The Maid Under the Stairs - Chapter 65

< Chapter 65 >

Dear Mabel,

Already, we’ve reached the third advent candle. Despite the air getting colder, my body has improved remarkably, so don’t worry.

Strangely, after getting sick once, it feels like my body has gained new energy. My mind is clearer than ever, and my breathing isn’t as labored anymore.

The doctor I visited yesterday finally permitted me to eat any food without restriction and said I don’t need to take harsh medicine anymore.

Thanks to that, I’m finally excited to taste the barley syrup from Summerhill College that you sent last autumn. Of course, Louise wasn’t particularly impressed with its sweetness…

‘Doctors always change their minds, can you believe it, Lord Alfred? One day they say cold water baths are good for circulation, then another day they say to mix boiling water in for a bath… But good food recipes have been proven effective for generations. So, you must try my baked barley bread and my special soup, good for the lungs.’

Listening to Louise’s nagging, I finished two bowls of soup with various vegetables and beef, and then finally got permission to sprinkle barley syrup on the rice pudding dessert.

So, you understand well, Mabel. Even if you’re not worried, I’m receiving utmost care from Louise, the kitchen maids, and a couple of maids on the stairs.

These days, my day at Oxford Manor starts with rereading the essay you wrote, ‘My Home, Summerhill College’. It’s not an exaggeration to say that.

It seems you summarized my life at Summerhill in a single essay on a newspaper page. So every time I read it, I feel like I’ve become a college student again, following the path of intellect.

Moreover, when it reaches the final paragraph where you appeal to create a society where everyone strives for each other’s happiness, I understand again why so many people empathize with your writing.

After that, I plan to read the essay series ‘My Home’ written by various people from society, starting with your writing.

Following the essay ‘My Home, Grimsby Harbor,’ written by an immigrant ship worker, yesterday’s bulletin featured ‘My Home, Nottham Hospital,’ which recounted the story of Cecile Yang, who worked as a maid on the stairs of a noble mansion for a long time, received nursing education, and became a nurse.

As a reader who loves your novels immensely, it’s hard to say which is better between your impactful essays and novels. You should be proud, Mabel.

Oh, one more thing. I hope you don’t get too annoyed with the old man’s letters getting excessively long.

According to Vincent, the decision regarding Lady Margaret has been postponed until my recovery, as I heard. After much deliberation, I’ve agreed to have Lady Margaret leave the mansion.

Sending away people who have worked with us for a long time is never easy. Especially since Lady Margaret was also a lady’s maid to Elizabeth.

But Lady Margaret’s letters to you and her actions have gone too far. Plus, with the possibility of a hearing, while I was ill, there might have been no one to vouch for you. Thankfully, William attended the hearing without my request.

If it weren’t for him, Mabel, you might have been evicted from Summerhill without a word from me, and I find it hard to forgive Lady Margaret for that.

But William told me in his letter that dismissing Margaret outright would have an untidy side to it, like leaving you the seeds of discord, and you didn’t want that either.

So, I’ve decided to provide Margaret, who is staying with my siblings, with six months’ salary and a generous retirement package. So, she’s retiring honorably rather than being expelled from the mansion where she worked all her life.

It’s not something I realized until now, but it seems Lady Margaret had her struggles while caring for the young maids. Rather than worrying, she even seemed to appreciate this situation and be thankful to you. So, if you’re still concerned, I wanted to let you know there’s nothing more to worry about.

Seeing Margaret leave and witnessing how much you’ve grown over the past year and a half, I’ve come to a common realization. Change and growth are inevitable, regardless of age. So, I must become an old man who adapts to change now.

Louise said the same. She said that Alfred’s manor, where you are to become a famous writer, should not be dreary because of a stubborn old man. Her words helped me make my decision.

So, Mabel, since you’re soon graduating from Summerhill as a respectable lady, how about hosting a Christmas party at Alfred Manor, which is just like your hometown house?

Without much formality, I plan to send invitations to you and your close friends, as well as to the people from the household I used to know before I became reclusive.

With Alfred Manor, which has rarely seen visitors in over a decade, opening its doors again and with you, a former maid turned college student and famous essayist, quite a few people might show interest.

With sincere affection,

Alfred

* * *

Mabel, upon visiting Mary and Irina’s dorm room to distribute the Christmas party invitations enclosed in the letter, read Alfred’s letter once again.

As always, his warm and encouraging words didn’t mention William’s resignation from the nobility.

