The Maid Under the Stairs - Chapter 16
< Chapter 16 >
“That’s not a good idea to spread such rumors carelessly, Julia!”
Mary turned her braided hair swiftly and confronted Julia with determination.
“You don’t even know who Theo is, and it’s none of your concern!”
“But Mary, it’s been barely two weeks since you met Mr. Amide! And of course, I should be concerned. If you associate with such a person, it tarnishes the reputation of every girl, including me!”
Julia stood up, facing Mary, visibly agitated. Irina, taken aback by the sudden heated atmosphere, forgot about the pastry she held in her hand and stared at them fixedly.
“Hmm…”
Mabel sighed. In truth, this was a familiar sight to her.
Lord Herbert often hosted seasonal parties nearby, and Lord Alfred would bring maids and stable boys from their estate to help with the preparations.
During those times, Mabel had witnessed many disputes between the maids and stable boys from both households. It was naturally Mabel’s responsibility to intervene.
‘The way Julia and Mary glare at each other is reminiscent of stable boys gearing up for a big fight. If one of them were to throw a hat on the ground, a scuffle would break out immediately.’
Watching Mary gripping the pastry in her hand as if she were about to throw it, Mabel, acting as a skilled maid, began to discreetly manage the situation.
“Come on, Julia. You know very well that it’s not proper for a lady to gossip about a gentleman she doesn’t even know personally.”
Julia looked at Mabel with a sense of injustice.
“I understand your concern for Summerhill’s reputation, but whether Theodore Amide’s identity is revealed or not, the fact remains that you, as a lady, shouldn’t be spreading rumors. You should remember that even during the gatherings.”
Recalling the virtues of gatherings, which emphasized “words are weighty, demeanor is beautiful,” Mabel gently reminded Julia.
As soon as Mabel mentioned gatherings, Julia softened her stance.
Seeing this, Mary, too, was angry with Julia and slowly leaned back against the sofa, her expression clearly saying, ‘See that?’
“And Mary, you too.”
Mary, who had been enthusiastic in her response, was taken aback.
“Before reacting, try to think first. I appreciate your enthusiasm, but sometimes you react too hastily, as you well know.”
Mary, remembering her first meeting with Mabel when she talked incessantly, nodded reluctantly.
“Well then, ladies, since the festival ended a week ago, how about we all focus on the upcoming exams?”
Mabel patted Julia and Mary’s backs and then brought a geometry book closer to them. She didn’t forget to slip a sweet pastry between them to soften their moods.
‘I guess Mr. Edmundstone was right. I can bring balance among my friends.’
Watching Julia and Mary sit silently, occasionally glancing at each other, Mabel could recall her strengths, which she wouldn’t have thought about otherwise, thanks to William.
After a while, the four ladies started focusing on geometry again. In Room 11, only the sound of crackling firewood and Irina munching on the last pastry could be heard.
* * *
“I felt the writing style in this section was weak. Writing like this is no longer appropriate in this era.”
Leon said as he crossed his long legs in a café in downtown London. One hand was tucked into his gray suit pocket, while the other held Mabel’s manuscript.
He was wearing golden-rimmed glasses for the first time, which suited his dazzling face exceptionally well.
“The overall flow of the story remains, but the expression needs some tweaking.”
Sitting next to Leon, Mabel quickly wrote down each of his words in her notebook.
Thanks to their diligent studying together, everyone in the dormitory passed the geometry exam. However, Mabel, who took a couple of extra classes compared to her friends, had to endure a longer exam period.
She had considered taking a break after finishing the last exam this morning, but she had come to London on the tram for Leon’s brief critique of her manuscript.
‘I’ll have a lot to fix this time too.’
Mabel shook her disheveled hair, lost in thought. She didn’t even notice the Christmas atmosphere on the streets of London or the beauty of the upscale café they were sitting in.
Leon, on the other hand, was impressed by her sending the manuscript as promised after a month but couldn’t help but worry when he saw her looking paler than usual.
