The resolution
Ese looked about her and sighed in frustration, as she admitted to herself that she was once again lost in the Ecclesia estate. She had left the presence of the Duke and Duchess and had barely heard the words of the woman as she ran off.
“Leave her, son, do you think you can reason with her in that state? Things would only get worse if you try.” She was too far away to hear Samuel’s response. Blinded by her anger, she forgot what way she had come and was suddenly in a passage she could not recall passing.
“Miss, are you lost?” A timid voice from behind her asked. She turned around and saw a slim, malnourished-looking girl with a small face, and unruly curly bright red hair, staring curiously at her.
“And what if I am?” Ese asked harshly, recalling the demeaning attitudes of the two women earlier. She was not willing to tolerate any more of it.
“Then I shall be happy to help you.” The girl replied, smiling sheepishly, disarming Ese, who gazed at her in surprise. She looked no more than Afa’s age, and seemed kinder than the rest.
“If you will, please guide me to the room where your guests are received.” Ese said politely, feeling guilty for speaking harshly.
The girl simply nodded and led her to a room, similar to the one she had been in with the Duke and Duchess. The room had a large portrait as well, but this was of a younger looking Samuel, his mother, and a man. She looked closely and realised that it was the man in the other portrait who she had assumed to be the Duke. She could tell that he was the Late Duke Ecclesia.
“Miss,” the servant girl called to her, pulling her from her diverted thoughts.
“Yes, I beg your pardon. This is not the room I seek. Is there another in which you receive guests?”
“No miss, all guests are received here, then led to wherever the Duke or duchess wishes to see them.”
“This is certainly not where my Mama and I were received. It was smaller and less exquisitely furnished. My mama is still seated in that room, as we speak.”
At first, the girl looked confused, then as though a thought crossed her mind, she spoke. “There is a general drawing room in which even the servants may stay and receive those who are not guests of the Lord and Lady. ”
“Please lead me there.” Ese said, unmoved by the demeaning possibility. True to her suspicion, her mother was seated in the said room with the rude housekeeper still standing watchfully over her as though she would steal something if not carefully observed. Ese felt anger rise in her chest and brushed past the bigger woman. The woman gasped, startled by her unexpected presence, but Ese ignored her.
“Come mama, we must leave this horrid place at once.” Ese said, causing her surprised mother to rise.
“Dear child, what has happened?”
“Please Mama, I have no desire to speak of it at this moment.” Ese turned to the infuriated housekeeper, who was muttering words under her breath, seemingly upset for being startled. “Will you be so kind as to desire our groomsman to bring our carriage?”
“I have not the leave of the duchess to do as you say, so…” Rena was saying, but was interrupted by Ese, who was out of all patience with her.
“You shall do as I say, or I shall do so myself and make sure my papa hears of the shabby treatment we have received in the Ecclesia estate.” The woman seemed to consider the weight of her words. It was no hidden fact that Baron Davies was not only a respectable aid of the king, but a trusted friend as well. She must have considered the consequences of bringing shame to the Ecclesia household, for she quickly spoke.
“Now miss, no need for that. I shall call for your carriage at once.” she said and carried herself off to do so.
“Miss, you must forgive miss Rena, for she truly does what she thinks is best for this estate. She has been the house keeper for many years, long before I came to work here.” The little redheaded servant expressed, reflectively. Ese had forgotten she was there and turned to her, offering a small smile.
“Thank you for bringing me to my mama.” She said kindly, and received the biggest smile in return.
The ride home was quiet and Ese was glad her mama did not question her, as she was inwardly seething at her circumstances, and did not wish to speak to anyone till she had time to be by herself and reflect on the situation.
Her mother’s silence, was short lived, for as soon as they walked into their house the woman began questioning her. She again reiterated that she did not wish to speak of it. She noticed the door of her Papa’s library open and her papa and Afa had emerged from it, with looks of curiosity evident on their faces.
“Please! I do dearly wish to be left alone.” she said and ran up the stairs and to her room, where she fell on her bed and allowed herself to weep in frustration.
The next time she opened her eyes, it was dusk and she could neither recall when she had drifted off to sleep, nor what her resolution had been concerning the situation. She however noticed that all three members of her family were present in her room. It was in fact their footsteps and uncertain whispers that had awakened her. Her sister held a lamp that enabled her see them. She almost laughed as she saw her Mama push her Papa forward, urging him to speak.
“Ese, dear child, are you well? You can tell by our presence that we are quite concerned about you.” He spoke soothingly, as Ese sat up.
“Thank you, Papa. I am quite well, I assure you.” She responded, and saw him look at her mama as though asking what next, and the woman gestured for him to go on.
“We have brought you a lamp, as you have been lying in the dark by yourself.”
Ese again resisted the urge to laugh, since they could have easily sent a servant to bring up the light. She decided to put them out of their misery.
“Mama, Papa, I thank you for your concern, but I shall be more comfortable to share my distress with my sister alone.” She said, but spoke again as her mother began to protest. “Do not worry, I shall give her leave to tell you the whole after I have told her all.”
