The next Sunday, during our day off, I went with Tobias to see Lady Rachel Mondeschein.
We rode a small black carriage, meant for two people sitting across from one another, and I was incredibly close to him. I could see his long eyelashes. They were longer than Eugene's, and darker than the twin's, whose eyelashes were blonde like their hair. I realized I had been with them for so long that I'd began picking up on stuff like that. As well as the fact that Matheus was balding and Mister Kupka was growing a beard.
Today Tobias had dressed up once again, like what he wore to the department store—a formal black suit and matching top hat. It made him look older and even more serious than he already did.
"Are you fine?" Tobias asked, looking at me inspecting at him strangely.
"Uh, yes," I replied quickly, and looked at my hands instead. "Beth is really smart, isn't she?"
After the compromise, Beth gave us the address of Lady Rachel Mondeschein's secret countryside villa. Beth had a great memory and learned fast. She knew piano, German, French, a bit of Latin, and a lot of ballroom dancing. She hated studying those things, though. Which was why she ended up wreaking havoc most of the time. And running away from home.
"I suppose I'm glad she memorized the address." Tobias didn't look all that impressed.
"Yes." I was quiet for a moment before asking the question. "Master Tobias, did it surprise you at all? To hear that Beth was actually—"
"My half-sister?" Tobias looked at me. "You might not believe it, but I could see it. I could see the loneliness in her, and the happy front she put up that was too much like an act. It's people like her I'm most wary of. Maybe it's because it reminds me of Silas." It did? I tried to find another subject.
"She was very different that day we found out about her true identity." I thought back of the day Rhiannon confronted her. "She said she hates Master Elias."
"I can see why." Tobias parted the curtains and peeked out of the window of carriage. "I didn't like it when Father gave Silas more attention too, as a child."
I gawked at him.
"I can't imagine you being jealous."
He turned to me, and suddenly realizing what I blurted out, I pressed myself to the back of my seat in the carriage and wished I could fade into the darkness with my black hat and black coat—also formal to match Tobias.
"I still get jealous, you know." Tobias looked at me.
"Oh? Of what?" He turned back to the window.
"It's a secret." A smile danced on his lips.
With the sunlight streaming in and lighting up parts of his delicate face, he almost looked like he was having fun.
"You can be childish at times, Master Tobias," I said, but I was smiling. This trip might be the last one for both of us. It was full of hope, and both of us were giddy from the excitement.
When the carriage finally arrived at the place, we took another train which lasted an hour before we reached the countryside. There we hitched a ride on a carriage before walking a short distance to a beautiful countryside villa.
It was obviously not just any villa—it was a beautiful gothic house with an exterior of brown walls and roofs, like a huge cottage, but it was more of a mansion. It was scenic too: beautiful ivies crawled up the sides house, and there was a trellis of climbing roses, and the black gates echoed that of the Beardsley manor's. We walked through the gates and then up the stairs, leading to the door.
If I was alone, I knew I would've been scared, but Tobias held his face up the whole time, and he knew what he was doing. After all, he took the lead when we saw Humpty Dumpty, and on a few other trips.
Tobias grabbed the brass handle at the door, carved with a creature's gaping mouth—I wondered why nobles like gargoyles and other intimidating monsters around their house so much—and knocked loudly three times. I stood by his side with my knees threatening to crumble before someone opened the door.
It was a young maid, maybe younger than me—Beth's age?—dressed all in black, with an apron tied around her collar and waist.
"For whom are you looking for?" she asked, voice brisk and also with a familiar accent. She didn't even try to hide how much she didn't want to see us. I looked at Tobias, who replied,
"Lady Rachel Mondeschein."
"There is no one of such name there," the young maid replied quickly, too quickly, that I knew it was an automatic response.
"Tell her it's a Beardsley."
"I told you, there's no one by that name—"
"Then I suppose she doesn't know an Miss Elizabeth Clarke, either?"
"Wait, Master Tobias!" I looked at Tobias, but his face told me he was set on it no matter what. I looked back at the maid. Her brows were furrowed, and she had lost her composure.
"Miss—Miss Elizabeth Clarke? Where is she?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. She sent a message for Lady Rachel Mondeschein, but I suppose we got the wrong house," Tobias said, and then tipped his hat. As he got ready to turn, the maid shouted.
"Wait!" The maid opened the door, although reluctantly. "Come in."
Unstirred by the suddenly different treatment, Tobias walked through the front door with his back perfectly straight and I followed. Then we stopped in the hall.
Standing there was the lady from last time, only dressed more casually. She was in a richly-dyed brown dress with a black shawl draped around her, falling off her shoulders and resting on the bustle of her skirt. She looked at us with cold eyes, different from during the ball.
