“What’s this?” Hartley asked, giving me a confused, yet still annoyed look, then snatching the letter out of my outstretched hand. I watched as all the confusion evaporated, leaving only sheer annoyance on his face. We might be able to get somewhere now.

DISSOLVE TO:

The Alistair countryside estate’s head butler’s office. A transaction of sorts between a head butler and a footman. 3PL POV.

Henry watched in silence as Mr. Abraham stamped the official seal on the letter he had just finished penning. Although he didn’t speak for the Duke in any official capacity, it was within his right as head butler, to act as the Duke's principal representative and manager of the ducal household.

“In the most ideal situation, you shouldn’t have to use this letter, Henry,” Mr. Abraham said, extending the sealed document. Henry took it but found Mr. Abraham’s hand held tight to the other end. Their eyes met, confusion clear on Henry’s face.

“Because men like Haryley Meyer, who are accustomed to power and revel in its misuse, tend to find ways to strike back when their plans go awry,” Mr. Abraham said flatly, releasing the letter and turning back to the work on his desk. I stared down at the neatly folded letter in my hands. Is something like this really that powerful?

WIPE TO:

The Alistair countryside estate’s stewards office. The end of a meeting about Lady Isadora’s garden restoration. Henry’s POV.

I watched as Hartley’s hands tightened, slightly crumbling the edges of the letter. In a flash, the annoyance was gone. You would never have known he held such a nasty attitude in the first place.

“Aright, Mr. Dorran, against my better judgment, I will make the necessary preparations. These tools will be delivered to the estate workshop first thing in the morning,” Hartley said with a curt smile. Seeing Hartley accept defeat felt good, but it also somehow gave me a foreboding sense of danger. He didn’t seem like the type of man that’d willingly accept losing a battle of wits, but for now, I’ll take what I’m given. Consequences be damned.

“Thank you for your gracious assistance, Mr. Meyer. I shall take my leave,” I said with a deep bow, leaving the man to his own devices. It was time for me to return to the east wing. I needed to update Maisy on the restoration’s progress and see how Anita was faring so far.

--------------

 On my way back to the east wing, I happened upon Anita in the courtyard. She was too far for me to call out to, but close enough to stop back by on my way from meeting with Maisy. However something seemed odd, I stopped in my tracks and strained to see closer. Was she smoking? What a horrid habit for a servant to have. What an expensive habit for a servant to have.

I watched her pace back and forth in the courtyard. Her trembling hands ignited one cigarette after another. Perhaps, I should meet with Anita now–. 

“Henry, just the man I wanted to see,” Maisy said with a smile, half her body hanging out of the vestibule door, she gestured me inside. Having no choice I followed, giving one final glance behind me to the troubled looking Anita.

“The steward notified me of the approved proposal. I must say I’m quite impressed,” She chimed, placing a small ivory box in her apron pocket. Was that a cigarette box?

“I do hope you didn’t intentionally send me on an impossible mission,” I said, trying to keep the dead seriousness out of my tone. She let out a soft laugh before replying.

“Surely you jest, who knew you had such a good sense of humor, Mr. Dorran,” She said. The slightest bit of life flashing behind those big brown eyes.

“I’d gone to find you in the garden, but how convenient it is we’d meet here instead,” She continued. I simply nodded, suddenly wishing to be anywhere else.

“This is a copy of the proposal document, do let me know of any immediate changes. I’ll handle them swiftly,” I said, reaching into my breast pocket and handing her a small folded stack of papers. I was amazed at the speed in which she reviewed them. Looking back up, then giving me a nod.

“Thank you for your efforts today. If you’ve nothing else, you are dismissed. Anita will be handling the meal this evening,” Maisy said, turning to leave with a smile.

I simply nodded as she left the empty vestibule, heading down the corridor towards Lady Isadora’s bedroom. I don’t know why, but the moment she was out of sight, I dashed back out the vestibule door into the courtyard. My frantic search had been in vain, Anita was gone. Only the heavy smell of cigarettes lingered in the air where she had been.

--------------

I patiently waited in Mr. Abraham's office as he thoroughly reviewed my report in silence.

“Thank you, Henry, you may leave,” He said with a satisfied nod of dismissal. I swiftly exited the room and set my sights on my next destination, which I was not particularly looking forward to.

On the short walk back to the steward’s office, I wondered if I’d have an encounter similar to earlier today? I was coming for a completely different reason, so I couldn’t possibly imagine the man holding a silly grudge like that–

“Dorran.” Hartley said, his tone dark and bitter.

