by Lucy Langton
However, now away from his presence, Isabel felt a certain loss at being away from him. Although her head told her to believe what her eyes had seen, she refused to dismiss the idea that he had fantasised about the housekeeper while still in her presence.
She knew it was too early to make her judgement on him, yet she could not stop imagining the possibility that the Baron was someone else, someone different from what all the stories said. She found it difficult to dissuade the notion that the Baron was actually just like the painting she had seen in Beatrice’s room; charming, intelligent, and sweet.
But he had built up such a solid reputation that thinking otherwise would seem like a mere fantasy rather than reality, and for the first time, Isabel found herself conflicted over a man. Lying on her bed once again, Isabel recapped the events of the previous day.
It seemed like it had been a long time since she had arrived at the Baron’s mansion, and yet she longed to stay even more. There were more things to discover, and having only an idea did little to stop the excitement that welled within her.
The next few days passed quickly. Hours turned into days and days into weeks. Isabel spent the better part of each day reading and embroidering with Beatrice. After her last encounter with the Baron, she had avoided being alone with him. This had caused her to spend most of her time with his sister and the rest of the day cooped up in bedchambers or loitering about the mansion, familiarising herself with the maids and servants.
On one of such wanderings, Isabel met a young girl who also worked in the mansion, precisely, the gardener. At first, Isabel had needed directions to a certain room, but everything escalated, and they ended up having a lengthy conversation.
Isabel found this as the perfect opportunity to gather some information about her hosts. She was sure the girl was bound to know something about her masters, and Isabel intended to exploit every chance she got.
In exchange, she promised her some clothes and enchanting stories from her numerous travels. The girl’s name was Evelyn. She had worked for the Gregory family right from when she was a little girl. She was nearing fifteen years, two years younger than Beatrice.
Her father was the head gardener, and he was mainly responsible for the tending of the flowers that graced the huge estate, though he sometimes never did some jobs. At first, Isabel had only asked random questions about her upbringing, then she had moved to her employers, how they treated her, and how much she loved it there.
Isabel found out that the girl was immensely grateful to the Gregory family as all their workers earned far more than those of other houses, and this gained them some respect among people of similar status. She also learned that the Baron had once been nice and kind to everyone.
He would buy gifts and clothing for any of his servants celebrating a special occasion like a birthday or marriage or even childbirth. He smiled often and laughed a lot, and he always treated the servants fairly. Now, he was still patient, fair, and just, but a far figure from his former self.
When Isabel questioned the timing of this sudden and erratic change, she had little answers to give. There had been a holiday given to all the servants. However, when they had all returned, their Lord was nursing a scar, and his entire personality had changed. So also had that of the lady Beatrice, save her face.
Isabel had asked some more direct questions, but the servant girl had exhausted her memory and said all she knew. Isabel then told her tales of her youthful adventures with her parents, much to the girl’s delight.
In the end, the girl had left with just two pieces of clothing that would suit her without looking stolen. Isabel began to ruminate on the newly gathered information. Unknown to the servant girl, she had just confirmed one of Isabel’s hypothesis: William and his sister had both been affected by the same event.
That helped to simplify the questions in her head. The puzzle now looked feasible. She was certain that all she needed was to find out what had happened on the day of the ball, and all the pieces would fit right together. She would be able to understand the circumstances of Beatrice’s strange illness and if possible, why her brother had taken the path of anger and scorn.
Once that was out of the way, Isabel was sure she would be only a step away from being free to return to her family. However, the thought of leaving was yet to spike as much enthusiasm as discovering the missing puzzle pieces.
Isabel had some questions she needed to ask the Baron once she was able to get him alone with her.
However, things changed for Isabel the next day. As usual, she was with Beatrice embroidering when they heard a knock on the door. Isabel had a letter from her brother informing her of his impending visit in a few days.
“What does it say?” Beatrice asked.
“My brother George says he will be visiting before the end of the week,” Isabel replied, folding the letter. “I can only think of one reason why my brother would want to check up on me, and that is my Aunt Mariam.”
“I doubt that. Your brother might also miss you and want to see you again after so long.”
Isabel considered her words. Yes, it was true George had changed after the incident with the Baron, but she wondered by how much. Without giving her reply, she unconsciously continued her embroidery while deep in thought.
