The Maid Under the Stairs - Chapter 10
< Chapter 10 >
To Mr. Edmundstone,
The beginning and end of this letter express gratitude, but the middle contains complaints. I advise you to be cautious before reading.
Firstly, thanks to the guarantee you personally delivered, I was able to withdraw next month’s living expenses from the sponsorship account. I extend infinite gratitude to the “Alfred & Edmundstone Scholarship Foundation” for providing not only scholarships but also living expenses and allowances.
Now, onto the complaint. I hope you won’t be angry with me for complaining to you regarding the topic of orphan sponsorship. It’s a necessary step in becoming friends with me.
Since your visit, I’ve had to endure a barrage of questions from my dormitory friends. It’s impolite to say such things as a lady attending college, but I feel compelled to ask.
Does Mr. Edmundstone not know his own image? It’s natural for everyone to be puzzled when someone as sophisticated and refined as you, who was known to be a country parson’s grandson, visits me.
I am nothing to Mr. Edmundstone, merely an acquaintance from London who knows his family. I sweated bullets just saying that. Since everyone from Lord Alfred’s circle is like family to me, I don’t consider it a complete lie.
The young ladies who caught a glimpse of you, Mr. Edmundstone, are undoubtedly smitten with you. So, the next time you appear at any women’s college, please be aware of your influence on the hearts of female students, if not for their well-being!
Furthermore, you casually mentioned that if I don’t fulfill my duty as a friend, you’ll use the guaranteed signature as an excuse to visit me every month.
Thanks to Mr. Edmundstone and Lord Alfred’s support, I was fortunate enough to enter college. I’ve already decided to fulfill any request from both of you. So, my grumbling about your kind request to become friends is merely my inexperienced protest against your generosity.
Thank you for always being kind to me. I’m truly grateful for showing me the beautiful lake just behind the Summerhill College’s walls. It has become a secret place where I often go to read.
By the way, have you ever heard of the Autumn Festival at Summerhill College for Women? As a token of my gratitude for your kindness, I’d like to invite you to the Autumn Festival at Summerhill. Every student can invite one guest.
Me and my friends are actively involved in the festival preparation committee, so it’s an opportunity for you to see the planning skills of the sponsored student and taste the ambitious desserts we’ve prepared.
The weather is getting colder quickly. I’d like to hold onto this beautiful autumn, but that would be too much to ask. Take care and stay healthy!
With always grateful regards,
Mabel Willis
Postscript: In the guest snack set, there’s a snack called ‘Venus’ Chocolate’ that I’ve never heard of before. Do you happen to have a container to secretly bring it from the guest snack room?
Thinking about Mr. Edmundstone, who would casually tuck chocolates into his high-end suit pockets, even I can’t help but laugh. (Sorry for teasing!)
However, if you do bring the snack, during the festival period, I’ll personally arrange a VIP tour for you.
* * *
It was the last weekend before the Autumn Festival at Summerhill College for Women, so students including Mary and Julia were busy from the morning.
Mabel, who was writing a letter to William in Cheshire Hall, soon joined them.
She was in charge of writing and copying pamphlets to distribute during the festival, while Irina was responsible for ordering refreshments for the professors and sponsors.
“The club parade should start from the alumni area, pass through Maple Leaf Street, and end at Cheshire Hall, right?”
Mary, with her hair tied up with a leather strap, stood at a large desk, unfolding the map of Summerhill and speaking. Her demeanor resembled that of a general planning for war.
“The volleyball team can follow from behind. They’re all a bit tall. Then, the drama club can stand in front, and the Summerhill and London School of Economics student councils can be in the middle…”
Mary and Julia circled various places on the map together.
Summerhill College, in collaboration with the neighboring men’s college, London School of Economics, co-hosted the festival. As the two colleges were only 30 minutes apart, there was frequent interaction between them.
At Summerhill College for Women, events such as club parades, refreshment gatherings, orchestra performances, and the sale of traditional Summerhill items such as maple syrup and snacks were planned. On the other hand, the London School of Economics was preparing for dance parties, poetry recitals, and more.
“I’m disappointed that freshmen can’t join clubs. I really want to join the Home Economics Club.”
Julia, blushing, said to the girl sitting next to Mary.
The girl whom Julia addressed was incredibly beautiful, unlike other female students wearing long skirts and blouses, she wore a simple blue dress with a waistband.
“Make sure to join next semester, Julia. Everyone in the Home Economics Club will adore you.”
