Ellalee gave the earl a long sober look. I want to live, she thought desperately. I want to live, if not a long happy life at least a deep meaningful life. She gritted her teeth. My life will not be fodder for some silly curse.
“So it may not be this place or a curse at all, just a criminal element?” Ellalee said looking between Gladlia and Valen.
Valen shrugged. “If so, then enjoy the irony that I have created this curse and foisted it upon my own head because the target is usually me.”
“Valen has had a rather stunning knack for surviving,” Gladlia said with a slight curve of her lips.
“Thanks mostly to you and whatever you carry in that blasted bloody bag of yours,” the earl replied caustically.
“The target is usually you, and things you care about,” Ellalee added somberly.
“And things I care about,” the earl replied not looking at either Ellalee or Gladlia.
“So you don’t care,” Ellalee said. “Except that you do.”
“You really are impossible,” Valen responded snapping his attention back to her. “Trust me. It isn’t just things I care about. Were that the case, it would almost be better.”
Ellalee rolled her eyes and wondered, For who? She tried a different angle. “What do you do with the somebodies you have caught?”
“I bring them back,” Valen replied not making eye contact.
“Bring them back?”
“To wherever I found them.” His eyes returned to hers.
Ellalee put both of her hands over her mouth before she responded. It was not hard to picture her brother and sister as they looked in the pillory. Tears flooded her eyes. Ellalee thought back to that man, Dessi, whom she’d last seen in the gibbet. She remained horrified, silently shaking her head, as she watched Gladlia dab the earl’s burn marks on his hands with ointment.
With a final shake of her head Ellalee said, “It just doesn’t make sense. I am with the staff, and I believe it is overall a grateful bunch. There must be someone behind this.”
“Miss Ellalee, I have caught many over the years. No one ever names another,” Valen said.
“Maybe they were too afraid? Moreover, why should it be an either-or proposition? Maybe the ones you caught were the bad apples, and the ones who were doing it at the behest of someone else simply disappeared or died? There are been unexplained deaths, even recently of the barn boy and the upstairs maid and the cook,” Ellalee began. Gladlia’s eyes sparked, but Valen just looked drained.
“There is no simply about any of this. Frankly, I cannot see how your theory possibly helps me. No, don’t answer. Gladlia is here to see to your injuries. Do you have any of those? I’d love to see her use her vile concoctions on someone else for a change,” Valen said, curtly ending the conversation.
“Nope. Fit as a fiddle. It seems since I collect nothing but your temper, I am lucky enough to avoid any real injury,” Ellalee said and without permission, left the earl’s study. It was only when she rounded the corner that she missed a step as her mind finally caught up with her mouth.
Winslow imposed the usual silence that evening at dinner, but even the silence didn’t stop the glances, glares, and stares around the table. Madam Murray looked like the cat that swallowed the canary. It seemed that the old housekeeper knew that Ellalee had ended up on the wrong side of the earl, again. Daniella looked at Ellalee and blushed. Ellalee had no problem interpreting that look. Daniella knew what had been said by the other servants while Ellalee had been in the earl’s study and was embarrassed for her sister. Simmons and the footmen tried to only look at each other, but stray glances kept falling Ellalee’s way. Finally, Simmons chuffed, Mark snorted on a laugh, and Charlie guffawed and then coughed. Winslow glared the men back into silence once more.
There were only two saving graces around the table. The first was her brother who focused only on his plate, shoveling in food as fast as his fork could make the trip from plate to lips. Ellalee frowned. Christopher was eating an alarming amount of food. The other was her fellow maid. Elise gave Ellalee a miserable look and then kept her eyes averted. Ellalee was struck by Elise’s empathetic soul and was grateful. One would think Daniella would be as empathetic, Ellalee though sourly. Ellalee then focused on her plate as well, not looking up until they’d been excused.
Daniella cleaned the kitchen, and Ellalee was given the new job of banking all of the fireplaces each night before bed. As she worked her way through the manor, her ire grew.
