The House of Beardsley

Chapter Twenty-one

Even after the chaotic morning, we went on to do our work as usual, and Master Eugene ate breakfast in his room. He turned to me when I entered.

"Good morning, Miss Shuyan."

Our greeting was almost a routine at that point. However, it wasn't a good morning at all. The skies were grey, and guessing from the humidity it might rain later. Heavily, too.

"Good morning, Master Eugene," I replied anyway.

"This morning was terrible, wasn't it?"

"I didn't get woken up until later, so I was fine," I said, "but it's a pity what happened to the windows, and also the fright they gave the children. Mister Silas and Master Tobias even had to go outside to talk to them."

"Ah, yes." He looked mournful. "I didn't get wakened up because I'm a deep sleeper, but everyone else was rushing about. The twins did well to keep everything under control. They've really grown." He smiled proudly, as though he had raised them up himself.

After I finished changing his sheets and he was back in bed, I mustered some courage to ask him the question.

"Master Eugene—can I ask you something completely unrelated?" He frowned, but nodded. "How did you really injure your legs?"

He looked surprised, but not as much as I thought. It even looked a bit like—like he was expecting it.

"I see," he simply said, voice calm and a small, helpless smile on his lips. "So you found out. You're a sharp one." I didn't know how to react to the compliment.

"Thank you?"

"Then Miss Shuyan, can I also ask you something in return?"

"Yes?"

"Did Tobias ask you to protect me, or something of that sort?"

I must've showed it on my face, because he did the little chuckle he always does again.

"I see. That Tobias—he's the same as always."

"What exactly is your relationship with Master Tobias?" I blurted out.

"Our relationship? Brothers, I suppose?"

"No, that's not it," I explained. Was he really that dense? "Master Tobias has a strange respect for you—he once said that if there was a fire he would rescue anything you wanted. He was also really worried for you last time that time you fell."

"Ah, you mean that."

"Yes." I clenched at my skirts. "And—and when I went to Mister Kupka to ask about how your legs got injured, he told me I could ask you—or Master Tobias."

Eugene looked at his lap.

"Hmm. Maybe you should have a talk with him, then."

Then another thought struck me.

"Do you know about our conversations?"

"Do you mean you and Tobias?" Blushing, I nodded. "No, I only guessed, because he tried the same thing with Rudy."

"What?"

He winked. "I turned him down, though. I have Matheus, and Tobias never relies on Rudy for anything. I think it makes him a bit sad. If you can, try to rely on him."

"Yes, I will try to." I was about to turn and leave when I remembered something again and whipped back to face him. "Um, the thing is, Master Tobias tells Mister Kupka about our conversations. Do you—" I bit my lips, suddenly too scared to ask.