PHYSIENTS WILL ALWAYS OFFER BEST STORIES AND LIVE STREAMING ALL TIME
ALLURE OF THE NIGHT
Chapter 6
Eve sat in the room, staring at the cracked wall as she waited for her mother to return. Going to the door, she slowly opened the door and put her head out to take a peek at the corridor. But her mother was nowhere in sight.
Though she was used to her mother leaving her for long hours, today, in particular, seemed longer, and her hand clutched the side of her dress. She wanted to step out of the room and look for her mother, but she didn’t do it as her mother had told her not to leave the room and go anywhere. To wait for her, and she did just that.
Closing the door, she sat back on the floor. But as minutes passed, her legs started to tingle and ache. She shifted her legs from one side to another in discomfort. She could feel her legs trying to stick to each other, trying to be one.
Suddenly the door burst open, and her mother appeared with her eyes wide.
“Eve!” Rebecca moved to where her daughter was, and she hugged her.
“Mama… my legs feel strange,” complained the little girl, and the woman quickly looked at Eve’s legs that showed blue and gold scales on her skin.
“Come my child. It is time for your bath,” Rebecca picked up Eve in her arms, and she used her other hand to pick up the jar of salt.
There was still time, told the woman to herself.
Leaving the room behind, she walked through the corridors while making sure no one saw them. Climbing up the stairs, she walked past the guest rooms. By the time she reached the end of the corridor, scales started to appear on the lower half of the little girl’s body.
Taking a quick look at the other side of the corridor, Rebecca quickly entered the guest room and placed her daughter in the bathtub. She turned the faucet to start the water running, ready to pour the salts into the bath, when she noticed only a few drops of water fell.
Rebecca tapped the head of the faucet, hoping for water to flow out, but all in vain. In slight panic, she rubbed her forehead and said to Eve, “I will be back soon. Don’t make any noise until I return, okay?”
And the woman quickly dashed out of the room after making sure there was no one walking in the corridor. Eve stayed there for two minutes before her mother burst through the door to get her.
Her mother picked her up in her arms as Eve couldn’t walk in her current state. Leaving the room behind, her mother carried her to another room and placed her in the bathtub, filled with water. Salts were quick to be thrown in the water, but the scales on Eve’s legs didn’t disappear immediately.
“It might take some time,” murmured Rebecca to herself.
During this time, back in the servant’s quarters, the butler walked into the now deserted corridor. He came to stand in front of one room and knocked on the door. His Master had given him money that was supposed to be handed to the woman for pleasing him for the last two days. He knocked again. When there was no response, he pushed the door open to only be greeted at the emptiness.
The butler’s eyes narrowed, and he turned his head to look in the direction he had come.
Turning his body, he started to walk, ready to catch the woman and her daughter who were possibly waiting to steal something from this manor.
“Did you see the woman and a little girl here?” The butler questioned one of the servant’s who was in the hall.
“I didn’t,” the servant shook his head.
“If you find them, come to me immediately,” ordered the butler, but he wasn’t going to rest until he found them.
The butler walked up the stairs, and he looked through every room. When he was walking past one of the rooms, he heard a light splashing of water, and his eyebrows furrowed. As he approached, his footsteps were gentle enough not to alert the thieves on the other side of the door.
Carefully, he pushed the door open, craning his neck to look inside the room. The butler was ready to call out the lowly woman, where his parted lips only fell wide open on what he saw in the tub. He saw the little girl’s legs shimmer like a jewel.
“I-It can’t be!” the butler whispered to himself.
These things had gone extinct years ago, and it had been many years since he had heard of one existing, lest looking at one. His hand clutched the edge of the door, and he quickly left the room to inform his Master about it!
Inside the guest room, the scales on Eve’s skin finally disappeared, and she noticed her mother pour some more salts into the bathtub.
“Mama?”
“Yes, my dear?” Responded Rebecca while she moved her hand in the water.
“What colour is your tail?” came Eve’s curious question.
Rebecca managed to smile even though she was anxious, “I do not have one.” Eve turned sad at her mother’s answer, and her mother said, “God made you special, Eve. Very special.”
“You are special to me,” replied Eve, and at the same time, the little girl’s legs returned. Rebecca sighed before leaning in and kissing her daughter’s head.
“And you to me. Let me dry you and get back to our room before someone catches us,” said Rebecca, helping Eve out and drying her up. She helped Eve wear her clothes.
When she tried to pull the drain stopper, it was stuck. Why wasn’t it coming out? She tried to use more force while pulling the chain, but it refused to come out. The water continued to be held in the bathtub with the salts that she had poured. She couldn’t leave it like this, because it would be proof that someone was here, and the butler had already caught them yesterday.
At the same time, she didn’t want Eve to get into trouble. She didn’t mind if it was just her, but not her daughter. She decided to leave the room and come back for it later.
On the way to the servant’s quarters, somewhere, Rebecca felt her conscience prick her mind. That she would soon be caught, and the money she had earned for the last two days, it would be denied. At the same time there would be questions of why she was using the guest rooms.
