He turned, taking three steps forward when she stopped him,
"Wait!"
With his back facing her, Eve failed to notice the wicked smile on his face.
"I… I will take the job."
"Are you sure?" And Vincent turned his head to meet her blue eyes. Eve nodded. "You are hired then. Cannot wait to see you start working here," he smiled while she failed to notice the underlying meaning of the words.
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