A rich gentleman sat in his study looking exhausted. His eyes showed he had been working all morning, but his posture remained straight and the air around him remained firm, as though he was determined to finish the work in front of him.
He watched as guard after guard brought in different people; from men to women. He listened to them haphazardly. None of them said anything of interest until one of them said something he had been hoping to hear.
“They said something about diamonds on the Townsdale land. The man even said how the other be to go get them,”
The gentleman looked up sharply at the man before him, who looked half-drunk and covered in soot.
“Where did you hear this?” he asked the drunk.
“In a corner in the city. They be talk quietly, but they don't know I be awake. The clean boy give Barney a gold coin for the diamonds. But he want to know also how to get in,”
“Who were they?” the gentleman asked.
“I been drunk so, I never see them face. But the man smell clean and the other smell bad and say his name be Barney. This be what you been want, right? So the money...” the man kneeling said excitedly. The gentleman slapped the table in frustration.
“Money? You just said one person is called Barney. How are my to find one Barney in the entire capital that could be full of Barneys?” the gentleman asked and the drunk seemed to visibly see his ten gold coins fly out the window.
“No, no. The Barney be say something about The Nayl street blacksmith's third son. The Barney man be say, that be the person who see the Mclears crest on them carts. That be good right? The gold....?” the drunk had not finished talking when a rope wrapped his throat, choking him till he moved no more.
The gentleman looked up at his brother who had just choked the drunk and threw him a cloth to wipe his hands.
“Tam, this is good. We must send people out there to check this information,” the gentleman said, one could see his eyes brighten.
“Calm down, Lionel. As good progress this may be, there is still much to be done,” Tam said.
They did not notice the little feet that ran away on the other side of the wall. A little girl sneaked away to the back of the house, then into a room. Though the room was tucked away at the back of the house, it was well furnished. Before a vanity sat a beautiful woman putting on light make-up. Her skin flushed and made her ginger hair seem as though set on fire. She turned as she heard the door open. Seeing it was her maid that rushed in, she sighed in relief.
“What? Anything?” she asked the little maid.
“Madame, it's like I said in the morning. Someone be run away with the master's money. Even now, the young masters are finding someone who know something,” the little maid said.
The woman breathed in heavily. This was good information. If she plays it right, it might help. Though she was just a mistress in the Mclears household, she was not like the others. Not only the master came to visit her, but the young masters as well. Sometimes they came and she served them all at the same time. She held a special position that the lady of the house hated. No matter what she did, none of the masters would let the lady drive her away or mistreat her.
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
She nodded her head. She was very satisfied with her little maid. Though she was given a little uneducated slave girl as a maid, she knew she was not a noblewoman who could only be served by a maid educated with her from birth. Still, she was very protective of this little maid of hers. She always hid her any time the masters came, so that they did not develop any ideas about her. The little girl was quite smart and knew to keep an eye on anything that happened in the household. She had seen as all the family went into the master's study in the morning and knew she had to listen to tell her mistress.
“And? Did they find anything?” the madam asked.
“Some man say there be a person, Barney and that the Nayl street blacksmith's third son be see the family crest. I think they be find this Barney on Nayl street soon,”
“Good girl. I know the lady does not want any of the mistresses to go out but is the secret passage still blocked?” the madam asked the little girl.
“No,” the maid shook her head. The madam immediately got up and put on a coat and veil that hid her face partially, a common accessory for women who wished to be unseen.
“You, stay out of the way till I am back. Let no one see you, okay?” the madam made her way around the mansion as she had always done, till she was outside walking the street. She paid a coach to take her toward the west city. Arriving at her destination, she got off and stared ahead at the mansion before her. She made her way through the servant’s door and whispered to a servant nearby and the servant ran off and returned fast. She was led to a study inside the decorated mansion and before her, stood the Lady Steinhouse. The lady had too much make-up on, yet she still looked alluring. She curtsied to Lady Steinhouse.
“Do you have it?” Lady Steinhouse asked.
“Yes. I know where it is. I will have it in your hands soon,” the madam reassured.
“Soon does not mean now. You know what would happen if I don't have this in my hands right?” Lady Steinhouse frowned.
She did not like this madam. She slept her way to her position in the Mclears mansion, but she was useful. Those leaching Mclears men loved this kind of woman. As long as she found what she wanted, it mattered not how many men she slept with.
“I know, I promise. They pay no attention to it. Now more than ever,” the madam said.
“Why now more than ever?” Lady Steinhouse asked.
“My lady, some sort of trouble has befallen the Mclears. But to tell you this, you must promise when all is done, you will help my son and myself resettle somewhere in the countryside,” the madam bargained.
“Do you think you have any right to bargain with me?” Lady Steinhouse asked, her face falling even further. The madam knew this lady was capable. To come to her title and be widowed so soon and still hold it five years after the husband's death, is not something most young women of her age would have been able to do.
“It's a big one, my lady. I promise you will not regret knowing this,” the madam assured.
“Fine then, I promise. Something as little as this; is a simple matter to accomplish,”
“My lady, the Mclears have lost royal gold,” the madam said and Lady Steinhouse sat up. Confirming that she had gotten the lady's attention, the madam continued.
“The queen gave the Mr Mclears gold from the royal treasury to keep safe and he put it with some of his money in the Townsdale land and just yesterday, someone stole every single coin they own. They have no money. Today, they held a meeting saying they should do nothing and keep it silent. They are trying to find the culprit. I heard they already have a suspect,” the madam said. Lady Steinhouse smiled viciously.
She knew her uncle, the king, hated that queen of his. There was no way he would let her touch a copper in the royal treasury. If not for the woman before her, she would have laughed out in joy.
That vicious queen has been trying to steal her uncle's power; this was a chance to get rid of her once and for all.