The Maid Under the Stairs - Chapter 36

< Chapter 36 >

The closest building to the cottage was a two-story house with a small bakery attached.

Every time Mabel went for a walk, she would see the young couple who owned the bakery and their two children. One day, Mabel readily agreed to their request to watch the children for a few hours.

“We’ll leave in the morning and be back by evening. Unfortunately, my sister, who usually watches the kids, is sick…”

With little time left before the boat departure, they suddenly found themselves with nowhere to leave the children. They thought it was fortunate to meet Mabel, who was on her way to the post office to mail a manuscript.

“Don’t worry, go ahead. I’ll spend time with the kids, take a walk, and read books with them.”

Mabel smiled warmly at the two children standing behind the couple. Especially on a rough day like today, leaving only two young girls alone would be worrisome.

Luckily, Louis and Sue, the two children, were very well-behaved and followed Mabel as if they had known her for a long time.

Mabel spent the morning reading books and playing with dolls with the children. Then they decided to take a walk along the beach in front of the cottage.

As they walked along the small beach near the cottage, Louis, who had particularly round eyes, spoke to Mabel. Louis was the eldest child and had turned ten this year.

“Was Ms. Willis writing something by the window there yesterday?”

Mabel looked at Louis, who called her “Ms. Willis,” with a small smile.

“Yes, how did you know?”

“When picking flowers for making a wreath, we often walk around the cottage garden. We used to see Ms. Willis and her wonderful husband there quite often. They would read together in the garden and have enjoyable conversations.”

“My sister and I thought you two looked so good together in the flower-filled garden!”

This time, Sue, the second child, added shyly. Seeing the envy and anticipation in their expressions, Mabel hesitated, unable to find a way to correct their misunderstanding.

“Oh, my hat!”

At that moment, Sue’s hat was blown away by the wind. The thin linen hat made by her mother fluttered and fell under an old wooden bridge marking the boundary of the beach.

“Stay here carefully, I’ll get the hat for you.”

After instructing the children, Mabel crossed the beach and walked onto the wooden bridge over the shallow sea. The old bridge seemed to serve no purpose other than marking the boundary of the private beach. The planks were broken here and there, and I could see the waves lapping through the gaps.

‘There it is!’

Mabel spotted Sue’s hat through the broken planks. Fortunately or unfortunately, thanks to the high waves, she seemed to be able to reach the hat with just a little stretch.

As Mabel reached out her hand through the gap in the paper between the bridge’s pillars… 

Thud.

The salt-stung pillar creaked as it succumbed to the fierce winds and collapsed with an ominous sound.

“Ms. Willis!”

Following the children’s screams, a crashing sound echoed sharply through the cutting sea breeze. All that remained where Mabel had been standing were the broken pillar and Sue’s hat fluttering in the rough wind.

Mabel desperately swam with all her might, but she couldn’t overcome the swiftly flowing water between the intricate gaps of the wooden bridge. Moreover, her waterlogged dress weighed her down heavily.

The children’s screams and the roar of the waves sounded muffled in her ears. Mabel sank lower and lower.

‘No…!’

As the high waves relentlessly engulfed her, reaching up to her head, Mabel tried one last time to move her body with all her strength, but it was futile.

As her vision faded away, Mabel saw her necklace with a seagull pendant glinting around her neck.

* * *

“Hah!”

Mabel woke up. She had dreamt of a large figure with taut muscles cutting through the waves towards her, but the dream abruptly ended as the figure lost consciousness and blew harsh breath into her parted lips.

“Was it a dream…?”

Looking around, she recognized the familiar surroundings. It was the small bedroom in the cottage. It seemed to still be nighttime as it was pitch dark. Mabel slowly raised her hand to touch her lips. The warm breath that had touched her lips moments ago felt vivid as if it had just happened.

Mabel got up, still unsure if it was a dream or a vision. Carefully, she stepped out of bed and into the room.

“Oh.”

In front of the door, there was a beautiful wreath. It was a white flower wreath Louis and Sue had intended to make from the flowers in the cottage garden.

‘It wasn’t a dream. I did fall into the water. But how did I manage to fight against the waves and come out again? Could it be…?’

As Mabel groped through her foggy memory, she descended to the lower floor. William, who had been working in the cottage until Mabel and the children went for a walk, was nowhere to be seen.

