by Aria Norton
There was nothing else left to do but to follow Nathaniel around until Beatrix found out precisely what was going on. Perhaps there was something to this matter with Lady Barclay. It wouldn't hurt to find out, would it?
*
A week later
Telling Monsieur Debussy that she was ill was the worst lie Beatrix had ever told. She preferred to be honest and upfront, but her days at the music school would have not allowed her to follow Nathaniel around. The master of the school seemed to think that women were less capable of teaching and needed more time to reach a man's standard. This unfair belief resulted in longer hours at the school with her having to arrive at least an hour earlier than the men, and leaving an hour later. Sometimes, she had to act as the school nurse when students fell ill despite telling Monsieur Debussy that she had no medical experience to speak of.
"The foolish man thinks that every woman knows how to look after people. If I have to see to another blistered finger, I might just scream."
It would be pure bliss the day she could finally become Mrs Nathaniel Baudelaire and leave the wretched school behind. Beatrix only stayed because she could see Nathaniel every day, but even that had been taken away from her.
"I despise the day Lord Pembroke walked into Monsieur Debussy's office and demanded that his best violinist teach his wretched daughter. I would still have my Nathaniel if that foolish girl had not come between us."
It was due to Lady Barclay that Beatrix found herself in disguise waiting for a servant girl from Barclay Manor to come and see her. She wanted to see what hold the young woman had over Nathaniel. Beatrix had come to notice that Nathaniel spent a good chunk of his week in Barclay Manor, but not every day was spent learning the violin. If Lady Barclay was not practising the violin, then what on earth was Nathaniel doing there?
"A little hand grease should make that servant girl talk."
Beatrix would gladly part with more pennies if it meant getting her Nathaniel back. She hid behind a bush when she heard someone approaching, but when Beatrix saw it was the servant she had been secretly seeing, she revealed herself.
"Olivia! Over here, if you please."
The stupid wench turned, quickly putting her head down as she rushed to where Beatrix stood.
"Good day, miss," the maid said.
"Yes, yes, a good day to you. So, what have you to tell me?"
When the woman scratched her palm, Beatrix knew precisely what she wanted.
"Oh, all right! Here!"
Cutting away the little sack of pennies from her waist, Beatrix threw it to the woman. The woman caught it, her round face stretched in a smile.
"A thousand thanks, miss."
"Yes, now get on with it," Beatrix insisted. "I wish to hear about Monsieur Baudelaire and Lady Barclay. You told me the last time that not every lesson is spent learning the violin. If she does not have a lesson, then what on earth are they doing?"
"I spied on them just as you asked me to, and I saw them sitting and eating. They were having a meal, chatting and laughing, miss. That is all."
Having a meal? Chatting and laughing? That couldn't be right. Why would Nathaniel wish to have a meal with an aristocrat? He hated them!
"I think you are mistaken, Olivia. Monsieur Baudelaire would never consort with the likes of Lady Barclay."
The servant shrugged. "I can only tell you what I've seen, miss. Monsieur Baudelaire is always smiling- he seems happy."
Beatrix coughed. "What? How dare you speak such lies?!"
Olivia shook her head repeatedly. "Oh, no, no, no, miss. Why would I lie to you? You have been generous to me. I was able to buy my little sister some material for a new dress, and my brother is able to attend school just like the other boys in town without shame. I bought him a bag to carry all his books, and he has shoes to wear to keep the stones from cutting his poor feet. I wouldn't lie to you, miss. Honest."
The maid seemed sincere, leaving Beatrix with the terrible realisation that Nathaniel's interests now lay elsewhere.
"I believe you. I think it best you return to the house before anyone realises that you're gone."
"Yes, miss."
The maid curtsied and hurried away, her plump hand tight on the bag of money she had hidden behind her apron. As soon as she was gone, Beatrix could express her anger. Grabbing a stone, she tossed it as far as she could, growling beneath her breath.
"How dare she? How dare she draw my Nathaniel away from me?"
Burning jealousy coursed through Beatrix's body, making her feel more alive than she had ever felt in her entire life. She could imagine Nathaniel sitting and laughing with Lady Barclay, his striking blue eyes crinkled at the corners.
"He has never spent so much time with me before, but he gives that wretched woman most of his week! Oh, the unfairness of it all!"
No wonder Nathaniel's interest in her had waned. All this time Beatrix had boasted and told everyone that Nathaniel would soon ask for her hand in marriage, that it was only a matter of time before she was Mrs Nathaniel Baudelaire.