Reaching near the servant’s quarters, the woman bent down to level herself with her daughter and said,
“You know where our room is, right? Go there straight and wait for me. I will be there soon.”
Little Eve stared at her mother, because she had hoped her mother would stay with her, but she was leaving her again.
Rebecca saw the anxious look in Eve’s blue eyes and she hugged her, “I just need to pull the drain stopper from the bathtub and I will tell you a story once I am back.” She pulled back, and offered a smile.
And though the woman smiled, there was an uncertainty hanging in the air. She didn’t want to leave her daughter alone again. Not at this hour at least. But this was something that had to be done.
“Go now,” Rebecca softly urged her daughter. Seeing Eve starting to walk in the corridor towards the room, she tore her gaze away and headed up to the guest room.
Having walked in here just three times in her mother’s company, Eve confused her room with another, pushing the doorknob of another servant’s room.
“What the fuck do you think you are doing?! Get out of here!” Demanded a male voice, and Eve quickly closed the door, hearing something crash on the other side of the door. She took a couple of steps backwards for her back to hit the wall.
Eve clutched her hand, looking left and right, unsure of where her room was. She waited in the corridor for a couple of minutes before deciding to look for her mother. With the time being close to midnight, most lights had been blown out, leaving only some of the main ones in the hall and corridors.
The servants who walked on the other side didn’t notice her, with her being small. When she found the stairs, her little feet climbed it.
“Mama?” Eve called her mother softly.
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ALLURE OF THE NIGHT
Chapter 7
On reaching the first floor, the little girl took a peek into the beginning of the corridor until she spotted her mother. Her uneasy heart turned calm, and she entered the room. What Eve didn’t know was that this was a double room. A room that was separated by glass.
But her mother was not alone. Next to her stood the man who owned this manor, and his butler stood a couple of steps behind him.
“Turn into one of them!” The man held the back of her mother’s head.
“Please stop!” Her mother cried and pleaded, “You have mistaken me for someone else! You have known me for long!”
“Doesn’t seem like it was enough to know who you are,” said the man, dragging the woman towards the bathtub, where the water was present. He forcibly pushed her into the water, “Turn!”
“I am only a human, Sire. Please believe me,” Rebecca beseeched the man, her heart growing anxious as she didn’t know how he even knew about it. When she had come to the room, both he and the butler were already there.
“Sire,” the butler said, “I saw it with my own eyes. The little girl’s skin shimmered like a diamond!”
“Where is your daughter, Becca?” The man spoke to her sweetly, bending down and patting the woman’s head. Fear appeared in the woman’s eyes for her daughter’s life. “Go find her right now!” He ordered his butler.
The butler bowed his head and stepped out of the room.
“No!” Rebecca tried to scramble her way out of the bath, “She is innocent! Don’t hurt her!”
Eve placed her little hands on the glass, “Mama!” She called, but no one heard her.
The man slapped Rebecca with his hand, “Shut up and sit still!”
“No!” The woman kicked and slapped him, using all her strength. The man tried to restrain her, but the woman kicked hard enough against the bathtub that it broke, and water spilt on the floor. “Please spare us! She is a little girl!”
Eve watched the man catch hold of her mother’s arm, maltreating her.
“Who would have thought you were hiding such a treasure with you?” The man couldn’t wait to get his hands on the little girl. He examined the woman with narrowed eyes, digging his nails into her arm.
“We don’t know anything about them, Sire! I don’t know what the butler saw, but it wasn’t true—” Rebecca gasped, staring at the man.
The man had dipped his hand deep into Rebecca’s stomach, and he said, “If you don’t know, I have no further use of you. It is unfortunate that we had to part ways like this.” He pulled his hand back, and the woman staggered backwards.
Eve, standing in the other room with her eyes wide, noticed her mother’s dress turning red near her stomach.
Rebecca looked down at her stomach, a painful expression casting on her beautiful face, which was filling up with regret. Her lips parted and trembled, “P-please don’t…”
“Mama!” Eve shouted when her mother fell to her knees.
The man said, “I will take good care of her, or maybe send her sooner to you once you are gone.” His hand shot to her neck, squeezing it.
Seeing her mother in pain, Eve tried to look for a way to get to her mother.
Though in pain, Rebecca picked up the ceramic piece of the shard that belonged to the broken tub, and she used it to stab one of his eyes.
“Argh!” The man growled in pain and anger. Blood oozed out from the wound that had been inflicted on him.
Rebecca didn’t stop there, and she used another piece of the shard to push it against his stomach and hurt him.
“Mama!” Eve came running into the room where her mother was.
“Eve!” Rebecca’s eyes widened. The emotion in her eyes was somewhere between relief and worry.
Her body was trying to fail her, but her daughter’s safety came first! Taking hold of Eve’s hand, she quickly pulled her out while the man struggled to remove the sharp pieces from his face and stomach.
Rebecca huffed for air, her face contoured in pain as she hid both her and Eve in the corridor before making way down the stairs. The butler would be here soon, and they had to leave this place before it! But she forgot to pay attention to her wound, which was bleeding and leaving drops of blood on the floor.
