As early winter set in, Gredel Hill rapidly grew colder. Due to the northern climate’s tendency for brief autumns, it felt as though the season had abruptly shifted from summer to winter.
The day after the first snow, the gardener and an apprentice were busy from dawn, clearing snow from the settled bushes. The servants, now dressed in winter clothing, diligently swept and cleaned the dirt path leading from the entrance hall to the main gate. The maids, too, were overwhelmed with winter preparations, changing curtains and bedding from the count’s room to the guest rooms.
It was a time when even ten more hands would not have been enough. When Charlotte offered to help, Janice assigned her to the relatively quiet bedroom chambers. Her tasks mainly involved mending servants’ uniforms with missing buttons or repairing torn seams in curtains.
The bedroom chamber, located directly beneath the attic, was cozy and harmonious. Her only colleagues were a taciturn old woman and the maid, Anna, who had taken a liking to Charlotte from the start.
“Charlotte, have you ever been to Corlen Island in the south?”
“No, but I’ve heard a lot about it. It’s famous as a vacation spot, isn’t it?”
“Yes, half the year feels like summer there. Even in winter, it’s warm. Not just the climate, but the sea there is spectacular—surrounded by emerald colors and filled with trees unlike any you’ve seen…”
Charlotte stopped her sewing for a moment and looked at Anna, whose tone suggested familiarity.
“Why?”
“I wondered if you were from there.”
“Oh, no, not from there. But I’ve visited a few times.”
Anna smiled and returned her focus to her sewing.
“The Earl owns a villa there. It’s smaller than Mistymoor Hall here, but it’s still quite elegant and beautiful.”
Corlen Island, being the closest island to the continent, was a mandatory stop for visiting dignitaries. Owning land and building a villa there required not only wealth but also a degree of social prestige or proof of a substantial family lineage. It was said that to meet some of the most prominent nobles in Ethelwood, one should go to Corlen Island.
“That’s news to me.”
Despite being lovers, it was a story Charlotte had not heard from Richard. He wasn’t much of a talker. Usually, she spoke, and he listened. Though one might think this could cause dissatisfaction, Charlotte was too caught up in their fleeting time together to mind.
“This winter, if you end up going, it would be wonderful. The palm trees there are beautiful, and every fruit is delicious.”
Anna chattered away as her hands moved busily.
“The best part is getting two days of reward leave if you stay for two weeks. You can relax by the sea or dine elegantly at a respectable restaurant.”
Two weeks—a long time for newly minted lovers. Charlotte casually asked, “Will Sir Franz and Sir Richard be accompanying you?”
“Sir Franz always goes. Sir Richard hasn’t since he returned. But this year, who knows? It might be good for him to build connections before he likely receives his title.”
Charlotte’s expression darkened slightly, but fortunately, her head was bowed. Amid their conversation, the old woman silently went about her duties, eventually sending Anna to fetch some water. With Anna gone, the bedroom chamber quieted down again. Charlotte, feeling she might have spoken too much, tried to focus on her work when the old woman spoke.
“There are no eternal secrets in this world, child.”
“…Yes?”
“When you’re standing on a dangerous line, think about what’s beneath you.”
She didn’t fully understand the meaning, but the words sent a chill down her spine. She wanted to ask if the old woman knew something or meant something specific, but as quickly as she had spoken, the old woman’s lips were sealed again.
***
“At least by next week, we should arrive, so it’s best to send a telegram to the villa keeper now.”
“It’s already written, sir. Just need to stamp it and hand it over to the postman.”
“Well done.”
Seymour responded as he flipped through the documents, with winter sunlight pouring in through the open window behind him. From the corner of his eye, he glimpsed pale blonde hair.
In the room, there were not only the two of them but also a maid. After a few routine exchanges and glances, Janice looked down.
“Everything will be ready before the villa keepers arrive.”
“Should I bring up some warm tea?”
“Yes, thank you.”
With a smile, Janice signaled, and the maid behind her was the first to leave the office. Janice, about to follow, stopped and turned back.
“Arthur.”
The man, who was picking up his pen again, looked up. A housemaid calling her master by his middle name. It would have caused a stir to any outsider, but between them, it was normal.
