Bab 17: Friction in the hallway
The following day, Eve woke up early to be on time. After climbing the stairs, she noticed Eugene having dark circles around his eyes.
"Good morning, Aunt Aubrey and Eugene," Eve greeted them. Noticing the slight frown on the older woman's forehead, she turned to Eugene and asked, "Did you find something about the Moriarty's?"
Eugene nodded his head. Upon Lady Aubrey's word, he had tried to dig out for information about Eve's new employer. He said,
"It wasn't much, milady. As Lady Aubrey mentioned, it seems that the Moriarty's don't like to mingle with people who belong to the middle and lower-class families. Which was why it was hard to get more information. I couldn't find anything more than what is already known."
It being the first family which belonged to the highest of the high society, it was hard to extract without getting caught as the higher family didn't like people snooping around in their business.
"The only thing I could come up with is that they have had a series of governesses but none of them have stuck around. They were turned away within weeks as the governesses were never up to their satisfaction," said Eugene.
Lady Aubrey stated, "It doesn't matter if they are humans or not, just beware of the danger. Also try to avoid bringing too much attention to you."
Eve nodded with a solemn look on her face, "I will do my best."
"I have packed your lunch box, Lady Eve," Eugene brought a square-shaped box covered and tied in a cloth.
Eve took it from him, "Thank you, Eugene. I will be going now," she informed them, giving a kiss to her aunt, and she stepped out of the house, heading to her new job.
When Eve reached the Moriarty mansion, she wasn't greeted by the butler at the front of the door. She hung her umbrella on the stand and started to walk down the hallways.
She caught sight of a woman closely being followed by a maid on her way. The woman was of average height and slender in her figure. She appeared to be in her mid-thirties. Her maroon, silk made dress hugged her body. Pearls adorned her neck, and her brown hair was tied up, pinned to one side.
"What is taking her so long? Tell the seamstress that I need a similar one. The one she previously made was damaged," Eve heard the woman ordering her maid, who held her hands in front of her while keeping up with the woman's feet.
"Milady, I have already informed the seamstress, but she told me it took her a few months last time and she's occupied with other dresses. As you ordered for no similar dress to be made, there's no more material left," answered the maid.
"She made it before. She can do it again," the woman's voice held arrogance. "Unless she wishes for word to spread on how incompetent she has started to be."
As Eve and the woman crossed paths, Eve politely offered a slight bow to the woman. The woman halted her footsteps. The maid's body jerked as she tried to avoid crashing into the lady's back, which could result in her being kicked out of the mansion or worse.
"Where do you think you are going?" The woman demanded from Eve.
Eve was startled by the question, "I am the newly appointed governess, milady."
"To whom?" The woman's eyebrows knitted
"To Miss Allie," Eve's words were polite.
A chuckle escaped from the woman's lips, and she responded, "To Allie? How strange that I wasn't even aware that my daughter has been assigned to a governess."
Eve quickly bowed her head again and said, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Moriarty." The woman looked beautiful and fairly young to be a mother to a nine-year-old girl. But then, this was the case with every wealthy woman who didn't have to do household chores, as all they had to do was look pretty. "I was appointed yesterday by—"
"No," Mrs. Moriarty stopped her with a polite smile. "I never approved of such a thing. So you can leave. Now."
Eve frowned and said, "I have already been paid for this month's wage."
"Keep it as charity from us. Maybe you can buy a pair of decent shoes," Mrs. Moriarty's eyes fell on Eve's shoes, which were covered in dust and looked slightly worn out. "And who hired you?" The young woman might have a pretty face, but Mrs. Moriarty disapproved of this low-class woman being her daughter's governess.
"Your son. Mr. Vincent Moriarty," replied Eve.
The woman softly sighed before ordering, "There is no need for you to come here anymore. It would be well appreciated if you will see yourself out of this mansion."
But Eve was only hired yesterday, and she was desperate to work in this mansion. She tried to convince the woman, "If you have doubt on my skills as a governess, you can take a look—"
Mrs. Moriarty laughed, her laugh similar to the wind chimes, "For someone who is not able to follow a simple order, I don't think you are suitable as a governess. It looks like you have trouble following my words," she then ordered her maid, "Get Gorron. Tell him that we have an intruder in the mansion."
