His Wet Nurse

A path for the enemy (48)

"Welcome back, master, how was your trip?" Madame asked in utter admiration of her cousin. He was finally back home after a week in Moscow. Aside from the under-eye bag, there was no sign of exhaustion on his handsome face.

He gave her a tight smile as he searched around for Otis. "The usual." He turned around to see his driver hurrying toward him with his briefcase and a travel bag he'd just offloaded from the trunk. "Otis, I think I left a brown envelope back in the car, I'm not certain where exactly but you have to look around, bring it to my office, would you?" He didn't wait for Otis's quick response before he strode to his home office, Madame right behind him.

She fished for the key to the door from the bunch of keys in her hand and finally, when she let the door open, a fresh leafy scent engulfed him.

"I put that in your office since you love herbs so much, isn't it nice?... the scent?" She gestured at a humidifier on his neatly laid desk.

Theodore tugged at his tie, loosening that and a few buttons on his white shirt. He groaned and flopped on the soft office chair. For a moment, he didn't say a word, rather he observed, watched around, and finally huffed a breath and asked. "How have things been lately?"

Her radiant smile caused wrinkles to form at the corners of her eyes. "Things have been much more peaceful than they were in the past. I think you'd love the serenity as well,"

"Hmmm," he mumbled, his finger grazing absentmindedly on the smooth surface of the table. "What of baby Sam? How is he adjusting to all of this?"

"Very strongly and unperturbed. Nurse Lilian has been there throughout so it doesn't seem like a big issue." Madame had assured. "Master," she called softly when he didn't respond but he barely looked up. "Did you think my findings were false? That they were somehow made up?"

"Why would you ask that?" He looked up with curious eyes.

"Your countenance tells me you don't believe Jema is guilty of anything. Of conniving with Fiona to get intel on the ongoings of the mansion and paying her a huge sum from the money she laundered alongside her late husband. Goodness! Fiona confessed to all of this already, even if Jema has repeatedly denied it. It was her all along. Someone who could kill her husband for money would do anything! Absolutely anything and anyone!" She paused to catch her breath as the topic itself only seemed to rile her up. She disliked the thought of it even.

"I'm only taken aback by the truth, not that I doubt it. I must commend you for your efforts Madame. Your support is unsurmountable and I'll keep that in mind." It was the first time Madame felt the depths of his gratitude in his eyes. He looked at her now with admiration, with a heart full of thanks and it was all she needed to pat herself on the back for doing the right thing.

"I'll have Martha prepare dinner and run you a bath."
Theodore nodded.

Behind the door, a trembling Otis stood against a wall not very far from the slightly cracked office door and eavesdropped on every one of their conversations. He put a hand to his heavy chest at the truths he'd uncovered. Fiona, his dear Fiona wasn't just missing, his employers knew her whereabouts and what she'd done. The brown envelope slipped from his fingers but he didn't care to pick it up as he made his way back to his quarters.

Madame seemed to finally understand the reason why Martha had been acting strangely toward her. She'd refused to look her in the eyes, she'd responded to her questions with responses unworthy to be called one. And it didn't go past her that she'd been making all the dishes Jema loved even when she knew Jema was out of sight.

"You have to stop with your childish attitude someday Martha! It's gone on for long, I understand your frustration with losing a gossip partner but this is how things were meant to be in the first place."

The rattling of utensils paused and for a brief moment, Martha shut her eyes, breathed a heavy one then spun around to glare maliciously at the Madame. "Gossip partner? Jema was more than that to me and you know it!"

"Right, but still__"

"There's absolutely no justification for what you did to her Madame, you know Jema is innocent, you know she's healthy in every aspect!"

"You have no idea what you're saying,"

"I do! I've been with her as much as you have and I can speak for her. It's way beyond that isn't it?" She moved closer to where Madame sat. "This... whole silent battle between you two only gained momentum after she got with the master right?... You don't think she's right for him, you don't think it's proper for an employee to cross the line."

"She should've known her place!" Madame snapped.

"And you should've minded your business!" Martha snapped back.

"How dare you?" Madame Evana sat up with blazing fury in her eyes, it would've fazed her in the past but today Martha cared little about respecting her. "She's influenced you too, I see,"

"She's done nothing wrong, you're so over your head with Jema that you can't see how it's turning you, you're not the respected woman I used to know. You had a dream, a good, healthy dream for us, for baby Sam and I admired you for that. I respected you for it but it seems to me you've derailed, you're chasing shadows and I can't understand your obsession with who your cousin is or should be with!"

A finger pointed dramatically at the marble table as Madame emphasized her words. "If not for some good old days, Martha, I'd have had your contract terminated! You do not speak to me in that manner. I have worked my entire life guarding this home, a last wish from Edgar as he slipped away, but I made a mistake, one tiny little mistake," she made a sign with her thumb and index finger closing in. "That little negligible mistake amounted to something so dangerous that if not tended to, I'd have betrayed my promise to my uncle, to his mother, and myself! You wouldn't understand where such loyalty comes from because you don't have one."

Both women stared at each other for a long while, breathing and glaring in silence, each wondering why the other had picked sides or wasn't seeing the truth.
Martha knew Jema was innocent, Madame knew Jema was out to ruin her plans and no matter how much she'd tried to, Jema was uncontrollable. She was going to win Theodore over, have him do her bidding as much of him as she could control, and probably inherit the mansion when he was gone.

A woman who killed her child was capable of killing her husband and doing it again. A greedy woman from nowhere, desperate for more could go to any length. And so Madame knew that pattern very well, it was hers back then with her rich lovers.

She'd played the innocent bride, sulked up to them, played the damsel in distress that even the most hardened men fell for it— but Pierre hadn't fallen for her charade. She barely came out alive and she had Theodore to thank for that.

It took her a moment to realize Martha still stood before her in anger. "Sometimes, we think we've got it all figured out, we think we can wield things to favor us and as such we seek control. We push, nudge and orchestrate, only to end up clearing a path for the enemy. I hope it's the same for you Madame." And then she was gone.

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