Music Recommendation: Road to Chicago- Thomas Newman
In the morning, when Eve was wearing her shoes she heard Aunt Aubrey ask, "Did the Hookes leave town?"
Eve nodded, "They left yesterday."
"I see," Aunt Aubrey murmured to herself before exhaling the worry she had been holding in, since the Marchioness visit.
Lady Aubrey was glad to hear about it, as having Marchioness' Aurora Hooke had left a troubling anxiousness in her mind. She didn't forget the day when her toes had been mercilessly trampled and crushed, leaving it bleeding, while the other folks attending the soiree hadn't offered to help her. Not even the family for whom she had been serving.
"Does that day still haunt you?" Eve asked her aunt with a slight frown.
Lady Aubrey gave an assuring smile to Eve. She walked to where the younger woman stood and said, "Haunt wouldn't be the right word, but it would be a lie to say her presence around us didn't worry me. I am sorry about your friend, Eve."
Eve returned the smile with her own, and she shook her head, "You didn't do anything. We live in a society where people of high class and low class aren't meant to cross paths, less spend time together as friends."
Eugene stepped out of the kitchen, holding Eve's lunch box that he had packed for her. Walking to where she was, he handed the box to her. He said,
"Miss Eve is right, Lady Aubrey. If you didn't meet that woman before, we would never know what a vile woman she is. It is best to be wary of such people."
Eugene might have brushed off the incident of Rosetta almost biting him, only because she was Miss Eve's friend. But after coming to know Marchioness Hooke was the one to hurt Lady Aubrey, he wanted the Hooke family to stay away from his family. He held a lot of respect for Lady Aubrey and wouldn't stand anyone trying to hurt her or Miss Eve.
On the other hand, Eve held the same feelings as Eugene, but at the same time she held pity towards the young vampiress. It was apparent that Rosetta was spoiled but at the same time naive, unaware of the world she lived.
Eve stepped in front of Aunt Aubrey and kissed her cheek. She said,
"I should get going now. I will be back early." Eve stepped out of the house, carrying her lunch box and umbrella in her hands. When she was near the gate, she called, "Eugene."
"Miss Eve?" Eugene quickly stepped out of the house.
"There's a dress I placed on the bed that needs ironing," she informed and Eugene nodded.
"Consider it done by the time you return," Eugene offered a smile to Eve and watched the young miss smile. "Have a good day, Miss Eve!"
"Thank you, Eugene," Eve had been worried about what to wear for tonight's soiree that Vincent was taking her to, and after a lot of thought, she finally chose a dress that would be suitable.
She walked on the streets, her back straight and her footsteps quick against the ground. On her way she met people she knew, exchanging greetings before going about their way. Some of them couldn't help but pause for a second to look at Genevieve Barlow, unmarried and a governess to one of the pureblooded family's children in Skellington.
On her way, she caught sight of Noah standing next to the local carriage and talking to its coachman. She wondered what he was doing this early in her town. The few regular passengers she was used to travelling in the same carriage, stood near the coachman.
Eve heard Noah say to the coachman, "The guards will send you a notice on when you can resume your job, but until then it would be better to follow the order."
"I am glad that I came to know about it before I took the carriage to another town. Now I can go back home and rest. Though I am not happy about losing the money I would have made today," the coachman complained.
"We are sorry for the inconvenience caused," Noah offered a slight bow, his words polite to the coachman.
The other passengers murmured among themselves about how to travel. While some decided to take the lift from private passing carriages, some went back home and a man continued to stand there.
When Noah turned, his eyes fell on Eve, and a calm smile appeared on his lips. Eve greeted him with a bow and he returned it.
"Good morning, Genevieve."
"Good morning, Noah. Are the local carriages not travelling today?"
She noticed the coachman turn his carriage and drive back to his home.
"The authorities have sent out a notice for the local carriages to not move for the next twenty four hours. That would mean no public transportation until tomorrow," explained Noah, and when Eve continued to look at him in question, he said, "There was a new case, and from the information, they are looking for someone."
"Oh," Eve frowned before she asked, "I hope you will be able to find the person soon."
"Yes," Noah replied to her.
"I heard the council works very slowly," said Eve, and the smile on Noah's face slightly widened.
"Is that so? It was so in the past, but things have improved over the last ten years. We should be able to find the boy soon, unless the one who has kidnapped has hidden him somewhere far," stated Noah. His eyes fell on her umbrella and lunchbox. He asked her, "Do you want me to drop you at Skellington?"
One of the male passengers, who hadn't left, turned to Noah and asked, "Can I ride in your carriage too, Duke Noah? I am heading toward Skellington."
Noah gave the man a nod, "Of course. I would be more than happy to help." He then turned to Eve and asked, "Shall we?"
If Eve didn't have a good friendship with Noah, she would have believed that it would walk the same path of aristocracy the high society held as Rosetta. She stared into his eyes that looked at her in question. After a second, she smiled and nodded, "Okay."
The male passenger turned to Noah, and the Duke said, "Climb in."
The man from Meadow was quick to step into the carriage, taking a comfortable seat and smiling, as this was much better than the local carriage, and he didn't have to pay for the ride.