At the same time, the butler had found the room to be empty without the girl, and he headed back to where his Master was right now, missing crossing paths with the mother and daughter.
Most of the servants in the servant quarters, it made it easier for them to pass through the corridors before they reached the kitchen, leading to the manor’s backdoor. But it wasn’t as simple as she thought it to be because she met a woman in the kitchen.
“Who’s there?” Questioned the woman.
“It is me, Rebecca,” replied the woman while keeping Eve close and hidden behind her.
“This is not the time to be here. Don’t you know that servants are not allowed after midnight unless you have an order?”
Rebecca had no time to chit chat, but at the same time, she didn’t want to alert this maid, who could call the others. The woman noticed her be in pain and asked,
“Are you alright?”
“I just have a bad stomach ache,” replied Rebecca, the panic continuing to grow along with the excruciating pain. “Can I get a glass of warm water?”
The woman stared at her before giving her a nod. And when the woman turned her back on her, Rebecca quickly made her way towards the corridor which led to the door. She quickly unlocked it and started to run with Eve. They couldn’t go through the gate, but there was a gap at the back from where one could escape.
“Catch them! They are there!” A man shouted from behind. Rebecca turned for a moment and noticed the butler, the Master of the house and some of his men running towards them.
One of the men quickly caught up to them and held Rebecca. Tears started to brim in the woman’s eyes at her inability, and she let go of her daughter’s hand.
“Run Eve!” She screamed, and the little girl turned stunned.
Eve’s lips trembled, and she didn’t want to leave her mother, “M-mama…” When she tried to get closer to her mother, her mother said,
“I will always love you… Now run!”
The man caught hold of Rebecca, and before another man could catch Eve, the little girl started to run. She ran through the little gap in the fence, making it difficult for the man to follow her as he didn’t fit through the gap.
Eve saw her mother, who had tears in her eyes. Her mother smiled, a smile that was filled with sadness. The Master of this manor stepped behind her mother, and with one swift movement, he ran his hand through her back, and his hand pushed through from her front.
A sob escaped from Eve’s lips, watching the smile on her mother’s face leave and her eyes turn lifeless.
“Catch the little girl! I want her right now!” Ordered the man in anger.
“Mama!” Eve called her mother, who didn’t respond as Rebecca fell on the ground.
She started to run, running as fast as she could while sobs escaped from her lips. Unable to contain the grief and horror that took place in front of her eyes, tears turned to pearls, falling on the forest ground that she had entered.
“Where is she?”
“The rat must be right here!”
“Spread to find her quickly! She mustn’t be too far!” Yelled the men, who were trying to find Eve.
Eve hid under the large rock for a minute before she started to run again. While running next to the stream, she missed her footing and slipped into the water. The current of the water was strong and it carried her forward, while she tried to keep her head above the water.
Not soon, Eve lost her consciousness and she drifted towards the calmer side of the stream.
While the men continued to search for the little girl, a moving carriage appeared which was being pulled by two horses. The carriage came to a halt, when the coachman caught sight of something shining under the moonlight first before he noticed it was a little girl.
“What’s the matter, Eugene?” Came the question from inside the carriage that belonged to a woman.
“Lady Aubrey, I see a body near the stream,” replied the young coachman with a frown.
“Hm?” The carriage door opened, and out stepped a woman who appeared to be in her late forties. She had a stern face, yet her eyes held warmth. She wondered which wealthy one decided to throw a person in the water, or which poor man must have committed suicide.
The coachman walked to where the person laid and moved closer to the person, and he said, “It is a young girl. She doesn’t belong to the town.” It was because this town was occupied by the wealthy, and it was no place for lower-class folks.
Lady Aubrey walked towards the girl who was soaking wet. Bending down, she checked the little girl’s pulse. At the same time, the woman’s eyes fell on the girl’s bare legs. Something shimmered on the girl’s skin, and the woman frowned, staring at her.
“What do we do, milady?”
“Help me get her into the carriage.”
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ALLURE OF THE NIGHT
Chapter 8
Seventeen years later…
An older woman sat in a wooden chair, reading a newspaper that her servant had bought. Her hair was tied up, and wrinkles marred the sides of her downturned eyes. She turned to the next page when she heard the loud footsteps above. But the woman’s eyes didn’t shift away from the newspaper.
The servant, who was in the kitchen preparing tea, raised his head and stared at the ceiling. The hurried footsteps continued, which was hard to not listen to until something crashed, and the servant’s eyes widened.
Even Lady Aubrey, who had been quietly reading her newspaper, closed her eyes and a sigh escaped from her lips, “I wonder what she broke this time. I can only imagine why the families have not hired her.”
“She isn’t that bad, milady,” the servant quietly laughed before his madame gave him a stare, and he cleared his throat.
“I thought with my experience, she would turn into a fine governess. After all she was quick to pick up her learnings and excellent in most of the things. But I didn’t know she would excel in being clumsy and break—”
Loud and hurried footsteps didn’t stop as they quickly descended the stairs, and a young woman came into view. She almost slipped when she placed her foot on the last stair but quickly caught her balance.