Lord, she prayed. Give me peace because I am sure tired of being the butt of every joke in the manor. She prayed the small prayer over and over again like a mantra, not feeling the slightest peace in her soul afterwards. She had herself wound tight by the time she pushed through the door of her room.
Ellalee came in fuming as Daniella rose to meet Ellalee, giving Ellalee one raised eye brows and a small smirk. The look on Daniella’s face put Ellalee somewhere between exasperated and fit to spit.
“Pray tell, why have I become the humor for the rest of this castle? You’d think I could at least count on you, Daniella, my loyal sister.”
“Oh don’t go blaming me. You’re the one who walks around all high and mighty.”
“What are you talking about? I work just the same as everyone else and more than some.”
Daniella chortled and sat on the edge of her bed.
“I have cleaned nearly every room in this manor, putting it to rights.” Ellalee replied sharply, anger rising.
“Ellalee, sit here and take in a long breath and just listen,” Daniella said sympathetically, but her eyes still danced as Ellalee plopped down on the bed next to Daniella. “Yes, you’ve cleaned like a whirlwind, but not because you’ve been made to clean like you have. Anyone else would have just gone through the motions as has clearly been done for years. But now the manor gleams because, well, because you see this as your home.”
“And? Daniella, this is our home. For a hundred years after we are dead, as I recall.”
Daniella bit her lips and changed tacks, “Did you know the earl had been engaged once, many years ago?”
Ellalee sighed and nodded slowly.
“Well, you see, the last time the manor looked like this was just before the marriage. It was a time of hope. When the earl’s fiancé died,” Daniella continued, “hope died too, and the manor fell into its lamentable state.”
Ellalee wasn’t sure what point her sister was trying to make.
Daniella shifted and continued, “It is like you are trying to be lady of the manor. You have made the manor look anew. You take pride in your work, but it is more than that. You take pride in the manor itself because it reminds you of home. The home we lost. What’s more, you talk back to the earl. You take decisions into your own hands. You leave off your tasks and disappear.”
Ellalee opened her mouth to retort but was interrupted.
“Do you notice that we speak differently? Our accents are more refined? We can read and write. Do you realize how unusual that is amongst the staff?”
“Non-existent, I expect. However, I hardly see you speak,” Ellalee said sourly.
“Well, I’m a little better at blending,” Daniella said smiling and reached over to grab her sister’s hands and lowered her voice as she peered deep into Ellalee’s eyes. “Everyone who is here has seen hardship.”
“And so have we,” Ellalee said defensively.
Daniella looked out the window. “It is different. Though I’m not sure I can put my finger on how exactly.” Daniella turned back to face Ellalee. “Maybe it is that you see life as what you can make it, and some of them see themselves as the casualties life made of them. Did you know that Charlie was a pickpocket in London who managed to pick the wrong pocket? Rather than lose his hand, he has worked off his penance here. Like us, he was glad to just have food and warmth. But he will never be more than his station. Mark and his family were farmers west of here. Mark’s entire family died of some plague, and he came here half dead himself having n
o place else he could go. He was only twelve at the time. The earl found him on the stoop, ragged, starving, and delirious.”
Ellalee frowned.
“Don’t you see? You shine too brightly, dear sister.”
Ellalee winced. She suddenly felt deeply ashamed. All the energy went out of her with a whoosh. Ellalee stood up, pulled off her dress as she crossed to her own bed, and climbed under the covers. She wished in that moment she could be anyone but herself. She hated herself.
Daniella came around to her bed and sat on the side of it, smiling gently with her kind grey eyes. “Oh no you don’t. You can’t stop now. You are light. I am salt. And God put us both here. It is our lot in life to work His plan, not our own. I honestly think everyone smiles more these days, even today after the fire. Your response to all the madness is strength not fear, and your strength has given them strength, even our irascible earl, I think. Even the beauty of the manor you have unearthed under feet of grime has breathed hope once more. And I think, you’ll just have to take the ribbing. It equalizes us all in a way, and that’s probably a good thing for you too. It makes them see you as one of them. When they rib you, smile. If they quit ribbing you, worry.”
