𝐓.𝐇.𝐄

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟗

My tears stop falling down. It's like they have vaporized in the air. I open my eyes and with my right hand I itch my skin a couple of times, knowing that soon I will wake up.

But nothing happens. I don't see the carpet fading away, just my arm skin getting redder and redder because of the itches.

"Avelyn Lothbrok, did you hear me?"

I raise my head, coming face to face with the person I hoped I wouldn't see. "Ehm.. could you - could you repeat, please?" I say weakly.

He furrows his eyebrows and curls his nose, "you know I don't like repeating things, don't you?" Leaning forward me, he continues, "I said that you will be my maid."

I tilt my head slightly, "didn't you ask me?"

"Oh, so you heard me." I slap myself mentally. Of course I heard him, I just wanted to have the confirmation that I really heard what I thought I heard.

"Your maid?" I ask, bewildered.

"No, my wife. Of course my maid!" He rages.

I would have get scared if It was in another moment, but right now all I feel is confusion.

"Why?" I suddenly ask.

"Because I need a maid." He answers as if it was obvious.

"No, I mean why aren't you.. killing me?"

Now he is the one thrown into confusion. "Killing you." He says, almost chuckling. He is deeply trying not to burst into a laugh and maintaining his serious expression.

"Yes! Because of the book!" His eyes shine suddenly.

"Oh, the book." A piercing laugh leaves his lips.

He gets up and starts walking back and fourth in front of me. "I knew from the beginning you were behind that book" I  widen my eyes "and I let you think you were smart enough not to be seen."

I gasp, "so.. so you were the one who spied on J - me?" I correct myself right away. If he doesn't know about Jonathan being part of it, it's better not to put him in danger.

"Spy?" He laughs coldly, "do you think I would waste my time spying on some meddlers?" He exclaims.

Oh, so he does know about Jonathan too, and he wasn't the one overhearing us. "Then how... How did you...?"

He turns around, facing me, and from his furious eyes I regret having asked it.

"I do command here and I do know everything! I cannot be fooled, Avelyn! Nor by you, nor by anyone." He affirms eagerly.

Silence floods the room at his words. Questions over questions are haunting my mind, but I fear he will truly kill me if I say a word.

"So, let's get back to where we were." He says calmly, as if he hasn't just lost his temper. "From now on, you will work for me."

I recompose myself, moving my hair behind my ears, "may I ask why?"

"My personal maid, Mary Cuthbert, has now reached a certain age and she needs some help and someone to take her place." He explains, giving now his back at me, gazing at the garden from the huge window.

It was him the black figure I saw that day while I was planting the roses.

I shake my head.

"Mary Cuthbert? I have never heard about her." I mutter. If she is a maid, why wasn't she in our same building?

"For the same reason you have never heard about me." He points out, but his words confuse me more.

Why have I never heard about him? Why nobody dares talking about him? Why did he choose me and not Lucy or Claire or, better, Anne to be his maid?