Eve's mouth fell open as she hadn't expected this turn of events. As this woman was the little girl's mother, arguing would be rude as she needed the job. But that didn't mean the woman could accuse her, and she would listen to it. She said,
"I would ask you to take back your words. If it weren't for the invitation letter that was sent to me, I wouldn't have even heard about this family."
"Well, that is obvious, isn't it? Considering your status is far beneath our feet, you would have never heard about us," Mrs. Moriarty ridiculed Eve, not liking the young woman's audacity who back answered her. The maid, who had been earlier standing next to the wealthy woman, had left her side to bring another servant to drag or push Eve out of the mansion.
"An early quarrel in the morning, just to soothe my eyes and ears. How delightful," Vincent Moriarty's remark came from the other end of the hallways.
Both the women turned to look at the silver-haired man as he walked to where they stood. His eyes lazily took in the two women standing in the middle of the hallway.
Mrs. Moriarty's eyes hardened, and she demanded from Vincent, "With whose permission did you think you could appoint a governess to Allie, who reeks of low-class?"
"Whose?" Vincent repeated the woman's word and then answered bluntly, "Mine, of course."
"You don't have the right when it comes to the decisions regarding Allie."
"That is where you are wrong, isn't it? Being Allie's big brother, it is my responsibility to see to it that she has someone guiding and helping her. Because someone else doesn't want to do it," Vincent offered a slight smile to the woman, and Eve could only sense the growing friction between the two family members.
"Are you trying to imply something, Vincent?" The woman's eyes flared, and she said, "No governess shall be entertained in here, not without my consent."
"I have already decided, and the matter isn't up for discussion," stated Vincent. He turned to look at Eve and ordered, "Miss Barlow, you are getting late for your job."
Eve was stuck between the glare that belonged to Mrs. Moriarty and then the cold yet annoyed stare of Vincent. God, where did she get stuck, she asked herself.
Seeing how she was already on the frying pan because of the two members of the Moriarty family, Eve quickly weighed which option was better for her. When Vincent's eyes narrowed further at her, Eve quickly left their side and headed towards the piano room.
Mrs. Moriarty glared at Eve's back before her eyes shifted to look at Vincent. In a low, threatening voice, she asked him, "How dare you to defy me? Don't think your father won't hear about it."
Vincent's lips curled, and he replied calmly, "Please do. It will save my breath on having to explain that Allie now has a governess."
"You think just because you are the eldest child of Moriarty, everything will always go according to your wish. But you should remember, Vincent, I am your mother," the woman reminded him.
"You don't have to remind me about that, mother. Unlike you, I don't have such a bad memory," Vincent responded. "Now, if we are done with the subject, I would like to be excused," he spoke in false politeness that only struck a nerve in the woman's head.
"Maybe it is a good idea to have a governess from a low-class family," Mrs. Moriarty finally agreed, adjusting the fur shawl that rested on her arm.
"Isn't that lovely that we see things eye to eye? Where would you find a family like ours?"
A small scoff escaped from the woman's lips. She said, "Indeed. Hiring a reputed governess would have only ended up with word spreading about what is wrong with Allie. It is better this way, before it brings in unnecessary shame to the family," saying this, she walked away from the hallway.
Bab 18: Subtle looks
Vincent stared at the woman, and the smile on his face disappeared. He heard a pair of footsteps.
The maid, who had left earlier to fetch the guard, returned with a buff-looking man. She noticed both Mrs. Moriarty and the young woman were missing from the corridor. A little confused, she looked back and forth.
"What are you doing there standing like a confused little duck?" Upon hearing Vincent's question, the maid's body turned stiff.
"T-that, M-Master Vincent. Lady Annalise ordered to fetch Gorron—"
"I have other work for Gorron. Go back to your tasks," Vincent ordered the maid, who quickly bowed and turned on her heel to step far, far away from the not so young Master Moriarty. Vincent turned to the guard and ordered, "Make sure no one kicks the new governess out of the mansion."
"Yes, Master Vincent!" The guard was quick to obey.