However, upon reading the letter about how he helped Lady Margaret’s situation, Mabel seemed relieved, as it confirmed that he wasn’t at least physically unwell.

“He seems kind. I’ve heard Lord Alfred’s estate is beautiful, and finally being able to see it.”

Responding graciously to Lord Alfred’s Christmas brunch invitation just received from Mabel, Irina said.

“Oh, does that mean we finally get to visit Alfred Manor where Mabel used to live?”

Following Mabel, Julia also looked pleased as she glanced at Irina and Mary. A week ago, Julia had tearfully apologized to Mabel outside her dorm room.

Although the awkwardness hadn’t completely dissipated, she seemed to be gradually getting used to the familiar atmosphere of the old days.

“Well, I suppose it’s more accurate to say it’s where I worked rather than lived, right?”

Mabel, now able to joke even about her former maid status, smiled.

“Oh, well, yeah, I guess so, but I mean it’s still the place where you stayed before coming to Summerhill…”

At the mention of “maid,” Julia made an exaggerated gesture. She remembered the notice she heard at Mabel’s expulsion rally: ‘Maids under stairs don’t belong at Summerhill.’

Even after the mud incident involving Rebecca, Julia couldn’t readily come to Mabel as Irina did. Irina was angry because Mabel didn’t consider her a true friend, but Julia couldn’t approach Mabel during her difficult times because she betrayed her and followed Rebecca’s instigation.

However, as someone who knew how much effort Julia had put in to please her fiancé Robert and her father, Mabel wasn’t deeply hurt by Julia’s actions.

Instead, Mabel was grateful for Julia’s courage to come and apologize after being moved by an editorial in the Montaire Newspaper.

“You’re inviting the students from the School of Political Science?”

Mary, reading the invitation, asked Mabel.

Alfred, recovering his health, decided to host a Christmas party at Alfred Manor for the first time in nearly ten years, and the first guests on his party guest list were none other than Mabel’s friends she had told him about.

“Yeah. I’m graduating soon, and he’s never seen anyone I’ve hung out with, so he even sent an invitation directly to Mr. Leon de Percy.”

Mabel said with a proud smile.

Upon learning about Mabel’s true identity and the commotion with the hearing, Lord Alfred, who found out late, felt sorry for not being able to help Mabel and, since it turned out this way, as a formal sponsor of Mabel, he wanted to meet all her friends.

“It’s not a party for me. It’s a party where many of Lord Alfred’s guests will also come. But he specially arranged separate accommodations for you and the political college friends.”

“Wow, Mabel receiving guest treatment at your formerly secretive place is truly overwhelming!”

Mary exclaimed, rubbing her hands together with excitement, and a smile spread across Mabel’s face as she watched her.

All of Mabel’s friends, whom she thought would leave because they knew she was a maid, were excited to gather in one place, and they were excited to visit the mansion where she worked as a maid.

Just like the lesson that one shouldn’t judge hastily and wrongly assume due to baseless pride, it was vividly unfolding right in front of her.

Mabel lifted the list of her guest invitations again.

“If you’re planning to bring another partner, just let me know in advance. Julia, I forgot about Robert while hastily adding you to the list. Let me add Robert’s name here.”

“Oh, no, Mabel!”

At that moment, Julia raised both hands.

“…I’ve decided to call off the engagement with Robert.”

With a firm but somewhat hesitant voice, Julia said, her shoulders slumped like those of a guilty puppy.

“Oh my, how did that happen?”

Mabel asked as she approached Julia and gently stroked her back.

“I was impressed after reading Mabel’s article in the newspaper. I realized how blindly I had just listened to family meetings and my father’s words… So, when I said I would apologize to Mabel, Robert went crazy and tried to stop me. He said I couldn’t be seen with Mabel, Mary, and Irina again as an engaged woman…”

Surprised by the unexpected story, Mabel made an apologetic expression, and Julia quickly added the next words.

“Don’t worry, it’s not because of Mabel. I was just as stubborn and obstinate as Robert’s stubbornness, which was harder than his jealousy.”

Mary and Irina, who had been making sympathetic expressions to Julia’s intense expressions, couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Everyone except Julia knew that Robert wasn’t exerting a good influence on her, and now that Julia had realized it, there was a sense of relief on one hand.

“Well, to cheer up Julia’s mood, how about visiting the Winterbrook Orphanage near Oxford before attending Lord Alfred’s party?”

Mary, who was approaching to comfort Julia, suggested with a bright voice.