Well, maybe I could imagine him holding a grudge.

“Good evening, Mr. Meyer. I’ve come to collect my weekly pay, if you would–,” I started as he slung a medium sack of gold on the desk between us. I stared down at the faded brown sack. That was certainly far more gold than I’d ever seen in my life.

“Mr. Meyer, there seems to be some sort of mistake,” I started. Surely, he wouldn’t be so evil as to try to frame me for embezzlement or something to that effect? Hartley gave me a brief, knowing glance that I couldn’t for the life of me place the meaning. I felt a chill run down my spine and an uncomfortable feeling creep into the pit of my stomach the longer he insisted on looking at me with those stern, beady eyes without a word to follow.

“This is your pay for your work prior to reassignment and your current pay as footman and coachman,” Hartley said.

“This still seems to be a bit excessive–,” I started, before being cut off.

“Mr. Dorran, I will only explain once more. This pay is compensation for the highly sensitive nature of your new assignment and includes back pay for the coachman position. As your value to the Duke's household has increased exponentially due to your proximity to Lady Isadora. Please do not continue to pester me with senseless questions. I am a very busy man and, as you can see, the line for payment is quite long behind you,” He explained, gesturing to the ajar door of servants waiting in line.

Silenced and still in utter shock, I grabbed the weighted brown sack and placed it securely in my breast pocket. I kept my head down as I passed by the line of servants waiting to be paid. I let out an awkward chuckle, I never thought I’d feel the sensation of having enough coin on my person to potentially be the target of a mugging. The humor in itself was short-lived as my mind began to race yet again.

As I made my way home, I couldn’t help but think how I hadn’t even performed any duties as coachman, and barely performed my duties as footman. Did the duke truly care that much for his daughter to go so far as to overpay servants for her safety and our discretion? Or is something else more sinister happening here?

--------------

Advancing on my candlelit abode, I noticed Lyra outside sweeping the stoop.

“Lyra, you shouldn’t be doing things like this at night,” I said, greeting her with a warm embrace, before quickly ushering her out of the cool night time air.

The moment we stepped inside, the smell of vegetable stew and fresh bread overtook me. This was no doubt the veggies she chopped fresh this morning. She didn’t say anything, likely still upset from this morning. Instead, she plated a bowl of soup and placed it in front of me as I sat down at the table.

“I received my pay this evening,” I said, with a sigh. I unwillingly pulled the brown bag from my breast pocket and placed the weighted mass on the table.

“Henry, all this?” She gasped, elatedly. I simply nodded, trying my best not to allow my guilt to contrast her unburdened joy too openly.

“How wonderful this is,” She commented, scooping up the sack and bouncing it between her hands lightly. Each clink making the pit in my stomach grow bigger and bigger. I tried my hardest but I was simply unable to share her happiness, because I knew the true, potentially deadly source of this money. Noticing my less-than-thrilled reaction. Lyra placed the unopened jingling sack back down on the table, before turning to fully look at me.

She leaned over and placed a light kiss on my lips. In turn, I closed my eyes, trying to let the worries of the day leave me. She rested her small hand on my thigh slowly traveling upward. I felt her slide the bowl of soup out of the way, that's when I heard it..

The sound of those damn coins clinking away in that bag. I immediately grabbed her hands and guided her away from me. There was no way I could do this, not right now.

“Henry, what’s wrong?” Lyra asked confusedly, as I stood up, not truly knowing where I was going.

“I just remembered, one of the kitchen staff had caught a bug. Let’s wait a few days, just to be safe. I would hate to see you sick,” I lied. I boldly lied to my wife, as she just nodded and turned her attention back to the kitchen table.

I turned away from her, cursing myself for damn this stupidity. This gorgeous woman wanted to lay with me, and I couldn’t do it, because of the sound of a few coins? You complete idiot, I internally condemned myself as I undressed and readied for the evening. My appetite had completely left me, which most likely had something to do with whatever corruption I’d now found myself a part of. 

I crawled into our bed and closed my eyes, only to have them open to the sound of Lyra pouring the coins out on the kitchen table. The clatter of gold mixed with her giggling laughter was somehow sickening to me. I tried my best to ignore my discomfort, but this money had literally become a barrier between us.

Staring at the wall, my conscience felt assaulted by the faint, rhythmic clatter of Lyra now counting the coins. It felt as though I’d now corrupted the person I was trying to protect. I closed my eyes tightly, this was too shattering a realization to handle in waking hours.