Upon reaching the piano room, which was empty, Eve looked around the room before pouring herself water into the glass, and she gulped it all down. A sigh escaped from her lips. Rich people had rich problems, she thought to herself.
In the beginning, she had found it odd that neither Mr. nor Mrs. Moriarty had silver hair. And it was only later did she realize that the woman she had met in the hallways was Vincent's stepmother. Thinking about the situation she had been placed in earlier, goosebumps appeared on her skin.
"Good morning, Miss Barlow. It is good to see you here," It was Moriarty's butler who arrived at the door with the little girl whom she was supposed to tutor.
The little girl bowed her head in greeting, but no word came out of her lips.
Eve smiled at the little girl and offered a slight bow, "Good morning, Miss Allie, and Alfie."
"We were worried that Miss Allie would be late as she was still finishing her breakfast. The young miss is not used to waking up early," the butler explained, while the little girl walked to the table and sat down.
"That is fine. There's no need to rush as breakfast and sleep are important," replied Eve, watching the little girl obediently take a seat.
"How has your day been, Miss Barlow?" Alfie inquired politely.
"An exciting morning," replied Eve. She wondered what happened after she left the hallway. She hoped to not cross paths with Mrs. Moriarty again, which was impossible as the woman lived here. "How about you, Alfie? How long have you been working here?"
"Very well, milady. Thank you for asking me. Since I was a young boy, Miss Barlow," the butler bowed and said, "I will come to fetch Miss Allie later," and he left the room.
To Eve's relief, no one came to kick her out of the mansion or interrupt them. She spent the first two hours teaching the little girl from basics as it seemed like Allie's basic foundation was weak. And during that time, the only response she received from Allie was the little girl nodding or shaking her head.
The little girl listened to Eve, and though she didn't speak, when Eve praised her for getting an answer right, her hands clenched out of happiness.
Eve gave the little girl time to revise what they had gone through an hour ago. She took her time to familiarize the names of the books on the shelves. When noon arrived, the butler arrived at the door, knocking on the wooden surface, "Sorry for interrupting the class, but it is time for Miss Allie to have her lunch."
"Yes, we are almost done with the subject. We can take an hour break to relax our minds," Eve informed the butler while looking at the little girl. "Yes?"
Allie nodded and stood up, making her way towards the door. But before they left the room, the little girl stared at the butler, whose eyes met hers.
The butler looked at Eve, who was now picking up the books from the table. He said to her, "Miss Barlow, lunch will be served in the room that comes on the left corridor, which is next to the kitchen. The cook makes good food. I can take you there."
"You don't have to trouble yourself with it," replied Eve, and she turned to look at him. She walked to one side of the room and picked up her lunch box. Patting the side of the box with her other hand, she said, "I brought lunch from my home."
The butler bowed his head, "Please enjoy your lunch."
As the little girl stepped out of the room, the expression of her face stayed blank. But her hands were clenched at her sides, and this time it wasn't because of happiness.
The butler and Miss Allie walked through the corridors in silence. Before they could reach the magnificent dining room of the Moriarty family, where lunch would be served, the little girl turned to look at the butler once again.
"Will she be alright?" The little girl asked the butler.
Earlier, when Allie had turned to look at the butler, it wasn't because she wanted to have lunch with her new governess. Though young, she was aware of differences in social status and how her family functioned.
Alfie pursed his lips before he answered in a low voice, "Let us hope she will be, Miss Allie."
Allie continued to clench her hands, and she asked, "Where is brother Vince?"
"He must be in the dining room with the others. If he isn't there, I will go look for him, milady," the butler assured her. "We shouldn't keep the others waiting."
The little girl nodded and walked with the butler towards the dining room. The double doors to the dining room were made of brown mahogany wood. The doors were carved to have a leafless tree with only branches.
The butler pushed the door and opened it for the young miss. Her parents were already seated. Her father sat at the head of the table, and her mother sat right next to him.
Allie quickly bowed her head at her parents, and her mother questioned,
"Has the governess started to swindle unnecessary stories or is she even useful?"
At the mention of the word governess, Mr. Moriarty raised his eyebrows. He remarked, "That was quite quick of you to appoint a new governess, Annalise."
