The House of Beardsley

Chapter Nine

I sneaked through the servants quarters before going downstairs to the hallway of the masters' bedrooms, trying to be as quiet and discreet as possible. I had taken off my white apron and was only in my black dress. I hoped that made me blend in with the dark a bit more. If anything happened, I'll use the same excuse and say I was looking for something I lost.

As my lantern wobbled and casted strange shadows on the walls and staircase, I felt myself grow gooseflesh. The wind outside also sounded especially loud.

I walked to Master Tobias's room, and when I was there, I knocked on his door.

The door opened, to my surprise—I was expecting a reply allowing me to enter the room—and then there was Master Tobias standing there in the dim room, only illuminated by a lonely set of yellow candles on his desk.

"Come in."

I didn't know how to feel that the whole situation was so disgraceful: a maid sneaking into a master's room in the middle of the night; an unmarried young girl and unmarried man together in a room in secret at night; breaking the first rule of the House of Beardsley.

"Come in, don't be scared." His tone was a bit gentler as he spoke now. He turned around to me, and looked at me.

He was calm and unbothered by the whole situation. His androgynous face was lax, his back straight, still dressed in a black vest and pants, not in his nightclothes yet.

He wasn't even prepared for bed, nor thinking about it.

He was ready for business.

I stepped into the room, then shakily closed the door behind me.

"Now that you're here, I want to ask—can you play chess?"

"Pardon me?" Was he simply going to ask me for a chess match? "Yes, but I don't think I'm very good at it."

He swept his hand towards the chair on his left, where a small chess table was. On it were two armies of black and white facing each other, eerily faceless despite the impending doom.

"Sit."

I nodded, held my head downcast and then walked to the table. I placed the lantern down by the floor carefully and tucked in my skirt before sitting down. The whole duration of it I was shaking, but I had already came so far.

Without any notice, Tobias sat across from me, crossed his legs, and then gestured for me to go.

"I'm not sure about playing chess in the night, in your room at night, sir—" I tried to say, but was cut off.

"I will tell you about the third, and most important thing." I frowned. "There's no harm in playing a game while speaking, is there?" At that, I became silent. I moved a pawn obediently. It was heavier than I thought.

"Do you know about the current situation of the household?" Master Tobias asked as we began playing.

"Situation?"

"Such as the matter of the inheritance."

"Oh." I thought about the talk we had downstairs, during introductions. "I only know that it is unsettled, sir."

"Yes, that's what everyone thinks."

I rose my head from the chessboard and looked at him, bewildered. He looked up too, meeting my eyes.

"I want to warn you beforehand—once you hear about it, you can probably never leave this cursed household until the situation is resolved. Which might be never."

My expression must've changed, because he brings his face closer.

"It's your choice—but I can't warn you that staying ignorant whilst being in this household is any better, neither."