The Maid Under the Stairs - Chapter 73

< Chapter 73 >

Andrew, who had been staring blankly at Mabel banging on the door, pushed her aside and spoke.

“No, Ms. Willis. Think again. It can’t be like this.”

Andrew’s voice sounded almost pitying as if she didn’t understand the situation properly.

“You’re trying to marry me even at the expense of my honor. Perhaps Ms. Willis is too overwhelmed to make a proper judgment. So please calm down.”

“It’s you who can’t make a proper judgment, Mr. Woolf!”

Mabel almost screamed now. It seemed like no words could reach Andrew, who firmly believed he was showing her mercy.

“You keep saying that I would want to marry you just because I’m of lower status. Let go of me!”

Despite pushing Andrew with all her might, grabbing his shoulders, it was futile. She had underestimated him as being frail, but he didn’t give way as easily as she thought.

Andrew didn’t get angry at Mabel for pushing him away. Instead, he gave her a bitter look that said he didn’t like being this close to her, but that was all. Andrew whispered in Mabel’s ear.

“Believe me, you’ll be thankful for this later. Ms. Willis is intelligent, but coming from a humble background, you have an uncontrollable fiery, and confused temperament. Just look at how you’re rejecting my advances, which any proper lady would accept… So, it’s better this way.”

As Andrew’s trembling breath touched Mabel’s cheek, a chill ran through her body.

“It might be frightening to officially enter a world you don’t fully understand due to our differences in status, but you’ll finally be able to leave your humble status behind.”

Mabel turned her head sharply away from him and shouted.

“I’m not talking about status right now! Why don’t you believe me?”

At that moment, a flash of the conversation she had with William came to Mabel’s mind.

‘Ms. Willis, Mabel, I’m not talking about status. I’m just confessing my true feelings for you…’

While Andrew didn’t believe Mabel’s rejection despite offering good conditions, Mabel, despite her different reasoning, also couldn’t believe William’s sincere love for her humble self.

‘Sincere love for my humble self… Truly, for me…’

That’s when it happened.

Mabel, who had discovered something similar to herself in Andrew, didn’t even have time to feel the awkwardness as a loud noise sounded right next to her.

Thud—Crash!

Startled, Mabel dropped the lantern she had been holding tightly and the entrance she had been trying to push open suddenly swung wide open towards the outside.

“Are you alright?”

It was a familiar voice. Mabel, who was crouching down due to the sudden shock, slowly raised her head. In the moonlight, she saw the silhouette of a tall man. And as soon as Mabel recognized the silhouette, tears welled up in her eyes.

“Mr. Edmundstone!”

William, who had broken the door and appeared, saw Mabel on the ground and rushed to her.

William immediately approached Mabel. Andrew, sprawled on the floor, crushed by the opening door, didn’t even register in his eyes.

“Are you okay? I heard a loud noise. Are you hurt?”

William bent his knees in front of Mabel, examining her face. His hurried appearance caused his breath to come out in short bursts.

Upon seeing Mabel’s disheveled attire, William quickly took off his coat and wrapped it around her. Mabel finally seemed to catch her breath. It was as if his scent dispelled all of Andrew’s unpleasant breath that had surrounded her.

“I… I…”

Mabel’s eyes flickered anxiously. She couldn’t properly comprehend the sudden turn of events.

Tears filled Mabel’s eyes as they met William’s. Suddenly, she understood what danger she had narrowly escaped and that William had saved her. Tears of relief streamed down her face.

William carefully adjusted the coat he had given Mabel once more before standing up and turning towards Andrew.

“What were you trying to do to Miss Willis?”

William grabbed Andrew by the collar and roughly pushed him against the wall. With a chilling voice, he interrogated Andrew.

Andrew, his neck strained by William’s grip, stuttered as he struggled to speak.

“Oh, no, I… I was just… trying to talk to Miss Willis…”

William’s gaze sharpened as he lifted Andrew’s collar even higher. He spoke with a voice full of anger.

“Are you bringing a lady to this cabin in the middle of the night just for a conversation? And locking the door?”

His voice, seeing the fallen lock on the floor, sounded like a wild animal growling.

Andrew, struggling despite his feet barely touching the ground, tried to remove William’s hand from his collar.

