The Fourth Mistress - Chapter 53

Music Recommendation: Endymion- Ursine Vulpine

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Lady Viola sat in the drawing-room chair, squeezing her hands with each other for assurance, while her eyes looked slightly unfocused. After being nearly killed, she was mentally shaken, and now and then, her eyes moved to look at the painting that had the painting of her husband, her son and the girl who had tried to kill her.

Louise noticed Lady Viola staring at the painting. She asked, “Can you tell me how she died? Did you all kill her?”

Lady Viola pursed her lips as if this secret that had died over the last three years had come back with horror and revenge. “If I answer your question, you will misunderstand what happened.”

“Tell me then,” Louise urged the older woman, and the woman’s eyes shifted from the painting to look at her. To Louise, it was clear that the Reed’s were involved in the murder and that until today, Lady Viola had forgotten about it.

“To understand what and why it happened, I will have to take you back to the things that started almost seventeen or eighteen years ago,” said Lady Viola with a serious look on her face. She then began to explain, “As you know, before we came to live here, we used to live in the manor located in Warlington. We had a happy, respectable family with a name and status that has been upheld since Graham’s grandfather established the business of dealing with the best quality of woods. We have tried to do the best since then… and until now I used to wonder who eyed my family with evil eyes. But, now I know. It was that girl…”

Eighteen years ago…

A young boy walked in the corridor of a manor, leaving the guests behind, who had gathered themselves outside the manor. Though many boys of his age wore short pants, he wore a long one that reached his ankle because of the family he hailed from. His black hair was neatly parted to the side, and his shoes were polished.

He walked through the corridors, wandering in the halls of the manor that belonged to his father’s friend, who had invited them along with the other guests. Young Graham started to explore the manor when he found a little girl, maybe who was two years younger than him standing in one of the rooms, trying to reach for an object placed on the shelf.

The girl had her black hair tied into two braids, fringes that rested on her forehead. Unlike many other guests, who wore clothes made of silk and the highest quality of material, Graham noticed this girl wore dull clothes.

The little girl jumped, trying to reach for a small ceramic ball. The young boy, who was taller than her, entered the room and came to stand behind her.

Young Graham said, “Let me get that for you.” But even though his voice was polite, it startled the girl.

Her hand had only touched the ball, and hearing the sudden voice, she ended up pushing it, and the ball fell on the ground, breaking into pieces. The girl gasped in shock on seeing the broken pieces on the ground. The brim of her eyes quickly started to fill in tears.

“Don’t you know that you aren’t supposed to touch other people’s things when you are in their house?” questioned the boy, pursing his lips. When his eyes fell on the girl, he noticed a tear slip out from her eyes and rolled down her cheek.

“Mama is going to be angry at me,” the girl whispered with trembling lips.

“It will be fine. You can let your mother know that it was an accident. You don’t have to cry about it,” said the boy, but the girl shook her head.

The little girl bent down, starting to pick up the pieces from the floor to clean the mess that she had made. But her action only made things worse, as, in the process, she cut the skin on her finger. A gasp escaped her lips, and young Graham noticed drops of blood slide from her finger.

The young boy’s hand caught hold of the girl’s hand, and he said, “You shouldn’t touch that! You will only hurt your delicate hands. Let it be, the maids will clean it.”

He dragged the girl out of the room, and after taking her to another room, he made her sit on the chair. Looking around the room, he said, “I don’t know where the first aid box is.” Pulling out his handkerchief from his pocket, he wrapped it around her small finger. “What is your name?” he asked her. “I am Graham Reed.”

“Emily Saltonstall,” the girl introduced herself. A little shy, she didn’t meet his gaze and looked down at her hand.

The boy nodded his head even though he had never seen or heard about the family name before. Noticing the little girl eyeing the door as if someone was going to barge into the room any moment, he said,

“Are you scared that you are going to get scolded for breaking the ball?” On seeing the girl nod her head, he said, “I am sure they wouldn’t mind it. It isn’t like you did it on purpose. Does your hand feel better?”

“Thank you,” said Emily with her small voice while clutching onto her hands.

