Despite the absence of the Hunt Members, the Manor’s lower levels continued to hum with activity. The cooks took the opportunity to create new dishes to test on the staff, free from the demands of providing elaborate dinners. The valets and ladies maids were busy cleaning and repairing the clothing of their fashionable masters. The seamstress’ worked beside them, creating elegant new dresses and dapper shirts for the members. Everyone used the opportunity to complete the simple tasks that could not be afforded the time when the Manor was full.
Maddie and Kat were still awestruck by the sheer size and magnificence of the Manor as they tried to follow Jane’s progress through the busy hallways. It took all of their concentration to avoid knocking into others as they took in every room they passed.
Jane smiled as she looked back at them, hoping she’d get the opportunity to really astound them by going up to the Main Hall. She remembered her first time entering the massive room with its domed roof and mosaic floor, feeling small but not insignificant.
Their progress through the underground maze of rooms and corridors finally ended as they came to a small bedroom with two single beds. A vibrant painting of Rooks Bay and some fresh cut wildflowers spruced up the otherwise utilitarian room.
“This will be your room for the time being,” Jane instructed the two sisters. “I know it’s not much to look at, but the beds are soft and the blankets are warm.”
Maddie sat on the bed briefly, testing out the firmness for herself while Kat put her single bag on top of the small dresser by the door. It contained their few possessions and they both suddenly felt very far from Rivermead.
Jane almost mistook their changed demeanour as disappointment in their lodgings. The room paled in comparison to the richness of the building they had just passed through. But before she reproached them for their ingratitude, she quickly realized that that wasn’t the reason at all. Now that they were safe and no longer had to worry about what the next hour might bring, their thoughts were turned elsewhere. Jane had spent nearly her whole life in the Manor and in that time had seen various looks of homesickness in many servants new to the Manor. She knew a temporary cure for the ailment was to distract them and to make them feel at home.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry,” she stated truthfully, suddenly realizing that they hadn’t eaten a real meal in some time. When both girls nodded she led them out of the room in search of the servant’s dining room.
They took a different way than before, further disorienting the sisters. However Jane marched confidently ahead of them, able to navigate the Manor blindfolded. After a few left and right turns they entered the staff dining room, its size a reflection on the number of staff employed at the Manor. The lack of windows and the abundance of pillars within the room were the only indications it was underground. The number of pillars made the use of a single long table impractical, so the dining room was dotted with a collection of tables and chairs evenly spaced out.
Jane motioned them to sit down at a table in the corner and went in search of some food in the adjoining kitchen. Because the work hours of the staff revolved around the unpredictable schedules of the members, there was always a pot of soup on and fresh bread available in the kitchen.
They ate in companionable silence in the empty dining room, too hungry to waste time chatting. Within minutes all three had finished their food, slurping their last spoonful of soup. Jane collected the plates and immediately returned with a tea tray, filling three cups with practiced ease.
“I imagine you’re anxious to get home,” she began, hoping to fill the quiet void that had developed. “You’ve been through quite a lot.”
“It’s been one terrible situation after another,” replied Maddie at once, shivering in recollection. “I’ve always been happy in Rivermead, but most of the other girls are always saying they want adventure and excitement. They can have it, they obviously don’t know what they’re talking about.” Jane nodded in acknowledgement, able to see Maddie living quietly in Rivermead and growing old there. However she noticed that Kat displayed none of the same unease of her sister.
Jane saw a kindred spirit in the elder sister, a yearning for action and excitement beyond the humdrum routine of village life. She could tell Kat would not be returning to Rivermead, she’d experienced too much to go back. Jane was also willing to bet she wouldn’t even escort her sister back, fearing she’d be stuck there once she arrived. However she didn’t broach the subject in case Maddie was unaware of her sister’s probable decision.
“So what’s it like working here?” Kat asked with feigned disinterest, but failing to hide her fascination.
“It’s not easy,” admitted Jane frankly, trying to offer a realistic picture. “There are lots of peaks and valleys to the work here.”
“How do you mean?”
“Well I can’t speak for every position here, but you’re either exhausted from the frantic requirements of one of the Hunt events, or you’re bored from the routine of daily tasks.”