"It wasn't I, who hired the governess," came the curt reply from Lady Annalise. She placed her hand on her husband's hand, which was resting on the arm of his chair. She expressed her worries with a soft voice, "The governess belongs to a status far below us. Not to mention, when I spoke to her it didn't look like she has proper etiquettes. I worry that this will negatively impact Allie's upbringing." A slight frown rested on her forehead.
"Then fire the governess from the job. It isn't that hard," Mr. Moriarty responded in a nonchalant tone.
"I wanted to, but it is Vincent, who hired her," Lady Annalise's voice hardened.
Mr. Moriarty turned further surprised, and he asked, "He did? He must have finally decided to look after Allie. That is wonderful, isn't it?"
Lady Annalise's eyes widened, and she said, "Did you not hear that she comes from a lowly family? You cannot expect me to sit quietly when a person like that associates with our daughter."
A slight frown appeared on Mr. Moriarty's face, and before it could deepen further, Vincent stepped inside the dining room. He had a relaxed expression on his face and walked to the side where Allie was sitting.
"What is this that I am hearing about you hiring a governess of no proper background?" Mr. Moriarty questioned his son. "You should already know, Vincent, that we don't mix with people who aren't of our status or kind."
Before the servant could pull a chair for Vincent to sit, his hand reached for the chair, and he dragged it in a way where the legs of the chair made a harsh sound against the floor. Lady Annalise closed her eyes, her face flinching before she opened them in slight irritation.
"My apologies, I didn't expect that," Vincent's words sounded sincere, but the people in the room were fully aware that it was far from it. He took his seat and turned to look at his father. "I don't know which old crow told you what, but the governess whom I hired for Allie is an excellent one. Her aunt was a former governess to the Countess of Bladorm."
Lady Annalise didn't like Vincent's remark, and before she could retort, her husband placed his hand on her hand. Mr. Moriarty asked his son,
"I am proud of you, that you are taking care of your little sister, Vincent. But that doesn't lower the importance that the Moriarty's always pick refined men and women, even if it means the person is a governess."
"That was my intention, father. To make you and mother proud. Mother must be proud in Heaven, isn't it?" Questioned Vincent, and both Mr. and Mrs. Moriarty, who had for a moment come to believe that his words were meant for Lady Annalise, the woman's face fell.
"Vincent," Mr. Moriarty lightly warned his son.
"Geez, relax. People here don't know how to take a joke," remarked Vincent, stretching his hand to one of the berries he popped into his mouth. "You should already know that I don't like meretricious things. Now, why would I pick something that I don't like?"
"Joke is what you will make out of us, by hiring a governess who comes from who knows where?" replied Lady Annalise, her eyes narrowing at Vincent.
"Meadow," Vincent replied, and Lady Annalise's mouth suddenly hung open. Hearing the town's name, Mr. Moriarty turned displeased too.
"Are you sure she is qualified to be a governess? Women from that town do not immerse or involve themselves in such types of jobs," stated Mr. Moriarty, and Vincent nodded.
"As this involved my dear sister Allie, I personally checked her background. She is a governess and, if I am not wrong, one that will suit Allie very well," stated Vincent, leaning his back against the chair. Lady Annalise fixed her shocked expression, as a moment ago, she looked as if a moving cart had splattered mud on her. She placed her hand on her temple and muttered to herself in horror,
"People are going to think that we aren't able to afford a decent governess to our young daughter and laugh at us. I will not accept it," the woman's words were firm. "I will find a suitable governess."
"And like I said earlier, this isn't up for discussion," came the blunt response from Vincent. "And you already chose the previous one, and look at what happened," he clicked his tongue before smiling at her.
The woman gritted her teeth because she had no reply to this.
Lady Annalise found it hard to believe because she knew underneath her stepson's calm and poised appearance, a demon resided behind it. He was doing this only to annoy her, and she quietly glared at him. If Vincent wasn't going to comply to her, she knew other ways to solve this little hiccup.
Away from the dining room, holding her lunch box, Eve stepped out of the piano room and started walking through the corridors. Her lunch box moved back and forth with every step she took. Instead of sitting in the room, she decided to sit in the garden and have her lunch.
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