Allure Of The Night

Lady Annalise’s shoes clicked on the clean, marbled floor as she continued to walk in the corridor. On her way, she met the butler, and she raised her hand for him to come to her immediately. 

“I want you to pull out one of the finest bottles from the cellar,” Lady Annalise ordered. 

“For yourself, milady?” inquired Alfie, and this received a glare from the woman. 

“Do you think I will be drinking wine this early in the morning?” She raised her eyebrows. 

“Um, Master Vincent— I mean yes, milady. I will pull out the wine,” the butler bowed his head while biting his tongue so that he wouldn’t ask any questions. 

“I want you to pack it, and send it to Lady Margaret. Add a note that she looked beautiful in the gown that she wore to Mr. Wade’s party,” Lady Annalise informed on what to do. “Also add a bouquet. Only the smallest. The woman seems to hate flowers that are slightly bigger than two inch in one’s finger.”

The last Lady Annalise had heard, the woman to whom the bottle of wine would be sent, she knew a few decent and trustworthy governess from the high family. The sooner she would have the governess here, the lesser reason there would be to bring back any other lowly governess for her daughter. 

“I shall do it right away, milady,” Alfie bowed his head, turning in the cellar’s direction and leaving the place while Lady Annalise continued to walk. 

Lady Annalise met Marceline and Lady Stella when walking past the dining room. 

“Good morning, Lady Annalise,” Lady Stella greeted the woman with a bow. “You look more beautiful than the last time I saw you,” she praised the woman with a sickeningly sweet smile. 

“Good morning, dear. I think you look lovely in the beautiful dress, as expected from your seamstress,” responded Lady Annalise and then asked, “I haven’t seen your mother in a long time. I hope Mrs. Desford is doing well in her health. Give my regards to your mother.”

“I will,” the young woman nodded. 

Lady Annalise nodded her head as if she was in an agreeable mood right now. She said, “I hope you have received the invitation for the ball next month.”

“I have. And believe me, I am very much looking forward to it,” as Lady Stella replied, her eyes held a doubt, which she didn’t bring to her lips. 

“You look particularly elated today, mother,” noted Marceline, and she wondered what had gotten her mother in such a good mood. 

Lady Annalise could only smile, which held a smugness in it, “Something that I have been working on finally succeeded. I doubt there’s anything I cannot fix.”

“That sounds wonderful,” replied Lady Stella, while Marceline wondered what her mother meant. The young woman then remarked, “Though I am sorry.”

“Sorry?” Lady Annalise appeared perplexed. “About what?” 

Lady Stella’s gaze shifted to look at Marceline, and she then looked back at Lady Annalise. A small pitiful smile appeared on the young woman’s face, and she said, 

“I mean the governess that you hired from that lowly town that we don’t associate ourselves with,” she shivered as she thought about the town. “I didn’t know the Moriarty’s were cutting down costs.”

Lady Annalise looked slightly irritated, but she said, “That was something out of our hands. But not to worry, the governess has quit.”

“She has?” Marceline was surprised, and Lady Stella looked impressed. 

“That’s right. All it took was a couple of words yesterday and she was scared enough to not step into this mansion again,” Lady Annalise looked proud, and her lips twisted in pure delight. 

But her happiness was short-lived when Marceline said, “I think you have wrong information, mother. Miss Barlow is in the mansion.”

“That’s not possible,” Lady Annalise narrowed her eyes, her mood dampening by what she heard. “I went to the piano room and she wasn’t there. Which was why Allie decided to step out and intrude when I was talking to Mr. and Mrs. Sherwin.”

Marceline shook her head, “Believe me, mother. She was here, because I spoke to her. If you doubt me, ask Stella.”

Lady Stella nodded, internally wanting to laugh at how the Moriarty’s had hired a governess of such poor status. She could barely contain the news, and once she returned to her mansion, her mother would surely love to hear it. She nodded, 

“I don’t think I could have someone like that in the same room as me. I can barely imagine how all of you must be dealing with it. And those dirty shoes,” Lady Stella sighed. 

Lady Annalise demanded, “Where is she?” 

