Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 57
In the servants’ hall of Coffret Manor, two women sat across from each other at a table.
Mary and Dana. They were both twenty-eight years old and friends who might become enemies as of today…
“Come on, I said I’m sorry.”
“And you think apologizing makes everything okay? Did you know that the toilets in the annex’s bathrooms broke that day?”
Dana crossed her arms and grumbled.
“I wondered why you were suddenly giving away food. Figures, the high and mighty Mary Swinn wouldn’t give away anything good to someone else…”
“No, this time it really was…”
“Really?”
“…Wasnāt like that.”
Mary trailed off. It felt unfair to be blamed for a gift she hadn’t prepared herself.
‘It was actually a gift from the lady I serve for us to eat!’
…She couldn’t confess that.
Then she’d be caught skimping on the good stuff and boasting a shabby whole wheat cake instead.
‘And that lemon cake… it really was delicious.’
Though she felt wronged by the situation, she had no regrets.
‘I did well to eat the lemon cake alone. Lemons are so expensive, why would I give them away? If it weren’t for the risk of spoilage, I would have eaten both myself. I was generous in my own way.’
Looking back, Miss Cecilia really lacked sense. Giving cake in such sweltering weather, cookies or pies that last longer would have been better.
‘Well anyhow, it tasted fantastic.’
Mary came to her own conclusion, nodding to herself, which made Dana’s face sour.
“It’s my fault for willingly eating what a greedy one has given.”
“What can I do to be forgiven? Help clean the annex bathroom?”
“Forget it. Instead…”
Dana rolled her eyes around.
“Isnāt there a need for a nursery maid?”
“Huh?”
“If there’s a spot, I’ll take it. Recommend me.”
Nursery maids assisted the nannies in caring for the children of the household, a position typically taken by women in their late teens to early twenties. For Dana, an upper maid assigned to the annex, it was a step down.
“Are you serious? What about your annex duties?”
“Actually, I’ve had enough of the annex after this incident. I want to go back to the main house.”
“Um… I’ll mention it to the Madam later.”
Just recommending by word of mouth was easy enough. Mary readily agreed to Dana’s request.
‘I’ll talk to the Madam when she visits the playroom.’
With that thought, a new worry popped into her head.
“Ah… But it might take a while. Itās hard to see the Madam these days.”
“Why? You’re a nanny though.”
A nanny, who directly cared for and educated the children, was usually in close communication with the lady of the house.
If it were any other timeā¦
“You know about the recent commotion. The Madam has been bedridden from the shock, and sheās having trouble moving around.”
Mary sighed deeply.
“Understandable, given what happened to her only son.”
“Really? I donāt know why, but… itās strange.”
At those words, Mary, who had been resting her chin on her hands and looking at the table, lifted her eyes to look at Dana.
“What?”
“She hardly cared for her children.”
“Ah.”
That was true. Before this, Evelyn, the Countess of Lasphilla, had never once shown her face at the cradles of young Caroline and Margaret.
“She was really cold-hearted.”
At Mary’s words, Dana nodded.
“She definitely was indifferent. As a servant, it was nice because she wasn’t demanding.”
“Right. Maybe thatās why Miss Margaret is that way… Could it be that her personality is so awful because of that?”
Mary swallowed the words rising to her lips and instead lifted the corners of her mouth, saying indirectly,
“She must have been very lonely.”
Dana smirked back and checked the time.
“Ah, I have to go.”
“Already?”
“I need to bring medicine to Marchioness Rosencrantz.”
“Aha, the great Marchioness Rosencrantz!”
Mary said with a face full of anger.
“After trying to kill Young Master Nathan, she wants to live? Sheās taking her medicine diligently?”
A scoff came naturally.
“Even so, without the antidote, she’ll just drop dead one of these days.”