“That was close,” murmured the young woman. Stepping on the ground, she bowed in greeting, “Good morning, Aunt Aubrey!”
Lady Aubrey placed her hand on her chest, feeling her heart jump out of her chest. She said, “What have I told you, Eve? Slow and careful steps. The world isn’t running away anywhere and where are you going this early in the morning?” The woman asked, noticing the dress that Eve wore.
Eve raised her hand that held a letter, and there was a broad smile on her lips, “I have a calling from one of the families I had applied to be a governess. The letter had somehow been buried in the desk and I saw it only an hour ago.”
“That is wonderful news, Lady Eve!” the servant sounded excited.
“Indeed it is. But also shocking that you got a call after what you did to the last family. I can only imagine that they haven’t heard about it yet,” Lady Aubrey looked at Eve with stern eyes.
Eve looked up at the elderly woman and sheepishly smiled. She replied, “It wasn’t m—”
“You poured hot tea on the woman’s hand!” Lady Aubrey reminded her. “For heaven’s sake, who even does that?”
“It was purely unintentional. In my defense, the woman had her hand stretched too wide and had brought it near me when I picked up the kettle,” replied Eve, where even she couldn’t believe something like that had happened.
Eve had leaned forward, smoothening her peach dress to remove any possible wrinkles. Now twenty-four years old, she wanted a job to support the woman who had raised her as her niece.
After Lady Aubrey’s husband, Mr. Rikard Dawson, had passed away from consumption, the woman tried to live as thriftily as possible with the little money that her husband had left behind. Being a former governess, she had tried to pass all the knowledge she had to Genevieve. Tried because Eve had a hard time walking between the lines.
“Is this Lady Eve’s seventh time attending the interview?” the servant inquired.
“Eighth, Eugene,” Lady Aubrey murmured and asked Eve, “Can you make sure to not break anything this time?”
Eve nodded solemnly, “Of course! I will be very careful not to break anything or… pour tea on anyone,” and Eugene nodded as if the young lady would not do something out of character.
“You will get the job this time, Lady Eve!” He cheered for her and asked, “Let me serve the tea and I will take you to the mansion.”
“Thank you, Eugene, but I will be fine. I should hurry now. I will see you later,” Eve quickly walked to where Lady Aubrey sat, kissing the woman’s cheek.
“Good luck, dear,” wished Lady Aubrey, and Eve quickly hurried towards the main door. On her way, she picked up the long, pointed, purple umbrella and dashed out of the door.
“Lady Eve seems to be confident today. Hopefully she doesn’t miss the local carriage,” murmured Eugene after looking at the watch on the wall.
Lady Aubrey held a severe look on her face, and she asked, “Did you check all the families that Eve applied for the job of being a governess?”
Eugene nodded, “I did. Most of the families were from middle class families, and they are all humans.”
“That’s a relief. But we can never be sure,” replied the elderly woman.
Though Lady Aubrey and Eugene were humans, they had knowledge about the dangerous creatures who lived amongst them. But that wasn’t the main problem. The problem was that even though they knew about these creatures, they couldn’t identify who was a human and who was the creature because of these creatures’ perfect disguise.
“It has been more than a decade since we came across one of them. Almost as if they don’t exist,” said Eugene, adding a spoonful of tea leaves into the vessel of boiling water.
“Don’t be fooled, Eugene. It is all pretense, cloaked in the wool of innocence,” stated Lady Aubrey, her eyebrows drawing close. “And no matter how cautious you are, it is sometimes not enough.”
Lady Aubrey, who already knew the truth about Eve, had tried her best to protect the girl since she had taken her in. It wasn’t safe for a mermaid with the creatures who had camouflaged themselves in the society. The last time someone had caught a mermaid, the mermaid had been put in a glass tank. The next day, word reached her ears that the water in the tank had turned red as someone had eaten the poor mermaid.
On the street, Eve’s feet were quick as she headed in the direction of where the local carriages would leave in less than two minutes. The mansion where she was headed was located in the next town, and if she went by walk, it would only make her delay in reaching the place.
Though the weather was bright and sunny this morning, with no hint of possible rain in sight, Eve still carried the umbrella with her. Something she did for some years now. The umbrella swayed back and forth with every step that she took, and so did her golden blonde hair that had been tied with a peach coloured ribbon. Since she had turned twenty, she had stopped letting her hair down in public. With her appearance that hadn’t changed, it was hard to get a job when the families looked at her as if she was too young to be a governess.
On her way, a man greeted her with a slight nod, “Good morning, Ms. Barlow. Fine morning, isn’t it? And you look as radiant as always.”
“Good morning, Mr. Humphrey,” Eve returned the greetings with a bow, “It must be the blessings from the sun,” her words were polite.
Mr. Humphrey was the manager in one of the timber mills, and like many other people, he was beguiled by Genevieve Barlow’s beauty. He had been subtly trying to get closer to her, crossing paths and trying to talk to her. But the young woman seemed not to get his subtle point across, and he asked,
“You seem to be in a hurry. Would you like me to drop you to the place where you are going?”
