The Maid Under the Stairs - Chapter 66

< Chapter 66 >

“Wow, I can’t believe this is the same place we visited last year, like a childcare center.”

Theo, while conversing with Mabel, placed both hands on his temples and said.

Indeed, the Winterbrook Orphanage, which looked so ramshackle and unkempt that it could have been easily mistaken for a workhouse, had changed unrecognizably since their last visit.

The building, which seemed like it would collapse at any moment, was undergoing renovations here and there, and the children roaming around the orphanage looked not only well-dressed but also much brighter and healthier than before.

At that moment, the director nun of the orphanage, who had been watching the two carriages stop in front of the orphanage, hurriedly came out.

“You’re finally here!”

Despite appearing quite old, her demeanor welcoming Mabel’s entourage was full of vitality.

“We received a letter saying that Ms. Willis and her companions would be visiting, and all of us working here were looking forward to showing you the changes in Winterbrook that have come about thanks to you.”

The director seemed a bit sharp and tired, but the joy in her eyes was genuine.

“Thanks to us?”

Mabel and her friends asked in surprise.

“Yes, indeed. After you left, a sponsor started making regular donations to our orphanage. All the exterior renovations and the library were also thanks to that person. We’ve sent several invitations to give them a token of appreciation from our city and to find out who they are, but all we’ve got in return are responses saying they were deeply impressed by Ms. Willis and her friends’ volunteer work.”

The director held Mabel’s hand tightly as she spoke.

“I wanted to ask you more about this, but it seems the anonymous donor doesn’t want to be known, so I simply hoped you would visit again. Now I can express our gratitude to you on behalf of the orphanage’s children and teachers, and I can’t express how happy I am.”

“Wow, such a huge change brought about by just one sponsor. Who could that generous sponsor be? There must be hardly anyone who knows that we volunteered here.”

Mary exclaimed, her eyes widening.

“Given that Mabel is leading the way, could it be Mabel’s secret suitor?”

Theo said, alternating between glancing at the director and the flustered Mabel. Meanwhile, before Mary and Theo’s conversation could progress, the director intervened.

“It’s chilly out here; let’s go inside. This year, we have plenty of firewood to light up every classroom and bedroom, so it’s much warmer. Oh, and I must show you the newly built classrooms and library! The children who remember you have picked out various books and are eagerly waiting.”

She seemed impatient to show the changes that had taken place over the past year to the visitors.

The director began her busy tour, starting from the orphanage’s exterior, where no more chilly air seeped in, to the newly decorated dining hall, the storeroom filled with fresh vegetables and meat, and the children’s bedrooms adorned with clean beds and lamps.

Finally, as they entered the library adorned with books donated by Mabel herself, the children, including Anton, greeted the group with much healthier-looking faces than before.

“Welcome, Ms. Willis, Mr. Woolf!”

“Here, Miss Irina! Miss Mary!”

The children from the class where Mabel and Andrew had read books to them now stood a hand taller, welcoming them. Other friends surrounded them, bursting into happy laughter as they recognized the visitors.

“Ms. Willis, now I can read ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ all by myself! And not just that. I’ve already read twenty books in this library.”

Anton, who had occasionally exchanged letters with Mabel, proudly showed her the book she had first gifted him. Mabel’s gaze stopped at the illustrations painted on the walls and shelves of the library, colored in shades of blue.

The director, noticing Mabel’s gaze, nudged her.

“Isn’t it beautiful? When we mentioned wanting to create a library with the donation, our ‘anonymous sponsor’ not only provided funds but also sent workers to participate in construction and painters to decorate the indoor walls. It seems their intention was clear; those painters adorned the walls with the blue color and seabird decorations.”

“Oh, seabirds…”

The bird, with its large wings, outstretched and swooping toward the sea, looked as graceful and sleek as the silver bird pendant hidden under Mabel’s scarf.

With this, Mabel was certain of who the ‘anonymous sponsor’ was.

* * *

“You really don’t know who the anonymous benefactor is, Mabel? Miss Willis and her friends, it must be someone you know.”

Mary sipped her hot cocoa and casually asked Mabel.

After finishing their reading session in the library, they were once again sharing cocoa and snacks brought by George O’Connor.