The affectionate girl speaking was Rebecca, the president of the Home Economics Club. The club studied various methods of homemaking together, and it was a perfect fit for female students at college who wanted to become better homemakers.
Julia kept pleading with Mabel and Mary to join together, but Mabel had to awkwardly decline several times with an embarrassed smile. Joining required a clear background and status, and as a maid’s daughter, her attending the nobles’ bride lessons would be pointless.
“Have you all invited guests?”
Irina, who comes from a London bourgeoisie that doesn’t need bridal lessons to have grooms lined up, asked gravely.
“Of course, I’ve invited my fiancé, Robert. It would be rude for a lady to invite anyone other than her fiancé.”
Julia proudly replied, seemingly hoping Rebecca would hear her answer. However, it was Mabel, busy typing up programs to be included in the pamphlets, who was caught off guard by Julia’s words.
“I’ve invited my brother. It’s customary for unmarried ladies to invite male relatives if they don’t have fiancés or suitors. I don’t know why he suddenly decided to come to the college festival when he’s usually not interested.”
Mary said, sneaking a glance at Mabel, worried that Mabel might still harbor resentment towards Leon.
“Oh, Mabel, don’t pretend you don’t know. When it comes to inviting guests for a lady, it’s only appropriate to invite fiancés or family. It’s a rule that all ladies and gentlemen follow, and just because we’re in college doesn’t mean anything changes.”
Julia said, a bit more emphatically than usual. Perhaps she saw it as a good opportunity to emphasize her decorum to Rebecca, as her excitement caused her Canterbury regional accent to slip out.
“Well, you could also invite a dating partner, right? If you’re dating, it’s almost like being engaged anyway.”
Mary murmured, subtly glancing at Mabel. Despite already hearing about the handsome gentleman who visited Mabel, she often sent knowing looks Mabel’s way as if to say, ‘I know everything.’
“Well, not everyone who’s been in a romantic relationship ends up engaged.”
Rebecca added softly, breaking her silence. Her voice was low, but it had a commanding presence.
“And for unmarried ladies who have been in romantic relationships with other men and couldn’t get engaged, they’ll never have a fiancé.”
Rebecca’s expression, previously adorned with a friendly smile, turned sharp.
“I’ve heard that lower-class people also engage in physical relationships with their romantic partners. So, I hope the ladies here at our college don’t accept such vulgar customs from the start. Of course, I’m not saying that our quiet ladies here would do such things.”
Rebecca leaned slightly towards Mary, lowering her voice affectionately. Mabel couldn’t help but feel a chilling sensation as Rebecca seemed to glance her way after her last words.
Julia nodded vigorously in agreement with every word Rebecca uttered.
“Miss Mary, the Home Economics Club won’t be participating in the club parade. It doesn’t seem appropriate for the Home Economics Club to be walking among other school students and male guests. Instead, let’s assign them to finish making and packaging the syrup.”
Rebecca got up from her seat with a dignified air and left the student council room promptly. When Mary noticed that Rebecca’s dress hem, which was longer than others, was no longer visible, she spoke up.
“Miss Rebecca often seems to act as if she doesn’t like all the ladies who aren’t in the Home Economics Club.”
It was a delicate complaint, considering Julia’s admiration for Rebecca.
“Don’t mind her. It’s just something the ladies with nothing but their maidenhood from the countryside always say. Perhaps this time, I should also invite the gentleman who’s been courting me.”
Irina’s blunt words made Julia emit a snicker-like sound as she held her breath.
Just as Julia, with her face contorted, was about to preach to Irina, Mabel hurriedly interjected, thinking about inviting William Edmundstone to the festival.
“Wait, just a moment. What if, hypothetically, a lady mistakenly invites a man who is neither her fiancé, nor her lover, nor a family member?”
Mabel cautiously asked, concerned because there was no way to retract the letter sent to William, despite not being particularly bothered by Rebecca’s lecture on relationships.
Irina and Mary exchanged glances before looking at Mabel.
“Mistakenly?”
Mary repeated Mabel’s words mockingly.
“Who on earth did you invite, Mabel?”
Irina asked with a smirk.
“No, it’s not about me, it’s just a hypothetical scenario I was curious about…”
As Mabel thought of William, she felt her face flush unknowingly.
“Well, then it could be considered like asking someone out on a date, couldn’t it? Usually, it’s the man who does it though.”
Irina responded, seemingly losing interest.
‘A date!’
A shrill scream echoed in Mabel’s mind.