Chapter Seventeen: Stoned Hope
The next day started quietly, and Ellalee was glad for it. She went quickly about her chores and kept her distance from everyone except for the little brown tabby with white feet that Ellalee called Rigsby. It followed her, taking a keen interest in her rags, her mop, and the hem of her skirt. The kitten was its own gift, keeping Ellalee’s mind either on her work or on its furry little antics. Though from time to time her mind drifted back to Daniella’s comments. Her father had often called her his little fireball. It used to be a name she took pride in, but now she was just embarrassed.
It wasn’t until the midday meal that she finally rejoined the other servants. She arrived in the kitchen to find Gladlia putting salve on a lump on Irwin’s forehead the size of a goose egg. Apparently, a horseshoe fell from the loft of the barn and nearly brained him. Daniella was distraught about a dead rat she found in the butter churn. She was sure someone put in there as a prank because it was obviously one that a kitten had killed, and it couldn’t have gotten in there by itself. Daniella was furious with Christopher believing he did it, and Christopher was nearly in tears protesting his innocence. His proficiency in his wheeled-chair wasn’t helping his case. Charlie received a cut from a tray which thankfully did not require stitches, and Simmons was just in a foul mood. Ellalee couldn’t escape the midday meal fast enough.
By the time dinner rolled around, Daniella had secured a burn which she assured everyone was from her own carelessness, and Winslow was clutching his back. Ellalee asked innocently what unusual activity he’d been up to that he managed that injury. Winslow assured Ellalee that he had simply slept at an odd angle. But with these last two injuries, it was a fait accompli. The curse was back in the forefront of everyone’s mind.
Dinner was a somber affair, and Ellalee could not help but notice the tension at the table. No one spoke as usual, but the uneasy feeling seemed palpable. Mistress Murray looked down right surly. Elise was even more withdrawn and had bags under her eyes. Ellalee was determined to pull Elise aside the next time she could catch the girl alone to see if she was ill. Simmons and Winslow cast warry glances around the table, and several inscrutable glances were sent her way by one or the other. The only one completely oblivious to the tension was Christopher who dug in with zeal. The footmen also ate with enthusiasm and gave Daniella proud smiles which she shyly returned, but the small muscles around their eyes held stress.
Ellalee and Daniella washed the dishes together as the footmen helped clear the table. Ellalee noticed that the footmen hung around until the last dish was done. It was hard not to imagine that Charlie and Mark were standing guard, and that thought increased both Ellalee’s wariness and curiosity. What did they know that she didn’t? What threat loomed? Ellalee rolled her shoulders back and forth.
Questions for another day, she thought.
After Ellalee banked the fires and met Daniella in their bedroom, Daniella smiled and pointed to the dresser. Ellalee gasped. On the dresser was a green leather book. A book! Ellalee rushed over and opened it. Inside was a small scrap of paper with a sketched rosebud and marked in the bottom corner of the paper was the letter V. She held the small sketch to her heart, sensing that this was Lord Valen’s peace offering after the fire, and she was deeply appreciative. Daniella smiled at her smile.
“It seems you are having quite an impact on the manor, Ellalee, but then wherever you go, you seem to have that gift,” Daniella said stroking Ellalee’s arm and then turning to get ready for bed.
“I think the overall impact is simply an appreciation for your good cooking.”
“Hmmm,” Daniella replied.
Ellalee rolled her eyes. “I’m glad for the book all the same. I’ve dreamed of reading, and I will savor every word.”
“Oh dear, another night spent with the lamp lit just like when we were kids.” Daniella laughed and pulled her pillow over her eyes as she snuggled down under the covers.
Ellalee rolled her eyes, but the sides of her mouth curled up. Then she lost herself between the pages, and indeed, the lamp burned well into the night.
Morning came all too soon. Ellalee hurried to keep up with Daniella while muffling a jaw-cracking yawn. Daniella shook her head as Ellalee finally wound her way to the kitchen, still yawning.
