Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 16
“Anyway, she’ll forget about this by tomorrow.”
She needed to use his sense of guilt right then.
“It’s all my fault.”
With an even more somber tone, Cecilia continued.
“About Margaret and the nanny… I should have been more patient, even though they were disagreeable. I belatedly realized I can’t be alone.”
Adam’s voice softened as Cecilia smiled bitterly.
“If a servant doesn’t suit your fancy, it’s the master’s prerogative to replace them.”
His statement completely contradicted the reason he had scolded Cecilia initially. But Cecilia didn’t point this out, waiting silently for what came next.
“Tell Bernarda to hire a new maid for you.”
“Is that necessary? Think of the cost of bringing in a new maid. Nowadays, employers have to be careful about their servants. If you fire them without a good reason, they might even write about it in the newspapers.”
Adam was good with numbers. While he was thinking, Cecilia whispered cunningly.
“I can’t waste the family budget on a whim.”
“Your heart is in the right place. But we don’t have a suitable female servant right now.”
“Really? I thought there was one idle hand.”
Adam’s eyes lit up.
“Who might that be?”
“The nanny for Margaret and Nathan. Margaret is too old for a nanny, and Nathan has been weaned for a long time. Yet, the nanny still receives a salary and accommodation for both children.”
“True… it is a waste.”
“But it’s risky to fire the nanny or hire someone new, given Nathan’s age. And it’s hard to justify lowering her salary to that of a regular maid just for looking after Margaret.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“Give the nanny to me. I will train her for advanced maid duties. Then we don’t have to fire her or compromise her salary, and she can be assigned more responsibilities.”
“What if she complains about the increased workload?”
“Maybe another maid could take over Margaret’s care for a while. By the time Margaret needs a skilled maid, I might be married off, and the nanny can return to her. It’s efficient, both time-wise and financially.”
“…”
Adam fell silent, his gaze sharpening.
“Clever.”
It wasn’t a simple compliment. A light suspicion. But soon, when he became certain, she would become a target of his vigilance.
A caterpillar camouflages itself with leaves, waiting for the right time. She must not be hasty or intoxicated by a single moment of triumph.
Cecilia mentally noted the adage, shrinking her shoulders like a timid child.
“It’s nothing. I just followed Sister’s advice.”
“Caroline, you mean?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm, I see. I understand what you’re asking for. I’ll discuss it further with Caroline.”
Adam considered Cecilia’s request – or rather, Caroline’s proposal – positively.
She had expected the suspicious Adam to check its authenticity with Caroline. His nature was not to confront directly but to probe indirectly.
But her cautious father had one fatal flaw.
His utterly self-centered thinking.
He didn’t understand his children. Not their relationships, desires, or inclinations. His world revolved solely around himself.
But Cecilia was different. Having grown up under watchful eyes, she knew her family’s tendencies inside out.
Caroline, with her strong need for recognition, would surely take credit for this strategy. She wouldn’t miss this golden opportunity to win their father’s favor and usurp the stepmother’s rights without any effort.
And Cecilia’s prediction proved correct. Right now, Caroline’s eyes held no suspicion towards Cecilia.
Just as the cunning Adam had concealed Caroline’s informing about Lilith to Cecilia, he must have hidden his conversation with Cecilia from Caroline.
Cecilia brought herself back from her reverie and asked innocently.
“But what about Mother? What should I tell her?”
“Why bother telling her? Father has already agreed. Mother must know.”
“Is that so…?”
She imagined Bernarda seething alone.
‘She must think she’s been outmaneuvered by Caroline.’
For now, Bernarda’s enemy would be Caroline.
Internal strife creates weaknesses. Bound by the fence of family, when they turn their backs on each other, Cecilia would finally achieve her goal.
But compared to what she had to do in the future, such petty discord was nothing.
The real battle had not even begun.
