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.
Bab 16: Warning of Wary
Eve held mixed emotions in her mind. On one hand, she was finally happy to get the governess job that she had been looking forward to since she had finished her schooling. But on the other side, her chest was filled with anxiety at the thought that she had finally found the man who had killed her mother in front of her very own eyes.
"Now if you could walk back to the piano room with the same vigour as when you stepped out of the room. We don't like people uselessly dilly dally here," stated Mr. Moriarty, reminding her that her job was in motion now. "Move your…" his eyes moved to look at her bottom, and Eve gritted her teeth. "Legs." Saying the words, his eyes fell on her worn-out shoes.
"Mr. Moriarty," Eve got him to shift his eyes back to look at her. "I think it would be better if we speak about some things before I start working here."
"Master Vincent Moriarty. That is how everyone addresses me here," the silver-haired man let her know. "Go on, try it. I am sure you will like it."
This arrogant man,… thought Eve. Considering how big and lavish the mansion was, it was granted that one would behave the way he did.
"Master Vincent," Eve addressed him gingerly, and the look in man's hazel eyes appeared amused. She continued, "I believe my job here is only being governess to Miss Allie and nothing more or less?"
"Unless you are planning to take more than one person under your wing, I guess?" Came Vincent's nonchalant words.
This man needed to learn more discipline than his sister, thought Eve. But if she were to be vocal about it, it would not just be rude. She was worried, as who knew if the man would turn up in front of her for discipline?
In a normal circumstance, her calling a wealthy man rude to his face and then storming out of the room would have left her with no second chance of having a job. For a good moment, she was worried that she had lost the opportunity.
"The job description is as mentioned in the letter, and your this monthly wage," Eve nodded at Vincent's words, where he slipped his hand into his trouser pocket and took out a gold coin and two silver coins. He dropped them in her hand. "One more thing, Miss Barlow."
"Yes?" Asked Eve, feeling the coldness of the coins dropped in her hand.
"As I am the one who hired you today, you will only be answering me. I believe you will keep it in mind?" there was a subtle hint of warning in his words, which didn't go unnoticed by Eve.
"Yes, Mr. Moriarty," Eve responded, and she saw Vincent's eyes narrow at her. "Master Vincent."
"I knew you weren't as slow as you look. Off you go now," he waved his hand in a 'shoo' motion as if he was done with talking to her.
As if he didn't want to waste another second on her, Vincent walked away from there. Walking in the direction of where earlier Eve had seen the other two men disappear in the corridor. She went back to the piano room. Opening the door, she saw the butler offering a cup of tea to the little girl.
On seeing Eve coming back to the room, the little girl's eyes brightened, but the expression on her face didn't change much.
"It is good to see you again, Miss Barlow," Alfie bowed his head, and Eve returned it with a slight bow.
Eve's gaze turned back to look at the girl, and she said, "It seems like from now we will be spending a lot of time together. I hope I can help you as much as I can in learning things and I will do my best, Miss Allie."
Allie's excitement was concentrated on the ceramic teacup that she held.
"Miss Allie is very happy to have you here," the butler spoke on behalf of the little girl.
Eve smiled, "Me too. I will take one sugar cube in my tea," she informed the butler to the question that he had asked a while ago. No matter what reason had changed her mind, this was her first job, and she was excited to have it.
"Of course, milady!" Replied the butler, preparing a cup of tea for the newly assigned governess of the Moriarty family.
By the time Eve left the Moriarty family, it was past four o'clock. She reached the outskirts of the wealthy town by foot. Waiting for the local carriage to hop on so that she could get back to her home.
With her right hand, Eve played with the umbrella's handle while she walked toward her home. Softly humming under her breath, her mood was elated. She fished in her dress pocket with her other hand, pulling out the three coins that shone under the sunlight. Her first earning, she thought in her mind, and a smile pulled itself on her lips.
When she caught sight of Aunt Aubrey and Eugene in the garden of their house, the pace of her feet quickened to meet them.
"You are back, Eve," said Lady Aubrey. "That's good."
"Thank the heavens!" Eugene let out a sigh of relief, and Eve noticed her aunt shake her head.
"Is everything alright?" Questioned Eve as she closed the little gate.
"Eugene was worried that you lost your way back home," Lady Aubrey turned to Eugene and said, "I told you Eve is a grown up and she will be just fine."
Eve laughed as she walked to where they stood, her eyes falling on Eugene, whose eyebrows were still knitted together.