‘And she disappeared without a word on the day of the festival, not even making eye contact with me.’
He thought they had become somewhat closer during their conversation at the festival. However, seeing Mabel focusing solely on the manuscript during their first meeting since then, Leon couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed.
“Is there nothing else on your mind besides the manuscript?”
Mabel barely lifted her gaze at his words. Leon quickly added, seeing the innocence in Mabel’s eyes as if asking what he meant.
“Well, I meant writing while staying up all night and skipping meals. Doing that tends to lower the quality of the writing, so as a novice writer, you should be careful.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Did it show? It was during the exam period, but I still wanted to fulfill the set amount… Is the writing lacking?”
Now, having just completed the exams of her first semester, Mabel realized how naive her ambition to become a writer within two years had been.
Due to her impatience, as Leon had predicted, she had even sacrificed sleep to write.
‘Getting good grades to please Lord Alfred is important, but more than anything, to do my part without a sponsor or guarantor after graduation, I need to find a way to become a writer during my college life.’
Mabel, with newfound determination, lit up her eyes once again and reviewed the manuscript she had written, looking for areas to improve. At this sight, a sardonic laugh escaped Leon’s lips.
“Hah, someone might mistake me for a ruthless editor.”
Leon, seemingly frustrated, gestured to the waiter at the café.
“Bring this lady some wine and food, sorted by type, that’s rich and hearty.”
Feeling bewildered at the unexpected feast in the upscale London café instead of the manuscript review she had anticipated, Mabel couldn’t understand Leon’s attitude.
He had initially made childish threats that if she didn’t finish her meal, he wouldn’t read her manuscript, but then he watched her throughout the meal while sipping wine.
“Since it’s a writer’s welfare concept, let’s finish the meal without any further ado.”
If she dared to protest his gaze, he would bluntly tell her to focus on her meal and then pretend to review her writing by shifting his attention to the manuscript in his hand.
While taken aback by Leon’s brusque behavior, on the other hand, Mabel was pleased to have a leisurely and hearty meal after so long. Only earlier today, she had come to London with the sole intention of quickly finishing the manuscript work.
After finishing the long meal and finally discussing the manuscript-related revisions with Leon, the early December streets had already darkened.
Fortunately, Leon kindly offered to drive Mabel back to Summerhill in his white sedan.
“Thank you for taking care of my meal, even though you must be busy. I really appreciate it today.”
Mabel said as she stepped out of the car. In the distance, she could see the warm glow of the Summerhill dormitory where her cozy bed awaited her.
“Just a small token of appreciation for handling the manuscript so well.”
Leon said. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he opened the back door of the car and pulled out a black coat.
“Receiving another man’s coat while being escorted by a gentleman could be a bit hurtful.”
Leon handed the coat to Mabel.
‘This is… the coat Mr. Edmundstone had, isn’t it? The one Mary took.’
As soon as she recognized it as William’s coat, the embarrassing memory of the night they spent together flooded back into Mabel’s mind. The flush that spread across her cheeks in that instant was only natural.
Leon meticulously and quietly observed the moment, noting Mabel’s change.
“Looks like Mary was mistaken. This is the coat of the family who visited me on the day of the festival…”
Mabel vaguely mumbled, hoping Mary hadn’t told him where she’d found the coat.
“It seems the family is quite wealthy. It’s such a luxurious coat that I wouldn’t want to return it.”
Leon seemed skeptical of her lie but eventually relented.
“Uh, well… Thank you for finding the coat.”
Mabel found herself instinctively clutching the coat tightly as she spoke. Leon turned back to his car without another word.
It was then, as she was about to bid him farewell, that Leon’s gaze turned back to her once more. Halfway into the car, he lowered his voice.
“Oh, one more thing. My mother wants to invite you to the Advent brunch next week. Every time Mary came home, she talked about you constantly.”
He sighed softly.
“Let me know through Mary once you’ve made a decision. I’m quite busy, so try not to contact me unless necessary.”
With that cold remark, Leon’s white car departed from Summerhill.