Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 26
‘…Please bring back Mrs. Linfitt. Without her, no one will agree to be my maid. No one will take care of someone like me.’
‘Oh, poor Ceci. Was that what you were worried about? Don’t fret too much. I’ll ask Father to send you one of my maids instead. The most skilled among the senior maids. Would that ease your mind?’
‘…’
Caroline’s maid, compared to Hannah Linfitt, was much more vicious and capricious. While Hannah mainly abused Cecilia physically, Caroline’s maid tormented her mentally.
‘Perhaps she took out her frustration on me because she was angry about suddenly becoming my maid after serving Caroline.’
Looking back now, that maid was insignificant. If Cecilia had caught her in the act and reported her misconduct, she would have been dismissed immediately.
And yet, Cecilia chose silence. For her one and only older sister, Caroline.
But Caroline’s own maid, appointed by her, abused her younger sister. Would Caroline, kind and gentle, feel guilty if she knew?
At that time, Cecilia didn’t want to see her sister in pain. More so, she feared Caroline might distance herself from her.
‘…Foolish.’
Cecilia reflected on her past self with derision. Trusting Caroline, of all people? In her past life, Caroline had been the most active supporter of the Pierce Duchy in court.
Cecilia had no allies among the Lasphilla family. Caroline was no longer her family.
Thus, she must endure betrayal, as she had done in the past.
‘Just as you did back then.’
Cecilia clutched the unfinished sachet.
‘This will soon end up with Hannah Linfitt. Mary Swinn gives up quickly.’
She opened the sachet, a strong musk assaulting her nose. The scent was more suited to Nigel, Ulysses’s half-brother, than the cold-natured Ulysses. Cecilia despised the macho scent.
Inside, she placed a handful of Palmasca she had bought from the back alley and sealed it again. She placed it on the chair and opened her book.
As if nothing happened.
As if it was trivial.
As if the sachet had nothing to do with her.
***
Days passed smoothly.
On the morning the Rosencrantz family was scheduled to visit the Coffret Manor,
Cecilia called Mary.
“Mary, you’ve been quite tired lately, haven’t you?”
A country house servant’s workload multiplies during the holiday season. Mary, too, looked exhausted.
“No? Ah, no. I’m fine…”
Mary replied with a clearly exhausted face. Left like this, she would collapse before being fully utilized.
There was no benefit in announcing to the Rosencrantz family that Mary Swinn was her personal maid…
‘Perhaps it’s good to shake her up a bit, instill some caution.’
“Father mentioned you seemed too busy lately and worried. He’s agreed to assign a temporary maid to me just for the holiday season.”
“Pardon? Have I been lacking?”
Cecilia reassured the anxious Mary, taking her hand.
“No, it’s not that. I still prefer you the most. That’s why I even declined Mother’s offer to find me an exclusive maid recently. It’s because I want to keep you around.”
“Milady…!”
“So focus on other things for now. Once the holiday ends, I’ll ask Father to make you my exclusive maid.”
Cecilia then handed Mary two neatly wrapped cake boxes.
One, in lace wrapping, looked expensive – a lemon cream cake. The other, a whole wheat pound cake common among the servants.
“This is a gift for your hard work.”
“I, I can’t eat this much, Miss.”
“I prepared extra for you to show off.”
Cecilia stacked the cake boxes in Mary’s palms.
“Share it with a close friend. Understood?”
“Yes! Thank you, Miss!”
Blinded by the gifts, Mary obediently nodded.
Thus, the peaceful morning passed, and finally, the Rosencrantz family arrived at the Lasphilla estate.
***
The Lasphillas lined up at the front gate to welcome their distinguished guests.
Soon, a carriage bearing the white rose emblem of the Rosencrantz stopped in front of the garden.
“Adaaaaam!”
A woman in her early forties, with black hair and lake-like eyes, descended from the carriage. Guinevere Rosencrantz rushed into her brother’s embrace as soon as she alighted.