“Thank you for your offer, Mr. Humphrey, but I wouldn’t want to bother you. I should reach on time using the local carriage,” replied Eve.
“Are you sure about it?” Enquired the man, “My carriage is waiting right there, and you may find yourself to be more comfortable in traveling in it than the local carriage. It was only three days ago that I added two more horses to the carriage and the seatings are softer than a bed. A woman like yourself should be treated with comfort an—”
“I don’t know if it would be right to take your carriage. I would feel terrible to think you would have to walk to your workplace,” Eve’s words were serious, and an empty chuckle escaped from Mr. Humphrey as he had planned to accompany her. What word of his even gave way that he was giving his carriage to her without him in it?
Wanting to be in her good books, he didn’t correct her and smiled, “You do not have to worry about me. Treat what is mine as yours.”
With men, who were often polite to her, over the years, Eve had ended up ignoring their subtle advances.
“You are very generous,” she noticed the coachman of the local carriage shouting that the carriage would be departing soon. Her eyes shifted to look at Mr. Humphrey when he asked her,
“If I may ask, where are you going?” inquired the man, his eyes wandering to look at her neckline and then the shape of her bosom before looking at her wide hips. She would birth many children, and he internally nodded to himself.
At the question, Eve replied, “I have an interview for the job of governess,” her voice holding a hint of excitement which the man didn’t take note of as if he was busy admiring her womanly curves.
Mr. Humphrey slightly threw his head backwards and laughed in amusement. He shook his head, “Are you still looking for one? I think you will be far more suited to being a wealthy and known man’s wife. Let the man take care of you and do the job, as it is his duty.”
Eve’s eyes subtly narrowed, but the polite smile didn’t leave her face. With a coy smile, she asked, “I don’t think I have been fortunate enough to meet a well known man, Mr. Humphrey.”
Mr. Humphrey’s smile immediately fell, and he tried to smile, “I doubt that you haven’t noticed the right one yet. Men who are wealthy, have status in the society and are confident. Someone who can take good care of you” Saying this, he tugged on the sides of his coat and stood even straighter than before.
“Are you talking about yourself?” Eve directly asked him, and Mr. Humphrey’s mood brightened that she was finally paying him attention. After several months, he finally got her to look at him as a suitor for her. But then she said, “Of course, you’re not. You are a modest and humble man. I don’t think you would ever boast about such things. Because those kinds of men don’t appeal to any respectable woman.”
The man was left tongue-tied. Because if he agreed, he would be losing his opportunity of making her see him differently. But if he didn’t, it meant he was openly accepting that he was a man who was boastful and had no appeal.
Eve offered him a smile, and bowing her head, she said, “I should hurry now. Have a good day, Mr. Humphrey.” She left the man with no chance to woo her this morning, just like many other days.
Mr. Humphrey’s servant came to stand next to him with flowers in his hands while both the men watched Genevieve Barlow getting inside the local carriage.
“Sir, what should I do with the flowers?” the servant asked politely, as his master had earlier ordered him to buy the flowers for the lady, who now left in the carriage.
“Throw them,” Mr. Humphrey’s polite smile turned into irritation. “Eve deserves fresh flowers and not the flowers of yesterday.”
“Sire, if I may speak… There are many women in the town who have been trying to gain your attention. Why go for a woman who doesn’t notice your feelings?” Asked the servant, only to end up getting a stare from his master.
“It is always the fruit that grows at the highest branch that tastes better than the rest. Ms. Barlow is a fine woman. Her beauty is unmatched in this or the other four towns from here. Her grace and elegance is something women thrive for. There is an innocence in her eyes that makes me want to…” Mr. Humphrey didn’t continue his words but turned away from the place where the local carriage had been standing. “If not today, one day I will make sure she’s mine.”
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ALLURE OF THE NIGHT
Chapter 9
“SKELLINGTON TOWN!”
The coachman shouted, pulling the reins of the two horses.
“STOP FOR SKELLINGTON TOWN!” he repeated so that the passengers, who were supposed to get down, heard him.
The carriage door opened, and Eve stepped down from it. She brought the letter in front of her to read the address of the family’s mansion and started to walk.
“So beautiful,” Eve murmured to herself when on her way, her eyes fell on a faded fountain of dragon statues. Clean water sprayed through the dragon’s mouths.
Some people of Skellington spared a glance at Eve before looking away. While some looked at the young woman with a curious look, wondering what a commoner like herself was doing in a town to which she obviously didn’t belong. It wasn’t because of her clothes or the way she appeared, but because of the dowdy purple umbrella in her hand.
On reaching the average-sized mansion, surrounded by a decent looking fence, she walked past the gates and made her way towards the already opened door. The mansion’s butler appeared at the door.
Eve offered him a slight bow and introduced, “I am Genevieve Barlow. I am here to see Mrs. Walsh for the interview for the governess job that she had fixed today.”
The butler nodded, stepping aside, and he offered, “Let me take your—umbrella,” he said when his eyes fell on her hand. She hadn’t been interviewed yet, but she could already see the butler judging her.
“Careful with it,” Eve smiled, handing the umbrella.
