Ch.17: Surprise Present

Word quickly spread among the Arvis staff that Leyla, the girl that Mr. Remmer was taking care of, had been invited to a party in the mansion. Upon hearing about it, most reacted at first with disbelief, and then with sympathy for poor Leyla. Those of the staff who had been working at Arvis for a long time all knew that Lady Claudine treated Leyla like she was her puppy.

"This is just between you and me, but I don't know why nobles are so mean," said Chef Mona. As soon as she heard the news, she had run over to Bill's cottage to tell him about it. She was still panting.

Bill, who had been taking a break in the shade to escape the midday heat, was shocked when he heard the news.

"They claim to be considerate," Mona continued, "but think how daunting a situation like that would be for Leyla."

"Leyla wouldn't be daunted by a party," Bill replied. "She just has to show up, mingle for a bit, and come back home."

"Oh, Bill. You don't know what you're talking about. Why are men so clueless?!"

Feeling Mona's glare, Bill scratched the back of his neck and stubbed out his cigarette.

I think we should teach them a lesson," Mona said.

"Hub? What do you mean by that?"

You know what I mean, Bill. Let's send Leyla to the party dressed up so lavishly that it'll knock those noblewomen down a peg or two."

"But, is that really necess”

“Come on, Bill. What did you expect her to wear? Her school uniform?"

What would be wrong with that? Bill wondered, taken aback by Mona's passionate intensity.

Mona clicked her tongue and shook her head, saying, "Look, Bill. After all these years, don't you think you should know how to take care of your daughter?"

"What do you mean, my daughter? She's not my daughter. I'm still thinking about where to send her..."

"Sure you are. You'll be thinking about it on her wedding day, you'll be thinking about it when you hold her first child, you'll even still be thinking about it when you're lying in your coffin."

"What's this talk about marriage? She's just a girl! You're talking nonsense."

Seeing that Bill was getting angry, Mona spoke in a softer tone. "You say she's not your daughter, and yet you react like this? I really don't get you, Bill."

"If you're going to persist with this silly talk, you can leave."

"Come on, let's buy her a pretty dress, Bill. As a sort of surprise gift. Girls love dresses-think how happy she'll be!” In a commanding tone, she added, "Leyla isn't the type to ask for a dress, and you're certainly not the type to take the initiative and buy one for her, so I'm going to have to step in and help,"

"How are you going to help...?"

"You just give me the money, and I'll take care of the rest."

"Fine, have it your way," he grumbled. He then went into the cottage and came out with his moncy bag. He kept all his savings at home because he didn't trust banks.

Mona made sure to get enough money not only for a dress, but for shoes as well.

Just then, Leyla came back from attending to the goat pen. Bill and Mona quickly hid the money and feigned innocence.

Leyla offered Mona a cup of tea, but Mona refused and left the cottage. Meanwhile, Bill quietly sat on top of his money bag to hide it.

"Was Chef Mona nagging to you about me again? I know she hasn't seen me climbing any trees lately, so what's she upset about this time?" Leyla asked as she sat in the chair next to Bill's.
"Don't worry, it's nothing like that," Bill replied before awkwardly clearing his throat a relighting his cigarette.

Leyla smiled. "Well I'm glad." She took off her hat and ant deeper in the chair.

Leyla had been wearing the straw hat Bill had given her practically every day this summer. It delighted Bill every time he saw her in it. It occurred to her that it would likely delight him far more to see her in a pretty dress he had paid for, so he felt no resentment towards Mona for insisting that he give her the money for it. "Leyla," he suddenly said.

Leyla turned to look at him.

"What are you going to do? About the party at the mansion, I mean.”

“I'm just going to stop by and say hello, then leave. The Ettmans were also invited, so I'm going to go with Kyle."

"Really? I guess that loafer is finally returning the favor after all the food he's eaten here." Bill was very relieved to hear that Kyle would be attending the party. Even though he was always feigning resentment towards him, he actually trusted him deeply. "There must be something you need, though, right? A dress to wear, something like that?"

"I'm fine, Uncle Bill," Leyla replied, laughing quietly. It was the same gentle laugh that she had been making since she was young, and it always made Bill feel slightly uncomfortable.

"You're fine? What are you going to wear, your school uniform?"

"That's not a bad idea," she replied, giggling playfully.

Seeing how carefree she was made Bill feel uncertain. Am I really clueless about how to take care of my daughter? "No" he muttered in surprise at the thought. What am I thinking? He shook his head. She's not my daughter.

Leyla was looking at him with a puzzled expression.

Bill felt even more uncomfortable when he noticed the glittering frames of her glasses. He was well aware of how she tried to avoid causing him any trouble or doing anything that would make her indebted to him. He understood these feelings and even sympathized with them to some degree. But he didn't know how to express this to her. Anything he tried to say came out sounding too blunt and gruff.

In any case, this made him all the more grateful that Mona had taken it upon herself to help him do such a kind thing for Leyla, even if Mona could be a bit overbearing.

He gathered his courage and tried talking to Leyla again. "Leyla... It sure is hot today." Once again he was unsuccessful in sharing his feelings. Feeling embarrassed at his needless comment, he cleared his throat.

Laughing tenderly, Leyla reached over and grasped his hand on his chair's armrest.

