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“When I was a child I was attacked by robbers in the middle of the street. I wasn’t alone but nobody stepped forward to help me. I was taken home hours later and barely survived my wounds,” he pointed at the scar running down his cheek. “This has remained with me all my life as a cruel reminder.”
“I’m sorry,” Ariadne said. She couldn’t help but draw parallels to Edward’s fate. He was in a similar condition when she had found him, only his wounds weren’t that grave.
Lord Brexley waved her concerns away. “I’m well past it now. That happened to me over thirty years ago but the perpetrators were never caught. Sometimes I wonder if they still prowl the streets, looking for their next victim. But I seem to have been distracted. Ah, where was I before?”
“You were showing me your brace,” Ariadne said. Lord Brexley pulled his trousers around the brace so that she could see the outline of it more clearly. Social dictums forbade him to undress in front of her, after all. Ariadne squinted at the outline to try and make out its shape. She was curious about it. After all, this was the first time Lord Brexley had told her that he had built something for himself. Ariadne furrowed her brows at it. It reminded her of something for some reason but she couldn’t place a finger on it.
“I think this is why I have a soft spot for you. I know what it’s like for people to disregard you,” he said. “But my position in society has worked in my favor and has managed to earn me a few eager clients willing to wear my designs, which in turn allowed me to get a patent for it.”
“You got a patent for it?” Ariadne asked. Her voice rose in excitement. Lord Brexley looked at her and chuckled. “You look like I just handed you the key to your every desire.”
“How were you able to get it patented?” she asked.
Lord Brexley shrugged. “I’m a member of Parliament. Nobody can dare close their door in my face. But besides that, I had to pay an astronomical sum for the patent to be registered with the royal seal.”
Ariadne’s shoulder collapsed. She didn’t have that kind of money with her at all. So the clerks, however belittling they were to her, hadn’t lied after all. If she were a rich Lord, it would be easy to get a patent. The only reason she was a victim of such injustice was purely by the design of the society to keep females like her subjugated.
“You look upset,” Lord Brexley observed.
“I’m not upset,” Ariadne said, her fists balled up at her sides. She wasn’t, not anymore. She was tired of the rules. She couldn’t believe the unfairness of it all. Why was it that men could do everything they pleased, while she didn’t even have the opportunity to put an invention she had worked hard for under her name? Why wasn’t she allowed to become her own person without a man? Did gender triumph over hard work, talent, and everything else? Well, that was a futile question as she already knew the answer to that.
“My offer still stands for you, Ariadne,” Lord Brexley said. “My wife is still looking for a suitable governess for our children. I give you the guarantee that you will not have to go through the pain of an interview. I know you as a girl of strong moral compass and principles, besides your good education.” “You’ll be a good governess for my children.”
“My father took great pains to see me educated,” Ariadne said. She still remembered the time when they had gone door to door to look for a good school that would overlook her background.
Ariadne shook her head. “I have already given you my answer, my Lord. I’m sure your children are lovely, and this isn’t anything personal, but I have to take care of the things most important to me.” This small room with all the inventions inside meant everything to her. She couldn’t abandon them, not after one great failure. She had accepted that what had happened today was not her mistake, but she would make it her responsibility. She became more determined than ever to bring her father’s inventions—especially the lamp—to the world outside.
“Perhaps Leda can join my household. I’m sure I can look for a suitable position for her now,” Lord Brexley remarked.
Ariadne shook her head. “She’s young and I can’t let her work, not in my good conscience. I’ve sworn to protect her, not the other way around.”
“I’m sure Leda will disagree with you. She’s eighteen now, an adult. It's time you started treating her like one.”
Ariadne furrowed her brows. “Did you talk to her about it?”
“As a matter of fact, I did. She’s eager for a position in the kitchen or anywhere else where I can accommodate her.”
“And what did you say?” Ariadne asked. She couldn’t believe that Leda had gone behind her back and asked Lord Brexley this.
“I said I’ll talk to you. She doesn’t want to go against you, after all,” he said in a reassuring tone.
“All right, Ariadne, but at least let me help you in some other way,” he said. “I have a carriage waiting for me outside and it carries up to two bags of grains. Your father was a good man and I promised him that I wouldn’t abandon you if something were to happen to him. And that’s what I’m trying to do here. I’m trying to make things right,” he said.
Lord Brexley was a genuinely kind person who wanted to help her very unlike Edward and his father. They were the very picture of corrupt nobility that treated the lower class with hate and contempt. She remembered the disgust in the Duke’s voice when he had stormed in and demanded to see his son. And Edward…he had lied to her about his identity. He was probably afraid she would sell his true identity for some coins.
“You’ve already done enough for us,” Ariadne insisted.
“Winter grows nearer by the day and you do not have a steady source of income. Do not try to deny it for I know it well. I know you don’t want to come work for me, but how does one night’s wage sound?”
Ariadne blinked. “Pardon?”
“I’m throwing a charity ball next week and can always use an extra hand in the kitchen.”
Ariadne hesitated. “I am not sure, my Lord.”
Lord Brexley shot her a sympathetic look. “I know you’re not up for it but it will be a good opportunity to earn some coins without an extended commitment. Is that all right with you, Ariadne?”
“My Lord—”
“You know my address. I’ll expect you Thursday evening.” He tipped his hat to her. “Good day.” And with that, he began to walk out of the studio. Ariadne watched him leave and then her eyes fell to the contents of the shattered box all around her.
She still didn’t know what she had managed to break but it didn’t look too important. It had, however, created quite a mess and if she wasn’t careful a stray piece of wood could hurt her toes. She brought out the broom to wipe the debris away, which is when her eyes fell to it. At first, Ariadne almost didn’t notice the dull pendant lying on the floor. And when she realized what it was, she let out an audible gasp.
If she wasn’t wrong, the pendant belonged to her mother. And while it didn’t have much worth in copper, it was one of her most prized possessions as her father used to say.
Ariadne knelt on the floor and tentatively picked the pendant up. She traced her fingers on the cool metallic surface and she realized that it had a hidden compartment inside. She pulled it open, expecting to see a photograph. But instead, a white piece of paper fell out. Her heart began to race as her mind flashed back to the threatening letters. But this one looked old and extremely rumpled as if someone had jammed it into the pendant in a hurry.
She unfurled the paper and read the words aloud—All answers lie here.
