บท 31: War of words
Itri was waiting outside for her friend, and the moment she saw Samantha leaving the room, she rushed to her frantically. "Samantha, are you alright? What did Madam Lily want of you? Did she scold you?" Itri fired her questions at the girl, not allowing her to speak. "Why did she ask you to stay back? Is it something serious?"
Samantha held Itri's hands, letting out a helpless laugh at her friend's concern. "Itri, calm down. Calm down. I am fine." She tried to assure the girl, but Itri was having none of it. Her worries had escalated to another level when Madam Lily had asked Samantha to stay back. This was not the first time Lily had asked a maid to meet in private. But Itri knew that it was never good news if it happened.
Itri remembered the time when Madam Lily had called out one of the maids in private and had asked her to leave the mansion. Although nobody knew what had happened, the maid was gone from the mansion. She did not want Samantha to leave. She was the only person Itri was close to and seeing Samantha go was the last thing Itri wanted.
"Tell me what happened inside. Did Madam Lily ask you to leave the mansion?" Itri could not stop worrying about Samantha, and her voice rose in panic. The two maids, who were carrying a bowl of water, stopped to see what the commotion was about. Although Bradford mansion followed strict protocols when it came to the maids and the servants, that did not stop them from having their fair share of amusement, especially when Samantha and Itri were out in the open, attracting everyone's attention.
"Itri, lower your voice. Everyone is looking at us." Samantha alerted her and Itri, at once, looked around to see the two maids staring at them, waiting to see what was happening. Not waiting another moment, she held Samantha's hand and dragged her gently with her, taking her to an empty corridor.
"Now, tell me. What happened inside?" Although there was no one around them, Itri still lowered her voice lest anyone should overhear them speaking. "Did she ask you to leave the mansion?"
"No, Itri. What are you even thinking? Madam Lily did not ask me to leave." Samantha frowned and she shook her head in disbelief.
Itri let out a sigh of relief hearing her words. "Thank the Lords. I was scared thinking that you would be leaving me." She hugged Samantha out of nowhere, startling her. "You are not leaving me. I am so relieved."
"Umm," Samantha cleared her throat awkwardly, her hands lying in mid-air, courtesy to the sudden hug. "Itri, you are crushing me. Can you let me go?"
"Oh, my bad." Itri pulled back immediately and she giggled softly. "Why did you she you to stay back then?"
"She was just asking about my health. She was worried for me." Samantha lied. Lily's strange behavior and her requests were beyond Samantha's comprehension. She was still unable to come to terms with her abnormal words. However, she did not want Itri to worry about it and put herself in trouble. So, Samantha kept the truth to herself, allowing her friend to stay at peace.
"I see. Madam Lily is so good to us. Am I right?" Itri commented, with a smile on her face and Samantha nodded without hesitation. Though she was strict with them, Lily cared for them just the way a mother would. And neither Itri nor Samantha had received the love of a mother to differentiate between the two. To them, Lily was just like their mother, the one who rarely showed her love for her children, but nevertheless loved them dearly.
"She can turn bad too if we continue to stay here without doing our work." Samantha reminded her and Itri's groaned in despair.
"Work, here we go." She mumbled, and Samantha chuckled seeing her lazy friend drag her body towards the kitchen.
Samantha and Itri sat on their chairs as they ate their breakfast in the small dining room meant for the servants. It was never their duty to serve in the main hall, and it was one of the many duties they wanted to avoid. They had to be focused at all times and be patient as they did their work, and patience was something that neither Samantha nor Itri had.
Though their Lady and the Lord were kind and good people, the two girls still feared them. So, they tried to stay as far away as possible from them.
"Samantha, I am so excited about today's plan." Itri almost squealed as she continued to talk, excitement and joy evident in her voice. She did not suppress her emotions, allowing everyone around her to know her state of mind. Though her voice was not loud enough for others to hear, they could still see her exhilarated face.
"I am too." Samantha agreed, a wide smile landing on her lips. "Just the thought of visiting the capital is making me all jittery and anxious."
"Do you think the capital is as great and lavish as the others, who have visited, claim it to be?"
"I am not sure. We will see the truth ourselves."
"Yes, we will. I am so happy, Sammy." Itri could not hide her delight, and one of the maids who was sitting right opposite to her raised her head, unable to bear it any longer.
"What are you so happy about, Itri?" She queried, attempting to get the girl to speak.
"Nothing that concerns you, Lillian," Itri replied back, annoyance replacing her joy.
"Why Itri? Did Madam Lily not reprimand you today? You seem to be missing her scolding." Lillian too did not hold back and scoffed lightly.
"Madam Lily scolds me because she cares for me."
"Oh, please. Everybody here knows the actual reason. Do not hide behind a lie you have created around you."
"What is the actual reason?" Itri stood up suddenly and folded her hands, rage taking over her.
Samantha pulled her by her hands trying to stop her from going further. "Itri, sit down. She is not worth our time. Sit down." Like Itri, Samantha too disliked Lillian. The girl was just a nuisance, who did not miss any opportunity to take a jab at them or put them in trouble. Arguing with her was of no use as Lillian had a mind of her own, and Samantha did not want to create a scene, not when they were leaving for the capital after breakfast.
"It is your incompetence." Lillian too did not back off. She smirked seeing Itri lose her cool, her mind secretly rejoicing her victory.
"What did you say?" Itri seethed, her anger clouding her senses. She ignored the warning her friend was giving her and pushed back the chair, ready to fight the irritating girl if needed.
"I said the truth. Everybody here knows that you are nothing but useless. I wonder is that the reason why you have no parents. Maybe they realized that you were a mistake the moment you were born and they decided to give up on you before it became too late. And," Lillian turned to Samantha whose eyes were now, glowering in anger. "That included you too, Samantha."
Now, not only Itri, even Samantha was furious. The other maids and servants too were annoyed by Lillian's words. She had taken it too far this time. Everybody's gaze was fixed on Lillian while she was staring at Lily. Nobody noticed the change in Samantha. Her green eyes had turned a shade darker and she was glaring at Lillian.
Right at this moment, the glass pane behind Lillian shattered to pieces, and before anyone could comprehend what had happened, Samantha fell down unconscious.
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