Noah then turned to Eve and said, "Why don't you give your things to Kieran and he will give it to you once we reach Skellington? It is okay if you don't want to," he added.
Eve looked at her things before raising her arm that carried her lunch box, "Just this one."
Noah's coachman took hold of the lunch box with a bow and put it in a safe place next to the coachman's seat. Eve then stepped inside the carriage, taking the seat, to soon be joined by Noah, while the other man sat on the opposite seat, facing them.
When the carriage started, the male passenger was quick to fall asleep after ten minutes, where Eve and Noah heard the man softly snore.
"How have you been doing, Noah?" Eve asked the Duke, who was looking outside the carriage window before turning to her.
Noah offered her the politest smile he owned and said, "Work has been busy and the rogues haven't made the work easy for us. There has been a series of deaths which has induced fear among people."
"Who has been killing them?" Eve inquired with interest.
"Vampires, werewolves, some even humans. The Council thinks that someone initiated it, and now everyone is trying to get to each other's throat. The nights aren't safe, and it is better to stay in the house with your doors and windows locked," Noah advised her. "Some think it is the work of witches, where they are trying to cause chaos."
"How do you catch witches?" she asked him out of curiosity.
"You need to bait them in the forest. Once they enter the towns, it makes it hard to find them. They never come to light and make use of the humans, who eventually turn into witches too," stated Noah.
Eve wondered how easy it was to blame the council, that they didn't do their job when some things were hard to solve. With big responsibilities came big expectations, and when things failed it only made it that much worse. Her thoughts went back to what Vincent spoke about his past… and she wondered who was to be blamed. The council who didn't arrive on time, the humans who wanted vengeance or the children and Vincent's mother for being born in High society.
Noah said, "I am glad to see that you are doing better."
"I am," answered Eve, and Noah stared into her beautiful blue eyes. "How is Lady Chambers doing?"
Eve didn't bring up any words she had exchanged with Marceline about Noah. Especially after what she heard from Vincent and she didn't want to complicate things in the matter that didn't need her involvement.
"Are you asking about Anaya's mother?" Noah slightly teased her, knowing Eve had forgotten the woman's name. He chuckled before replying, "She has been doing well and is learning more about Woodlock. Thank you for asking about her."
Eve replied with a nod, "That's good to hear." She then glanced at the other man, who continued to snore. She asked, "How long have you known her?"
"We met last Autumn when my family went up North, not too long ago," Noah answered her. He said, "Pardon me if you have heard this question many times before, but did you find anyone suitable to settle down with?"
Eve smiled at Noah's question, "I don't think anyone would like to marry a woman who isn't willing to leave her job." Not to mention, who she was, it wasn't easy.
"There are many who will willingly accept it. I am sure there are plenty of men who will be more than happy to have you next to them," came Noah's sincere words, and he continued, "I know some of them, if you want me to introduce them to you."
"That is very kind of you, but I think it mostly exists as an idea," Eve looked down at her hands that were on her lap before she raised her eyes to him and said, "The world we live in, my primary work is to be dedicated to the house, and secondary doesn't exist. I am just fortunate to have Aunt Aubrey as my aunt."
Noah agreed to Eve's words, and he said, "It is true, but you won't know if you won't try."
Eve out of mere curiosity, asked, "Most of them in Meadow wouldn't take a wife who works out of house? Would you?"
Noah was taken aback for a moment, and he replied, "I would not hold her back."
"Lady Anaya is lucky then," Eve smiled and Noah returned it with his own, without commenting on it. The smile was only polite that didn't reach the Duke's eyes.
When the carriage arrived at Skellington, the man had to be woken up from his sleep, who quickly thanked the Duke after clearing his throat and hopped out of the carriage.
The carriage then pulled near the Moriarty mansion on Eve's request. Eve stood in front of Noah, who had stepped down from the carriage. The coachman had returned her lunchbox and she thanked him.
"I didn't want to bring this up before, but is there something bothering you?" Noah asked her.
Eve's eyebrows knit together, and she asked, "Why do you say that?"
"You seem a little sad or maybe I am just over looking at things," came Noah's calm words.
Eve smiled and said, "It is just some things that I have been thinking about. It will pass."
"I am sure it will," Noah agreed to her words, then watched the woman walk away from where he stood.
Noah's coachman, Kieran, watched the man he worked for and then at the human who walked towards the gates of the Moriarty mansion. He turned to Noah and asked,
"Are you going to marry Lady Anaya, Sire?"
Kieran had been working for Noah for nearly a decade, he had watched the current Duke watch the human from afar. As he worked closely with the man, spending every day and night driving the man around, he knew the man had feelings for the woman, but he never once hinted about it. Being close to him, he cautiously asked,
"Will you never confess to the lady, Sire?" Asked the coachman, while watching the woman disappear inside the Moriarty mansion.
Noah turned and looked at his coachman, "Eavesdropping is a bad habit."
Kieran quickly bowed his head and apologised, "Forgive me."
"There are other things that precedes love. It is subjugative as to what one positions it in terms of the value. Sometimes it is about doing the right thing," saying this, he stepped inside the carriage.
