In the Moriarty mansion, the maids walked up and down the corridors to ensure everything was spotless. The walls and the windows were being dusted, the floors were being mopped, and the sheets of the used bed from the previous night were changed to fresh ones.
In one of the many corridors of the mansion, Rosetta stood in front of a vase that contained flowers that needed to be replaced with fresh ones. She took out the dry flowers, and threw them in the basket. She was then supposed to change the water, and looking left and right, she walked towards the open window and turned the vase upside down for the water to fall.
"AH!"
Someone from below shrieked, and it was one of the Moriarty maids who soon stepped away from the space to meet Rosetta, who was at the top.
The maid's head was wet with the water from the vase, and she stared at Rosetta with controlled anger and questioned, "What do you think you are doing by pouring the water on me? Where's your head?"
"Who told you to stand there, while I was pouring the water? I threw the water at the same hour and place every day," Rosetta said as if what she did was right. She did her errands according to time by looking at the clock. "You were probably late for the next work, which is why you have been drenched in water."
"Not only are you being lazy by not throwing the water elsewhere, but you speak back to me as if you are correct. I will go and inform the butler right now about your actions," the maid said before turning around and she started to walk.
"Go on. You speak as if I am scared about it. I am friends with Eve. The lady of this mansion," Rosetta huffed, closing her eyes for a second to roll them before opening it.
The young vampiress noticed the maid had stopped walking and turned back to look at her. The human maid responded to Rosetta's words, "That is all you're capable of, isn't it? Riding on others coats. Your parents did it, and you are doing the same, aren't you? I wonder what Mr. Weaver even saw in you, before he married you. You must have forced him to marry you."
"How dare you speak ill about me when I was only doing the job of changing the flowers and placing them with care?" Rosetta sized the human maid up and down before pushing the window further up and jumping down on the ground.
The human maid looked shocked. Half because Rosetta had unlady-like jumped from the window from above floor, half worried as the vampiress was probably crazy and would end up biting her.
Another human maid, who was passing nearby, noticed the scene and quickly appeared next to the human maid's aid, who was her friend. She asked,
"Is everything fine?"
"I pointed out her mistake and now she's trying to scare me!" The first maid blamed Rosetta.
Rosetta, who was already angry, glared at the maid and said, "You dare badmouth me! I am here, working with all my heart and you dare try to pull me down. And I tried to scare you? I will show you what being scared is now!"
"Eek!"
The second maid who just appeared at the scene of the garden said, "You should be grateful here, and instead of doing your work with keeping your head down after the shame that was brought by you and your family, you are threatening us. The Viscount will hear about this!"
Rosetta opened her mouth, showing her sharp fangs to the two humans, who cowered, and suddenly someone shouted from behind,
"That's enough!" It was Alfie, who quickly stepped into the garden, wearing a frown on his face. "What are you all doing here, instead of finishing your work for the day?"
The two human maids teamed together and said, "This woman is trying to drink from us!"
"I would rather drink a week old blood than from women who have low minds," Rosetta responded with a huff.
"She's a servant of Moriarty, and she behaves as if she's still the daughter of the Marquee. And she purposely threw water on me!" The first maid complained to Alfie. The woman's hair was still wet and some water had spilt on her dress.
Alfie turned to Rosetta and asked, "Were you the one who did it?"
Rosetta's lips moved inaudibly before she could speak, "I did, but it was when--"
"The question is if you did or didn't. In the Moriarty household, all the servants are treated equally without no one treated more or less," Alfie stated to the vampiress, who suddenly looked lost and turned angry when she noticed the two maids holding back their smiles. "As punishment, you will find all the dried leaves in the garden. Now."
"But I didn't throw the water on purpose! Why am I being punished?!" Rosetta didn't like the unfairness and said, "What about these two trying to humiliate me by bringing up my family and their status?"
"There is no status left for the Hookes. They are worse than beggars," one of the maids whispered to the other, and Rosetta gritted her teeth.
"You two will see me with your belongings," Alfie said to the two maids without missing a heartbeat.
One of the maids looked confused, while the other had already understood what the butler's words meant. The latter stuttered, "A--are we being kicked out of our jobs?"
"You two will be sent to work in another place. A place where a person doesn't get to speak," Alfie replied in a prim and proper tone. Then he said, "It seems like you have forgotten that we don't like to have maids who like to whisper things, and if we hear any more whispers on that matter in the future, I can promise you that you shall not see tomorrow."
