Allure Of The Night

“Achoo—Choo!” 

Eve sniffled, using her handkerchief on her nose. She stood in front of the kitchen stove, watching the water boiling in the vessel.

“You didn’t get the water out of your hair after getting out of the river,” Lady Aubrey entered the kitchen, lightly scolding Eve. “Do you have a headache?” She asked in concern. 

“It is bearable,” replied Eve, and she widened her eyes before it turned small. “I will feel better after drinking the tea.”

“Here, let me do it,” Lady Aubrey offered, taking Eve’s place in front of the stove while Eve packed her lunch box. “I wonder what’s taking Eugene this long today, he should have been back by now.”

Lady Aubrey poured the hot water into three cups. She then added the little flowers along with squeezed lemon into it. Though most of the houses, which included the middle-class family, frowned upon the very idea of offering the same food or drinks to their servants, such a thing didn’t exist under the roof of Dawson’s residence. 

Not to mention, where Eve was clumsy, Eugene was someone who fell sick quite easily, and Lady Aubrey made sure to take care of the small family. 

When Eve blew her nose, Lady Aubrey said, “Wait until Eugene returns. He can drop you to Skellington today. I would have told you to stay back, but we don’t know how the Moriarty’s might respond with your absence when it is still your first month.”

Eve waved her hand, “I will be just fine, Aunt Aubrey. It’s probably the weather mixed up with the wet hair. You will see by the time of evening, I will be feeling much better.”

She picked up one of the teacups and sipped the warm tea, which felt nothing less to Heaven. She said, 

“I worry that if I don’t turn up for work today, I will be replaced in a blink of an eye.”

Lady Aubrey didn’t force Eve to stay back, and she only nodded. “Let me go and get you two more handkerchiefs if you need it for later,” saying this, the old woman stepped out of the kitchen. 

Two minutes later, Eugene returned with his hands carrying the newsletter, milk and other vegetables that they didn’t grow in their backyard. 

“Lady Aubrey! Oh, Miss Eve! I have news from the town market!” Stated Eugene, walking towards the dining table and placing all the things he had been carrying. 

“What news?” Asked Eve. “From the newspaper?” 

Eugene shook his head and informed, “I heard there is a witch in the town. Last night, the witch killed the cattle from one of the houses.” 

“Are you sure that is true? People like to make up a lot of things from their imagination, Eugene,” replied Eve. 

Lady Aubrey came out of her room, holding two handkerchiefs in her hand and said, “Eve is right. The witches have gone extinct thanks to the existence of the vampires and the werewolves.”

Eugene said, “It is the talk of the town. The cattle was found dead this morning. All ten of them on the ground. I went to take a quick look at the farm like the others. The poor family,” he shook his head. 

“If the witch is truly here, the authority will be the first one to come to catch the person. But no harm in being careful,” stated Lady Aubrey while her lips set themselves in a thin line. 

After nearly forty minutes, the carriage reached Skellington town and stopped at the side of Moriarty’s mansion. Though polished, the carriage was old, a vehicle that had been made and bought when late Mr. Rikard Dawson was still alive. Eugene hopped from the driver’s seat and quickly opened the carriage door for Eve to get down. 

“Thank you, Eugene,” Eve stepped down from the carriage and stared at the mansion she was supposed to enter. 

“Everything alright, miss?” Asked Eugene as Eve made no effort to move from where she stood. 

How could she, when she was dreading to meet Vincent today. The possible cold might have left her alone, but she hadn’t stayed up most of the night with the thought of what had occurred in the forest. The embarrassment made her want to get back inside the carriage.

Turning to Eugene, Eve smiled and nodded, “Wish me luck, Eugene. I will need all of it.”

“Good luck, Miss Eve. There is nothing you cannot achieve,” Eugene offered his encouraging words. 

But before either of them could make a move, another carriage appeared to come and stand in front of the mansion’s entrance gates. 

The guards of the mansion pulled the gates for the carriage to enter. But instead of driving the carriage inside, the coachman stepped down and opened the door of the carriage. 

Out stepped Vincent Moriarty. 

“What are the odds,” Eve muttered under her breath, and Eugene turned to look at her, with a questioning look on his face as he didn’t catch what she said. 

“Miss Barlow, what a wonderful surprise. I was sure you were not going to show up at the mansion today,” remarked Vincent, making his way where Eve and Eugene stood while he pulled the black gloves from his hand. 

Eve tried to keep a smile on her lips, but she wasn’t completely successful. She asked him in an overly polite tone, “Why wouldn’t I, Master Vincent. As a governess, I know my responsibilities.”

And though Eve tried to keep her calm, she avoided meeting Vincent’s eyes. 

“Achoo!” Eve sneezed into her handkerchief. 

Vincent tilted his head, “Did you fall ill, Miss Barlow? The last I saw you, you appeared to be in perfect,” he paused for a second before continuing, “Health. And who might this be?” He turned to look at Eugene. 

Eugene offered Vincent a humble bow, “My name is Eugene Weaver, Mr. Moriarty.”

“Mm,” hummed Vincent, and he nodded before smiling. “I know you. Actually, I heard about you. You were the one who was snooping around looking for more information about my family, weren’t you?” 

Eugene cleared his throat, not expecting their introduction to take a turn like this. Even Eve slightly froze, as she hadn’t expected Vincent to know about it. Eugene had always been careful in his findings, which was why it made her wonder how Vincent knew. 

“I-uh,” Eugene stuttered under Vincent’s piercing gaze and the smile. 

“You do not have to be shy about it. You can ask me directly. After all, Miss Barlow is now our dear governess,” stated Vincent before looking at Eve, “Isn’t that right?”

Eve nodded and then looked at Eugene and said, “You can go home. I will see you at home in the evening.” 

Eugene shared a secretive look of wariness. He didn’t dawdle there and quickly bowed his head. He jumped on the driver’s seat and hauled from the place. 

When Vincent turned his gaze at the moving carriage that went farther and farther away, Eve took the opportunity and started to walk through the gates. But this didn’t stop Vincent from following her. He snapped his fingers and waved at the coachman to take the carriage in as he was in the mood to walk.