Bab 20: Scent of roses
When Charles Gallagher's hand stretched to grab Eve, Vincent pulled Eve back and stepped forward. For a moment, Charles turned confused, while Eve turned worried.
"What do you think you are doing, Vincent?" Charles narrowed his eyes in slight surprise.
"I was going to ask you the same, Charles," Vincent's voice had turned low, and the air around him had turned dangerous. "This is little Allie's governess. And she would very much like this woman to continue working here as would I."
Charles raised his hands, moving up and down in front of his coat to show the mess that had been made, "I don't care if she is the governess. What she did is unforgivable, and she has to bear the consequences for her actions. What would you have done if you were in my place?"
Vincent hummed, his eyes moving across his uncle's coat, and then said, "To begin with, I would not be walking behind or…standing. But if it was me, I would have punished them. You ask such a silly question," he smiled.
Eve's eyes turned wide, and she turned to look at Vincent with disbelief.
"Then it is settled," said Mr. Charles, going back to grab Eve.
This time Eve took another step backwards and came to stand behind Vincent. She said, "I have already apologized and offered to wash your coat. It wasn't my fault that the food—"
"Are you telling me the food flew by itself?" Charles snapped at her.
"It did fly…" Eve started only to mutter the rest under her breath when Vincent turned to give her a look. A look that asked if she wanted to make things worse for her.
Charles then said to Vincent, "I want to see her being punished, so that no one dares to do what she did today. And we all know, no one messes with the Moriartys or with people who are connected to them. Unless you think otherwise," a smirk appeared on the man's face.
Vincent nodded, somewhere agreeing with the man, and he assured the humiliated man, "As I am the one who hired her, I will see how to deal with her. And in the meantime, you can change yourself into cleaner clothes." When he smiled, his eyes slightly closed, and the man gritted his teeth.
As much as the man wanted to squeeze the new governess's neck, Vincent was well aware that the man cared about his reputation and appearance. And right now, it didn't look that good.
Charles spared a glare at Eve, and he stormed out of the place.
"I am torn if I should applaud you for sustaining this far," Vincent turned to look at the young woman, who looked slightly embarrassed. The smile on his face had dropped, and he scowled. "Or be surprised that you decided to harass a relative on the second day of your job."
"I swear it was unintentional. The bee kept coming at me no matte—"
"Miss Barlow," Vincent interrupted her from speaking further. "Do I look like I am someone who is interested to hear about it?"
Eve pursed her lips, a frown coming to appear on her forehead. She said, "But it really wasn't my fault. It was because of my hair."
"Your hair?" Vincent raised his eyebrows before his eyes narrowed.
Eve nodded, "Yes, I believe it was because I washed my hair with rose water. And the bee possibly was attracted by the scent of it. I would never waste food, lest throw it on someone—"
Vincent stepped closer to her, leaning forward. He took a long sniff of her hair.
"W—What are you doing?!" Eve quickly stepped away from him, who had come to stand too close to her. Blood rushed up from her neck to her face.
Vincent's lips twisted, and his eyes held mirth. He said, "Checking whether your story is true or if you are making it up. I don't think you are familiar with how things in families like ours work, are you?"
Eve warily looked at him after what he just did and looked unapologetic about it.
He said, "We aren't forgiving towards people who commit mistakes. Which is why, one has to tread very carefully… you never know when the day might come where you step inside the mansion, but never step out the same again," there was a sliver of warning in his words, and a subtle smile played on his lips. Noticing Eve pressing her lips, he asked, "Is there something you want to say?"
"I think I'd rather keep my thoughts to myself, Mr. Vincent," replied Eve, and then she added, "Thank you for coming to my aid earlier." She offered him a slight bow.
The wealthy people were rich with arrogance and pride, but they were poor when it came to being kind and humble, Eve thought.
Vincent's eyes slightly narrowed before he said, "You should head back to the piano room. Allie will join you shortly."
"Um, there is something that I wanted to ask. If it is alright," Eve added, her blue eyes staring into his hazel eyes. She noted how his iris was slightly coppery.
