A MAZE OF GREED

Florence could not get her mind away from what she saw in 'the great manor'. Ruth and Edwin... but how?

From what she knew, she was sure that Ruth hated Edwin and had never met him. Then why did he recommend her for the position of head maid?

And what the hell they were doing that made Ruth blush like a strawberry? The way they gazed at each other, made her disturbed.

And that blue-stoned necklace. Was it given by Edwin?

Her mind was about to burst with those thoughts. She took out another dress from her wardrobe when she heard a knock on her door.

"Who is it?" She called a bit irritatingly.

"It is me- Claire!"

Florence sighed. "Come in."

She folded the dress she had taken out and kept it in the bag. Claire stepped in with some random gossip but frowned when she saw Florence packing her bag.

"Why are you packing your bag Florence? Are you going somewhere?"

"Yes." Florence did not elaborate further.

With a suggestive hint, Claire then pried. "Is it your old admirer or have you found a new one?" She wiggled her brows with a goofy smile.

Florence's brows furrowed, but she replied anyway. "Neither of that."

"Then where are you going?"

Florence, at last, faced Claire. "I have some important work to do."

"How long you will be away?"

"I do not know. Maybe a week or two?"

"A week? Are you visiting a far away land?" Claire asked in surprise.

Florence paused, then nodded. "You can say that."

Claire groaned at Florence's cryptic answers. She knew there was more.

"Florence! You are hiding something from me. I have been noticing that something is bothering your mind since you came back from 'the great manor'? Did something happen there? Did Ruth... did she do that... again?"

Florence clenched her jaw, remembering how Ruth had instigated some kind of fear in her mind. She did not know how but she was sure that it was not natural. It had to be Ruth's doing!

Florence thought about it for a moment, then told Claire what she saw and heard in 'the great manor'. With every detail that fell on Claire's ears, her eyes kept growing in size.

"So what now?" She asked at the end.

"So now I am going to find out what is the story of that parcel." Florence answered.

But Claire was confused. "Just because you saw that cloth of parcel you think that it will give you your answers? And how can Mrs Payne's relatives be connected to Ruth? You know that they send pickles and medicines for them and I never heard or saw Mrs Payne sharing them with anyone, even with Ruth."

"You are right. Maybe there is no connection between Warthford Island and Ruth. But some part of my heart tells me that I may find a link." Florence was not ready to give up on her theory.

Claire asked in annoyance. "But Florence, it does not make any sense."

"It does Claire. It does!" Florence shook her head. "Have you ever wonder why Mr and Mrs Payne cared so much about Ruth? And why only them? They treat her as if she was their own daughter."

"It is because Ruth always helped and took care of them." Claire argued.

"Yes. But then why Mrs Payne would have mentioned only Ruth's father and not her mother? Does that make any sense to you?"

Claire thought for a minute, but everything passed from above her head. She shook her head, giving up.

"I think it is because Mrs Payne knows about Ruth's father. Or maybe he is the one sending those parcels to them all these years."

They both fell in thoughtful silence. After some minutes, Florence broke it with her next words.

"Claire, I do not know everything. I am trying to connect the dots and do not know if I am following the right path. It will get clear only after I visit Warthford Island. For once I want to believe in what my heart says."

Claire nodded her head in understanding. "Maybe you are right."

"I will be back as soon as I get any information. Till then keep watch on the both of them. I heard Thea and Rees are getting married soon. I might not get back till then. So keep your ears and eyes open." Florence commanded.

"Okay. Take care of yourself!" Claire replied.

Saying goodbye to her, Florence loaded her bag in the carriage, that was waiting down the apartment building.

'I will expose you Ruth!' With that thought, she began her journey to the faraway land of Warthford Island.

*

*

*

That night at some point when the world was asleep, Ruth tossed and turned in her bed. Her brows were scrunched together, and her body was covered in sweat. Her hands that rested to her side fisted the bedsheet tightly.

Her head moved from side to side as if she did not want to see what played before her closed eyes. But no matter how many times she tried turning her head away, the image did not spare her mercy.

Her breaths turned long and shaky. Her pink lips parted, and she mumbled incoherently.

A loud scream woke up Mrs Payne with a gasp. She hurried towards Ruth as she cried.

"Ruth... Ruth... my dear! What happened?" Mrs Payne panicked.

No words came out of Ruth's mouth. She just kept crying. Mrs Payne pulled her close to her chest, and Ruth cried some more.

This had been their every night's routine. Every time Ruth closed her eyes, the same nightmares of a green-eyed man haunted her. She did not speak, nor did she touch him in those nightmares. She was only there but still was not.

The guilt rose to hit one level up as Mrs Payne rubbed Ruth's back soothingly. She blamed herself for Ruth's situation.

Only if she had kept that white feather securely and away from Ruth's reach, then none of these might have happened.

That night none of them slept. Mrs Payne sat holding Ruth in her arms, and Ruth did not dare to close her eyes in fear of getting the same nightmare again.

Mrs Payne was confused. Why this was happening to her? It should not be in that way. She could not let Ruth live in such a way. She had to do something.

Where she could find the solution for this problem. She missed her husband. If he was there, then he would have known what to do. But now that he was gone... gone were the secrets and the knowledge he had.

Ruth moved in her arms, and she looked down at her. The bluestone in Ruth's necklace gleamed in the dim light.

An idea crossed her mind. To find the solution, she first needed to know the problem.

The next morning, after Ruth left for Elsie's chamber, Mrs Payne stopped in front of her neighbour's room. Knocking on the door, she waited for the response. Not a minute later, a woman opened the door.

"Good morning, Mrs Payne! How are you?" She smiled politely.

"Good morning! I am very well, thank you!"

"Please come in!" The woman let Mrs Payne in her room.

She was a fellow maid of Ruth and was ready to go in the family's residential part in 'the great manor'.

"What bring you here this early? Do you need anything?" The woman asked.

Mrs Payne smiled but said, "I actually need a help from you."

"Help? Of course, Mrs Payne. Tell me how can I help you?" The woman asked sincerely.

"As you know I spend the whole day alone. It is boring. So I was thinking of reading some books. Can you tell someone to bring them for me from the local library?"

"Why not! If you have told this to Ruth then she would have-"

"No!"

The woman blinked, puzzled.

Covering up her impatience, Mrs Payne smiled again. "I mean, you know how Ruth panics at every nuisance thing. She will not allow me reading, saying I should not overexert myself and instead of reading small letters, I should sleep through the afternoon."

"Oh, that you are right about. But she cares about you Mrs payne. That is why she is always worried about your health. If she thinks that then you should not buy the books." The woman said.

But Mrs Payne had more persistent reason to read those particular books than her health.

After five minutes of emotional drama, she convinced the woman for getting those books from the local library.

"Here is the list."

The woman scanned the small piece of paper, which had four titles of the books scribbled. Her brows shot up in surprise.

"Mrs Payne, I must say you have a peculiar taste in books."

Mrs Payne only shrugged in response. The woman promised to arrange those books before the evening. She even promised, to not say anything about it to Ruth.

Ten minutes later, when Mrs Payne left her room, she had a satisfying smile on her face.. Now she would know the reason for the problem and might find a solution to it.