"This will never happen with that woman in the picture. I have to take Nathaniel away from her. But how? How will I do that?"
She could never compete with the Earl's daughter. Not only was the woman beautiful, but she was clearly cunning. Had this been her plan all this time? To trap a poor and unsuspecting man?
"Oh! All men are weaklings in the presence of a beautiful woman. I was almost certain that Nathaniel would never fall for the tricks of a woman, but I was wrong. Now, 'tis left to me to rescue him before he is made a fool for all to see."
There was only one thing that could destroy a woman of Lady Barclay's station. In fact, it could ruin any woman's reputation. Beatrix hesitated, wondering if she could go through with it.
"I shall have to. Nathaniel and my happiness depend on removing the stench of that woman from our lives."
Beatrix was going to attack the young woman's character and destroy her. Once she was done with Lady Barclay, no one would wish to marry her. Not even the poorest of men.
The next day, Beatrix made her way to the one place where she knew that rumours could spread like wildfire. Madame Tulsa's Taverna was a place that all sorts of people from different walks of life frequented. Most importantly, it was filled with people who would think nothing of spreading a vicious rumour as long as they were not incriminated.
"I'm not one to come to places like this, but a woman has to do what she has to do to protect her future husband from nasty heiresses."
Beatrix stood outside the stonework building, wrinkling her nose. She could already smell the beer that flowed like milk and honey, and she wasn't even inside the building yet. Beatrix made her way inside, nearly gagging from the sour smell that wafted up to her nostrils. She placed a finger under her nose, her eyes watering.
"If Father ever saw me in here, why, he would keel over in fright!"
It was just as well that she was wearing a disguise that helped her blend in with the other women milling around.
"I suppose I'll have to find a seat and order something. But what if the cups are filthy? Oh, goodness. I hope Nathaniel appreciates all that I'm doing for him."
Taking a look around the room, Beatrix looked for the perfect place. She needed to be close enough to drop the rumour into a willing ear before leaving the taverna and letting the gossip do its work. There were only men sitting about and casting interested looks her way. Beatrix avoided their stares, looking for a woman. Two servant girls walked past her, their hands saddled with mugs filled with ale. Now is my chance.
"Excuse me," she called to the women.
They ignored her and continued on to their customers, plonking down the mugs on the dirty tables, not seeming to care about the drinks sloshing about.
"I'll have to try again, but I don't know how much longer I can last in here. Perhaps if I told them that I'm looking for a job?"
That might work. Squaring her shoulders, Beatrix marched to the oldest servant girl, planting herself in fro
nt of the woman.
"Ey! What are ye doing?" the wench demanded,
"I've come to look for work," Beatrix asserted.
"You?" the woman said with much doubt. "Ye don't look the type."
"I know, but I'm a hard worker. In fact, give me a trial run, and you'll see."
The woman thought about it, plucking at the hair on her mole. It took Beatrix a lot of restraint to keep from showing her distaste.
"Well, I am short-staffed today, so ye'll have to do. Take these mugs to the kitchen and fill them up again. That table of gentlemen are yer customers."
Beatrix swallowed hard. "The men with matted hair and dirty shirts?"
"Yea. Ye have a problem with that?"
"No, no," Beatrix assured. "None at all. Let me have those mugs."
The woman emptied her hands, surprising Beatrix with the weight of the mugs, and promptly left her.
"Just an hour or so, and I can go," Beatrix promised herself.
Three hours later, Beatrix emerged from the taverna stinking of ale and everything in between, but she had done what she set out to do. Sharing the lies with the wenches had been easy, almost too easy, but serving those brutish men had not been.
"I'll be glad to return home and have a good scrub. I'll need two baths of piping hot water to remove all of this filth."
However, it had been worth it. The women in the taverna had been filled with glee when they heard what Beatrix had to say about Lady Barclay.
"They didn't even question how I came to know such a thing. I just had to tell them that Lady Barclay was currently seducing Nathaniel and forcing him to see her almost every day. They ate up the lie like a piece of pie!"
The wenches had branded Lady Barclay a loose woman and promised to let everyone in town know about her. That was precisely what Beatrix wished to hear. She was careful to keep Nathaniel innocent, portraying him as a man who only wished to make an honest living and was too afraid to go against the aristocrats.
"After all, I cannot marry a man with a bad reputation, can I? A woman has to have standards."
