𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧- 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝

Chapter six

Peter Quint.
The translucent man hadn't gave me a name but i knew in that moment it could have only been him.
Miles still had his hands clasped tightly on my shoulders and it sent shivers down my spine, he was so intriguing, he was awful to me despite me not doing anything to upset him; showing how entitled he was.
"What happened to the last laundry maid?" I asked, the question coming out more timidly than i had intended. Miles leaned down, pressing his lips to my ear, "She grew...entitled."

I moved my head to the left, turning to look at his own face. "Entitled to what?" I asked, his fingers gripping tighter on my shoulders. He glanced down to my left hand, noticing the bruise on my wrist from the night before when he grabbed me and wouldn't let me go. He lifted my hand and pressed the bruise to his lips, kissing softly, then biting. I yelped, banging against the wall.
"She thought she had some sort of ownership over me, needless to say i didn't feel for her as she felt for me."
"So then what? She left?"
He smiled and shook his head. "No, she simply got demoted to house maid, although we still have our little escapades, just not frequent enough for her to catch any hope i have lingering feelings".
"Max..." I said, the realisation hitting me.
He smirked and nodded, releasing his grip on me.

"Why didn't you like her back?" I asked quietly, my head facing the ground.
"Love is pointless, it's temporary and painful."
"So you did love her?"
He looked at me, shocked and almost... disgusted.
"Briefly, perhaps, but it was soon snuffed out." He replied, i was shocked, i hadn't expected him to open up to me. "Why?" I asked, and i was certainly pushing the limits. His gaze snapped to the ground and he hit his lip hard, "You ask a lot of questions for a laundry maid."

I took a step away from his, fiddling with my hands anxiously, "Peter Quint, who is he? What does he want, is he,"
Miles cut me off, "Quint died. Three years back now." I gasped, my hand covering my mouth as i tried not to cry from shock or horror i wasn't quite sure. "So how did i see him, i saw him in the garden, he even spoke to me!" I yelped. I hadn't ever been so perplexed in my life. He chuckled, face quickly snapping back to cold and empty.
"He's a scoundrel in death as he was in life."

I stared back up at this boy, he was only seventeen as i had learned earlier today, seventeen with the most angelic face; truly so pretty, yet the words that left his mouth were always so crude. He made me feel a way i was certain i had never felt before, and i didn't understand it in the slightest. It perhaps may have been fear; but i was intrigued by him all the same despite the way he made my heart beat unruly.
I wanted to be around him although it was completely illogical as he had expressed his dislike towards myself.

I looked back at his bed, sheets messy; it was much too early to be sleeping. I looked back at him and noticed his hair was more unruly than normal, his cheeks slightly redder. His eyes were glossy and he was biting his lip, hands pressed against his bed as he leaned backwards, eyeing me sceptically.
Max had been here, not too long ago. I realised again that my mind had wandered from the wild epiphany of the supernatural being present at the Fairchild manor to something as trivial as Miles possibly sleeping with a maid.

"You told me not to trust Max. Why?" I asked, holding back a stutter. "She's deceiving you."
Right, like i'd believe him. Max was the only person who had shown genuine kindness and interest in me since my arrival at the Fairchild manor, Miles had been by far the harshest and rudest. "Yeah i bet she is, just like you're deceiving her? You sleep with her knowing she loves you." I snapped, grabbing the laundry basket and walking to his door.

"She knows i don't love her, that's not deceit."
He spoke under his breath as i left the room, closing his door rather loudly. How on earth could somebody as lovely as Max fall in love with someone as cruel as Miles? It was beyond my understanding- so far he had no redeemable qualities. I left to the laundry room and began scrubbing Miles' jumper, the red one with the blood stain. I knew it would be a bother to remove. It wouldn't budge, no matter how much soap i used.
I gave up after a while and ironed a few of Floras' dresses.

"You were in the young masters room for an awful long time today." A voice came, it was Max, i realised quite quickly. I turned and saw her, only a nightgown on as she leaned by the door, her red hair pulled into a ponytail. I smiled at her but she didn't return the favour, "I was just collecting laundry,"
"Don't give me that bollocks, i'm not stupid like the governess."
I didn't know what she meant by that, i hadn't really met the governess properly. I couldn't exactly explain we were talking about the ghost of Peter Quint so i was slightly stumped, awkwardly smiling. "Have I done something?" I asked timidly, taking Floras dress from the iron and hanging it up.
Max smiled and tilted her head to the side,
"Miles is mine, Eden, i must not have made that clear." She announced. I nearly chocked, i didn't quite know what to say, my smile had disappeared and i stood sort of dead pan looking at her.

"What are you talking about?"
It was Miles, he was behind Max. He must have heard us talking and came down the stairs without either of us noticing. Max whipped her head around to him, beginning to speak but he cut her off, "Do you not understand how absurd it is for you to be making such ludicrous claims?"
Max stuttered a half formed sentence and Miles walked past her into the laundry room, he was still only wearing his shirt and shorts and i had to make a conscious effort to not look at his thighs which were tight against the fabric. Max laughed half heartedly to try lighten the situation but Miles did not, turning to me and raising his eyebrows,
"Do you understand what i meant now, Miss Smith?"

I did. I nodded and bit my lip nervously, my fingers fiddling with my apron. I suddenly felt insecure about my appearance. Max had long auburn hair that sometimes seemed naturally wavy, it fell to just above her hips. Her lips her perfectly pink and her cheeks always a natural peach, she had beautiful blue eyes that always seemed to sparkle. I was quite plain in comparison; my hair fell to the small of my back and was always in unruly curls that only frizzed when i tried to brush out, my eyes a dark brown. Why did this matter? goodness. where was my mind.

"Go to the maids chambers." He commanded Max, authority in his words. She stood upright, frowning,
"But,"
He cut her off, "No. I don't think you quite comprehend that i have no interest in you Maxine. You were fun to entertain for a while but now... i'm bored." I was quite shaken at the coldness of his tone, he clearly had no concern for her feelings.
The girls eyes teared up as she stuttered out, "You love me,"
Miles shook his head and softly whispered, i only heard it ever so slightly, "I never did. I never told you i did, you assume things Maxine."

She sobbed, that must have been her breaking point and she turned and ran to the maids quarters- Mrs.Grose had allowed me and my grandmother our own room beside the laundry room due to my grandmothers fatigue and age- Miles walked back to me and placed a hand rather tenderly on my cheek. "You should sleep, i hope you'll take into account that i have ended my relationship with Maxine, whatever value that may have to you."