Saying those words, Alfie left the three women looking dumbstruck because none of them wanted to do what was told to be done. The two maids, as they walked away from there, turned to look at Rosetta and said between them,
"I cannot believe how a woman who is no less a servant than us gets to stay, while we are being thrown out, when we have worked here for years! I cannot believe that Mr. Weaver is stuck to a woman as herself for life!"
"I pity him, he deserves someone better than this dumb one."
"Say more, and I will be plucking your tongues out of your mouth!" Rosetta snapped back at the two maids, who quickly ran towards the servant's quarters.
Rosetta's proud shoulders drooped and she sighed. After thirty minutes, the vampiress continued pulling out the dried twigs and leaves when she heard footsteps approaching behind her.
"I looked for you on the first floor," came Eugene's voice behind her. Noticing how she didn't turn, he said, "I heard what happened from Alfie."
"It wasn't my fault... not really. I didn't mean to pour water on her..." Rosetta's voice drawled, which was low, and Eugene heard it well because of his vampire's ears.
"I am sure you didn't mean to unless they did something," Eugene's words were nothing less than comfort that had Rosetta turned to him with her eyes red because of the tears that had spilt from her eyes.
"I am not upset because of it! If I could, I would pour muddy water on them many times now," Rosetta sniffed and went back to plucking the dried leaves before moving to the next bush. Eugene followed her.
"Why are you upset? Did they speak about your parents again?" Eugene had caught a few servants talking about it, and as much as he had driven out the matter so that no one raised it, the servants continued to speak behind his back. "You don't have to pay attention to it."
"I know... I mean, I am used to it. I know my parents did things wrongly, and I know it is my fate. To listen to people's taunts or mocking words because I am their daughter. But..." her voice trailed, and Eugene gave her the time to speak without ushering her. But as minutes passed by and Rosetta didn't say anything but stare into space, he said,
"Do not pay heed to the envious words of the others, Rose. The beginning is always the hardest, but then it becomes easy."
Rosetta nodded and after a minute said, "Eugene... You know the happiest moment of my life is when you proposed to me. When you said you loved me and I am so happy about it. I am. But sometimes, there are doubts. If I was the right person for you..." she turned to meet his eyes.
"Maybe," Eugene's reply brought tears to Rosetta's eyes, who looked like she was about to cry. He quickly said, "There is no right or wrong, if two people are willing to put effort into the relationship. One would say I would be well with a human, who is of my status. But if you ask my thoughts on it, it was the person's heart that mattered to me. Our meet, was by luck and the way it has gone until now. You are a woman who does things earnestly, and cares, without holding two faces which could be troublesome in a few situations. End of the day, we chose each other to be partners and that is all that matters. Hold your head high, Rose."
The young vampiress nodded and then smiled. She said, "Talking to you makes my worries disappear, Eugene. You are magic to me."
Eugene chuckled at Rosetta's words. He said to her, "I think it is enough of plucking you have done for today."
"But I should finish my work. Not because I have to, but I have pride!" Rosetta coughed in the end before a blush appeared on her cheeks.
"Then let us do it soon, because we won't be able to do it tomorrow," Eugene's words caught her by surprise, and she stared at him in question. He said, "The Dawson's residence will be ready to be used from tomorrow and we can move there along with Lady Aubrey. Also, the application that Mr. Moriarty made me fill and apply, I received the letter for it now. I will be able to work as one of the assistant clerks."
Rosetta's eyes widened on hearing this before she dropped the basket from her hands and wrapped them around Eugene to hug him. She said in an excited voice,
"I am so happy for you, Eugene! I knew you could do it! I told you!"
Eugene caught Rosetta's weight by holding her in his arms with a smile. He was happy to see her smile, knowing she tried her best not to listen to what people said, but somehow it was hard for her to sit back and hear.
As if realisation suddenly hit her, Rosetta cleared her throat with her eyelashes brushing the upper side of her cheeks, and she stepped back. She said, "I will do everything I can, to help and support you, Eugene! I will make a lunch box for you everyday, to eat at your new workplace!"
Upon hearing a light chatter near the mansion's gates, Eugene and Rosetta hurried inside. At the front of the mansion, the grand-looking carriage driven by Mr. Briggs stopped right in front of the entrance of the Moriarty mansion.
The butler quickly arrived there, and when the carriage door opened, Vincent, Eve and the black cat stepped out.
"Welcome back home, Master Vincent and Lady Genevieve," Alfie bowed in greetings.
With a crooked smile, Vincent stretched his hands wide and remarked, "It sure is good to be back home." Eve was glad to be home too, to the place where her family was.
And while the young Moriarty couple entered the mansion, the news about Noah's death had reached the town of Woodlock, where the information would soon spread and reach Vincent and Eve, along with the others.
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