"What is it?" Questioned Vincent, running his tongue across one of his canines.
"It is about Allie," said Eve, and he titled his head as if waiting for her to continue. "Not that it matters much, but has she always been like this? Unable to speak."
A sudden air of hostility started to fill around them. A slight annoyance flashed through Vincent's eyes. He said, "If it isn't an issue, there's no point in discussing it." The look in his eyes had turned cold, "Also, I thought I made it clear to you how to address me."
"Yes, Master Vincent," replied Eve, feeling his gaze pierce her soul. There was something very unnerving with the way he looked at her right now.
Vincent let her know, "One silver coin from your next month's wage will be deducted for what you did today." Before she could argue, he said, "Consider this to be the easiest way of you to get off the hook."
Eve's eyebrows furrowed, and she watched him start to walk away. The distance between them started to grow, and then he suddenly stopped.
She wondered what he wanted to say. He said, "Rack three from the bottom, fifth book. Page seventy-eight."
He didn't wait to explain what his words meant, and Eve watched him disappear on the other end of the corridor. Shaking her head, she returned to the piano room.
When Eve reached the piano room, she walked to the rack of books. She stared at them before pulling out the fifth book in the third rack and going to the page number that Vincent mentioned. Her eyes skimmed through the page.
"These are… the benefits of different roses," Eve murmured.
Hearing the room door slightly creak, Eve caught Allie walking towards the table and sitting down. She closed the book that she had been reading.
"You still have a good twenty-five minutes of break, Miss Allie before we continue with your studies," said Eve, closing the door behind her and making her way towards the study table.
Allie didn't reply, but she didn't break eye contact between them. Eve didn't mind the silence between them. Compared to most children, the little girl was certainly the most well behaved out of them.
"Did you have a good meal?" Eve asked the girl.
Allie's eyes fell on Eve's hand, which held the lunchbox. But she did more than just look at her governess's hand. Her eyes fell on the woman's neck. She quickly met Eve's eyes and nodded to the woman's question.
Bab 21: Another sibling
Music Recommendation: Tea Later- Nathan Barr
—
By the time Eve was done teaching Allie for the day, if it was possible, her stomach had started to digest even the air that she breathed. She had drunk more than five glasses of water to appease her stomach, but that hadn't stopped her stomach from growling in hunger. Instead, it did make her visit the bathroom.
"You did very well today, Miss Allie. Tomorrow let us do a little writing on what you learned today," Eve informed the little girl, and the only way she knew the girl was happy was from the girl's eyes that shone. Closing the book, Eve said, "I will see you tomorrow, Miss Allie. I will be taking my leave now," she offered the little girl a bow.
Eve picked up her lunchbox and stepped out of the room. She started to walk in the corridor when she noticed the little girl following her. She stopped and turned to ask the little one,
"Are you heading towards the entrance door too, Miss Allie?" The little girl quickly shook her head and even stopped walking. "If you are, I would be happy to accompany you."
The little girl didn't respond and only continued to stare at her. Eve smiled before carefully turning and walking. The youngest of the Moriarty family again started to walk behind Eve, but at a good distance.
Just when Eve was about to enter the hallways, someone called the little girl,
"There you are, Allie!"
Hearing someone's voice behind her, Eve turned and caught sight of a young woman who appeared to be around the same age as her.
The young woman wore a lilac and white coloured dress, which swept the clean floor of the corridor as she made her way toward Allie. Her black hair had been parted at the centre, and had been pinned at the back, letting the curls rest on one side of her delicate shoulder. She shared the same hazel eyes as Vincent Moriarty, but it held no luster in them and was dull compared to her beautiful face.
"I have been looking for you all over the mansion, and the maid told me you were in the piano room. But you weren't there either," the young woman's voice chimed, and she placed a hand on little Allie's shoulder with a smile.
But before the young woman could continue to speak to the little girl, sensing someone's presence in the corridor, she turned with a sharp look in her gaze, which was quick to soften.
"You must be the new governess, Miss Barlow," the young woman had a look of surprise on her face, and she smiled.
Eve returned the smile and bowed, "I am."
