The Nanny of House Herzen - Chapter 30
“Then….what kind of work would suit me? I may be against the odds, but I am not lacking in education.”
“Would you be interested in a position as a second wife?”
When the obvious question came back, Evelyn was ready with a response she had prepared.
“I am unable to have children.”
“That’s unfortunate,” they murmured among themselves before suggesting she wait a few days.
With nowhere else to go, she aimlessly wandered the town.
It was only a day’s carriage ride from where she had lived in seclusion, yet no one here recognized her. What had she been so afraid of that she hadn’t left that oppressive household sooner?
Why hadn’t she run away from the Marquis sooner? She regretted the late courage that could have saved her so much grief.
Her aimless steps eventually led her to a bookstore.
Even as she browsed through the books, she thought of Johanson.
It was good that she had left her. If she had raised her, she wouldn’t have been able to afford such expensive books for her.
She was his nephew… He would take good care of her. Even if the Duke didn’t look after her, the head maid would surely do so.
They would find a better nanny than her.
She consoled herself with these thoughts every time she remembered the baby.
And each time, she also pushed aside the recurring image of the man who came from the other side of her memory.
* * *
After several days of wandering the village and frequenting the bookstore, the old woman who seemed to be the owner of the store called her over.
“Young lady.”
“Yes?”
The old woman didn’t have a pleasant expression. Evelyn braced herself, expecting to be scolded. She had frequented the shop for seemingly purposeless visits, although she had bought a few snacks and drinks a couple of times….
Instead, the old woman pointed at a ledger in front of her.
“I can’t tell if my eyes are getting worse or if the print is too small. Can you tell what’s written here? If you can help with some calculations, that would be great.”
Finding something useful to do was a welcome change for Evelyn. Her blue eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.
She helped the old woman with her bookkeeping and received a piece of bread in exchange. The old woman chuckled at Evelyn’s evident happy face.
“I see the young lady wandering around for days, and I suspect your parents are no longer with us.”
“…Yes, that’s correct.”
Evelyn lied. There was no need to reveal her circumstances to strangers, and since her father had essentially sold her, she was no different from an orphan in her eyes.
The old woman looked interested and asked.
“Why did you come to this town?”
This time, Evelyn answered honestly, “Just… looking for a job.”
“What kind of job are you looking for?”
“A tutor or…”
Hearing this, the old woman scoffed, sensing the sentiments Evelyn had heard at the tavern. Evelyn sighed, and the old woman suggested.
“Why don’t you help me instead? I can’t pay as much as a tutor, but I can provide you with a room. The floor above is my house.”
“What would I need to do?”
Excited, Evelyn responded as the old woman pointed to a bookshelf.
“I haven’t been able to organize those books up there for a long time. Those stacked up there need to be sorted and sold off cheaply, but I can’t even bring them down.”
Although Evelyn had never done physical labor, she was young and likely more capable than the elderly woman. Even if the pay was less, having a place to stay would be better than idling in an inn.
This was something she felt capable of handling, unlike when she had hastily taken on the role of a nanny. After a moment of consideration, she nodded.
“If I can be of help… I’d be glad to.”
She then returned to the inn to say her goodbyes to the innkeeper and moved her belongings to the bookstore immediately.
The old woman, who ran the bookstore in this small town, seemed to know a lot, likely due to having read books and newspapers. She had a good grasp of worldly affairs.
In the quiet bookstore, conversations between Evelyn and the old woman were constant. Which meant that the organizing of the store was slow and without much progress.
But Evelyn was content.
She had not known there were things she could do with her own hands like this.
Had she known sooner, she might have pleaded with her father. She would have begged him not to sell her, promising to find a way to earn money and support him herself.
No, she should have left her father earlier. Before he had the chance to abandon her.
* * *
On the morning Evelyn disappeared, Carius was still staring at the pouch of gold coins in front of him. The steward hesitated before asking,
“…Should I bring her back?”
Carius did not respond. The steward quickly added,
“She won’t have anywhere to go. She left the nursing child behind; she must be suffering from engorgement…”
The answer came much later.
“…She said she took the child because she feared I might harm it.”
“Sir?”
But then, why did she leave it behind? Was the child just an excuse, and she had a greater desire to escape? And if she has nowhere to go, why leave the gold behind?
Carius couldn’t understand.
Living beings are so full of uncertainties. They have lips but do not explain, hands but do not embrace him.
Despite being accustomed to such uncertainties, the chill in his heart was simply because he was foolish.
As the butler anxiously awaited a response, the answer was an unexpected declaration.
“I need to go hunting.”
“Sir?”
“Returning empty-handed last time left me…. feeling empty. Call the stablehand.”
