346 Hoodwinking the tattle tale
Music Recommendation: RV 155: II – Antonio Vivaldi
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With the Hookes and Marceline away from the mansion, Eve left Vincent’s side as per his instruction and made her way directly to the carriage which was parked at the shed.
“Mr. Briggs,” Eve called Vincent’s coachman.
“Ms. Barlow,” Mr. Briggs greeted her with a bow.
“Vincent said that we’ll be going out soon and to bring the carriage to the front,” Eve informed him, while looking around. “I will be riding with him.”
The coachman opened the carriage door for Eve, “Milady.” The carriage was pulled to the front of the mansion, and she waited for Vincent inside the vehicle.
Though Eve was an adult, she couldn’t help but feel anxious and nervous. Yet, at the same time, it had an unexplainable excitement. Doing something they were not supposed to do when Vincent had sealed it in blood. She wondered when she had turned bad, to go against the norms of society and be so brave. Right now, it felt nothing less than sin.
Surely they were not going just to sleep, Eve thought to herself. Because something so simple yet complicated could be done in the mansion. But who knew when Lady Aurora Hooke would barge into the room. She clutched onto the front of her skirt as she continued to wait, wondering what Vincent was up to.
In the piano room, Vincent patted his younger sister’s head, “Such a good hamster. Did I tell you how proud you made me today?”
Allie shook her head, not knowing what she had done, asked, “I did?”
“Very very much. On that account, I will get you your favourite cakes from Lily’s inn,” Allie’s eyes brightened at the mention of cakes. “Don’t forget what I said. Pick up the book and read,” the young vampiress obliged her brother and watched him walk towards the door, closing it and turning the knob. Her brother walked to the window and opened it, and in a blink of an eye, he disappeared from her sight.
Soon Vincent slipped inside the carriage through the window in his bat form and then turned himself into his usual form. He appeared in a good mood and ordered his coachman, “You can start the carriage now, Briggs.”
“Yes, Master Vincent,” Mr. Briggs answered and patted the back of the horses before the vehicle started to move and passed through the gates of the Moriarty mansion.
In the meantime, next to one of the front pillars of the mansion, Blythe hid behind it after noticing Vincent Moriarty’s carriage parked in front of the entrance. The maid was trying to ensure that the pureblooded vampire climbed on the carriage and left the mansion so that she didn’t have to keep following him or the lowly human, whom her mistress had ordered to keep a close eye on.
Seeing the carriage leave without Vincent Moriarty or anyone else, her eyes narrowed. Was he trying to blow dust in her eyes by making her think he wasn’t in the mansion and then sneak around with the human? With that thought, Blythe walked inside the mansion and went straight towards the piano room.
Seeing the piano room’s door closed, Blythe tiptoed near the door and placed her ear on the wooden surface.
“Ugh… ah!” came the soft noise from inside the room and her eyes narrowed.
She knew it! The pureblooded vampire and the human were inside the room doing forbidden things!
The maid raised her hand and made sharp knocks on the door, “Ms. Barlow. I need you to open the door right this instant. Ms. Barlow? Open the door!” She loudly asked, but receiving no response, as if they didn’t hear her or the knocks she made, Blythe decided to catch the human and the pureblooded vampire red-handed.
“Ms. Barlow!” The maid called again, moving backwards, she used all her might before running towards it. Simultaneously, Allie opened the door, for the maid to go straight through the open door and crash on the floor.
Blythe’s eyes widened on noticing the sharp wooden pencils in front of her face. At the same time, on hearing the little commotion, Lady Annalise entered the corridor and reached the piano room. The woman questioned, “What is going on here?”
The maid quickly stood up on her feet and looked around the room for her sight to fall on the youngest member of the Moriarty family, who innocently blinked at her. Allie turned to her mother and complained with her small voice, “Mother, this maid interrupted my studies,” she pointed her finger at Blythe.
“Mr. Moriarty and that governess are in this room!” Blythe was too sure of the noise she had heard a minute ago.
Lady Annalise glared at the maid for causing a commotion in her peaceful mansion, “Do you see any cupboards or beds that they can hide in or under? Don’t you have the common sense to knock before you enter a room? How dare you try to disrupt my daughter’s studies?!” she asked in a stern, threatening voice.
Blythe looked around the room, and as the lady mentioned, the human and Mr. Moriarty weren’t there. Her eyes fell back on the young vampiress, who innocently stared back at her.
Lady Annalise was annoyed that this lowly maid had barged in, ignoring what a servant was supposed to follow. Her eyes then fell on a large book next to Allie’s feet. Even Blythe noticed this, and she quickly bowed, apologising,
“Forgive me, milady. I didn’t me—”
“I will run a stake through your heart if you try to step into any rooms from now without permission. If someone asks me, I will place charges on you for trying to attack Allie,” Lady Annalise sneered at the maid, who didn’t raise her head. “Alfie!” She shouted, making everyone close their eyes.
The butler quickly hurried to the piano room and bowed, “Milady?”
“Give this maid work to do, so that she occupies her time without disturbing anyone in the mansion,” Lady Annalise waved her hand in dismissal, and Blythe followed the butler out of the room.
Once the servants left, Lady Annalise stared at Allie and the book as big as her daughter. The earlier sounds were from the young vampiress trying to lift the book. Allie blinked, and the lady said, “I don’t even want to know.” When Allie went to move the big book to the side, Annalise said, “Leave that be, I will send someone to pick that rock like book. Just go back to studying.”