“But it must be a thrill working in such a magnificent environment. This is the biggest and tallest building I’ve ever seen. I bet I can’t even imagine the opulence of some of the rooms in here.”
“That’s probably true, but I can tell you that the magnificence wears off when you have to do the dusting.”
Kat frowned slightly at this reply, but Jane could tell it was more from her apparent negative spin rather than disappointment at the reality of the Manor. Luckily she was saved from further elaboration when Kat noticed her sisters repeated yawns.
“You guys must be exhausted, I know I am,” Jane offered sympathetically. “I’ll show you back to your room.”
She retraced their route back from the dining room without any trouble, all of them noticing the decrease in activity. As they opened the door to their room Jane gave them quick directions on where her room could be found in case they needed anything. She then left and walked the short distance to her own room.
When she opened the door a wave of relief, exhaustion, and comfort rolled over her. It had been weeks since she last slept in her room; having bounced around from the pub, to the Crow’s Nest, the farmhouse, and campsites in between. She walked over to her bed and collapsed on it, too tired to change and relishing the feeling of her old bed. Jane had been ignoring a tugging feeling within her ever since she’d laid eyes on the Manor upon their return. Listening to the familiar bustle as they walked the halls had only made the feeling stronger, but lying in her bed and smelling the familiar scents now made it impossible to ignore. She was home.
Despite the demanding workload and the indefinable ominous air of the Manor, she realized that she was at home here and wouldn’t feel right anywhere else. After years of labouring in the expansive building, she’d come to take it for granted. But after her short absence, she knew she’d never be able to leave. Perhaps she’d been too quick to discourage Kat about the Manor earlier.
A quiet tapping at her door brought Jane back to the present and she swore silently as she forced herself up from the comfort of her bed. A few stiff steps got her to the door where she opened it a crack and faced a surprising guest.
“I can’t really sleep, can I come in?” Kat asked from the hallway.
“Sure. What’s on your mind?”
“It’s this place; at first I thought it was just the excitement of somewhere new. But there’s an energy here that I can’t ignore.”
“Funny you should say that, I was just thinking the same thing,” Jane agreed as she sat back down on her bed. She motioned for Kat to sit in wooden chair by her wardrobe. “When we were talking before, I didn’t mean to brush you off. I just didn’t want to talk about your decision to work here in front of your sister. You haven’t told her have you?”
“No I haven’t. But I only made up my mind just now. How did you know?”
“Because I feel the same way,” replied Jane. “You’d think that after being drugged, kidnapped, imprisoned, and everything else I’
ve been through that I’d be done with this place. But when I got back here, I realized I’ll never leave.”
“Exactly,” Kat agreed enthusiastically. “How can I go back to Rivermead after everything I’ve seen?”
“And everyone you’ve met?”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Kat asked innocently.
“I’ve seen how you look at Tiberius, but more importantly I’ve seen how he looks at you. It’s a way that would make most of the women at the Manor, if not the entire Island, extremely jealous.”
“But not you,” Kat pointed out perceptively.
“Maybe a little, but I’ve got my own problems,” Jane laughed hesitantly.
“Such as?”
“Such as; he’s one of the Hunt Members and we’ve only talked a couple times. Hell, I don’t even know how real my feelings are. I could have built him up in my mind. Besides I’m just a maid, I doubt he even remembers me.”
“You’re not just a maid, at least not anymore and not to me” countered Kat, feeling a need to dispel the concerns of her new friend. “Lord Lodge and Tiberius sure don’t treat you like a maid. And I don’t know of any maids who would have kept their cool like you did at that farmhouse.”
“How many maids do you know?” Jane asked with a smile.
“That’s not important. But I bet you’ve always been like this and if that’s the case, he’ll remember you.”
“Maybe,” Jane allowed, feeling much better. “But tomorrow I’ll put my uniform back on and the next time I see him I’ll be dusting the library.”
“Well I’m sticking around here and together we’ll figure a way to get his attention. I don’t think it will be that hard, plus I’m really good at that sort of thing.”
A Malevolent Manner (Patrick Pierce #1) Page 85