They sat there in silence for the next two minutes, then Graham asked, “What were you doing there? Were you bored?”

Emily stared into Graham’s olive-green eyes, “Mama is busy. You can go back…” her voice trailed.

To this, Graham said, “I didn’t want to come to the manor, but my mother wanted to introduce me to some of the guests who have come here. They are busy too. I came here looking for some books to read. Do you want to come with me and find the library room?”

“Library?” questioned the girl, looking at the boy who came and stood in front of her.

“Yes,” answered the boy. “It is better to do something than simply sit.” He started to walk towards the door and turned back and asked, “Are you coming?”

The little girl got up from where she was sitting until now and followed Graham outside the room, searching for the library. Asking one of the servants, the two children made their way to the small library room of the manor. After Graham pulled out a book, ready to sit and read, he noticed Emily standing next to him without a book in her hand.

“Don’t you want to pick up a book to read?” questioned young Graham.

Little Emily looked embarrassed, her cheeks slightly turning pink, and she said, “I can’t.”

Hearing this, Graham frowned, and he said, “Which book do you want to read? I will pull it out for you,” his words already showing the kind of gentleman he was shaping into.

At first, Emily didn’t meet Graham’s eyes, but then she finally looked at him and said, “I-I don’t know how to read or write.”

Young Graham stared at Emily for a few seconds and then said, “Did your parents refuse to provide you an education?”

Though many families were offering education to the girls, some families still felt something like education was unnecessary for a girl who was going to marry and eventually look after her family.

Little Emily vigorously shook her head and then replied, “They can’t.”

It finally dawned on the boy’s mind that her family couldn’t afford the expenses of giving education. The girl went back to staring at the ground while Graham stared at her. After a few seconds, he asked her, “Do you want to learn how to read and write?”

This brought a surprised expression on the little girl’s face, her head turning back to meet his eyes, “You will?”

Graham nodded his head, “I think it is important to learn the basic things, which might one day in the future turn useful for you. The least, girls should know the minimum things.”

And like that, whenever Graham and Emily ended up visiting the same soirees, Graham taught the girl how to write, which was mainly unbeknownst to Reed’s while they continued to mingle with the guests.

The two children had become comfortable in each other’s company. The little girl said with a smile, “You have beautiful handwriting, Graham.”

“I think I can still make it better. My governess is still making me practice it. In time you will also learn how to write beautifully,” stated Graham, while holding the quill in his hand. The little girl shook her head, “No?”

“No,” whispered Emily, a shy smile appeared on her lips, and she said, “I want to write like you.”

“I don’t think that is possible,” the boy laughed, which brought a quick frown on the girl’s face. “Ms. Deborah says that it is very rare for two handwritings to be identical. You know what is the trick with the words here for ‘y’, ‘g’ and others like that? It is to flick your quill once you want to close the curve.”

He showed it to her while writing it on one of the papers they had found in the room. And the little girl copied his style of handwriting.

“You got the ‘y’ right,” Graham applauded her, and Emily beamed in a smile.

But soon, Viola Reed, looking for her son, appeared at the front of the room, catching her son sitting on the floor of the room with the small girl, whose mother was often seen next to different men in every soiree.

“Graham!” Lady Viola’s voice was stern and loud, which startled both the children, and Graham quickly lifted his head and saw his mother at the room entrance. “What are you doing here, instead of being with your father?” Her eyes fell on the girl, who looked back and forth between her and her son.

“Yes, mother,” the boy obediently answered, and he turned to little Emily, “I will see you later. Don’t forget to practise.”

When Graham offered her a smile, Emily returned it with the same enthusiasm. She saw him stand up and make his way to where his mother was. When her eyes met Lady Viola’s eyes, the older woman looked at her with sharp eyes before leaving the room with her son.

Emily continued to sit in the room, writing exactly how Graham had written in the paper, trying to mimic it and when her handwriting started to look similar to Graham’s writing, she smiled at it.

After some time, her mother, Marlow Saltonstall, appeared in the room.

“What are you doing here, child?”