Having spent most of her cheerful days with Isabel, Beatrice was aware that something troubled her heart.
“Your stitches won’t last if you keep sewing them that way,” Beatrice advised raising her voice.
Isabel was stunned back to the present. She was beginning to develop the habit of drifting off to places in her imagination whenever she was troubled.
“I’m sorry; what did you say?” Isabel asked.
“I said, your stitches won’t last if you keep sewing them in that manner. You were stabbing the poor pillow,” Beatrice replied.
“Oh!” was all Isabel could say.
Her mind was occupied by different thoughts, and her embroidering was unfortunately not one of them.
“So tell me, what bothers you so? I have seen you many times, and not once have you ever stopped smiling. It sometimes irritated me to see you smiling all the time. Some other times, I found it comforting. So tell me, what bothers you?”
At first, Isabel was about to answer, but she found this to be an excellent opportunity to get some information out of Beatrice. Maybe she could use this as a chance to finally discover the missing piece.
“Okay, I will tell you. However, only if you agree to answer some of my questions too.”
Beatrice thought for a while. Getting Isabel to reveal the source of her discomfort might lead to her answering some questions she would rather not think of. However, if Isabel’s mood persisted, they would both end up having a sour day.
“I accept. We will both have two chances to answer three questions. If you feel uncomfortable with the first question, you can choose not to answer it. However, you will have to answer the next question. Do you also agree to this? It will be like a game between us,” Beatrice said and waited expectantly for Isabel’s reply.
“Yes I accept.”
Good. This would be a great chance to ask the question that had been bothering her for so long. Even if Beatrice should refuse the first question, she would have no choice than to answer her next question. Then, finally, she would understand the mystery behind the Gregory family.
“So who goes first?” Isabel asked.
“I will go first,” Beatrice offered.
Isabel left her chair to sit beside her friend. What question could be so hard that she would not be able to answer? It was obvious that the first question would be an easy question so that if she refused the second one, there would be another waiting in line. That meant three questions, two answers.
“What happened between you and your brother that makes you think ill of him?
Isabel was taken aback by the question. It was fairly easy to answer, but also tricky. Nothing came to mind. She was sure there was nothing between her an
d her brother, but then she realised that was not the answer Beatrice was looking for. So she started at the very beginning.
Chapter 10
“My parents had only been married for four years when they had my brother, George. My father had wanted a boy while my mother had wanted a girl. However, they were both very happy and pleased with him and employed the best scholars around to tutor him. Two years after he was born, I came along. Both my parents were satisfied and loved us both genuinely.” Isabel paused to make sure Beatrice was following.
“Years later, we began showing skills in different areas of interest; I loved the outside, the field and outdoor activities, but my brother loved art, music, and poetry. My father was a bit disappointed. He wanted a son who had interests in fighting and all the other things that made up a great soldier and ruler. He was afraid that something might happen and my brother would not be able to defend the honour of the family,” Isabel explained.
“And he was right?” Beatrice asked.
Even though Beatrice had asked another question, Isabel let it slide as it was still part of the original one.
“In a way,” Isabel corrected. “Father wanted to influence my brother into becoming his ideal son, so he spent more time with him than he did with me and my mother.”
Isabel now realised why her mother took her along on her journeys. It was either because she was lonely, or the men needed the estate to themselves for a while. As shocking as it sounded, Isabel had not realised the simple truth within her own past. She had always thought her family was perfect, but now that she was relating her past to someone else, she began to find loopholes in her otherwise happy life.
“Did it work? George. Did your father’s methods work?” Beatrice asked obviously intrigued by the story.
“Yes, it did. However, everything changed when my parents died a few months ago.”
“How?”
This was definitely more than three questions.
“After the news of my parents’ death got to us, my brother started keeping late nights. Sometimes he would not come back until the next day. It appeared he and my father had gotten extremely close, and his death shook him even more than it did me,” Isabel replied.
Even as she said the words, she felt sorry for her brother. He had loved their parents, and their sudden loss had somehow triggered an unexpected trait in him, which had made him seek solace in his friends and ale.
If only she had been there for her brother when he needed her the most, he would not have had to depend on his friends and gamble the house away. She had also neglected his feelings when he had told her of their predicament.
Losing the property must have caused him more anguish than it did her because then, their father’s fears had been fulfilled.
