Chapter 7
“The Man of Belmore Hotel”
Rufus looked at the usually composed master with a strange mix of unfamiliarity. Had the maid not spoken, he might never have known.
“So you brought a woman from Highbrom last night?”
Rufus asked in an almost accusatory tone. Christopher raised an eyebrow.
“She was from a convent,” he said.
Rufus’s mouth fell open.
“Are you serious? And here I thought we already had enough headaches…”
“Open the door,” Christopher cut him off. With a tense expression, Rufus handed over the key.
When knocking produced no response, they moved quickly inside.
No one was there. Their eyes fell on the safe and the desk. Rufus ran over and checked the safe.
“Nothing’s missing. She ran off,” Rufus said, shrugging. The silk dress left for her remained in the box.
As Rufus randomly flung open curtains and peeked under the bed, Christopher returned to his usual calm demeanor.
The woman had fled, wearing tattered clothes.
He chuckled to himself. Had she gone back to Highbrom? Or was this a new trick to lure men? He knew all too well the expressions and gestures women used to seek attention. But the face that had jumped in front of the carriage last night had looked genuinely desperate.
Perhaps she really wanted to escape…
Christopher cut off the thought.
No, he couldn’t know. He had seen men ruined by being deceived by innocent faces. He knew well that poverty was no guarantee of virtue. In a harsh world, people even abandoned their own children. Hoping a girl raised under such circumstances would live rightly was naïve optimism.
Christopher sat at the desk.
“Rufus, how’s the annex coming along? Can it be finished before the exhibition?”
Rufus finished inspecting the room and dusted his hands, answering,
“Of course. The sacred paintings were heavily damaged, so restoration experts rushed in. It’ll cost a lot, but if you’re fine with it, we’ll proceed as planned.”
He frowned over the budget.
“It’s fine. The point is that we’re restoring the damaged paintings ourselves. And the article—is it ready?”
“Yes, as you said, it will report on the restoration of the damaged paintings and our sponsorship of the convent. Hopefully, this will quell the rumors that we destroyed the nuns.”
Christopher said nothing. Rufus, expecting a response, handed over a draft of the article.
“Take a look and tell me if any changes are needed.”
“Oh, and find that girl from Highbrom and send her to some factory or something,” he added.
Back at the Rutland estate, Lily closed the door behind her.
It was only when Lady Rutland handed her a letter with a curt expression that Lily realized two days had passed.
“Why does the letter have to come all the way to our house?” Lady Rutland said, clearly annoyed. Closing the door, she left Lily to breathe heavily. The careless handling had smeared the ink.
To my beloved Elizabeth, from Sister Volina.
Seeing the familiar handwriting, Lily felt a surge of emotion.
We’re trying to settle in here. How have you been? We only worry about you. Not long ago, Member Phil Gordon visited and comforted us. I still can’t bring myself to fully recover from the sorrow…
Lily sniffled and managed a small smile.
By the way, Rosy received a good adoption offer. She said she didn’t want to, but after receiving pretty clothes, she wants to go. It would be nice to visit before her adoption. With love, Volina. P.S.: These are paw prints from Purvol. That mischievous cat seems to be looking for you.
The kind letter soothed her momentarily, but as Lady Rutland’s attitude reminded her, this was only temporary shelter.
“Have you heard about the maid who got kicked out of the hotel?”
Outside, the voices of Lady Rutland and her guests drifted in.
“Well, if you go in without a recommendation letter, this happens, right?”
“By the way, lady, we should get her out before Christmas, shouldn’t we? Timothy will be coming,” another added.
They bore no malice. This was how they comforted Lady Rutland, who was taking in an orphan without compensation.
“Timothy was close to her, right?”
Lily stared blankly out the window, using their voices as background noise.
Far away, she could see the Belmore Hotel. In fact, it could be seen from almost anywhere in Londinium. She blinked hard.
The ladies’ conversation stopped abruptly when a straw-haired orphan suddenly opened the door.
“How much could one earn working at the hotel?”
They looked at each other, one of the women who had recently joined speaking first.
“I don’t know exactly, but they say the monthly pay is in florin coins…”
“Do we really not need a recommendation?”