On hearing her mother’s voice, Emily quickly picked up all the papers and placed it on the table along with the ink and quill. Marlow Saltonstall wore a dress that was of less value compared to the other women’s dresses, but it didn’t fade her beauty. She entered the room, walking to where her daughter stood.

Emily looked up at her mother with a sliver of fear and worry in her eyes. “Hm, papers and quills, when did you start learning these things? I thought I made it clear what you are supposed to be doing while we are here.”

The little girl gulped when her mother placed her hand on the side of her cheek. “M-mama, Graham said he wanted to teach me… I-I-”

“Sshh, you don’t have to be scared, Emily. Graham? Reed’s boy?” questioned her mother, and the little girl nodded her head. “I see. Looks like you made a good friend, stay as his friend. It is good to get acquainted with wealthy families.”

When Emily’s eyes fell on the entrance of the room, Lady Marlow turned and saw it was one of the guests, a woman who had eavesdropped on their conversation. “Do you know where the powder room is?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t. But you might find it through one of the maids,” answered Lady Marlow.

“Oh, I apologize. I thought you were one,” the woman laughed, bringing her hand in front of her lips as if she had made an error.

Lady Marlow politely smiled and responded, “That’s fine. I am sure you will find a maid on your way,” she offered a small nod, but the woman didn’t return it and instead walked away from there.

Emily moved closer to her mother, looking up at her, and she received a smile. “We should get back home. The soiree is almost about to end.”

“Yes, mama,” replied the small girl.

Offering polite bows to the owner of the manor, who had invited them in here, Emily and her mother left the manor not in the carriage but by walking as their family weren’t in the position to have one. When they reached the theatre where Emily’s mother worked, the woman changed her clothes to the regular ones before returning home.

Getting back home, Emily sat at the table, helping her mother peel the vegetables’ skin.

When her father returned from the coal mining work, he was covered in sweat and dirt. “Papa!” The two girls in the house ran up to him, and he lifted both the children in his arms.

“How are my girls doing?” asked Dariel Saltonstall.

“Good,” replied Emily and her sister said, “Sad.”

“Why are you sad, dear? Is it because you have missed me?” the man laughed before dropping them back on their feet.

Emily’s younger sister said, “I don’t like being away from mama and you.”

The man turned to look at his wife. There was a question in his eyes as to what their younger daughter meant. Marlow instructed her elder daughter, “Emily, why don’t you take you and your sister to your room.”

Emily caught hold of her little sister’s hand, watching her mother’s expression on her face as if she was caught doing something she was not supposed to do. By the time she had reached the room door, and she closed the door, she heard a sharp sound of slap that echoed outside the room.

And soon she heard the sound of a crash and her father yelling at her mother. “With whom are you sleeping with?! Every single time!”

Emily heard a muffled sound of her mother’s voice as if she was crying in pain. When she slightly opened the door, she caught sight of her father holding the back of her mother’s head. Her mother was trying not to scream in pain.

“Why do you do this to me, Marlow?!”

“I want to help! I am only accompanying them and nothing more than that-” her mother was pushed on the hard ground. Her father went to her mother, bending down and catching hold of her hair and pulling it, making her mother wince in pain.

“Lies! How many did you sleep with? Answer me!” her father looked enraged, and it scared Emily and her mother, who was out with him now.

“I swear I did not-ah! I would never do that. I am just trying to get some money. I did not do anything, please believe me!” the woman broke down in tears.

“Last time, I forgave you, but you did this again behind my back. I don’t need that sinned money!” When Emily went to open the door, her father turned and sternly said, “Close the door!” Emily quickly shut the door and heard the sound of more crashing outside, and she went to hug her little sister.

That night the family didn’t have dinner together as Mr. Saltonstall left the house after dealing with his wife. When her mother had called her and her sister for dinner, she saw the food was placed on the table.

Her mother hiccuped, trying to control her tears while she sat in the corner of the room, her face turned towards the window with a bruised face.

The money that Mr. Saltonstall used to bring home wasn’t enough to make ends meet and to give a better future for both the little girls, in her husband’s absence, Marlow Saltonstall accompanied other men as a companion. The woman knew it wasn’t the right path, not right in the eyes of society, but the very same society couldn’t help the family from their misery and poverty.