It was a name only permitted when they were alone. An unspoken rule from the days they were just boys and girls, before they were even aware of their class differences. Although their relationship had evolved into that of master and servant, devoid of any romantic or special connection, this tradition had remained.
“Should I not prepare the salon this time either?”
The salon was a space for the lady of the house. Since getting married, the Countess had never accompanied him to Corlen Island. The week-long carriage journey was too much for her frail body, and the sea air was considered detrimental to her health, according to the doctor. However, since mingling with other families was crucial even outside the social season, the Earl visited the island once a year.
The entourage always included Janice to manage household affairs in place of his wife, along with a few other maids and servants. Expecting the same response as last year, the reply she received was shocking.
“No. This year, prepare for it.”
Seymour commanded indifferently, fingers interlocked.
“Make sure it lacks nothing.”
“Arthur!”
Unable to hold back, Janice raised her voice. Seymour’s eyebrows lifted.
Janice Brown was born into the working class and understood her place well, or so she thought. She had accepted that instead of her, a noble of suitable rank had been brought in as a spouse. After all, the world didn’t run on love alone.
But even she needed something to endure it all. That something was her vacation to Corlen Island. The idea of having that one sanctuary taken from her, to bring that woman there, was unbearable.
“What if someone hears you?”
She clutched the hem of her dress as she coldly rebuked the man.
“…It will be a strenuous trip for the lady. It wouldn’t do for her to overexert herself.”
“We’ll take Doctor Brown with us. The entire family is going.”
“Is Sir Richard going too?”
Seymour nodded instead of replying.
“It’s time he found a marital partner.”
“What if.”
Her grip tightened, nails imprinting on her palms.
“What if he already has a lover?”
“That would be unexpected but a cause for celebration. Who is it?”
It was news to him but a relief. Since publicly rejecting Lady Spencer of the duchy, other respectable families had been wary of offending the duke.
Now that he had succeeded to the earldom, Richard was to inherit the title his grandfather had held. It was preferable to arrange his marriage before he received a new surname from the queen, to solidify his standing in noble society.
Or maybe it was all just an excuse. An excuse to deny that the Richard who returned from the war was no longer human. An attempt to fit him into a mold, to confirm that he was still normal.
“It sounds like you’re willing to make the connection.”
“As long as there are no significant flaws.”
There was a willingness to overlook a certain level of imperfection. It had taken a long time to lower his standards this far, to a point where he’d be thankful just for Richard’s survival. Had there not been a time when he had prayed just for that?
“If she’s a lady worthy enough to marry, at least…”
“You won’t kill her with your own hands.”
“Janice!”
He couldn’t finish his sentence, but Janice did, her expression twisting painfully.
“The lover thing was just something I said in passing. This time, I’m thinking of bringing Charlotte along. I’ll assign a caregiver to Cynthia.”
“Why her?”
“She’s skillful and has a good head for work. She’s very useful in many ways.”
“You’re not planning any mischief, are you?”
“Of course not.”
She smiled coldly, turned back, and grasped the doorknob to leave the room.
“She’s all I have left.”
Her final words were barely audible over the sound of the door closing.
***
The private lakeside was tranquil, a place they had visited before. The vibrant greenery of the dazzling summer had transformed into a more serene and elegant scene. Oak and arborvitae trees covered with snow, and the lush grass blanketed in white. It was a static landscape painting, perfect in its stillness. But as soon as they boarded the boat, everything went dark.
“Open your eyes, Charlotte.”
The rippling of the lake calmed. Richard, who had stopped rowing, spoke again soothingly.
“It’s less frightening than you think.”
When she didn’t respond, he gently lifted her chin, forcing her to look up. Charlotte pressed her eyelids tighter. Then, a cool temperature touched her forehead. Like comforting a frightened child, Richard gently pressed her brow with his thumb and called her name tenderly.
“Charlotte.”
His touch was as gentle as a hand soothing a sobbing infant, patting its back. Slowly opening her eyes to a calmer scene on the boat, she saw the face in front of her.
Flawless skin as if sculpted from wax, a proudly arched nose. Above it, a pair of agate-like eyes in which she could see her reflection. Caught off guard by his unfamiliar beauty, Charlotte lost herself for a moment until Richard lightly tapped her cheek.
🍉🍉🍉