The women noticed Lily’s intention and added their thoughts. Lady Rutland could take this chance to remove her doubts.
Lily touched the copper coins in her pocket.
If she worked at the hotel, everything could be solved—empty pockets, nowhere to go. With that thought, Lily walked straight into the Belmore Hotel.
“A girl from Saint Margarita Convent?”
The woman who introduced herself as Summer, head of laundry, spoke bluntly. Her arms crossed defensively, making Lily a little nervous.
“What did she learn there?”
“She’s good at laundry and cooking. She can read and do simple arithmetic.”
Fortunately, Summer liked Lily at first sight. Hiring was the manager’s decision, but recommending candidates was Summer’s prerogative.
“Let’s go meet the manager. One or two words could decide whether you’re hired. Follow me.”
Lily was startled to realize the manager was the same man who had tried to kill Purvol in the greenhouse. Luckily, he didn’t recognize her.
“Where are you from?”
“I think I was born in Londinium. At least, that’s what I remember.”
“What do you mean by that?”
The manager looked puzzled and pressed her further.
“I don’t know where I was born,” Lily said.
He clicked his fingers in response. A man sitting by the fireplace glanced over.
The manager surveyed the room briefly and then composed himself.
“You talk at length about being an orphan, yes?”
Then, as if it weren’t worth further thought, he turned away.
“Find another girl, Summer.”
Lily hurriedly added,
“I learned laundry, cleaning, and cooking at the convent. I’m no worse than girls from maid school.”
Summer chimed in.
“Bennett just quit suddenly, and it’s tough. This one looks capable.”
The manager stroked his mustache thoughtfully.
“How can we trust an orphan in our hotel? Sir Belmore said he wouldn’t hire anyone without a recommendation now.”
It was impossible for the manager to think favorably of Lily. He was a man proud to work at the finest hotel.
“We can’t hire an orphan whose background we don’t know.”
“I handled laundry for twenty people at the convent without trouble.”
Now desperate, Lily pleaded. If she gave up, she couldn’t face the nun. She didn’t want to work in a pub either. Her voice grew louder, catching the attention of the guests.
“Please, let me work for just one week. You can decide after that.”
A man near the fireplace stepped forward.
“May I intervene? I couldn’t help overhearing… So because she’s an orphan, you won’t hire her? Is that it?”
It was Timothy, whom Lady Rutland had said would return at Christmas.
Lily blinked in shock. Timothy shouldn’t be at Belmore Hotel.
Yet it was the same Timothy Rutland who had borrowed books for her from the library.
He had grown taller, veins prominent in his rolled-up sleeves, and learned to hide his playful expressions.
“Then, isn’t Sir Belmore himself practically an orphan, having lost his parents young?”
Despite his audacity, Timothy was calm. He even winked at Lily, leaving her speechless.
“Employment requires a guarantor. Without proof of reliability, of course, you can’t hire her.”
The manager did not yield.
“I’ll vouch for her. How about that?”
Timothy took a business card from his pocket. The manager’s eyes wavered as he read it.
Londinium Tribune journalist?
“Interesting story,” Timothy said, his smirk sharpening.
The manager groaned but pocketed the card, glaring at him.
“What story could there be here?”
“Grand opening of a hotel, insufficient staff, poor service, scandal. Belmore’s fall. The headline is already written. Intriguing, right?”
The manager anxiously tugged at his mustache. Timothy added,
“If the main figure is Sir Belmore himself, even more captivating.”
The manager glared, but Timothy remained composed, observing silently.
“You’ll work for six months as probation. After that, full-time staff will be chosen—probably not you,” the manager growled.
Timothy didn’t get angry. Instead, he smiled warmly at Lily.
“Did you hear that? That was for you. Good luck.”
Summer, standing nearby, grabbed Lily’s hand and shook it vigorously. Lily regained her senses but missed the chance to acknowledge Timothy.
How had Timothy, supposedly at university, ended up in this city?
Curiosity about her long-lost friend surged, but she couldn’t speak and was pulled along by Summer.
Glancing around, Lily spotted Timothy on the stairs to the third floor. Noticing her gaze, he turned back. Lily mouthed a greeting and waved.
He responded by pretending to kneel and bow, as if saluting a queen.