“Mama?” Emily came to stand next to her mother, and when her mother turned. Emily noticed the bruises on her mother’s beautiful face. “Are you not eating with us?”

Marlow wiped the tears, turning to her daughter with a smile, she said, “I am not hungry right now, dear. I will have it later with your father. Why don’t you go back and finish your food,” she placed her hand on her daughter’s shoulder.

Days passed, and when Mr. Saltonstall went to work in the mines, Lady Marlow started to go to the soirees back with her elder daughter to build connections and make money. During that time, whenever Emily and Graham had found each other, they spent time together.

“Tomorrow we are going to have a family portrait in the manor,” said young Graham to her.

“Portrait?” little Emily asked him curiously.

The boy nodded his head and then said, “Like the ones you saw in this manor’s hall which has people in it. We do it every time when everyone gathers around. To keep memories. You have never gotten one done?” he asked her.

“No,” came the small voice of the girl, shaking her head. “No painting.”

Graham nodded his head before proposing, “Would you like to come and get it done? I can ask grandma and you can see your painting.”

Emily’s eyes widened, and she asked him in surprise, “Really?”

“Yes,” answered Graham, offering her a smile that looked less guarded and friendlier compared to the previous times they had met. “It is okay if you don’t want to.”

“I want to,” the girl replied quickly, a sweet smile formed on her lips, and she asked, “Are others coming too?”

“Others? My relatives, yes,” answered young Graham, but Emily shook her head.

“Your friends,” she asked him, and he pursed his lips and shook his head because he didn’t have any. But Emily took it special, that it was only her who was being invited to be part of the portrait.

When Emily’s mother found out about this, she was somewhere worried as it was a family painting. But the young boy, Graham, had convinced his grandmother by saying Emily was his only friend, and his grandmother, who spoke to Marlow to bring her daughter to the manor the next day, to be part of the family portrait.

But the next day, when Marlow took Emily to Reed’s manor, Lady Viola had a displeased look on her face by the presence of the little girl and the woman inside her manor. With her mother-in-law, who was the one to invite the little girl, there was very little that she could do.

Marlow Saltonstall didn’t join the family, and she stood at the side, watching her daughter sitting next to the boy, where she was dressed in better clothes. The woman wondered if this was where her daughter would get to live comfortably.

While the painting was done, Emily turned to look at Graham, who hadn’t moved an inch and was quietly sitting and then her eyes met her mother’s eyes.

Even though her mother was made to stand in the corner and away from the rest, Emily saw her mother smiling at her.

Nearly a year passed, when one night after Emily and her sister had gone to bed, she was woken up by her father’s loud voice in the hall. Stepping out of her bed, she opened the door, and through the gap, she saw her father throw the table aside in sheer anger while her mother stood there without moving away but flinching at the crash.

Her father walked to where her mother stood, his hand wrapping around her jaw while he demanded, “Why do you do this to me?! People are calling you names, yet, you insist on degrading not just, but even mine!”

The woman stood there with her face scrunched in pain, while not making an effort to escape from her husband’s grasp. She looked him in the eyes, and asked, “Why can’t you believe me when I said I didn’t sleep with anyone?”

He looked infuriated by her words, “Do you think the money you earn is enough? That it will give our daughter the future they need?”

In anger, Mr. Saltonstall pushed his wife against the wall, “Do you think you are giving them a better future? Do you know the things people are talking about you right now! You are even ruining their names! Not only are people bad mouthing you, but they are laughing at me. They say you are teaching our daughters unethical things, to seduce men! If I knew you were like this, I would have never married you!”

Emily’s mother whimpered at her husband’s words, and she looked at him. She pleaded, “Why won’t you believe me even once? Doesn’t my word mean nothing to you?”

“You are pathetic, Marlow. Whenever I look at your face, I feel disgusted,” spat her father. “I don’t want to see you anymore.”

And though Mr. Saltonstall had said the words in the heat of the argument and didn’t want her to be gone, the same evening, they found Marlow Saltonstall’s body hanging in the room, with a noose around her neck.