The following day, more snow covered in and around the town of Berkshire. Eve's clothes and other belongings she had brought with her were packed in the trunk and her bag. Someone knocked on the room's door, and when Eve raised her head, she noticed it was Lady Aubrey and Lady Paloma.
"How unfortunate that you are leaving this soon, Eve. I was hoping to celebrate your birthday as well as Christmas with you. Are you sure you cannot stay a little longer?" Asked Lady Paloma, who held a jar of biscuits that she had prepared early this morning. She handed it to Eve.
"I am sorry for leaving this soon, Lady Paloma. Maybe next time I will come visit you sooner than this time," Eve assured the woman, who offered her a smile.
"Maybe better. Come with the news of a husband, eh?" Lady Paloma, who didn't have daughters, had treated Eve as one of her own. Similar to how Lady Aubrey had loved and cared for her over all these years.
"I will see what I can do," Eve placed the jar of biscuits in her bag.
"Or maybe better we should come visit you in Meadow. Now that Mr. Lowe's health is all better, it sounds like a good vacation," Lady Paloma suggested, and Eve turned pale at the thought of the Lowe's coming to Meadow after what happened.
Lady Aubrey placed her hand on her friend's arm and said, "You don't have to take such trouble, Paloma. I will be staying here with you at Berkshire. Maybe Eve can come here to take me back to Meadow. Isn't that right, Eve?"
Eve gave a nod, "Yes." The house servant carried her trunk and bag out of the room, while Lady Paloma went to see where her husband was.
"Stay safe, both Eugene and you," Lady Aubrey cautioned Eve. She hugged the young woman, gently rubbing her back and keeping her there for a couple of minutes. Eve was nothing less to her daughter, and hearing what happened a week ago worried her, knowing things like this rarely got better.
When Lady Aubrey pulled away from their embrace, Eve apologised, "I am sorry for leaving this early."
But the older woman shook her head, "I am sure there are important things to attend to, like teaching a small vampiress, who I heard has formed an attachment with you." She held Eve's face by placing it on the side of her cheek before bringing her hand to her side.
Lady Aubrey had seen the sadness in Eve's eyes since she arrived at Berkshire. Though she smiled, it never reached her eyes, as if forcing to appear happy when she wasn't. But it was only last night and today that the mermaid's eyes had been ridden with sadness. The older woman could only guess the reason behind it was the pureblooded vampire who had come to visit them last night.
Eve and Vincent Moriarty seemed to share a comfortable space with each other, where Lady Aubrey had noticed the smile and glare between them this morning during breakfast. She trusted the vampire enough to keep Eve safe during her absence, as he had done until now.
"Mm, Vincent said that he told Allie that I am on vacation and will be back to teach her soon," Eve replied. Lady Aubrey gave her a nod, wondering if Eve even noticed how she had effortlessly used the vampire's name without addressing him formally. It made her question if there was or if there could be something more between them.
"It seems like the Moriarty family know the value of their governess and wouldn't want to lose you," Lady Aubrey stated and Eve agreed with a smile. She said, "If there's anything, write to me, and I will return as soon as possible."
Eve was glad to have caring people like Lady Aubrey in her life. She knew she would be dead if it weren't for Lady Aubrey and Eugene.
"Yes, Aunt Aubrey. I will write to you if there's a pressing matter," Eve replied.
"Eve!"
It was Theophilus at the door, who had a look of disbelief on his face with the news that he had received a moment ago about Eve leaving Berkshire as he had gone out in the morning. Eve said,
"I will be going back to Meadow, Theo."
Theophilus asked her, "So soon? I thought you were going to stay here for a few more weeks."
"My work calls me, and I need to be there for it," Eve replied to him. "We can go out again the next time I am here."
The young man had been eagerly waiting for her reply on pins and needles, for it only to inflate him.
Lady Aubrey patted the young man's back and said, "It seems like Theo is going to miss his sister."
Theophilus shook his head while Eve cleared her throat at the awkwardness. Hearing the sound of the carriage wheels outside the house, she turned to look at the window and said, "It seems like the carriage is here." Lady Aubrey dropped her hand from Theophilus's back and walked out of the room with Eve, talking about the house, while the young man followed them like a lost child.
Mr. and Mrs. Lowe, Lady Aubrey and Theophilus came to see Eve off in the carriage that was now parked in the carriage. When Eve started to walk near the carriage, Theophilus quickly caught up to her and stopped her,
"Eve, about yesterday's—"
"Theo," Eve stopped before he would say more and said, "I am sorry but I cannot return your feelings. I am not the person for you."
"Do you already have someone you like?" He asked her, and Vincent, who stood next to the carriage door, stared at them.
"Yes," Eve replied and offered a smile, "Take care of yourself."
Turning around, she walked to where Mr. Briggs bowed at her and she returned it.
"It is good to see you, Ms. Barlow," the coachman said to her, while he tied her trunk and bag behind the carriage. Vincent watched Eve and the people she was close to.
"Me too, Mr. Briggs," Eve replied to the man.
Lady Paloma leaned towards Lady Aubrey and whispered, "The carriage looks as good as the King and Queens, doesn't it, Aubrey?"
"It's because Mr. Moriarty is a pureblooded vampire," said Mr. Lowe, after hearing the words of his wife.
Eve turned to look at everyone and waved her hand, "Please take care of your health, Mr. Lowe."
"Oh, I will, dear!" Mr. Lowe replied before waving at her. He bowed to Vincent, "It was a pleasure to have you with us, Mr. Moriarty. Please feel free to visit our home again."
"Certainly," Vincent replied and then said to Eve, "Shall we?"
Eve turned to meet everyone's eyes before it fell on Lady Aubrey, who gave her a nod and gave her an encouraging smile. Turning to the already opened carriage door, she pulled the front of her dress, ready to place her foot inside the carriage, when Vincent offered his hand for her to use to get inside the carriage.
Her eyes fell on his palm before it met his eyes that stared at her.
While Mr. and Mrs. Lowe were busy admiring the beautiful carriages and the four black horses tied in front of it, it was Lady Aubrey and Theophilus, who noticed Eve placing her hand in the vampire's hand. But that wasn't all.
They noticed the way Vincent's fingers clasped on her hand longer than the required time, as Eve took a second longer before getting inside the carriage. A slight smile appeared on Lady Aubrey's lips. So that was how it was, the older woman thought, and waved at Eve when the carriage pulled away from there.
While on one side, Vincent and Eve left Berkshire, on the other side in the Moriarty mansion, a displeased Lady Annalise remarked,
"How many days has it been since Allie's governess hasn't come to the mansion?" A little leniency and the human had decided to take leave from her work, Lady Annalise thought, her lips setting in a thin line.
Marceline spread her fingers, staring at its back and said, "Maybe she quit." She knew exactly what had happened to her little sister's precious governess. The human had been humiliated in the town and she had run away. Allie, who stood next to her mother, turned sad at her sister's words. "This is how all the humans are, Allie. You should never believe them, because one day they will break your heart."
Lady Annalise sighed and said, "I will wait for a few more days and then have Alfie look for another governess."
Marceline's mood had turned good, happy that the lowly human governess wasn't going to show her face in the mansion again. But she didn't know that the way she had kicked Eve out of Meadow, it was soon going to backfire.
