Chapter 216 Letter from a friend

Music Recommendation: Nowesind- Jacob David

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Feeling her heart thumping in her chest which was synchronised with her hurried footsteps on the ground as she walked, her breathing was quick and her eyes unsteady.

Eve’s thoughts were unsteady as if her still mind as the water had now rippling effect after Vincent’s words touched her heartstrings. She walked straight to the local carriage stop which was outside the town of Skellington, standing under the hot sun before the carriage arrived, and she got inside it.

She looked outside the carriage window. Blood had rushed up her neck before coming to settle in her cheeks. She gulped down the nervousness brewing in her chest thanks to the pureblooded vampire.

Eve was so immersed in her thoughts that she didn’t realise the carriage had arrived at Meadow, and the coachman, who was familiar with her, informed her,

“Ms. Barlow?” Startled, Eve turned away from the carriage’s window, and her eyes fell on the coachman. He said, “Your stop is here.”

Eve nodded, “Thank you,” she stepped out of the carriage and made her way home.

When she neared her home, she noticed the town’s postman standing in front of the gate with his bag of letters. The man bowed, “Good afternoon, Ms. Barlow.”

“Good afternoon, Mr. Fox,” Eve got closer to the gate. She politely asked him, “How are you doing?”

“I caught a cold last week, but I am doing much better now. I hope you are doing well?” Eve noticed the old man shuffle the envelopes of letters in his hands. “I hear you found a job in Skellington. How is it?”

Thinking about Skellington brought memories of what Vincent said and how she felt. The postman, misunderstanding her silence, said,

“People of Skellington are never easy to work with. You don’t have to feel bad about it, Ms. Barlow,” the man nodded with a small frown. He continued, “They are people of high class and we aren’t meant to walk or be around each other without being under their feet. You will get accustomed to it.”

“Thank you for your kind words, Mr. Fox,” Eve offered a smile to the old man and asked, “Who is the letter for?”

“It is for Lady Aubrey,” the man pulled out an envelope from the lot and handed it to Eve.

Taking a look at the sender of the letter, Eve smiled and said, “I hope the sun goes easy on you.”

“Thank you, dear. I will see you around,” the postman walked away from there to deliver the next letter in the town.

Eve made her way to the front of the house’s patio and knocked on the door. Soon it was opened by Eugene, who bowed and smiled at her,

“Welcome back home, Miss Eve. How was your time at the soiree?” He inquired politely. “If you are early, I assume it wasn’t pleasant.”

“Far from it. It was as one would expect the high society’s soiree to be,” Eve replied and took off her shoes before wearing her house shoes. “Humans or vampires or werewolves, they are all the same elites… Except for a handful of them. Which is good,” she chuckled at the thought, “That means there’s still hope.”

“Hope is always good, milady,” Eugene watched Eve, and noticed the dazed look in her eyes as if she was simultaneously thinking about something. “By the way, there is something I would like to inform you about.”

Eve subtly raised her eyebrows, “What is it?”

Eugene pursed his lips as if trying to rearrange the sentences in his mind. He revealed, “There has been word going around that you are working more than just a governess in high society.” He paused for her to take in the information and continued, “I am unsure of where the rumours started, but I can only guess that it has something to do with our neighbour.”

Mrs. Edwards’ nose was too long for anyone’s liking, especially for the people who lived in Dawson’s residence as she was their neighbour. The woman’s eyes and ears were always in everyone’s life.

“It must be because we got our home painted and redid our flooring,” Eve responded.

“That is what I believe too. It might just be a passing rumour, but I will let you know if I find something more,” Eugene bowed to her, and Eve was more than grateful to know that she could rely on him.

“Thank you, Eugene. That would be a great help.”

Eugene returned to his work while Eve looked for Aunt Aubrey, finding the woman feeding the chickens in the backyard of their house. She made her way to where the older woman stood.

Lady Aubrey threw the grains on the ground, watching the chickens peck and pick them in their beaks. The older woman placed her hand on her back as if feeling a pain. Hearing the soft footsteps approaching from behind, she turned and seeing Eve, she smiled.

Eve raised her hand and waved the letter, “You have a letter from Mrs. Lowe.”

“Paloma? Did Mr. Fox drop by? What does the letter say?” Lady Aubrey asked Eve, who tore the envelope and unfolded the letter.

Paloma Lowe was Lady Aubrey’s dear friend, who lived in the capital town Berkshire, located in the North. They had been acquainted because of each other’s husbands, and Eve herself had been fortunate enough to meet the woman a few times in the past.

Eve loudly read the letter,

“My dear Aubrey, I hope you, Eve and Eugene are doing well. I am writing this letter to you with worry in my heart. Mr. Lowe hasn’t been doing well for more than a month now. We have brought in physicians to look at him, but there hasn’t been much hope and I fear things are only going to get hard in the coming days.”

Eve looked up at her aunt, who frowned upon hearing the news. She looked back at the letter and continued to read it,

“Thankfully, my eldest son is here to look after Mr. Lowe’s work. We have sold the land that we bought a few years ago in Berkshire. Apart from that, things haven’t changed here. I will write to you again if there’s anything. Sending you all lots of love from here. Your dear friend, Paloma.”

Lady Aubrey sighed and said, “Mr. Lowe must be very ill for Paloma to write to me, else she would have never bothered to write to me about it. Just so I don’t worry. I should perhaps take a trip to the North and stay there for a few days with her.”

Eve nodded, “I think that would be a good idea. Aunt Paloma will be more at ease with you there.”

“Are you okay, aunty?” Eve asked the older woman in concern, who seemed worried about her friend’s husband. She assured her, “The weather is just being stringent and it might act up Mr. Lowe’s illness. Would you like me to travel along with you?”

Lady Aubrey shook her head, “You already missed your work before, I don’t think the Moriarty family would like you missing more days. Considering the journey up North is going to take two days and that’s just one way.”

“I could talk to Mr. Moriarty and see what he says,” Eve offered because Lady Aubrey herself wasn’t in the best of her health. She noticed how her aunt got tired easily and wanted to ensure she was okay.

But there was also another reason why Eve wanted to accompany Lady Aubrey. And the reason was Vincent Moriarty. Right now, her mind felt muddled, as if she couldn’t think straight, and every time she did try to think, she felt her heart race as if she was running… and she wanted to run away from the pureblooded vampire for some time before she would gather her thoughts.

Lady Aubrey placed her hand on Eve’s shoulder,

“You don’t have to worry about me. I will be just fine. Tell Eugene to check with the local coachmen about the carriage availability so that I can travel in it. Eugene can help you here and look after the affairs of the house.”