As the final week at the cottage approached, he seemed to be slowly preparing to return to London. Mabel had to suppress her regret as she looked at the desk by the window on the ground floor where he used to sit.

Mabel proceeded to the balcony on the lower floor. Despite being in thin nightclothes, the early August summer night felt pleasantly cool.

‘It’s around this time.’

Sitting on the balcony railing, Mabel gazed at the darkening night sky. The railing was high, and her legs dangled in the air.

‘The day I first met Mr. Edmundstone was also a day like today. The summer breeze with a faint scent, the transparent black sky that stained the glass windows black, and…’

Mabel closed her eyes and immersed herself in reminiscence.

Moonlight illuminated the man who looked down at her, and his lips descended towards her. For a moment, Mabel entertained the amusing thought of confessing to William that she was the woman at Lord Herbert’s party. After all, William wouldn’t even remember her, so it wouldn’t make much of a difference.

“I hope you don’t make a hobby of falling.”

A cold voice pierced through the darkness from Mabel’s feet. Its owner, William, was slowly ascending the stairs from the beach towards the mansion. His gaze at Mabel, sitting on the railing, was enigmatic.

“Mr. Edmundstone… You’re the one who saved me, Mr. Edmundstone?”

“Louis quickly ran up to the cottage and called for me. It was fortunate we were so close to the sea, it could’ve been a real disaster.”

William looked up at Mabel sitting on the railing and said. From him, who had approached closely, a refreshing scent akin to the sea breeze could be sensed.

“About the children…”

“I took them back to their parents. Mabel, They’re quite worried, but they’re all doing well.”

“Oh, that’s a relief.”

Mabel sighed in relief.

“You must think I’m quite a handy girl, don’t you? This is the second time I’ve been helped into bed by Mr. Edmundstone. By now, you must be almost speechless with resentment towards Lord Alfred for sending you over here.”

William silently looked at her with a hint of irony. His gaze seemed particularly piercing today.

“I’m sorry. No, more than anything, I’m really grateful.”

Mabel avoided his gaze and sincerely spoke.

William saved her once again. The fact that he had kissed her and breathed life into her as she was losing consciousness created a quiet ripple in Mabel’s heart. She had to suppress the impulse to bring her hand to her lips.

“Come here.”

Instead of answering, he reached out both hands toward her sitting on the high railing. As if to embrace her.

“Really? But I might be heavy.”

Mabel responded with a surprised expression to the sudden invitation. 

Under normal circumstances, she might have jumped back at such a suggestion, but today was different. Perhaps it was because of the weather resembling the day she first met him, or maybe the shock of still not being over the incident of falling into the water, Mabel felt like the mysterious woman who almost danced and kissed him again.

“Who do you think brought the unconscious Mabel here?”

“Oh, I see.”

Mabel chuckled softly. Seeing his sturdy arms extended towards her, courage and audacity surged within Mabel. There were barely three days left for him to stay here. Before that, she thought it wouldn’t be so bad to embrace him like this.

The crashing waves echoed in Mabel’s ears, feeling like the gentle ticking of a summer clock, counting down to the moment they could be together.

“Well then, I guess you better catch me.”

Mabel took a deep breath and without a hint of fear, she collapsed into his arms. William, like a solid rock, effortlessly caught her as she fell. She finally found herself nestled in his arms.

But contrary to Mabel’s expectation that he would soon set her down, William didn’t release her. Instead, he adjusted her so she could look directly at his face. Due to the dim moonlight, shadows danced across his eyes.

“I promise I won’t let anything risky like that happen again. My heart might not survive another time.”

His voice remained low and calm, but Mabel could sense a subtle tremor in his tone.

Thump, thump, thump.

Mabel’s heart raced wildly. Simultaneously, she shifted her trembling gaze to his lips. No longer feeling like a dream, the figure who had kissed her and breathed life into her in her dream now felt vividly real.

Slowly, she raised her hand and brushed William’s cheek. The sensation of his rough yet firm skin was unfamiliar, almost like experiencing touch for the first time.

As her hesitant gaze moved past his lips and cheek, meeting his eyes, his deep, dark gaze enveloped her as if it had been waiting for her. Unable to resist its intensity, Mabel trembled and shivered uncontrollably.

At that moment, William pulled her closer and kissed her deeply.