On one side, Andrew was preaching to children with bored expressions while George O’Connor quietly handed out snacks. Behind them, Theo and Julia were happily playing with younger children, seemingly unconcerned about their manners, laughing gleefully.

Before Mabel could answer, Irina raised her dark eyebrows and spoke.

“Well, I figured it out quickly. Didn’t you, Mabel?”

Mabel hesitated.

“Huh? Oh, that’s… um…”

Sitting across from her, Irina could read the answer from Mabel’s hesitant expression. Only then did Mabel begin to confess in a trembling voice.

“Last winter, I knew Anton wanted to read more books, so I thought about using part of the sponsorship money I received from Lord Alfred to buy books for the orphanage’s children. And I wrote a letter to Mr. Edmundstone, who was Lord Alfred’s representative…”

Mabel had already confided a lot to Mary and Irina. So, there was no point in hiding anything more from them now.

“So, Mr. Edmundstone began sponsoring Winterbrook since then.”

As Irina finished speaking on behalf of Mabel, Mary, who belatedly understood their conversation, exclaimed in astonishment.

“What? Was the anonymous sponsor Mr. Edmundstone? The director said they’ve been sending substantial donations every month throughout the year… Well, if it’s someone like him, it’s possible.”

Putting down her cocoa cup, Irina asked sharply.

“Hmm, Mabel. Tell us now. Do you think Mr. Edmundstone’s feelings toward you were light?”

Mary widened her eyes at Irina’s unexpected question.

“What do you mean, Irina? Mabel rejected him because of the class difference, right?”

“Well, class difference might be one reason, but… if that’s all, why isn’t Mabel in contact with him now, especially since Mr. Edmundstone has relinquished his noble status? Isn’t that strange?”

“Mabel would never turn down a marriage proposal from the man of every young lady’s dreams in London.”

Mary grumbled, frustrated every time she heard about Mabel and William’s love story. He was a perfect match in terms of character, personality, and abilities. There was no reason to refuse such a perfect suitor. Mary, being simple-minded, couldn’t understand why Mabel’s rejection was incomprehensible from the beginning.

“That’s true. Anyway, I think there might be other reasons why Mabel rejected him. For example, if he’s not as truthful as he seems…”

“He’s not the kind of person to abandon his principles.”

Mabel hurriedly defended William.

“He’s never done anything wrong. It’s just that I…”

Mabel trailed off. Despite revealing many things to her friends, she had never mentioned whether she truly loved William, or if she still did.

“No matter how wealthy he is, it’s not common for someone to sponsor an orphanage for no apparent reason for a whole year and even pay attention to decorating the library. Mr. Edmundstone was involved in political activities as well as managing the family estate. Have you forgotten the rumor that he’s the busiest man in London?”

Sitting next to her, Mary echoed each of Irina’s words.

“Indeed, one wouldn’t undertake such actions on a mere whim of liking someone. Not even a proposal…”

“What I mean is, I wouldn’t casually dismiss such feelings if I were you.”

Irina, with a glint in her eye, as if nothing had happened, finished her statement by casually sipping her cocoa again, looking at Mabel.

Mabel thought her friends’ words were entirely justified.

Through recent experiences, she had come to realize the contradictions in her behavior, even refusing to entertain the idea of having something to lose. Thus, she suspected that her reasons for rejecting William were not solely due to their class differences.

‘Daisy and James Herbert’s settlement, Winterbrook’s sponsorship, and the Seabird Reading Room…’

Even after she harshly rejected his proposal, he continued to care for Daisy and the orphanage. Not only that, but he even instructed thoughtful handling of Lady Margaret on her behalf.

Wherever she turned her gaze, wherever she showed interest, his touch was always there.

‘Mr. Edmundstone is that kind of person. Consistent.’

It was an undeniable fact. In a world as unpredictable as the tumultuous sea, where nothing and no one seemed trustworthy, William’s presence was like a sturdy reef providing shelter, unyielding even against rough waves, for her, drifting aimlessly with little strength.

Mabel recalled William’s clear, blue eyes, closing her own.

His calm and serene gaze in every situation, his smooth lips brushing through her hair, his deep eyes that empathized with her pain even in the moment she rejected him, all came to mind.

Through the cracks in Mabel’s momentarily impenetrable heart, warm and gentle ripples spread.