Grace’s povWalking back to the main house felt like a dream come true. A really, really good dream after two months of a nightmare. The other maids swarmed around me, their voices a happy, buzzing hum.“We knew it, Grace, we knew he’d figure it out eventually!”“Did you see Carla’s face? I thought she was gonna faint right away.”“Welcome back, truly. I’m so glad you’re back as it wasn’t the same without your leadership.”I couldn’t hide my excitement as I smiled and thanked them while walking through the halls.To be honest I expected to wake up ans find out that I was in the hayloft with the horses and cows. But instead it didn’t feel like that. With the whole group behind me throwing congratulatory messages at me, all I could do was smile. But I needed my alone time.I turned to the group and smiled at them. “Thank you all so much but I need to have a personal time for myself,” I said to them. “I need to… see my room.”They understood, patting my arms, smiling. “Of course, of c
Zelda’s povStanding in the garden there while the scent of my own roses choked me was not on my list of things to do that day. What was going on? How did we even get here?I stood there in shock while watching my own son embarrass me with his stupid show. Every word he had said to me was a trap and the funny thing was that I had fallen for it. How stupid was I to have fallen for such madness? I turned to my side to see Renee pacing around in rage as she ate her perfectly manicured nails. This was getting to her too. She then looked at me and saw me staring at her as she rushed to me. “Zelda. Zelda. He made a spectacle of her! Of us! What do we even do?”I looked away as I didn’t want to look at her. My eyes were fixed on the scene unfolding. Grace, that simpering, loyal fool, was being swarmed by the other maids. They were patting her shoulders, hugging her. They looked… happy. I was disgusted by the thought of her being happy. What was she happy about? I looked to see Carla on th
Dacre’s povI was in the bath having my hot bath as I relaxed at the steam rising up.This was just what I needed. Nothing more. Just this and I liked it.When I was done, I grabbed my towels and walked out into my room to see my mother pacing around there.“What do you want now?” I asked as she looked at me in fury.“You stupid fool,” she growled. “You think you can counter my orders in my own house? You fire Carla? If you want to play that game, Dacre, you’d better be prepared for war.”“First off, it’s my house,” I corrected her. “You have your house. You should go to that.”I saw her mask slip as she frowned even more, this time with helplessness.“Also, war, mother?” I said, my voice calm. “It didn’t start when I fired Carla. It started the day Katherine disappeared. You just didn’t know you were already in it.”Her eyes narrowed. I could see the calculations going on behind them. She was getting used to me being the frustrated son, the one who moped and punched bags. This calm,
Dacre’s povI looked up and used my towels to clean my forehead.“I asked for the head maid. Not you. Go and call her.”A thin, superior smile touched her lips. It was the same look Renee got when she knew she’d won a point. “I am the head maid now, sir.”The words didn’t register at first. It was so absurd I almost laughed. “What did you just say?”“Madam Zelda and Miss Renee felt a… change in management was necessary. I’ve been appointed head of household staff.” The anger that had been a steady burn in the gym suddenly went ice-cold. What did she mean? So first off Katherine has run away then grace was removed as head maid. Something was definitely going on. “My mother. And Renee.” I said it slowly, letting each word land. “They appointed you. Head maid. In my house.”“It was felt that a fresh perspective was needed,” she said, her chin lifted. “To better align with the family’s future.”“The family’s future,” I repeated, my voice dangerously quiet. I walked slowly towards her
Dacre’s povThe air in the garden was too still. Too heavy. I took the smell in and felt the roses and freshly cut grasses mock me.Staying in the house was a bother for me. I preferred staying in the garden away from my mothers prying eyes.i looked around as I saw that while I had been off commission, my mother had turned this to her domain. With every bush trimmed into submission, every flower bed a riot of color that somehow felt… orderly and wrong.I couldn’t stand the house. The silence in there was worse. It was a silence that screamed of her absence. So I’d come out here, to the white gazebo where the little white flowers were finally starting to bloom. Our spot. Mine and Katherine’s.I sat in the bench as it freaked under my weight. I remembered when we had stayed here during my break and I had enjoyed her company. I had been a terrible lover and I regretted why I had gone ahead to make her life even worse than it already was.It didn’t make sense. None of it. Disappear? With
Dacre’s povThe first thing I noticed was the pain. It wasn’t really strong pain any more, just a dull throb, deep in my chest and left shoulder. The room was too bright. Someone had opened the curtains again. I’d told them not to.Another day then. Sunlight poured over the ludicrously thick rug on the floor. Little motes of dust swam lazily in the beam, making more use of their existences than I was currently doing with mine lying here on the bed being healed.Which is basically a polite way to say “wait, don’t do anything”.Without a knock, the door just opened. Obviously. It’s our house according to her.She was there, against the doorway light showing softly behind her. Her eyes scanned over me like I was a piece of art that had been badly damaged and poorly restored. Disappointment washed right off of her."The financial advisors were here this morning," my mother said, not quite entering the room. Just her head poking through a crack in the door. "I told them to go."I didn't re