“She must probably be there in the piano room?” Replied Marceline and Lady Annalise turned on her heel and headed in the direction of the piano room. 

Lady Stella turned to Marceline and said, “Didn’t you tell your seamstress is here?” 

“Yes. Let us go see her. I need to get the dress prepared before the time of the ball,” replied Marceline, looking in the direction where Lady Annalise had disappeared. 

“You know, Marcie. You are too kind to invite such a lowly being for a cup of tea,” Lady Stella put her hands around Marceline’s arm. “If it were me in your place, I would have ordered the servants to throw a woman like that from my mansion. After all, we don’t need anyone to be infected by God knows what.” 

Marceline politely smiled at her friend’s words, “That would be rude of me, Stella. Especially when she is sick. We are supposed to help people when they are in need. I don’t think I could ever do something like that. It doesn’t settle well with me.” 

“Like I said, you are too nice. You are lucky that you have Lady Annalise, who knows to put such people in their places,” stated the young woman as they continued to walk in the corridor. “Stay as far away as you can from such a kind. You are too innocent when it comes to such things.”

“There should be some exceptions. I don’t think every person from Meadow is like that,” Marceline spoke in favour of the governess. 

“You are forgetting, the people who belong to places similar to Meadow are ones who are beneath our feet. Trying to be a governess? How laughable,” Lady Stella softly laughed. “That can only mean that she has motives, else you know, we all like to settle with someone high in position.”

“Thank you for looking out for me,” Marceline’s words were kind, and Lady Stella smiled. 

“You are my friend, of course, I will look out for you. Don’t worry, I am here to help,” said the young woman. The kind smile on Marceline’s lips continued to stay, which appeared calm and relaxed. 

Back in the back garden of the Moriarty mansion, Eve sat next to Allie in front of the flowers. Eve had successfully caught a butterfly, which had Allie’s entire attention focused on it. 

Alfie, who had come to pluck some of the small flowers, caught sight of the governess and the young miss, who appeared in a brighter mood than in the morning. 

“You seem to be very good with the butterflies, miss,” the butler spoke to Eve, coming behind them and looking at the butterfly settled on Eve’s palm. 

“I think we just turned to be lucky, Alfie. Maybe the butterfly came to greet Miss Allie,” and upon Eve’s words, the little girl’s face brightened as if believing it to be true. 

The butler nodded, “That must indeed be true. Looks like they enjoy the company of our young miss.” He added, “It is good to see you out here, Miss.”

Eve asked the butler, “Are you here to tend to the plants? The garden in here is beautiful.” 

“You will find the rarest of the rare flowers and plants in here. I am here to collect small flowers, that has to be smaller than the two digits of a finger,” answered Alfie, and he craned his neck, looking at the flowers there. 

“That’s oddly specific,” replied Eve, and the butler laughed. Eve then turned to look at Allie and said, “Let us see if Mr. Butterfly wants to sit on your hand, shall we? My mother and I used to spend hours in the meadow, and I would chase butterflies,” she shared it with the little girl. 

Gently catching the butterfly’s wings, she placed it on the little girl’s palm, who looked enraptured. Eve stood up and said, 

“Do you mind if I help, Alfie?”

“I would not trouble you with such task, Miss,” replied the butler, but Eve was more than happy to help. 

Eve walked to the nearby bushes and plucked three rose buds that still had time to bloom. She picked another kind before returning to where Allie was busy with the butterfly. 

“I have six flowers. How many more are you looking for?” Asked Eve, and she looked down at the flowers. 

“I have four of them. Thank you, Miss Barlow, that should be enough,” said the butler, who was plucking one last flower which was surrounded by thorns. 

“Ms. Barlow!” roared a voice at the mansion’s back door, which belonged to Lady Annalise. 

Alfie lost his footing and nearly fell on the bush next to him. Allie’s body jerked in fear, and the butterfly flew from her hand. 

On the other hand, Eve’s finger pressed into the thorn of the steamed rose, and a drop of blood fell on the ground. And maybe Eve would have been fine, if she didn’t see little Allie’s hand move in its direction.