Curse of Rose de Winter

Chapter 37

One dinner when Ruby and I had snuck off to the tea room, Calvin finally joined, as I expected for some time.

"I'm glad you two are becoming friendly with each other, but there's no need to leave the dining table!" he sighed.

Irene carried his meal behind him and soon the coffee table was cramped with our three meals.

"Calvin, leave Blanche and I alone," Ruby pouted.

"I don't mind, really," I said.

"I asked Dylan and Vaughn what happened," Calvin said as he ate.

"What did they say?" I asked.

"Vaughn said nothing, but Dylan looked so pale and his eyes were so dead. I thought he was about to faint on the spot so I stopped pressing on the matter, but if Dylan hurts you I have to do something!"

"No!" I cried, aghast.

"Why?" Calvin asked. "Is he threatening you? Assaulting you? I don't want to doubt my brother but I can't sit idly."

"I don't want you to do that!" I suddenly bawled, and to my surprise I was crying, and Irene who stood by the door rushed in too.

Soon Ruby, Calvin, and Irene were fussing over wiping my tears with their handkerchiefs and holding both my hands.

"Stupid Calvin!" Ruby scolded.

"I said something wrong, it's my fault! I'm so sorry, Blanche!"

"I think of that—that crow, that crow in the nursery rhyme. One white dove, one red sparrow, and one black crow, but the crow was gone. Catch him, catch him, they said, but the crow had died of sorrow."

"What sorrow is it?" Irene asked, but I knew she of all people knew.

"It must be that Dylan is forcing you to marry!" Calvin said.

"Stop talking!" Ruby elbowed him.

"I just want to talk to him again," I said. "Do you hate the girls Auguste helped and gave money to, Ruby, Calvin?"

The two looked at each other.

"I hated that he cared more about young girls than his daughter, but hate the girls? I suppose not."

"Victims," Ruby whispered. "They were bargaining chips."

"Don't say that!" Calvin said, recoiling. "They had happy lives, right? He found them jobs and kept relations good."

"No," Ruby hissed, "they were used."

"Are they dirty?"

"Maybe," Ruby said.

"Definitely," Calvin said.

"I was one of those," Irene said.

"What!" All three of us turned to look at her.

Irene cleared her throat. "Before I found a job as a maid I worked as a secretary for an awful man. I met him again after a while, asking for a job referral, and he said they were hiring maids."

"I thought Hughes took you in!" I said without restraint during the surprise.

"Yes, Hughes took me in but to fool Julie and Gwendoline we said I had came from a family of lady's maids. Quiet idiotic, as then what job did the males in my family have?" Her lips curled up in amusement as Calvin stood up and bowed before her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that you were dirty—I didn't mean it!"

"Me-me too," Ruby stuttered.

"No problem, Mister Calvin, Miss Ruby. Now Blanche, stop crying and talk to Master Dylan. You're such a child, honestly."