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"You mean, if there might be some servant solidarity?" Edward replied to her question, bringing her back from her reverie and into the present moment. She didn't mind. She was as eager to find out who lived at that address as much as Edward, and she also agreed that it was a good idea to go there prepared. That meant talking to whoever might have had even the slightest idea regarding the footman and Edward's parents and what they were up to that evening.
"Not servant solidarity, just friendship or unwillingness to talk ill of the dead," Leah shrugged.
"Old Willoughby has been with us for many years, all of my life, if memory serves me well," Edward assured her. "He was heartbroken when he heard what happened to my parents. To be quite honest, I am absolutely certain that if he knew anything, he would have told us already. But it doesn't hurt to ask again."
"I agree," Leah nodded. She was about to ask something else, when they both heard a knock on the door, and a minute later, Willoughby was seated in a chair, facing Edward at his writing table. Leah was standing behind him, leaning against a window. She had decided to be more of an observer in this conversation, as she did not know Willoughby or Edward's parents well enough to know what questions to ask.
"Thank you for coming, Willoughby," Edward said cordially. "I know you have many obligations to tend to, so we shan't be keeping you here very long."
"It is no trouble at all, Your Grace," Willoughby said graciously, looking at both of them. However, it was obvious that he didn't really understand why he was here. She could see the concern etched on his wrinkled face.
"We have called you here to ask you a few questions about Harry, the footman," Edward explained briefly.
Willoughby's brows knitted in confusion. "Harry? The footman who lost his life along with your parents?"
"Yes," Edward nodded. "I was wondering if you had ever spoken to him, man to man... about his past, for instance."
"His past?" Willoughby still seemed as confused as the first moment he arrived, although his reason for being here had already been explained to him. Leah was still just watching, keeping out of this conversation, but soaking in every single word that was being exchanged.
"Yes," Edward confirmed again. "Or perhaps, if he came with good references?"
"Good references?" Willoughby frowned again. He hesitated for a moment, then continued, "There was nothing good about Harry's past."
Both Edward's and Leah's eyes widened in shock. Still, she allowed him to lead this conversation, so she listened to his questions. "What do you mean?"
Willoughby seemed uneasy. "It is not good to speak ill of the dead, Your Grace. But I suppose the truth is always to be spoken."
"That is true," Edward urged. "Tell me what you know about Harry's past, Willoughby. Please."
For a moment, Leah thought the butler would ask Edward directly why he needed to know this. He had that look of determination on his face. But he was a true butler in every sense of the word. That meant that he knew where his place was, and what questions were not to be asked of his employer.
"Well, I remember when Harry first came to the mansion," Willoughby started his story, reminiscing. "One of the other servants recognized him, you see. He was... a thief."
"A thief?" Leah exclaimed, unable to keep quiet this time. She turned to Edward. "Why would your parents hire a thief?"
"They probably didn't know this." That was Edward's only explanation. Now, both Edward and Leah were looking in the butler's direction, who seemed calm and composed now.
"Oh, they both knew," he told them, much to their shock.
"They knew and they still hired him?" Edward exclaimed.
"You know what your parents were like, Your Grace," Willoughby said, although Leah was certain that Edward did not need to be reminded of that. "They always saw the best in everyone."
Edward seemed lost in thought for a moment, then he nodded with a melancholy smile. "They thought that everyone deserved a second chance, if they wanted it, of course."
Willoughby agreed. "That was exactly what happened with Harry. When we found out about his thieving past, we of course, felt obliged to inform the duke and the duchess immediately. I was also stunned to realize that they knew all about it. Even more. They knew everything he had done, and from what they've shared with me, Harry the footman had had quite a colorful past. Still, it seemed that he wanted to run away from this criminal person he had created for himself in his youth and was desperate for a second chance. He tried many households, but as soon as they found out what he did, they threw him out into the street."
"Poor man," Leah sighed to herself. She could not imagine what that must have felt like to desperate want to change, to escape the bad past that had been following one like the plague, and not have anyone understand.
"Fortunately, he eventually stumbled onto your late parents, Your Grace," Willoughby continued. "They knew everything and still offered him employment as a footman. They understood his need to change his life and they provided him with a chance to make it happen."
"Did he appreciate it?" Edward wondered.
"Most certainly," Willoughby affirmed. "He was always grateful to them for that chance. It was more than obvious to everyone. He always went beyond his duty to help them in anything he could."
"I remember him earning Father's respect early on," Edward pointed out. "And with Father, that was quite a feat, so it spoke tons about the man and his character."
"Indeed, Your Grace," Willoughby nodded once more. "Your father, God rest his soul, was good at judging a man's character. If he liked someone, then he truly had a reason for it."