“It serves you right for staying up most of the night reading!”
“I finished the book though,” Ellalee said. “It was a good book, all about….”
“Yes, yes, take these dishes to the table, and hurry back.”
On the way into the servants’ dining hall, she ran into Winslow, very nearly literally. “So sorry,” she said trying to skirt him, but he didn’t move.
She titled her head to the side. “Winslow, you look different somehow, but I’m so bleary-eyed this morning that I can’t tell what it is.”
He rumbled. There was no better word to describe the sound, and it took a moment to realize that this was his chuckle. “I combed my hair and tied it back, and might I say it would do you some good as well?”
She rolled her eyes because she didn’t have a free hand to feel just how poorly her hair might appear. “Sorry. I don’t have a comb or brush or mirror, and I was late this morning. I will fix it.” She could feel a blush in her cheeks.
“What do you mean? You should have all necessary personal items. I will see that these are delivered to you.” He looked up and around. Ellalee could only guess that he was looking for Mistress Murray. It would only assure Ellalee of staying on Mistress Murray’s bad side. Ellalee sighed.
“The reason, I stopped you, Miss Ellalee, is that his lordship wishes to see you after breakfast. Somehow you’ve found another way to find yourself in hot water. I do wish you could manage to stay out of his way.” Winslow crossed his arms and looked down his nose. “I don’t want to ask the impossible. But maybe try for a trouble-free morning, and we can work up to a stress-free day.”
Ellalee looked up, and saw that Winslow was trying not to smile as he stood aside.
“Honestly, Winslow, I do try. I think that it is more the earl’s ability to be irascible rather than my aptitude for being difficult.” Winslow merely shook his head with one side of his mouth quirking up. He was far from an attractive man, but it seemed there was more to it than just brushing his hair. He had always appeared to take care, but somehow recently he had lost that spectral look. She looked back over her shoulder as she went down the hall, maybe it was just better food? Daniella truly was having a remarkable impact on the staff.
Breakfast passed all too quickly, and Ellalee found herself being led by Winslow up the servants’ stair to Lord Valen’s study.
“If you don’t mind me saying so, the manor begins to look like the home it used to be. You have made me remember things I had forgotten.” With tha
t Winslow gave her a slight bow and ushered her into the lord’s study and shut the door behind her.
Lord Valen was studying the same schematic that he had been studying once before. She longed to take a closer look because as she stared at it upside down, it appeared to be a schematic of the manor. When he didn’t immediately look up, she cleared her throat.
The earl let out a long sigh, reached over to the side of his desk, and pulled out an envelope with her name on it. “When I brought the book to your room, I saw this letter on your nightstand. I do hope you don’t mind that I inspected it.” He held out the letter.
“Well, of course I mind your taking and reading my personal letters,” Ellalee said as she took the letter into her own hand, dreading its contents.
“It seems as though your mysterious suitor would like to meet with you again. Maybe he can help you as he promised? You’ve proven to be an exasperating servant. I’m not sure that I would mind,” His voice sounded nonchalant, but his eyes burned. “Then again, there was your promise. I wonder if you will keep it or if you will cleverly figure out a way to slither out of it again. Words are slippery things, are they not?”
Ellalee shook her head. Somehow this one man could bring out the worst in her with a consistency that was near awe-inspiring. But today, she was too tired for the verbal banter. She opened the envelope noting the broken seal with one raised eyebrow, and pulled out another hand drawn sketch of a red grouse and sighed.
“I gave you my promise, and I meant it.” She went to the fireplace and tossed the envelope and picture into the fire, watching them burn. When she turned around, she could see that the tension had disappeared, and the earl’s fiery look had been replaced by some softer emotion.
“Thank you for the book,” Ellalee said sincerely. “I can’t tell you what a lovely surprise that was. I was very touched that you were willing to loan me such a treasure. I enjoyed the story very much.”
The Grey Dawn Page 16