Sure enough, before the day was out, the rumour about Lady Barclay spread like wildfire through the town. Beatrix's plan had worked. Now, it was only a matter of time before Nathaniel came back to her.
Chapter 16
Helena stretched her fingers before lifting her bow and violin, positioning it under her chin and on her shoulder.
"At my cue," Nathaniel ordered.
"Yes, sir."
He lifted his hands, and let them fall gracefully, prompting the eerie but beautiful music to flow from her fingers to the violin. Helena played the piece from memory, not needing the sheet of music in front of her. Closing her eyes, Helena allowed the melody to take her away to a place of wonder and liveliness, a world removed from her current one. It was just her and the violin, with the instrument as her master.
The song came to an end all too soon, and Helena found herself back in her music room. She opened her eyes, smiling when she found Nathaniel grinning.
"How was that, sir?"
"I'll make a violinist of you yet," he said.
That was disappointing. Helena had hoped that he would give her more complimentary words.
"Why do you look so down, suddenly?" he asked. "You played wonderfully, my lady."
"Thank you, sir. Should I play another?"
"No, no. You can take a break. You've done well today."
Helena nodded, returning the instrument to its case. While she was pleased that Nathaniel had resumed their lessons once again, he did appear reserved and withdrawn. Things are back to normal, but only just. While Nathaniel is not cold as he was in the very beginning, I do miss the man he had been before he simply disappeared from my life for an entire week.
Helena had not believed the excuses Nathaniel had given in his short notes, but she had let it be. I do not wish to cause unnecessary problems, not when he has returned to me. Helena had missed him more than she thought possible and had waited in her music room every day in the hope that Nathaniel would come. Should I ask him what the matter is?
"You seem bothered by something, my lady," said Nathaniel. "Perhaps I can help you?"
"Yes, in fact, you can. Tell me, why did you leave so suddenly when you were here last? And why did you let an entire week pass us by before you returned to our lessons?"
He was clearly withholding himself from her, and Helena wanted to know why.
Nathaniel sighed, running his hands through his hair. "I suppose I was rather rude, wasn't I? Will you answer a question of mine?"
"Before you have answered mine?"
"If you please."
"Go ahead. Ask."
"Do you truly intend to find a suitor during the London Season?"
Helena pulled her head back. What an odd question to ask! I can genuinely say that I never saw that coming.
"I can see that I've surprised you," he said.
"Frankly, yes.”
Helena watched Nathaniel scratch his head, rubbing his shoe on the back of his leg. I've never seen him do that before. He seems... uneasy. Uncomfortable even, or perhaps embarrassed? Helena didn't know what to make of Nathaniel's behaviour or his question.
"I understand if it seems impertinent of me to ask such a question," he said. "You need not answer if you do not wish to."
"No, no, I'll answer your question. I'm merely taken aback."
"Yes, I know," said Nathaniel, not meeting her eyes.
"Well, to answer your question, I will not be marrying if I can help it."
Nathaniel's face immediately brightened. "Oh, well, then. Should we have some tea? I wish for some of Cook's plum cake and strong tea."
Nathaniel's change in behaviour startled her as much as the day he had left in a hurry over a week ago. Except this time, he's happy. Does he care if I marry? His behaviour and question pointed to that. Helena's insides warmed with the thought.
"I think that I can make it happen. Just a moment while I find Rose. I'll ask her to set up the tea in the parlour."
Helena hurried out the room but still tried to retain some decorum, reminding herself that a lady didn't run. She almost bumped into Rose coming out of the library, bringing her to an abrupt halt. Slightly breathless, she attempted to keep the excitement out of her voice but couldn't.
"Rose, could you arrange a tea tray and send it to the parlour? The main one, please. Oh, and please see if we have any plum cake left? I know that Cook made two yesterday, but Papa had a sizeable piece last night."
And perhaps a few more after dinner. Papa did love plum cake with a lot of fresh cream.
"You seem happier than when I left you a moment ago. What on earth happened in there?"
"Get the tea first, and I'll explain everything once Nathaniel leaves."
Rose raised her eyebrows. "Is the news that good?"
"Perhaps," said Helena grinning from ear to ear. "Now, please, the tea!"
"Yes, yes, I'll get it done. I'll call you once it's ready."
Several minutes later, the three of them were sipping tea in the parlour, although Helena wished it was just her and Nathaniel. He was in considerably high spirits and had even told a joke or two that had made Rose laugh. That was startling because she seldom laughed at amusing stories. Had Rose warmed to him?