Gosh, I was trying to comfort her, and now she's comforting me instead, Bill thought. He looked down at her little hand and felt slightly abashed, but he didn't shake it off.

Leyla smiled at him warmly, though he didn't know why.

Goodness, what a pretty smile she has.

Leyla woke up from a very sound sleep. The sun had only just begun to rise, and her room was still filled with inky darkness.

Lying motionless in bed, she slowly locked around, taking in everything in the room-the familiar renting; the cream- colored curtains covering the window; the old desk with a few books on it; the soft blanket that gave off a faint scent of sunshine...

She let out a sigh of relief when she realized where she was. Phew, I'm in my room.

She had had her first nightmare in a long time. It took place shortly after she had become an orphan, when she was being passed between relatives' homes. Back then, her life had been like a series of nightmares. Things had been much better since she had moved in with Bill, but she still vividly recalled the horrible time she had spent in the house where her fear of water had been instilled in her.

"This is all because of that girl!"

Whenever the uncle at that house was drunk, he would vent his anger at her. He was a quiet, shy man when sober, but Leyla mostly remembered the way he was when drunk, which happened at least five days per week. On days he had lost money gambling he became more aggressive, and would scream curses at Leyla and beat her.

He was awful. She hated him. But as an orphan with nowhere else to go, she had no choice but to endure it.

She tried as hard as she could in that house. She never rested from helping out with the housework, and she ate very little. She tried to be as quiet and unobtrusive as possible, as if she were a piece of furniture. On the day she was finally kicked out of the house, her aunt gave her a few cookies in a paper bag. Leyla looked at her aunt's bruised face and thanked her for the cookies.

In the stagecoach on the way to the next relative's home, she took one of the cookies out of the bag and ate it. The chocolate chip cookie was so delicious it made her want to cry.

But she didn't cry. She spent the whole trip practicing the placid smile of an obedient child. The more she felt like crying, the wider she smiled. She knew that no one liked a crying orphan. Each time she was kicked out of another house, she seemed to get a little better at smiling.


But on the day she had to cross the border into Berg all by herself, she found it hard to smile. She was still young, but she believed that the address that she was holding in her hand was her last hope. She was sure that if this home didn't work out, she would be put in an orphanage.

Nonetheless, she tried her hardest to smile. To this day, she still remembered the look of compassion and pity in Uncle Bill's eyes when she met him; and she still remembered crossing the threshold into the room she was lying in right now. That day, when she finally gained a family and a home, was one she would likely never forget as long as she lived.

Yes, everything will be all right.

Feeling comforted by her thoughts, she sat up and got out of bed.

The party was tonight. While it would be untrue to say she was wholly unconcerned, she didn't want to dwell on her anxieties about it. She intended to walk confidently in, spend a short while mingling, and then leave.

Claudine likely had no idea that Leyla would readily do anything necessary to protect Uncle Bill and this cozy cottage.

She opened the window, then hastily washed her face and got dressed. She flung open her door and saw Bill about to leave for the garden. Smiling brightly, she walked towards him and said, "Let's go together, Uncle Bill!”

The mansion was ready to receive guests by midafternoon. It was going to be a large party, but big events were an everyday thing for the Arvis staff.

They each carried out their responsibilities at their respective stations with skill and finesse. All that remained was for the sun to set so that the lavish party could begin. No one at Arvis had any doubt that the party would be a success. Like everything that bore the Herhardt family name, this soiree would be perfect.

Matthias stepped out of his dressing room wearing his evening coat. His hair was slicked back, exposing his forehead and eyebrows, which gave him a cold, debonair look. The slight smile on his lips did little to dispel the flinty look in his eyes or the sharp curve of his face.

"Everything went according to your instructions, Your Grace," Hessen quietly reported.

Holding a cigarette, Matthias raised one eyebrow slightly as he turned to face Hessen.

“They left about an hour ago, so the items should have been delivered by now," Hessen added.

"I see," Matthias replied, nodding with a slight smile as he lit the cigarette. "Well done."

Hessen bowed his head in response.

Matthias had found out that Claudine had invited Leyla to the party when he heard his Mother praising Claudine for the compassion and kindness of the gesture. At least, he was fairly certain that's what she had been saying.

Matthias had raised no objections. He figured that it would be entertaining to see how Leyla would do at an aristocratic party. He assumed she would show up in a shabby dress, and Claudine would show her the utmost pity and sympathy.

He well understood what it was about Leyla that had spurred Claudine to invite her to the party. Leyla often came across as arrogant, and Claudine would be sure to enjoy cutting her down to size.

Once he had figured out what Claudine wanted, however, he didn't want to let her have it. He wanted to reserve that pleasure for himself. Matthias von Herhardt never shared his possessions with others

"What shall I do with that, Your Grace?" Hessen asked, pointing to a box by the fireplace. it contained the gift that the chef had ordered on Bill's behalf.

Originally it was supposed to be delivered to Bill's cabin, but Matthias had had Hessen intercept it and bring it here instead. He had then had Hessen deliver a different gift to Bill's cottage.

Matthias took a slow drag from his cigarette as he gazed at the box. Even without opening it, it wasn't hard to guess its contents. As the smoke drifted out of his mouth, he calmly replied, "Throw it away.”

Chapter end