The Maid Under the Stairs - Chapter 18
< Chapter 18 >
At the entrance of the de Percy Mansion, William Edmundstone stood apart from the surroundings.
Against the warm crimson wall decorations and beneath the chandelier, he was wearing a hat.
His immaculate black suit, adorned with a cravat tied in a Mailcoach knot as if just arrived from the Parliament, and a badge with the Westminster crown insignia attached to his neck caught Mabel’s eye.
“How did Mr. Edmundstone come here?”
Mabel, descending the stairs at the maid’s call, couldn’t conceal her surprise. Behind her, the astonished expressions of the de Percy family followed.
“I apologize for the late hour.”
Only then did William tip his hat and greet them. His dark hair was neatly combed, his chiseled face unchanged, yet his blue eyes seemed colder than usual.
“I’ve come to fetch Miss Mabel Willis.”
As he revealed his face, Mrs. de Percy was taken aback. The handsome Deputy Prime Minister candidate, not to mention in the garb of Parliament, standing in her foyer.
“I… I…”
Mabel couldn’t comprehend William’s words. How did he know she was at de Percy’s, and what reason could he have to come all the way here to fetch her?
‘Perhaps something has happened to Lord Alfred.’
That was the only explanation Mabel could think of for this situation.
“Mabel, he’s one of your acquaintances who came to the school dormitory, isn’t he? He’s that famous MP Edmundstone, isn’t he?”
Mary whispered as if to say, ‘How could anyone forget such a man?’
Even Mary, who had seen him, was mesmerized by the sensuality exuded by his broad shoulders and masculine neck under the light of the chandelier, not to mention his body wrapped in a sleek black suit.
“Mr. Edmundstone, I had no idea you were acquainted with Miss Mabel Willis. I’m de Percy, British office of the Boston Gazette in the United States. Here are my wife and daughter Mary, and son Leon.”
Breaking the awkward silence, Mr. de Percy stepped forward and greeted him. Leon also came forward and introduced himself.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Leon de Percy, the editor of Montaire Publishing.”
Instead of greeting back, William nodded politely. There was a coldness in his gaze as he looked at Leon.
“Mr. Edmundstone, did you really come to fetch me? If so, then perhaps something has happened to Lor… I mean, to my grandfather…”
Mabel asked, her heart pounding. There was no other plausible reason for him to inquire about her whereabouts to the extent of revealing his identity, as he should help her with her ordinary college life.
Sensing Mabel’s anxiety, William finally averted his gaze from Leon.
“I’ll explain as we go. First, it’s late, and I don’t want to impose on the de Percy family any further.”
“Well…”
Leon’s hostile voice interjected into their conversation.
“Miss Willis is still our guest, so she’s still a lady we ought to protect. Just a moment ago, she said she called for the carriage, yet we can’t leave Miss Willis with a stranger, not even a family.”
Leon’s words, considering the esteemed Edmundstone family, known throughout London’s upper echelons, as a dangerous entity, were incredibly aggressive.
“Leon, such disrespect towards Mr. Edmundstone…”
Mr. de Percy exclaimed, shocked by his son’s rudeness.
“No, Mr. de Percy. I’m glad your son knows how to treat a lady.”
William replied calmly. His tone was gentle, but his voice was infinitely cold and low.
“If you’re worried that someone unfamiliar is accompanying the lady, don’t be. Miss Mabel and I have known each other before Mr. de Percy even met her, and we’ve planned to spend this Christmas together.”
Addressing Leon as “Mr. de Percy” in front of his father wasn’t impolite, but Leon couldn’t shake off the feeling that William was subtly suppressing him.
Nevertheless, Mabel felt dizzy at William’s words about spending Christmas together.
‘It feels like Mr. Edmundstone and I have a deep relationship, almost like lovers.’
Mabel, unable to stand the situation any longer, quickly intervened.
“As Mr. Edmundstone said, I have a longstanding friendship with him, so please don’t worry. Since it seems to be related to my family, I should return with Mr. Edmundstone to Summerhill and discuss the matter.”
As Mabel looked at William, he stepped back slightly to allow her to pass through the entrance.
“Yes, Mabel. Thank you for visiting again. I hope we can see each other again before the new term.”
Breaking the icy atmosphere between Leon and William, Mrs. de Percy offered a warm farewell.
“It was an honor to meet you in person, Mr. Edmundstone.”
Mr. de Percy expressed the significance of meeting Edmundstone directly, both as a journalist and as a citizen welcoming his political reforms. Moreover, Edmundstone’s reputed tolerance towards Leon’s rudeness was noted.
After exchanging polite farewells once again with the de Percy family, Mabel and William soon left the de Percy Mansion.
Leon stood there, watching with a stern expression as William’s car departed from the mansion.
* * *
“So, what’s going on?”
As soon as Mabel got into the car, she asked William.
“Did you come directly from the Parliament? Or how on earth did you know where I was?”
Mabel bombarded William with questions without waiting for him to respond.
“What happened to Lord Alfred or the mansion?”
“Uncle Frederick’s health is fine. Everyone at the mansion is well too. I apologize if I startled you.”
William replied calmly, his words momentarily easing Mabel’s anxiety, yet leaving her even more puzzled about why William had come to find her.
“Just the other day, Vincent Crosby mentioned seeing Miss Mabel at the de Percy’s. That’s how I found out.”
As Mabel glanced at William’s profile while gripping the steering wheel, he continued.
“I thought you were visiting Miss Mary de Percy. But this afternoon, I saw you getting into a man’s car in London while I was on my way to Parliament. Now I realize it was Mr. de Percy’s.”
William gritted his jaw unintentionally. His usually serene and relaxed gaze turned dark.
“Yes, I went shopping in London with Mr. Leon de Percy and Mary. So?”
Mabel pressed with a mix of innocence and confusion in her expression.
While on his way to an urgent parliamentary meeting, a man held out his hand and Mabel smiled as she climbed into his car. He still remembered the racing heartbeat of that moment. The man beside her didn’t register in his mind at all.
William couldn’t concentrate on the meeting, consumed by thoughts of who that man was, why Mabel smiled at him instead of William, and why she casually got into his car. Even though his arguments had become a mess of thoughts, his stoic colleagues couldn’t discern it.
“Uncle Frederick said it’s fine for Miss Mabel to spend Christmas or the holidays at the mansion.”
Recalling his conversation with Lord Alfred, William managed to respond.
“You came all the way here just to convey that?”
Mabel raised her eyebrows incredulously.
“You could’ve sent a letter. There’s also the option of a telegram for urgent matters.”
Mabel’s observation with her round eyes was correct. However, overwhelmed by emotions so intense he wished to overturn his promise to wait for her, William couldn’t utter a word.
Instead, he tightened his grip on the steering wheel, thinking of Leon’s hostile gaze, and Mabel’s seemingly genuine affection for the de Percy family.
‘I don’t have time to give another man his fair share.’
His anxiety ebbed a little at the thought of calling her name in front of the de Percy family, like an animal marking its territory and making the childish comment that they planned to spend Christmas together.
“Since the Christmas vacation is only a few days away, let’s go to Alfred Manor in advance.”
Yet, William had decided to keep her in his sight for the time being.
“Now? You’re really acting out of character today!”
Mabel exclaimed as she watched William steer the car without waiting for her response.