“Mr. Edmundstone, I was just… trying to propose to Miss Willis…”

The memory of Andrew pushing her against the wall was still vivid, Mabel was still trembling all over. But upon hearing Andrew’s brazen words, she couldn’t bear it any longer. Summoning all her strength, she angrily spoke out.

“Is luring me here against my will for an honorary marriage a normal proposal?”

At Mabel’s trembling voice, sparks flew in William’s eyes.

“Honorary marriage?”

Understanding the situation, William lifted Andrew up and forcefully threw him outside the cabin. Andrew, tumbling on the ground covered with mud and snow, let out a painful scream.

Meanwhile, William approached him again. Andrew, facing away from William, trembled as he felt William’s heavy breathing behind him. With the ferocity of a predator on the hunt, William seemed ready to knock Andrew down at any moment.

Sensing William’s intimidating presence, Mabel clung to her trembling legs and followed William, shouting out.

“Mr. Edmundstone, wait!”

The situation outside the cabin was dreadful. William held Andrew’s collar, covered in mud, and raised his clenched fist. Andrew, with his eyes tightly shut, had a fearful, reddened face.

Seeing this, Mabel urgently pleaded.

“Stop, Mr. Edmundstone! It’s not worth dealing with him!”

She, still tense and unsteady on her feet, reached out and grabbed William’s arm. She couldn’t bear to see William entangled in such dishonorable actions, and she felt guilty for Andrew’s misconceptions and stubbornness.

But William couldn’t calm his anger. He growled in response.

“He intended harm towards you. How dare he… how dare he…”

Mabel blinked at his words. Contrary to what she had thought, William still seemed focused on his own affairs.

“…Nevertheless, I don’t want to punish Mr. Woolf like this right now. Please, Mr. Edmundstone.”

At her earnest plea, William momentarily paused, then spat out a curse and pushed Andrew back to the ground.

“Andrew Woolf, be prepared for the official proceedings as soon as dawn breaks. I’ll make sure nothing, not even your family’s wealth spent on lawyers, can save you from the consequences, including expulsion from the college and legal punishment.”

Seeing the icy glare in William’s eyes, Andrew realized that he was not lying. Andrew scrambled to his feet and hastily fled without saying a word.

As Andrew stumbled away, clearly terrified, William’s cruel gaze followed him. Even though he was known for his courtesy and gentlemanly demeanor, the brutality in William Edmundstone’s actions and eyes, gripping Andrew’s collar and ruthlessly throwing him out, resembled that of an angry beast protecting its territory.

Upon seeing Andrew hastily disappear, Mabel finally felt her legs weaken. The cold December night air reminded her of the pain in her arms and shoulders from Andrew’s grip. She shivered as she remembered his hot breath as he spoke of the marriage.

William, who had approached her side, gently supported her back into the cabin.

* * *

Mabel watched with dazed eyes as William gathered firewood and lit the fireplace in the cabin. His thin shirt was soaked with sweat despite the snowy weather.

Eventually, the dry logs burned steadily. William approached Mabel.

She looked at him with vacant eyes as he neared her.

“I understand that you need calmness right now. My presence may not be helpful, or it might even be uncomfortable for you, considering what almost happened with Andrew. But perhaps you should rest here until you feel strong enough to return to the mansion.”

He showed consideration by not fully closing the cabin door, perhaps worried that Mabel, who narrowly escaped a dangerous situation with Andrew, might feel uneasy with his presence.

“Or, if you prefer to stay here by the fire, I can go back to the mansion and fetch Mary de Percy. She can take care of you, Mabel…”

As if eager to put his words into action immediately, William began to move towards the door. But Mabel reached out and grabbed the hem of his coat from behind. William’s gaze turned towards her. Tears slowly filled Mabel’s eyes, which had been empty with shock.

“Mabel…”

William knelt, bringing himself to her eye level. Her cheeks were cold with frozen tears, and her lips trembled from the chill. But her eyes were clear and vivid, calling out to William.

The fireplace gradually warmed the small cabin. Mabel felt the warmth thawing her heart, which had momentarily frozen in fear, and stirring up feelings of affection and longing for William.

For a while, William’s icy blue eyes and Mabel’s moist gaze met. And without a word, their lips met in a deep kiss, as if it was inevitable.