“Madame Jennifer is busy at the moment, speaking to one of the women who has applied for the same job. Please follow me and wait until you are called,” informed the butler, leading her towards the hallway, where chairs had been placed near the wall.
Apart from Eve, three more women were sitting in the hallways who had arrived earlier than her. They were all above thirty-five or forty in age. Sitting poised, with their backs straight and their expressions serious. Not to mention, they even wore glasses on their face to fit the part.
Eve took a deep breath, assuring herself that she would get the job this time. Her education was perfect, and she was passionate about the job. An hour passed, and two more women were interviewed. Patiently, she sat there, waiting for her turn.
Sitting not too far away from the entrance of the mansion, Eve heard the butler greet someone,
“Welcome back, Mr. Walsh. Would you like me to tell the maids to prepare refreshments for you?”
Footsteps approached towards where Eve and another woman continued to wait. A man, probably in his mid-fifties, appeared, with the butler following behind him. Eve and the other woman stood up, their heads slightly bowed.
Mr. Walsh responded, “Yes. Send it over to my study room. Where is Jennifier?”
“Madame Jennifer is talking to one of the potential governesses, Sire. Would you like me to inform the lady about your return?” asked the butler, and the man waved his hand dismissively. Mr. Walsh and the butler walked past the two women without sparing a word.
Eve took her seat back on the chair, taking a look at the expensive decor of the mansion. Every mansion and manor in this town was incomparable, and it felt like a whole different world. Not because of the size of the buildings, or the clean roads or expensive-looking clothes. But there was a certain air around the town that made a person who didn’t belong here wary.
After a while, soon the butler appeared again after the woman who had earlier gone to meet Mrs. Walsh arrived in the hallways, only to leave.
“Mrs. Woods. Madame Jennifer will now meet you,” the butler informed and led the woman in the direction from where he had come.
And once they left, Eve was the only one sitting there. Five minutes later, the butler arrived again and said,
“Ms. Barlow.”
Eve was surprised that Mrs. Walsh would interview her and the other woman together. She quietly followed the butler while her eyes took in her surroundings. They walked through the corridors before the butler paused in front of a door and pushed the door open for her to step in.
When Eve stepped inside the room, the door quietly shut behind her. Instead of Mrs. Walsh, she found Mr. Walsh sitting behind the desk.
She offered him a small bow, to which he nodded.
“My wife has her hands full, and it would be better if I finish the process on behalf of her than burden her. I hope you don’t mind. Take a seat, Ms. Barlow,” said Mr. Walsh, bringing his hand forward and pointing it towards one of the empty chairs in front of him.
“No, I don’t, Mr. Walsh,” replied Eve. She walked towards the chair and took a seat while smoothing her skirt.
Mr. Walsh went through her file, flipping through the pages, and after a while, he said, “It states here that you don’t have any prior experience, and the only recommendation letters you have is from the town we don’t frequent to.” He placed it back on the desk as if unhappy with her file and looked at her. “What makes you think you are more suitable for this job than the others who have already been interviewed. Women who were former governesses, with much better experience and knowledge.”
Eve was used to this look, enough that it didn’t deter her. She spoke politely,
“It is true that they have experience working as a governess. And giving your child under the care of an inexperienced governess, to be taught and guided is daunting. But I can give you my word that even though I lack a few things compared to those governess, I make up for it. Being closer to the age of the children than the others, I believe I am more in tune and understand them better.”
Mr. Walsh, who heard what Eve had said, joined his hands, placing it on the surface of the desk.
“Ms. Barlow, you should know that understanding children’s minds isn’t enough. One needs to know how to handle them, and as I have already said, your… recommendation is from Meadow town.”
“If you take a look at my educational qualifications, you will notice that I have passed through with excellent grades,” replied Eve, noticing how the man looked as if he was ready to ask her to leave any minute. She said, “If you and your wife are willing, I wouldn’t mind working for free for a month. And if you both approve of my work, maybe you can decide then.”
There was a hopeful look in Eve’s eyes.
Mr. Walsh wore a small frown as if gauging Eve’s words, and for a few seconds, he stared at the surface of the table in thought. He said,
“We expect a governess who definitely has a high education and is aware of what she is doing. I cannot promise, but I shall speak to my wife about it.”
Eve’s blue eyes lit up in joy, and a smile spread on her lips, “Thank you so much, Mr. Walsh! I won’t let you and your wife down!” she spoke in slight excitement. She couldn’t believe that she had finally got a chance. And this time, she didn’t even break any vase or pour tea on someone’s hand! God must be blessing her finally!
When Mr. Walsh got up from his seat, Eve was about to get up too, but he waved his hand for her to continue to sit down. The man said,
“You are expected to come work here from twelve in the noon to six in the evening. Of course, you will have your breaks in between, as there are other tutors who will be coming in to teach. I have a better job for you at that time.”
The smile on Eve’s lips continued to stay, happy that she would be coming here to work. She would finally be a governess.
But then Mr. Walsh, who had left his seat, had come behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He said,
“Mrs. Walsh is used to attending mid-noon tea parties, and I can use that time with you,” his hands squeezed her shoulders.
