The Maid Under the Stairs - Chapter 19

< Chapter 19 >

Mabel and William’s unexpected visit to the manor later in the evening caused a flurry of activity among the Oxford hired hands who were about to follow Lord Alfred south.

Among them, the person most thrilled by this news was undoubtedly Daisy, who regarded Mabel as a close sister.

“Oh my, Mabel! I thought you wouldn’t come for a few more days. I received a letter from Mabel sent from London this morning.” 

Daisy exclaimed as she skipped down a few steps and embraced Mabel tightly.

“Daisy, it’s so good to see you!”

Mabel also put down her handbag and hugged Daisy tightly.

“Master Edmundstone, Miss Willis, shall I prepare dinner for you? Or would you prefer to retire for the night?” 

Louise, with her sturdy build, came up from the kitchen and asked warmly. Fortunately, Lady Margaret didn’t seem to be at the rectory.

“Miss Willis, you say. Please call me Mabel as before, Aunt Louise.”

Mabel, taken aback, requested as she released Daisy from their long embrace.

“Then could you provide two guest rooms for us?” 

William politely interjected, resuming his old manners.

“No, I’ll stay in my old room with Daisy. What’s this about a guest room?” 

Mabel, surprised again by William’s words, exclaimed. She had thought that once she was back in Oxford, everything would be the same, but she was not used to Aunt Louise being so formal with her, or William asking for a guest room for her.

“Oh, Mabel, come this way. I’ll show you the room where you’ll be staying. There are things I need to discuss.” 

Daisy said, leading Mabel, who seemed uncomfortable, to the upstairs guest room in the mansion. Meanwhile, mansion employees were seen moving William and Mabel’s luggage.

“The people at the mansion now think of Mabel as Lord Alfred’s daughter. So it’s natural for her to stay in the guest room.”

Daisy muttered as she led Mabel upstairs.

“What do you mean? I received a scholarship to attend college, but I’m still just a maid under the stairs.” 

Mabel said, puzzled, looking at Daisy.

“Lord Alfred was childless with his wife. He always wanted a daughter, and Mabel being the first sponsored female student after his wife’s passing…”

“Even so, how can Lord Alfred suddenly adopt an orphan like me as his daughter? Where did such absurd rumors come from?”

“Every time Lord Alfred receives Mabel’s letters, he’s very pleased and boasts about Mabel to the employees as if she were his own child. If he was concerned about your status, would he have sent a maid from under the stairs to college?”

Mabel felt uneasy. She had always wanted to show her gratitude to Lord Alfred as much as possible, but she was worried that some people’s interpretations might inadvertently reach his ears.

“Tell me more. After Lord Alfred moved to the southern mansion, the closest relatives, Master Edmundstone and Mr. Crosby, took care of the mansion.”

Daisy continued, bubbling with excitement.

“Master Edmundstone promoted the maids who were close to Miss Mabel, from maids under the stairs to upstairs maids! He also assigned all the employees, not just the maid under the stairs, to share the unpleasant tasks of cleaning the kitchen or the basement.”

As Daisy’s night-brown eyes sparkled with excitement while she tended to the fireplace in Mabel’s guest room, adding logs.

“It’s not about preparing for when Miss Mabel returns to the mansion in triumph. It’s about treating the maids well so that they can hold their heads high when Miss Mabel officially becomes a daughter of the house!”

As Daisy’s story grew longer, Mabel’s heart became heavy with confusion. The current situation had nothing to do with how hard she worked at school or in her writing. It was simply because of the favor she received from Lord Alfred or William that she was being treated differently.

‘I’m not grateful to Lord Alfred for allowing me to rise in status.’

Mabel’s complex emotions were beyond Daisy’s understanding as she continued to recount various rumors circulating in Oxford that Mabel might have missed.

However, Mabel found the long-awaited night at Lord Alfred’s heavy with a particular weight.

* * *

The next day, after Mabel and William arrived at Lord Alfred’s mansion, Oxford was greeted with the first snowfall of the year.

The sunroom on the second floor of the mansion, with its large glass ceiling and walls, provided a perfect view of the beautiful landscape covered in sparkling snow.

“Mr. Edmundstone, can we talk for a moment?”

Mabel approached William, who was lying diagonally on the long wicker sofa, reading a book.

“Oh, Miss Mabel.”

He glanced away from his book and offered her a courteous and kind smile. Unlike yesterday’s formal attire, today he wore a loose Victorian shirt that revealed some of his broad shoulders and wide chest.

“It’s snowing heavily. Feeling cooped up inside the house?”

William asked, gently shaking his dark hair. Unlike yesterday, when he seemed dark and confused, his blue eyes were clear and warm again.

“No, not at all. I have something to discuss about yesterday’s events.”

Mabel met his gaze calmly before cautiously speaking up.

“As you know, I’ve never forgotten my status just because I went to college with the help of Lord Alfred and Mr. Edmundstone. Just having the opportunity to learn at college feels like I’ve gained all the luck in my life.”

As William listened to Mabel’s words, he adjusted his posture, causing his chest muscles to be slightly more visible. Unconsciously, Mabel remembered the incident in the closet on the day of the autumn festival, and her cheek tingled a bit.

“So, I… I mean, please don’t treat me differently from the other maids, like yesterday when you asked Aunt Louise for my share of the guest room.”

Mabel exhaled again, finding it not easy to criticize William’s actions, even though he was treating her kindly. Why did she make such a request to him?

William silently gazed at her. Taking his silence as a positive sign, Mabel continued.

“Please don’t keep treating me so well. Like suddenly coming to pick me up at de Percy’s, or driving me to the mansion yourself.”

Mabel thought of Daisy, who attributed significance to William bringing her here, taking her to the Summerhill induction ceremony, and attending the autumn festival.

‘Perhaps Mr. Edmundstone meant to be a guardian in case we become relatives! Even a mere maid like me knows how busy Mr. Edmundstone is, yet he took time out of his day just for a sponsored student!’

Daisy seemed to have told everyone in the mansion about William’s kindness mentioned in Mabel’s letter.

“Of course, Mr. Edmundstone is a friend and acting on behalf of Lord Alfred, but if you treat me so specially, it will lead to misunderstandings. It’s partly my fault, and there are already similar rumors going around.”

Mabel barely finished speaking.

“That sounds difficult.”

William paused for a moment before responding slowly.

“Since Miss Mabel received sponsorship from Lord Alfred and became a student at Summerhill, she’s no longer a mere employee of this mansion. So, it’s only natural for her to be treated as a guest when she visits here, and it’s appropriate for her to use the guest room.”

“But now Aunt Louise and the maids call me Miss Willis. I’m just…”

As Mabel added, William calmly laid out his reasoning.

“The titles are not my concern, but maintaining proper etiquette towards the guests of this mansion is a virtue that employees must uphold for the honor of the mansion’s owner, Uncle Frederick.”

“Mr. Edmundstone may not understand, but I used to work here. I’m just like Aunt Louise’s subordinate. How can I just stand by in this situation?”

Mabel’s feelings grew gradually at William’s unexpected attitude.

“So you’re saying that after you graduate from college, you’ll come back to this mansion to work as a maid? Is that the best future you can imagine, Miss Mabel?”

William’s eyes pierced through Mabel coldly, catching her off guard.