The February rain did not give way for days so I kept putting off writing the letter and everyone had begun to speculate about the master's plans.

"I dare say we should not leave Stanley Hall as soon as expected," Mr. Eugene talked.

"No we shall not, the master has not said one word of dispensing with the extra help and the house is nearly done," Mr. Bert pointed out as we sat for breakfast.

"What a marvelous new year is this turning out to be," Mrs. Hall rejoiced.

"I'd hold my horses if I were you Mrs. Hall, who says his intentions are not to sell the place?"

"Sell his inheritance? Are you out of your mind Gertie?" Mrs. Hall got mad.

"No but he is and we all know it," Gertie responded and Mr. Bert also disliked the comment.

"Oh Gertie if the master catches you," Mrs. Hall reprimanded her and then the master appeared at the kitchen.

"If I catch Gertie doing what? What is it this time that you will scandalize the staff with Gertie?" The master asked and everyone got up from their chairs. "I swear Gertie if you had not given me so many treats as a kid you would be out of work for there is no one who can put up with your temperament as we do."

"Well then what treat will you want today?" Gertie said and everyone laughed.

"Truffles, I shall have truffles, and Mr. Eugene you will go to the cottage to pick up my things bring them here to the tower on the east. You may take one of the staff with you for help, Mrs. Hall order this for me today and oh Mr. Bert tell the stable boy to saddle a horse I will go for a ride." He said and everyone stood around looking at the master as if no orders had been given, "have you all gone deaf or shall I do everything myself?"

"No sir, we will take care of it," Mrs. Hall got the list and he went off.

"Well, well, I better go buy what I need for the truffles before it rains," Gertie joked.

"I would ask Mr. Bert but then who will tend to the master? And the new servants will have no idea what to pack," Mr. Eugene deliberated.

"You'll have to take Ms. Johnson, she is the only one of us who can go." Gertie was having fun since Mr. Eugene was sure to detest the idea of traveling with an unmarried girl.

"Gertie I cannot possibly..."

"I know but you will have to," they talked when Ms. Johnson walked in the argument, "what other choice do you have?"

"Ugh, Ms. Johnson go pack we are going to the cottage, separately of course, you go on the first train and I will go a day later."

"Excuse me Mr. Eugene?"

"You will go first and start packing up the master's things, if you want to take a servant with you so be it. When I get there I will want a list of everything that is to be moved here, the master wishes his things to come to the tower on the east." Mr. Eugene ordered and I was glad Mr. Howard had not told him to take me, imagine a whole trip of Mr. Eugene telling me how incompetent I am?

"Yes Mr. Eugene," Ms. Johnson did not even finish her breakfast before going up to pack.

"There crisis averted," Mr. Eugene said, he was a man who would not compromise his morals not a centimeter if it was within the possible, everything had its form and he knew them so well it could drive even a rule follower like me to insanity.

"And well I guess I better go post this then," Mrs. Hall held it in her hand and since I had not written my letter yet I could not ask her to post it. "But will you and Mr. Bert be alright alone with the master? Oh God I just realized it has been ages since I worried if the servants were enough, how odd" she smiled.

"We will be fine Mrs. Hall," I said since Mr. Bert had gone to tell the stable boy about Mr. Howard's plans.

"Good, good, I will join Gertie and see you soon, anything you want from town?"

"No thank you."

"What about your letter?"

"We have had such bad weather I thought I'd wait to write."

"Well then while we are away go write it and do the library windows, I was told they were not done properly by one of the new staff."

"Yes Mrs. Hall."

"Oh and ask the laundry lady to do everything inside of the master's closet not just his dirty clothes please, I feel like he might need it."

"Yes Mrs. Hall," then she left in a hurry to go into town with Gertie as I got the ingredients needed to wash the windows of the library.

From the library you could see the master on the horse; he took off in a glance riding across the hint of green which announced Spring was almost here and then he went towards the sea like he'd been tasked with something important. Window by window a faint glow of sun came after such a long winter and reflected in to the library when they were all washed. On a desk there was the ink on top of it and all I needed was paper, I opened the drawers to look for it and found Howard's crest on a seal for letters. Ignoring and opening another drawer I found paper and under it many old calling cards, invitations and letters all directed to the Earl of Bridgeston, probably for his father. Then beyond myself I began to go through the mass of letters to find anyone with the initials L.H. to kill this curiosity before it killed me, still not a trace of the woman corresponding L.H. so I moved on to my letter.

"Dear Mother and Daniel," I began the letter and wrote of how the country did have fine air, but I had not been to town yet and wished they were alright. The letter concluded with some embellishment to not worry mother or Daniel and a renewed sentiment of father's bible being a great console to me with the distance. 

The master came back from riding and asked for tea in the library, I would guess he had been to the library many times since his room was covered by books. His statuesque likeness stood by the windows reading intently when tea arrived and I quietly poured it to leave him be.

"Miss Stewart where are you going?"

"Back to the kitchen Mr. Howard."

"And your letter?"

"I just wrote it sir."

"Good, you did well with the windows, one could draw at night if they wished to."

"Thank you sir."

"Did you look around the books while you were here?"

"Of course not sir," I replied right away thinking of what might have been moved by mistake like the night I first served him.

"It's no cause for offense, look read this and see how well it is written," he gave it to me and I read it out loud.

"The broken heart. You think you will die, but you just keep living, day after day after terrible day. What sad story is this?" It was a rather gloomy phrase to be reading so I gave it back to him seeing no cause for praise.

"Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, I rather like the bloke, besides the happy endings I enjoy the rest of the book."

"I see sir," only a man like Mr. Howard could say he liked a book but not its happy endings.

"Do you?" He asked the question looking over at my face with a voice very committed on getting a good response. Then I remembered my mother's dutiful spirit and took this second to dig deeper in my own conscience to give him a satisfactory answer by searching him out as he had done so many times to me.

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No part, character, names, plot, setting, conflict or resolution, point of view, theme or symbolism of this story may be replicated.

Copyright: All Rights Reserved to A. Sena Gomes.