The young woman left Allie's side, coming to walk where Eve stood. She introduced herself, "We didn't get a chance to meet before. I am Marceline Moriarty. Allie's elder sister. I wasn't in town and returned only an hour ago."
How many children did Mr. Eduard Moriarty have? Eve questioned in her mind.
Eve nodded, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Marceline. I hope your journey back was peaceful," she said, being polite.
"It was wonderful. Have you been to Hollow Valley?" Asked Marceline, her voice sweet to listen to. Eve shook her head. Hollow Valley was similar to the town of Skellington when it came to its appearance and wealth. A look of surprise appeared on the young woman's face, and she remarked, "How strange that you haven't. Well, it is never too late. I hope Allie is behaving well with you?"
"Oh, she is," replied Eve, glancing at the little girl who didn't move an inch from where she stood. "It has been a delight to teach and help her learn. She's a good child."
"That she is," Marceline smiled, "She is after all a Moriarty. We have excellent manners."
Though outwardly Eve continued smiling, she didn't agree with the last sentence uttered by Lady Marceline.
Did the woman not live here to know about it?
"I should get going now, Lady Marceline, otherwise I might miss the local carriage for this hour," Eve informed. She was glad to see that apart from the little girl and the mansion's butler, there was another person in this mansion who appeared to be humble.
Eve looked for the umbrella that she had placed in the morning on the stand, which now was missing. Her eyes searched, to find it sitting in the corner and against the wall.
A male servant who stood at the door informed Eve, "The stand is only for the use of the family members and guests. Not for servants or any other person who works for the Moriarty family."
It looked like she would have to carry her umbrella further inside the mansion from tomorrow, thought Eve. She picked up the umbrella and smiled, "I will remember that. Thank you."
The servant looked slightly taken aback because of Eve's appearance. Though there were many women he had greeted in and out of the mansion, this woman held something special with how she elegantly carried herself.
But as if his thoughts jinxed her, when Eve just stepped out of the entrance door and turned around, the tip of her umbrella jabbed the wooden door, chipping a piece of the carving.
Both Eve and the servant guard's eyes widened by noticing the minor damage she had just caused.
Even little Allie, who stood with her sister Marceline, turned frozen, hearing the loud bump on the door. The pleasant smile that was on Marceline's lips was soon to fall. It wasn't just because of the expensive blackish-red wooden doors built two generations ago, even before her sibling was born. But because those doors had been carved by one of the finest craftsmen, who was now dead.
Eve nervously chuckled, "The mansion must be really old. I should get going," her feet quickly moved before another silver coin would be deducted from her next month's wage.
The servant guard turned to look at Lady Marceline as if not knowing what to do while she stared at the back of the new governess, who quickly dashed out from the front part of the mansion. In the meantime, the little girl ran back to her room.
Marceline turned on her heel, making her way through the corridors, while the back hem of her dress continued to sweep the floor.
The young woman's eyes moved left and right, looking at the corridor, before taking a left, and she entered the tea room, where Lady Annalise sat on the plush chair, accompanied by her brother, while they played a game of cards.
"Good evening, mother and Uncle Charles. I have returned from Hollow Valley," Marceline announced with a sweet smile on her lips.
"Welcome back, Marceline. How was your trip? Anything worthy to look at or hear about?" Inquired Lady Annalise, while a servant who stood next to them shuffled the cards in his hands before dividing them and placing a card each on Lady Annalise and Charles's side.
Marceline took a seat on the spare plush chair. She said,
"More than a dozen. The place swelled my eyes. Such beautiful ornaments that I have ever been fortunate to look at, but the tales were never ending. Did you know that Mrs. Hoult's daughter has run away with their servant?"
"I did hear a little about it. The poor misfortunes of Mrs. Hoult," responded Lady Annalise, picking up the three cards drawn out for her to hold. "This is what happens when a family doesn't distinguish between the upper and lower class of servants who are beneath us."
"The only miserable part was the weather there. So hot that I felt as if my skin would burn," stated Marceline. Her eyebrows scrunched together, and she turned to look at the man. "Uncle Charles, why do you smell like poultry?"
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