"Silly Eugene. Why would I lose my way?" Eve laughed before saying, "I am late because I got the job."
She saw Aunt Aubrey's eyebrows raise in surprise while Eugene blinked. Aunt Aubrey asked, "Is it really true?" A smile spread on the older woman's lips and Eve nodded. "I am so happy for you, Eve. Come here," she opened her arms.
Eve hugged Aunt Aubrey, who had taught her everything she knew.
"Congratulations, Miss Eve. I knew you would get the job of governess and you didn't let us down. You have worked hard," Eugene was more excited than the two women.
"This calls for celebration, Eugene!" Lady Aubrey announced, and Eugene agreed to it. She pulled back from Eve and asked, "I didn't know you had sent another job application. Bless the family for giving you the job. You must have not broken anything or slapped anyone, did you?"
Eve shook her head, a soft laugh escaping from her lips, "I was very careful. I started today, which is why I was late. And I don't have to work on Sundays. I was given an advance payment." She took hold of Aunt Aubrey's hand before placing the gold coin in the woman's palm. "I want you to keep this. I always wanted my first coin to be yours."
The woman had done so much for her, protected and cared for, and educated her. She would forever be in debt, a debt she would never be able to repay.
"Oh, you child," Aunt Aubrey murmured under her breath, staring at the metal. But she didn't take it. Instead, she placed the coin back in Eve's hand.
"Aunt Aubrey—"
"You do not owe me anything, Eve. Not a single shilling," stated Aunt Aubrey, looking into the young woman's eyes. "The circumstances and reason in which I took you in might have been different. But I am glad that I did. You are no less than a daughter to me," she placed her calloused hand on Eve's cheek.
But Eve placed the coin back in the older woman's hand and said, "Then you keep it as your daughter's gift to you. If my mother was alive, I would have given it to her."
Eve didn't have much recollection of what her mother did for a living, and over the years, she had come to believe that her mother worked as a maid. And even though most of the memories in her mind had faded, she remembered her beautiful mother who had always been kind. If her mother was alive, she would have been happy that she had finally found a job, wouldn't she?
Lady Aubrey noticed the sadness in Eve's eyes, and she squeezed the young lady's hand in hers. She said, "Now, I will take it back from you. And I will keep it safe with me. Your mother would be very proud of you."
"Thank you, Aunt Aubrey," Eve's voice had comparatively softened with the thoughts about her mother on her mind.
When they stepped inside the house, Eugene asked, "Which family hired you?"
"It is the Moriarty's," replied Eve, and on her words, a thoughtful look appeared on Lady Aubrey's face. "Have you heard of the family?"
"I have not only heard, but also seen them. It was a few years ago, after I quit being a governess. I was invited and was present in the same soiree as the Moriarty family. They are a well established and powerful family," Lady Aubrey recollected from her memory. She sat down in one of the wooden chairs present in the living room, and Eve joined her, sitting in the chair. The woman then said, "If I am not wrong, back then Senior Mr. Moriarty was a Viscount, a well-known name who kept business only with the fellow wealthy circles."
"The mansion did look like a castle," Eve agreed to the older woman's words.
"Did you apply to work in the family?" Questioned Lady Aubrey, and Eve shook her head.
"I happened to receive the letter of invitation yesterday."
Lady Aubrey had crossed paths with the wealthy families before, and she found it odd that a family like the Moriarty had hired Eve, who had no prior experience as a governess.
"Eugene," Lady Aubrey turned to look at the man, who understood what the lady wanted him to do. "The Moriarty family might be well respected, but let us not take a chance."
It was often the cleanest cloth that had to be looked at closely, because it would have been washed too many times to remove the stains.
"Actually, I found out something today," started Eve, and the other two people in the room turned their attention to her. "I think I found the person who killed my mother."
"Are you sure about it?" Questioned Lady Aubrey, while a frown appeared on her forehead.
Eve pursed her lips before speaking, "He had a scar on his face. Near the eye, so I am guessing he's the one. He is someone whom Senior Mr. Moriarty is associated with."
Lady Aubrey and Eugene weren't aware of the specific details, as the words had been incoherent from little Eve, who was a crying and sobbing mess when she had gained consciousness. But what they did know was that Eve had witnessed her mother being murdered.
"You have to be extremely careful, Eve. This world where we live, it doesn't allow any room for mistakes. If you want my advice, stay as far as you can from that person," Lady Aubrey warned Eve.
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