“So, my brother has visited here?” Thalia asked, surprised.
She would not have thought that Kenneth would have bothered to come and see her, for he was always too preoccupied with his own endeavors. Mostly, trying hard to be the strict example of an heir that their father had raised him to be.
In many ways, Kenneth had suffered more than any of the Carter siblings. At least Thalia and Dorothy had been ignored, for the most part. Kenneth had not been so lucky, treated with strict severity to the point that he had once admitted that being sent away to school, to Eton, had been a blessing.
Has our relationship changed? Are we closer than we were?A small hope sparked in her, for she had always wanted to know her brother better. Yet, even in boyhood, he had been so closed off, their father’s discipline building walls around him that none could break through.
“Several times,” the housekeeper jumped in, “though not for a couple of years.”
“It would have been two years this Christmastide just gone,” Rowena agreed, that color still radiating from her face.
Thalia’s heart clenched as if it remembered something. “He came here for Christmas? Why has he not visited since then?”
“He did, Your Grace,” the housekeeper replied, with a stern glance at Rowena. “As for why he has not visited since; it is hard to know. There was a disagreement, I believe, though I’m unaware of the details.”
Walking toward the two women, Thalia smiled. “I will not punish you for eavesdropping, Mrs. Fisher. If you know more, please do tell me. Indeed, I would be grateful if youhadeavesdropped upon everything that took place here over the past four years, so you can fill in the gaps for me.”
“I’m sorry, Your Grace, but the moment the argument commenced, the butler had everyone leave the vicinity of the library,” Mrs. Fisher replied, real regret in her voice. “He’s very strict about things like that.”
It was disheartening to hear, for Thalia was keenly aware that the staff of a household often knew more than anyone else within a manor’s walls. But what they were forbidden from hearing could not be told.
“Wait… a library? There is a library here?” Thalia blinked, her heart unclenching once more.
At that, Mrs. Fisher chuckled softly. “There wasn’t much of one before you arrived, Your Grace, but there is now. You had the old drawing room in the east wing converted and, if I may be so bold, it’s one of the most beautiful rooms in the house.”
“A nightmare to clean, though,” Rowena interjected with a grin that suggested that, ordinarily, the maid was not afraid to jest with her mistress.
The housekeeper gave a harrumph of displeasure at the maid’s irreverent remark. “If it is such trouble for you, perhaps you’d prefer to be in the laundry for the foreseeable?”
“Do not chastise her,” Thalia urged with a smile of her own. “I think… I like that there is a friendliness between us. I think it is of comfort to me, to be so well acquainted with my staff. Yes, I am almost certain that is true.”
Rowena nodded eagerly, her hands clasped as if in prayer. “It is, Your Grace. You’ve always said that you think of us maids as companions, rather than servants. And it always makes Mrs. Fisher uncomfortable like that, though I know she likes being so highly esteemed by you too.”
“Well then, please continue to be easy in my company,” Thalia said, moving toward the door. “And do not be uncomfortable, Mrs. Fisher. I have been reacquainted with you for barely an hour, and I sense that you are dear to me.”
The housekeeper blushed furiously, batting away the kind comment with her hand. “Oh, Your Grace… I do hope, with all my heart, that your memory returns.”
It was the first time someone had said it with conviction, no turning away or uneasiness in her eyes or any hint that she was hiding a truth. In that moment, Thalia knew she had at leasttwo people within this manor that she could rely upon, who might make very useful informants if she could convince them to eavesdrop and investigate on her behalf.
“Thank you, Mrs. Fisher,” she said. “Now, if I may, I would love to see this library of mine.”
And then, perhaps, the North tower…
Thalia stood frozen in the doorway of the library, for the room that lay beyond was something out of a dream. Bright and airy, with high ceilings and tall windows that were flanked by heavy velvet drapes, it wasexactlywhat she had always imagined a library should look like.
Rows upon rows of bookcases stretched away, while a mezzanine allowed for even more books. A quaint reading spot existed at the top of the mezzanine stairs while, as well as countless sheltered nooks with comfortable armchairs, and a large writing desk on the lower floor, at the very back of the room.
“You let us borrow whatever we desire,” Rowena said in a quiet, reverent voice.
Mrs. Fisher nodded. “You gave the girls the gift of this, when you taught them to read.”
“I taught them?” Thalia asked, her hand on her heart.
“It began with you reading stories to them of an evening,” Mrs. Fisher explained. “Then, you decided to bring in a tutor, every Wednesday and Saturday afternoon. Anyone who wanted to learn to read and write could, and every maid accepted the offer heartily. Of course, I already knew how, though I have relished the gift of this library with just as much gratitude.”
Rowena stifled a giggle. “Your brother thought you were mad when you told him, but we are all so very glad of it.”
“That is… heartening,” Thalia said, taking a few more steps into the exquisite room.