Isabel closed her eyes and let the tears trail down her cheeks. She had been insensitive to her brother, and she needed to apologise. She could only imagine the feeling he must have had after being the person he had trained hard not to be. In addition, she had slapped him. She was indeed an awful person.
How could she ever forgive herself? She had not been the only one affected by grief, yet she had ignored his feelings and treated him with scorn and contempt.
Suddenly, her eyes widened with shock as she realised another truth. She had acted the same way with the Baron. Having come to the mansion to seek back their properties, she had not bothered giving him the benefit of the doubt but had judged him according to what she had heard. She had even offered her body to him in recompense. Oh, how foolish he must have thought her to be.
As Isabel drowned herself in self-pity, Beatrice continued with her embroidering. Only she seemed to notice when William gave a knock and then entered. She gave her brother a quiet look and returned to her work.
William sensing the tension in the air, decided to wait it out. He grabbed the chair closest to him and sat, watching Isabel.
Beatrice stole one or two glances at him to confirm her thoughts. Then she went back to her sewing. Isabel sat there with her head bowed and her eyes wet. It was not until her tears started falling to her dress, did the Baron notice them and hand her his handkerchief.
She looked up slowly in recognition and gratefully accepted the handkerchief. It was just as though he had been sent from the heavens. He was there to offer his aid right when she needed it.
Isabel wiped her tears and blew her nose. She laughed a little after that. She was a mess, and she did not mind. Neither did he. He still had a smile on his face, just like in the painting.
She turned to Beatrice and found her completely engrossed in her sewing, no doubt using it as an escape to avoid being questioned. Nevertheless, her turn would wait. Turning back to the Baron, there had to be a reason why he was here.
“What business do you have in the ladies’ room, Lord William?” Isabel asked.
William smiled wider at the mention of his name. It was one of the few occasions she had actually called him by his first name.
“Your brother, My Lady. He will be arriving tonight. I just felt to inform you.”
“But I received his letter this morning. He said in a few days,” Isabel queried.
“Yes, he did say he was going to apologise for that. He said something was compelling him to arrive tonight. He made mention of an Aunt Marie.”
Ah! She should have known better. Of course, it would be Aunt Mariam. Only he and God knew how long he had had to withstand her pestering. Living alone with Aunt Mariam could sometimes be lovely and enjoyable, and at the same time, it could be terrible and hellish.
However, she would have to prepare to meet him. Then a thought crossed her head, “Did he say who else was coming along with him?” she asked in alarm.
“It appears he will be coming alone,” William replied. “Eh, who is this Aunt Marie? Is she a close relative? Maybe we could invite her along.”
“No! Absolutely not. She isn’t a bad person, but at the same time, I believe it is too soon for her to be visiting. Besides, who would look after the estate with both my brother and aunt gone? Everything would be in shambles by the time they return. Best for Aunt Mariam to stay back, for now,” Isabel surmised.
Unable to counter her argument, William dropped the idea. He left soon after to order the servants on the meals to prepare. There was another vacant room prepared for emergencies like this. George would rest there, should he decide to spend the night.
And so, the day went by without Isabel asking the question that had boggled her mind for so long. She had dedicated that day to mending the bonds she had. Questioning could come another time. Besides, there was still much time to find out the truth about the Gregory family.
Her curiosity could wait a few more days or weeks. She was not going to rush things anymore. She had all the time in the world.
Chapter 11
George Montgomery had woken up with joy in his heart. The joy of seeing his sister. It had been so many weeks now since he last set his eyes on her. Initially, he had worried about her state of emotions and general condition in the Baron’s house, knowing full well the kind of person the Baron was. If he could, he would have definitely prevented her from going. However, when he remembered her reason for embarking on such a dangerous journey, he felt helpless.
One thing was certain; he was loved by his sister. He had to be, for her to have taken up such a task. He knew she had done it more for the sake of their property and inheritance. However, he was sure that beyond that, love for him had also pushed her to embark on such a dangerous journey, taking the path of obscurity.
The personality of the Baron was well known. George himself had seen him act cruelly towards people. He had seen him deface a knight who challenged him in a duel before. He had had personal encounters with him. There were several hitherto impressions in his mind regarding the Baron, unpleasant impressions, and he knew what a great and life-threatening risk his beloved sister had taken.