Eve’s body froze, and the smile on her face slipped.
Mr. Walsh didn’t end his words there and continued to speak, “A woman from the town of Meadow, I am sure you wouldn’t mind making some extra money on the side. After all, at the moment you will be working for us for free and it would be a pity. I don’t want you to feel that we are using you,” his hands continued to massage her shoulders.
“How much?”
“Huh?” asked Mr. Walsh, letting go of her shoulders and coming to the side.
“How much would you pay me?” asked Eve, her tone serious, staring back at him.
This time it was Mr. Walsh, who was pleased by Eve’s words, and he smiled. Eve stood up to face him, and he answered, “How does two silver coins sound every month?”
“Two silver coins?” Eve asked him as if disappointed with the offer he made with her.
Noticing the displeased look on Eve’s face, he decided to fix it and started, “Three sil—”
SLAP!
Mr. Walsh held his cheek in shock. His ear rang, and he was left speechless as Eve had slapped him, and she glared at him.
“W-what was that for?” Mr. Walsh glared back at her.
Eve asked him, “Do you think I am that cheap? Or if I am here to satisfy you?” She quickly made her way towards the door, but a maid had arrived at the door, carrying a tray of biscuits.
“How dare you slap me when you were the one who agreed for it!” Mr. Walsh turned aggressive with his ego hurt.
Eve gritted her teeth, and she continued to walk through the corridors while Mr. Walsh started to blame her, making a commotion. She picked up her umbrella on the stand and stepped through the main door.
“You slap me because I refused to give you the job of being a governess,” the man had twisted his words, behaving innocently, while portraying her to be in the wrong.
A few people, who were outside the mansion, stopped to watch the little scene. After all, they had a lot of time on their hands.
Even Mrs. Walsh, who had finished interviewing the woman, came to her husband’s side and noticed the red imprint of fingers on his right cheek.
“I offered you an invitation as a kind gesture. How ungrateful of you!” said Mrs. Walsh in dismay.
Eve stopped walking, clutching her umbrella tighter in her hand. She turned to look at the woman with pitiful eyes.
Mr. Walsh stepped forward and walked towards Eve. He threatened, “Speak about what happened, and I will make sure that no one will ever hire you or anywhere outside the town. Families here like to believe the people who live here, rather than those who come from the streets.”
Eve raised her umbrella, and the man quickly took a few steps backwards. And he then glared at her. But she only opened the umbrella, letting the staff spring of the umbrella to rest on her shoulder.
It wasn’t as if she wasn’t aware of the rules of this world. And as much as she wanted to beat him with the umbrella, she was outside, and people were watching. She had already slapped him, and with that thought, she turned around and walked out of this place.
Mr. and Mrs. Walsh continued to scold the young woman, and during this time, someone stood at the far side with his servant, watching it. The man’s silver hair was darker than the clouds in the sky today.
“Seems like governesses these days are greedy,” the servant murmured under his breath while craning his neck.
“Send her an invitation to hire her,” instructed the man, and he started to walk in the opposite direction.
“Huh?!” The servant looked back and forth before quickly following his master. “But she slapped Mr. Walsh and is greedy.”
“We are all greedy, Alfie. And I think she will be perfect for our family,” saying this, one side of the man’s lips curled.
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ALLURE OF THE NIGHT
Chapter 10
On returning to her town, Eve muttered,
“One day I will show you that there are people like me, with a better character than what your wealth cannot amount to.”
“How dare I? He should be happy I didn’t beat him with my umbrella,” she said to herself as she continued to walk towards her home. To think that the man had tried to threaten her after proposing such an absurd thing. “He needs a governess more than his child.”
And while Eve continued to walk with quick footsteps, with her eyebrows slightly furrowed, she failed to notice that her muttering had gained the passerby’s attention.
She had hoped that she would finally get the job. But to think that the man of the house had turned out to be such a disgraceful man, she wondered if all the wealthy folks were like this. She closed her eyes and muttered again,
“I am going to get scolded again because of that scum—”
“Which scum?” She heard a male voice, whom she was familiar with, and her eyes flew open.
Startled, she had almost crashed into him. Almost, thought Eve in her mind.
Two good steps away from her stood a tall man. His combed hair and eyes were black like the midnight sky without the stars or moon. A beauty mark rested below the corner of his right eye. The expression on his face was calm. And though he wore better clothes than most people in the town of Meadow, obviously because he didn’t belong here, it was the kind smile on his lips that stood out in him.
Eve quickly took herself to greet the man by bowing her head, “Good afternoon, Mr. Sullivan.”
“Good afternoon to you too, Ms. Barlow, but it seems like your day hasn’t been that well,” Mr. Sullivan’s words were calm and collected. There was not a time when Eve could spot a single ruffled feather on him.
Noah Sullivan was Duke of Woodlock’s son. Though Eve had never met Senior Mr. Sullivan, she could only understand why Woodlock town was peaceful. One look at Noah, and it was enough to know that he was a man of honour. Almost twenty-nine in age, rumours had it that he would soon take his father’s position.
