Allure Of The Night

Hasty morning

Seventeen years later...

An older woman sat in a wooden chair, reading a newspaper that her servant had bought. Her hair was tied up, and wrinkles marred the sides of her downturned eyes. She turned to the next page when she heard the loud footsteps above. But the woman's eyes didn't shift away from the newspaper.

The servant, who was in the kitchen preparing tea, raised his head and stared at the ceiling. The hurried footsteps continued, which was hard to not listen to until something crashed, and the servant's eyes widened.

Even Lady Aubrey, who had been quietly reading her newspaper, closed her eyes and a sigh escaped from her lips, "I wonder what she broke this time. I can only imagine why the families have not hired her."

"She isn't that bad, milady," the servant quietly laughed before his madame gave him a stare, and he cleared his throat.

"I thought with my experience, she would turn into a fine governess. After all she was quick to pick up her learnings and excellent in most of the things. But I didn't know she would excel in being clumsy and break—"

Loud and hurried footsteps didn't stop as they quickly descended the stairs, and a young woman came into view. She almost slipped when she placed her foot on the last stair but quickly caught her balance.

"That was close," murmured the young woman. Stepping on the ground, she bowed in greeting, "Good morning, Aunt Aubrey!"

Lady Aubrey placed her hand on her chest, feeling her heart jump out of her chest. She said, "What have I told you, Eve? Slow and careful steps. The world isn't running away anywhere and where are you going this early in the morning?" The woman asked, noticing the dress that Eve wore.

Eve raised her hand that held a letter, and there was a broad smile on her lips, "I have a calling from one of the families I had applied to be a governess. The letter had somehow been buried in the desk and I saw it only an hour ago."

"That is wonderful news, Lady Eve!" the servant sounded excited.

"Indeed it is. But also shocking that you got a call after what you did to the last family. I can only imagine that they haven't heard about it yet," Lady Aubrey looked at Eve with stern eyes.

Eve looked up at the elderly woman and sheepishly smiled. She replied, "It wasn't m—"

"You poured hot tea on the woman's hand!" Lady Aubrey reminded her. "For heaven's sake, who even does that?"

"It was purely unintentional. In my defense, the woman had her hand stretched too wide and had brought it near me when I picked up the kettle," replied Eve, where even she couldn't believe something like that had happened.

Eve had leaned forward, smoothening her peach dress to remove any possible wrinkles. Now twenty-four years old, she wanted a job to support the woman who had raised her as her niece.

After Lady Aubrey's husband, Mr. Rikard Dawson, had passed away from consumption, the woman tried to live as thriftily as possible with the little money that her husband had left behind. Being a former governess, she had tried to pass all the knowledge she had to Genevieve. Tried because Eve had a hard time walking between the lines.

"Is this Lady Eve's seventh time attending the interview?" the servant inquired.

"Eighth, Eugene," Lady Aubrey murmured and asked Eve, "Can you make sure to not break anything this time?"

Eve nodded solemnly, "Of course! I will be very careful not to break anything or... pour tea on anyone," and Eugene nodded as if the young lady would not do something out of character.