His Lady in Breeches

XXXI. Unforeseen Departure

Albin knocked on her door that night. She opened it and he immediately stepped away when she appeared before him.

"Fanny says that you must join us for supper," he said, eyes not meeting hers.

She nodded. "Albin," she said as he turned to walk away. "I am sorry. And please, you can act your normal self in front of me."

The footman turned to face her, his brown eyes almost dark in the corridor. "You cannot expect me to do that, not after what I discovered about you." He started to walk away but stopped to whirl on his heels once again. His eyes were accusing. "I have treated you as a friend."

"And I am your friend still!" she said, tearing up. "I do consider you a friend, Albin."

He merely scoffed and walked away. She followed close behind, each step fearful, but she must face the others. She could not stay in her room, can she?

When she appeared in the kitchen with Albin, Molly and Lottie did not look up. Oscar simply ignored her as well. Fanny gestured at the empty chair beside her and Maxine dutifully sat down.

No one offered to give her food so she reached for them herself.

Fanny broke the most awkward silence Maxine had to suffer by saying, "Why are you looking for your mother?"

"Yes, I have been wondering of that as well," Albin said. "If what you said is true and the Theobalds have been naught but good to you, why are you looking for her?"

Lottie scoffed and shook her head. Molly turned her head to wait for Maxine's answer.

Maxine swallowed her food. "Rachel, my stepmother, has been very good to me. She treated me as one of her own, but I have always known that I was not hers."

"You always knew you were a bastard then?" Albin asked with surprise.

Maxine nodded.

"Then why the bloody hell look for a woman who did not want you? Ye have a mother back home!"

Maxine flinched. Yes, why was she looking for the woman who did not want her and ignore the one who had always been there for her?

She could not find the correct words that would adequately answer Albin's question so Maxine chose to silence. She could hardly convince herself that her reason was enough to cause the trouble she did.

"She wants to know what it would have been like if the woman kept her," was Fanny's reply.

Lottie looked up to gaze at Maxine. Molly blinked. Albin fell silent and Oscar continued eating.

Maxine felt a lump in her throat so she simply blinked away the tears and nodded. Fanny had given voice to the many thoughts and questions that even Maxine found hard to explain.

Everyone did not speak again after Fanny said the words and continued eating.

Supper ended not in a jolly one, nor horribly. It ended in a more tolerable way and that was good enough for her.

*****

Two days had passed and yet Maxine was yet to make up her mind. She would be receiving her pay on the morrow and she was considering asking Maxwell to return her ruby necklace to her should she need more townsends for her journey. But asking for it would certainly cause him to suspect that she may be planning to leave.

No, she could not ask him for the necklace. He was too bloody wise not to be suspicious. He had once outwitted her. Well, yes, probably more than once.

It had been a difficult two days for her. None of the staff would talk to her, save for Fanny who tried to be considerate. But that was the woman's nature. Although Maxine knew she was disappointed, even angry, Fanny was still Fanny.