"I never dreamed that one day a Beardsley will be standing here, in the one house untainted by them."
Her words were piercing, and hurtful. I looked at Tobias's stoic face. If he felt anything, he didn't show it.
"Good evening, Lady Rachel Mondeschein," he said. She only frowned.
"Well, I suppose you don't want to dawdle either—let me show you to the parlor and we can have some of the tea you English love so much. Clara, prepare some Darjeeling."
The maid from before, Clara, nodded, and slipped away. Rachel led the way, and Tobias and I followed suit.
The parlor room was fit for a queen, with renaissance furniture carved out of marble and dark wood, mirrors and portraits with frames of ornamental gold, and sofas of vibrant red velvet.
We sat down stiffly, and faced Rachel.
"I am Tobias Beardsley." She turned to me.
"And that girl is—?" Tobias turned to me and gave a nod. I straightened my back.
"I am Shuyan, a maid in the house of Beardsley."
"Oh, I remember now. I asked you for Elizabeth's whereabouts that day." She didn't seem angry. I relaxed.
Tea was promptly made and brought up, and only when Clara left did Rachel speak again.
"Tell me, why is that girl working in your mansion as a maid?" She must've meant Beth. "Does she not know of the curse of the Beardsleys?"
"I believe she does," Tobias said. Curse? What curse were they talking about?
"Then how can you allow such—such deception and danger? Do you want to cause Lady Judith more distress?" Her voice was a hiss now.
"I wish for Elizabeth Clarke to return to her mother too—not only that, but to bring her mother to the Beardsley manor and see Elias." I couldn't tell whether Tobias was honest or not.
Rachel inhaled sharply.
Her eyes were narrowed, and her lips pressed together. I wondered if she thought we were insane or would help us with our plan. She resumed breathing normally.
"At what cost?"
From the sound of it, she seemed to not mind it, or, if I dared to say, even desire that herself.
"There's no cost." Tobias sipped his tea. "Eugene wants to change the way things are run in Beardsley. You know, don't you, about Eugene?"
"Only faintly." Rachel peered at Tobias. "Say, you're the second son, aren't you? How old are you?"
"I'm twenty-one."
"What about the rest?"
"Silas is the oldest, at twenty-six. Eugene is twenty. Augustin and Valentin are seventeen, Elias twelve, and Olive, eight." Rachel had on a frown.
"I don't care about the others, but why would you want Eugene to be heir when it's apparent you're before him in line of succession?"
"Because he's the only one who has any idea how a normal family is."
"Are you referring to his father, Daniel Beardsley, who broke the Beardsley tradition and married for love?"
Tobias didn't reply. Rachel sighed, and then picked up her cup of tea.
"I don't think such a thing can happen so easily, regardless of how they were raised. Silas is not a man to be messed with. I'm lucky I've managed to stay out of his sight—and mind—as of now."
What did that mean?
"Yes, but we need your help." At that, Rachel placed her cup on the saucer and eyed us suspiciously.
"How?"
"It's simple," Tobias said. "The will, R.M."
Rachel looked frightened.
"You knew?"
"Why else do you think I came?" Tobias had on the face he always wore during chess. "You're the only step we need to achieve our goal. You either give us the will, or you will never see Miss Elizabeth again."
"What?" I jumped up. "Master Tobias, this isn't what we planned!"
"Calm down, Shuyan." Tobias didn't even turn to look at me, still staring at Rachel. "Who is the heir?"
"I've never opened the letter," she whispered.
"Fine, then. You will bring the unopened will to the house at your earliest convenience. I promise Miss Elizabeth will be unharmed and you will see her, but whether or not she goes with you is her choice."
"What? How is that hardly fair—" Rachel argued, but Tobias stood up and grabbed my hand.
"That's the deal. If there's anything else, write to me at the Beardsley manor. Use a pseudonym, so that Silas doesn't see your initials. His spies go through my letters."
"I have to return to Germany for a month," Rachel said, softer. "My husband's one year death anniversary is coming up." The black she wore made sense.
"Then May should be fine, I presume?"
"The end of May, yes."
"Very well." He turned to me, letting go of my hand. "Let's go," he said. We left and received our coat and hats from Clara at the front door.
When I turned back to look, inside the front hall there stood a figure clad in black and brown.
Her eyes were sad and watery, and she clasped her hand over her mouth as she sobbed quietly.
As we walked quietly, our shoes crunching the stone path underneath, I asked,
"What if she doesn't come? There must be a reason why she didn't if the will stayed hidden for so long."
"She will," Tobias replied.
He sounded so confident I didn't dare question it again.