Chapter 21

Music Recommendation: Tea Later- Nathan Barr

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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?”