Chapter 69: With the tall trees
A bitter savor rushed up the back of her throat as Arabella speechlessly gaped in the direction Edna and the other maids had taken.
"I honestly don’t know why the Master decided to do that, but it’s not all bad," Ada’s next words hitched in her throat when Arabella’s dour eyes snapped onto her, "I meant to say, Edna’s vile treatment of you and others as well is what landed her in these waters. You certainly did not cause it to happen," frantic, the maid did her best to appease Arabella.
It only took seconds for the young woman’s expression to mellow, her traits forsaking the stern outlook for an apologetic one, "I am sorry, Ada, I didn’t mean to worry you,"
"Oh! No, no, no! It’s alright! It’s all alright," Ada nodded her head while smiling, "Let us see the gardens then,"
Once outside in the open, Arabella broke the silence that had settled between them, "Has... Edna always been this way? Her behavior, I mean,"
"Well, it’s a bit hard for me to say," Ada’s features returned a little grimace, "She was a blood provider for the Master before your arrival. She still worked as a maid but enjoyed a few perks that the rest of us did not," she slowly shook her head while speaking, "Her tasks, for instance, were always on the lighter side and they weren’t that many. Besides the head maid, the rest of us did not have the chance to spend that much around her and on the few occasions we did meet, she was not awful per se but never the most pleasant either,"
"I see," eyes on the gray pathway they followed, Arabella had muttered in a subdued tone, "But do you think she’d be capable of...," she trailed off, never allowing the rest of her question out.
"Capable of what?" Ada leaned her head a little forward in an attempt to meet Arabella’s downcast gaze.
"Look who’s finally decided to come visit?"