“That is all well, my love.” Her mother said capitulated by her words. “We shall send food to you, for you have not had a bite since breakfast. Come my dear, let us leave them, so they may speak freely.” With that both parents left the room.
Afa sighed and folded her arms. “Now dearest sister, if this is a ploy to avoid being forced to marry a duke, I must tell you that it is a very poor strategy. You will be better off telling them that you are in love with a stable’s man, instead of trying so hard to catch their attention with this dim-witted tantrum.” She said looking as unimpressed as she sounded.
“You odious little girl, how is it that you could tell that I was in love with Samuel.”
“It is quiet the most obvious thing, and anyone with eyes could observe you both were head over heels!” She said smiling victoriously at Ese’s admittance, then as though realising something odd, she frowned. “Wait, why do you speak as though it was in the past? Have you decided to marry the duke and you do not know how you shall tell Samuel?”
“Well, my dear intellectualist, the situation is much worse than you have deduced, and I am beginning to perceive that I shall never marry at all!” This seemed to greatly surprise Afa, as she sat next to her distressed sister and exclaimed.
“No Ese! Whatever is amiss? Surely you know that Papa would not be swayed by Mama’s wishes if you tell him you are truly in love with Samuel!”
“How I wish it were that simple, for I thought the same to and even told Samuel of it.”
“You told Samuel? But when? Did you meet him at the Ecclesia’s estate… What happened? Is he unwilling to win your hand because of his master? You must tell him that papa shall happily take him into his employ. For papa shall surely recognise that he is better suited for something better than a stable boy, for I assure you, he and that cousin of his are quite educated and intelligent-..”
“Oh, hush Afa. You shall give me a headache with all your blabbering. Is it any surprise that they are so educated? I wonder that I did not question it when I first met him. Who has ever heard of an educated stables man? It’s just, I considered old Carrigan, whom we taught to read and write. Since it is a highly placed household, I assumed, they required all their staff to be educated. Oh, what a fool I was!” Ese moaned letting her tears flow.
“Calm yourself, Ese, you have worked yourself into a passion. I collect that Samuel is not the stables man we thought him to be. I can admit that there are many times I did consider that his manners and speech were too good to be wasting away in the stables. Now that I think of it, I did not once hear him declare himself as a stables man.”
Ese stared wide-eyed at her sister in disbelief. “I cannot believe that you also, are of such a ridiculous frame of mind. Of course, he did not claim to be a stable man. If I recall correctly, he never declared himself to be anything at all. Still, on our first meeting, he made a statement about growing up in the stables, and he did not ever correct me, when I introduced him as a stable’s man. It makes me so cross, because he also deceived me on our first meeting, when he pretended not to know the way out of the silly maze garden. To think I fancied myself in love with him and thought I could help make his dreams come true. I strongly desire to give him another set down!”
“I assume you gave him a good set down today.” Afa commented dryly
“I told him I never wish to see his face again. I only wish I had said more, for the more I think on how wonderfully he deceived me, the more I wish I had told him of what an awful person he is.”
“Dearest sister, think no more of it. Instead tell me all that has happened today.” Afa said in a soothing voice and Ese shared the entirety of her eventful visit to the Ecclesia estate. She watched in satisfaction as Afa heaved and puffed in indignation, not only at the rudeness of the staff, but the haughtiness of the Duchess as well.
“I have the mind to forbid you from having anything to do with the son of such an odious woman, but I cannot hate Samuel. He is such an agreeable gentleman, and knowing he is a duke only makes him all the more gallant.” Afa said dreamily.
“Then go ahead and marry him, for I shall not!” Ese said exasperatedly.
“Now, dear sister, do not be ridiculous. You will know that, whilst I am in awe of Samuel, I do only see him as a sibling. He is indeed the only man I have deemed worthy of your hand.” Afa declared.
“Well, you may rest easy, you provoking little one, for I have quite made up my mind never to be wed.” Before Afa had the chance to respond, Ese stood up and guided her out of the room asking her to leave her to her thoughts for the rest of the evening.
The morning sun the next day did nothing to alight her gloom. She did not go down to eat breakfast with her family, and was thankful to have it brought up to her by Bessie, the maid servant she shared with her sister. She lay drearily in bed after eating, feeling sorry for herself.
Her sister came up late that morning and filled her in with how her parents took the story of the adventures they had with Samuel.
“Mama was much shocked by what she called, our improper clandestine meetings. Papa, was disappointed, more in me than you, as I, who should know better, am your accomplice.” Afa expressed, walking towards the windows, looking much affected by the memory of being scolded.
Suddenly, she gasped as she looked out. “Oh dear! The men are here!”
Those words were sufficient to make Ese rise abruptly from her bed and join her sister at the windows, which overlooked the fields and stables. It was only then she recalled that it was a Wednesday and the men had arrived at noon, as usual.
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THE WRITTEN FAITH 
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