“You seem upset,” noted Noah, watching her with a relaxed smile.
Though Eve was only a fellow woman of the Meadow town, Noah and she had somehow turned acquainted with each other. And they enjoyed each other’s company enough to share a few words when they caught sight of each other in the town.
Remembering the unpleasant incident, Eve pursed her lips and said, “It was just an unfortunate accident that wasn’t taken into account this morning,” while explaining, she waved her hand that had the umbrella that almost hit Noah if he didn’t bring his hand forward to stop it gently. “I am sorry,” she apologized, retracting her hand.
“Don’t be,” replied Noah, not offended, as he was used to Eve’s possible accidents that came from her clumsiness or enthusiasm sometimes. Weighing the words he had earlier heard her speak, he said, “Sometimes, we can only foresee things that we have experienced, and it is impossible to take into account because life is unexpected, Ms. Barlow. I hope it wasn’t another incident of you pouring tea on someone.”
“You heard about it,” muttered Eve, her cheeks turning slightly pink because he was the last person she wanted to know about what had happened. Noah was someone she looked up to.
A chuckle escaped from the man’s lips, and he brought his hand in front of his mouth and cleared his throat. “You are the famous governess-who-poured-hot-tea,” he informed her. “You are famous.”
“I don’t think I am looking for that kind of attention,” Eve turned slightly embarrassed. Bad attention like that was making it harder for her to land a job in a good house.
She noticed Noah offer a slight bow to one of the men, who walked not too far away. And while her eyes wandered around, they fell on the two women, who stood on the other side of the street. They admired Noah from afar, whispering something between each other. And just when Noah’s eyes met the women, he bowed his head, and the women did the same with a smile and a twinkle in their eyes before they hurried from there.
With the man who was going to be a Duke, he was also a fairly handsome man with polite manners, which had garnered him enough affection from the women in this town. Especially eager mothers who wanted to marry their daughters to this eligible man.
“If you would like, I could talk to a few people and see who might be willing to hire you?” Noah offered to help her, but Eve shook her head.
“Aunt Aubrey wouldn’t like it and I wouldn’t want to impose on you,” Eve smiled at Noah.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t offered it three months ago, but the young woman had refused it. As if she wanted to find a job without relying on anyone. Not wanting to force her, he gave her a nod.
For a moment, he parted his lips as if to ask her something.
Hearing the tower bell ring loudly, which resonated through, Noah said, “I should get going, Ms. Barlow. Like many other times, it was a pleasure talking to you. Let me know if you do need my help, my offer stands.”
“Have a safe journey, Mr. Sullivan,” Eve bowed. Noah smiled at her before walking away from there.
When Eve reached the house, she gingerly pushed the gate’s latch and stepped inside with a dazed look. A sigh escaped from her lips. She was twenty-four, an age by which most women were married. But marriage wasn’t what concerned her.
A scar was left behind many years ago… and she was looking for it. And she knew if there was a way to find it, it was by going through wealthy families. Her shoulders drooped, wondering how long it would be before landing a job.
Eugene, who had been watering the plants at the corner of the garden, noticed his young miss, who looked disappointed. It seemed like the lady had failed in her interview this time too.
Dropping the water can on the ground, he wiped his hand while walking toward the young lady. He welcomed her, “Welcome back, Lady Eve. How was the weather today?” He inquired.
“Quite harsh. For a moment I thought my umbrella would be damaged,” replied Eve, and her eyes fell on the rosebuds of a nearby bush. “I thought it would take a week before it would give its buds. They already look pretty,” she remarked, bending down to take a closer look.
“I made sure to fertilize the soil and put a plank above it for shelter. Would you like me to pluck one out for you when they bloom, milady?” Eugene asked.
Eve shook her head, “No. Let them stay. I will take them when they are about to wither.”
“Let me go make a glass of cold lemonade for you. I am sure you must be parched while being outside for so long,” Eugene was the first to walk, and after five seconds, Eve left the side of the bushes and walked inside the house. He informed her, “Lady Aubrey has gone out to Mrs. Henley’s house.”
“I thought Mrs. Henley was going to have her family over,” replied Eve as she started to climb the stairs.
Eugene craned his neck before stepping out of the kitchen and replied, “Oh, she does have her family over. Lady Aubrey said that Mrs. Henley’s grandchildren have come over, and she would want Lady Aubrey to meet them—Miss!”
Eve had lost one of her footings, and she quickly held the wooden railings. “I am fine,” she replied, feeling her heart race.
“You should be careful while walking. The stairs are always the trickiest,” there was worry in the servant’s voice. As he knew what Eve was, he was aware of her legs that weakened at times.
“They are. God Bless Mr. Dawson for building such strong walls and railings,” Eve laughed, because with the number of times she had placed her hands on them in force, God only knew how nothing had broken yet. “I will take a bath. You can keep the lemonade on the dining table, Eugene.”
The look of concern on Eugene’s face didn’t disappear, but he nodded, knowing the young miss would want some time for herself.
Reaching the room, she picked up her clothes and headed to the bath. But when she pulled out the ceramic vessel which held the salts… it was nearly empty.
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