"Anna compose yourself!" Martha finally exclaimed as the confusion within her settled. She didn't know if she was upset that Anna's crying wasn't helping with the situation at hand or because of who the tears were meant for.
Edward glared at Martha as he tried to console Anna. He decided it was best to remove her from the hallway in its entirety. Her own mother wasn't going to be of any help anyways; shouldn't she be running to her daughter's aid?
What a witch.
"She's visibly upset, let her cry." Taylor stated as some servants carefully attempted to move Serena into her room so the doctor could tend to her when he arrived. "Besides, we are all startled. There must have been a burglar."
Martha frowned. " A burglar in Greenwich? We hardly experience those."
"Well, we are now." Taylor muttered, a finger on his chin. He didn't know how the burglar managed to slip away so easily or how they even managed to enter the estate. They must have been a guest but who?
"We would need to alert the peelers in London. We need to get to the bottom of this immediately."
Although Martha had shouted at her, Anna couldn't stop the tears from falling. Nonetheless, she tried to make it as silent as possible. She stared at the bright crimson on the polished wooden floors and knowing who it belonged to only caused her heart to ache.
"Let's go Anna." Edward stated as he led her downstairs so she could sit down in the parlor. Dorothy was quickly by her side, using a fan to cool her down whilst Amelia went to fetch a glass of water.
The entire household was shaken by the events which transpired that early morning. The new gossip spreading amongst the servants was how did the burglar enter the house in the first place.
"I believe it was one of the guests." Amelia whispered adamantly to Bella as she gathered the glass of water for Anna.
Bella shushed her, shaking her head. "You can't accuse our guests like that. What if someone heard you?"
Amelia shrugged as she was never one to hold her tongue anyways. "It's the only plausible reason. Greenwich isn't a place known for robberies. Everyone knows everyone. They wouldn't make it far until someone realized."
She turned around after the glass was filled with water.
"Besides, how would they enter this estate without notice when there's the porter living in the gate house by the entrance, stablemen walking around freely and don't forget about the butlers."
Bella pursued her lips because she knew that Amelia was right. "Regardless of that, it isn't our place. Say nothing."
Amelia sighed, wondering if she should listen to Bella's words. She was her sister after all. Bella left to help tend to the blood-soaked floors and Amelia walked back to Anna who had calmed down.
"I know there are terrible people in this world, and I may be naive to say this, but I can't imagine how someone could so something like that." Anna whispered. She mutters a small 'thank you' after she takes the glass of water from Amelia.
"If that's the case I'm scared for what you might see when you are able to step out of these walls freely." Edward stated as he took a seat next to Anna.
She just stared down at her glass, fiddling with it, not feeling thirsty at all. She wanted to know if Serena would be alright and that was all she could think of. To think that if Serena died, all she would remember would be those hurtful words.
Did she really mean all she had said?
✧༺♥༻∞
The morning felt long as Anna hadn't gotten a nick of sleep. Edward had to leave to go back to his own estate since it wasn't proper for an engaged man and woman to live in the same abode. She really wished he could sleep within her family's estate since knowing he was there would at least bring her some form of comfort, but Martha would never allow something of the sort.
She couldn't understand these stupid rules. The estate was huge, it wasn't like they would be sharing the same bed.
Thankfully, Anna had her three girls who ensured to keep her company. Dorothy brushed her hair whilst Amelia and Bella sat on her bed silently. Taylor entered the room and Amelia and Bella immediately sat up from her bed since it didn't look right for a servant to be comfortable in their mistress's bed.
Even if Taylor saw it though, he wasn't as strict as Martha to discipline them for it.
"How are you feeling princess?" He asked somberly, staying by the door as to ensure her privacy. Anna turned in her seat to look at her father and smiled.
"I'm okay." She asked, pausing for a moment's breath and immediately relayed the question that had been bothering her. "How is- How is Ms. Gregory?"
Taylor sighed as he leaned against the wall and folded his arms.
"Doctor Willis was able to close her wounds. She is still unconscious but what is worrying is her increasing temperature. He said there is a possibility she might not make it through to tomorrow unless her fever goes down. A letter was just sent to alert her family of her condition."
He paused, seeing the hope slowly leave his daughter's eyes. "I'm sorry Anna."
Taylor wanted to comfort his daughter but knew that she was already in good hands. He was the man of the house and still had to fulfil his duties. He also couldn't call himself her father if he didn't know she was fond of Ms. Gregory. Unfortunately, he wouldn't have known that this kind of fondness didn't quite entail a friendship.
He closed the door softly and that was when Anna felt a fresh set of tears begin to pour from her eyes as she felt something lodge into her throat, a sob leaving her lips.
"Oh Anna." Dorothy said softly, knowing the true reason to Anna's heart ache unlike her father. They all did and that was why they tried their hardest to comfort her.
Martha was pacing in her room, looking at the returned valuables. She had a good idea of who it might be and with that knowledge brought a panic throughout her. If Serena woke up and that familiar name left her lips, then she was doomed. Everything she had to do to come this far would be for naught. She would be hanged at the gallows for sure.
Serena couldn't wake up. She couldn't! She mustn't!
She started biting her nails, trying to think about what she could do. It was either Serena didn't wake up or she needed to get rid of the culprit.
When Taylor entered the room, he assumed she was anxious because of the burglary itself so he wrapped his arms around her in an embrace to calm her nerves. She jumped a bit as she hadn't expected him to come up behind her but she slowly relaxed.
"There is nothing to be worried about my love. I have it all handled. The peelers should be here before teatime."
She hoped Serena would be dead by then.
"I'm just startled. What if that were you or our daughter?" She brought her hands to rest on his hands. If it were him, she wouldn't have minded that much. She would regain her dowry and she would be the executor of Taylor's estate. It sounded like a dream come through in her greedy fantasies. It would come with time.
She needed to continue with the role of loving wife and mother as long as it took.
When the peelers arrived and a swift investigation was conducted, it was confirmed that it wouldn't have been impossible for a burglar to enter the estate, especially if they were in cahoots with a servant. Everyone could be blamed at this point and only Serena had the answers.
Taylor made sure that Serena was nursed with the best of care by his servants against Martha's secretive dismay. He wouldn't be able to live within himself if one of his business partners had died on his premises.
At this time, infection was very prevalent as antiseptic techniques hadn't been discovered as yet. However, by the grace of God, Serena's wound didn't fester, and she was tucked carefully in her bed to prevent hypothermia but not to cause a further rise in temperature. Meadowsweet and willow bark were given to her frequently and a damp towel was placed on her head interchangeably to release some of the heat in her body.
As time went on, the sun began to set, and Anna was as anxious as ever. The entire household was on edge as the sun disappeared and night befall Greenwich.
It was only when the sun peaked its head again the next day and Doctor Willis returned would the daunting answer be revealed. Taylor had his arms folded and was waiting impatiently for the news. Many of the servants who had worked endlessly the previous day were also impatient for what was going to happen.
When Doctor Willis exited the room and the words left his mouth, a sense of relief watched over everyone.
The lady in the suit had survived the day.
*Peelers - nickname for a police constable who was a member of the first modern professional police force, the Metropolitan Police in London, formed by Sir Robert Peel in 1829.