"Aubrey! You're finally free!"
The merry shouts of her name, hardly startled the woman as she descended into the servant's quarters, crossing into the room in which her fellow coworkers had already begun to make use of the weekend with alcohol and food laid out on the table. The common Friday night sight caused Aubrey to huff slightly in endearment as she untied her apron from her waist and approached the large group.
"For tonight, yes." She answered curtly, though her eyes were occupied with the redhead sitting at the far end of the table eyeing her. Aubrey's mind ran back to her 'assignment' and she twisted the object around her finger, causing the emerald to glint in the candlelight. Letting her grey eyes fall back to the group, she feigned a teasing smile. "You're all better off going out for drinks than making so much noise here."
The stablehand, Oliver, gulped down his drink before laughing, "With all the fuss about thieves that Earl Lockhart made? No way! A night out on the town isn't fun with officers watching your back."
"Hold on! What is that?" Another maid, Jane gawked at the glimmering jewel on Aubrey's finger with shining eyes. Aubrey jerked only the slightest bit when the energetic girl reached forward and grabbed her hand, inspecting the gem, and smiling. "Aubrey, this looks expensive. Is the pay as Lady Arabella's personal maid that good?"
"It has to be to deal with her all day."
"Maybe I shouldn't have rejected the position..."
By now, Aubrey was crowded, though she paid very little mind to the fawning of her peers and instead let her eyes fall on the one girl who had not come to inspect the jewellery. Carol stared wide-eyed, looking as though she had swallowed something sour and it was exactly as Arabella had said. Aubrey's curiosity pushed her further into her next orders. She smiled slightly at the group and modelled the ring on her finger, making sure it would be in Carol's line of sight, "It was a gift. Lady Arabella thought my work deserved some recognition."
The looks of surprise on the others' faces at the explanation morphed into question upon question. Though Aubrey found herself uninterested in entertaining her now curious coworkers and instead turned to Carol who had stood up abruptly in her seat, chair scraping backwards. The girl's nostrils flared, though she hid her emotions behind a deceivingly blank face. Aubrey remained her usual calm self, "Is anything wrong?"
"That's a lie," Carol spoke with a slightly smug tone without a smile, dragging the attention of everyone else in the room towards her. "That girl has never done such a thing in her life."
Aubrey stared right back into Carol's eyes with an incredulous expression. It was amazing. Just like Arabella said. Shaking off her surprise, she shrugged at Carol, "If it will satisfy you, why don't you ask her yourself?"
By now all the others had listened in to the scene with blatantly eagre faces.
Aubrey tried her best to balance her expression just like she was asked to. Just a little bit guilty looking, only the slightest bit nervous. Then that would be enough. Judging by the challenging fire look in Carol's eyes, it seemed as though she had succeeded.
"Fine. I will."
--------------------
"It's been a while since we spoke in private, hasn't it, Carol?"
Arabella closed the door to the drawing room behind her, causing Carol to jump slightly. Her brown eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she turned, her lips pulled into a tight nervous line. Even if it was cruel, Arabella couldn't help but be amused watching her squirm. When would she say it? Would she back out?
Arabella doubted she'd go back now.
Carol, frowned and finally opened her mouth to speak, "I... I have something crucial to tell you, Lady Arabella." It seemed as though it was becoming increasingly difficult for the girl to maintain eye contact, but she persevered. "I want you to know that I have not taken a thing from you since... that time. And I never will!" Arabella felt her excitement growing as the maid stumbled through her words. She smiled in encouragement for her to continue. Carol took this to heart and with confidence, proclaimed. "It may be hard to believe, but Aubrey is a thief."
There it is. Arabella let some silence settle before tapping her chin in thought and tilting her head, "...Wasn't that your sorry excuse last time?"
The redhead visibly flinched but kept onward with the self-preservation that Arabella had come to expect from her, "It is not an excuse this time, Milady." Arabella watched as she slowly grew more confident in her accusations. "It is an emerald ring. I had seen it under your bed and didn't dare touch it. But almost as soon as it disappeared, Aubrey arrives and parades it around claiming that it was a gift from you. I suspect that she was the one who placed it there, hoping you would forget about it so that she could take it for herself."
"Hmm, that would be smart," Arabella couldn't fight the smirk making its way onto her lips. "Sounds like something you would have done to me. Is that where you know the trick from?"
Carol's eyes flashed a subtle amount of resentment at her ridicule, a quick reminder that Arabella had gone a smidge too far. Coughing into her hand, she reeled a warm smile onto her face once more. She almost messed up, the point of this wasn't to antagonise her after all. Beaming, Arabella waved a dismissive hand, "What I meant to say was I commend you for your perceptiveness, Carol. But it seems I've unintentionally misled you into thinking too deeply about things. I did gift the ring to Aubrey. Her work deserved a reward of some kind, don't you agree? It was long overdue."
Carol's speechless face was oh-so-satisfying. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. The mere idea that Arabella would be generous seemed to be a world-breaking revelation.
At her silence, Arabella beamed again, holding a hand playfully to her cheek as she crossed an arm over her chest, "I hope I didn't cause some kind of altercation between the two of you. But I'm sure you understand. It's not like I can hold you to the same standard as Aubrey, after all."
If Arabella's assessment was right, the subtle dip in Carol's pale cheek indicated her biting it in humiliation. Knowing her, she wouldn't have been surprised if she caused some kind of scene that would now be difficult to explain. Oh, how embarrassing it would be to return to the others and admit she was wrong. Carol avoided eye contact as she curtsied with furrowed brows, "...O-Of course not, Milady. Forgive me for wasting your time."
Before the maid could leave the room, Arabella reached out her hand to touch her arm, "Wait." Carol turned in surprise, flinching slightly at the touch. Smiling, Arabella moved to unclasp the silver necklace around her neck before dangling the dainty accessory between her fingers. "For you."
Carol blinked rapidly for 5 beats of silence before her face blossomed into wide-eyed disbelief. She reached out for a second only to retract her hand in caution. "...Me?"
Widening her smile into an encouraging beam, Arabella spoke, "I can't help but feel responsible for causing the misunderstanding. So take this as an apology." The young girl upturned her brows guiltily, letting her gaze fall to the ground. "I'm sure you don't have the greatest image of me, especially not after our last conversation. But lately, I've self-reflected and it's become clear as day that I am the one at fault for that." As Arabella lamented, she peeked at the maid who seemed taken to the performance of self-pity. "...I am undeserving of your continued service. And though this fails to suffice as compensation for my attitude, I hope you will accept my meagre apology..."
Slack-jawed, Carol responded, "I-I couldn't possibly-"
"You must. It's the least I could do," Arabella smiled softly, making a move forward and taking the redhead's hand into her own smaller ones. She opened Carol's trembling hand and placed the cold accessory in the centre of her palm.
Taken aback, Carol did not know how to react. She swallowed nervously at the sudden humble behaviour of her lady, looking down at her hand that had been enclosed between both Arabella's own. She didn't own anything as pretty as that necklace, not after she returned her 'treasures'... and she was very fond of silver. Arabella's apology rang through her mind and she finally allowed herself to be eagre, eyes sparkling, "T-Thank you, Lady Arabella! I accept-"
"I almost forgot." Arabella interrupted, her smile remaining, though her tone growing slightly sharper. "You see, as diligent as Aubrey is, It also makes her quite the worrywart. It makes it difficult to ask her to do some tasks with discretion at times. And I always thought that since you and I are closer in age, there is... a greater level of understanding between us than could exist between me and Aubrey."
Carol's brown eyes flitted between the necklace in her hands and Arabella as she listened. Swallowing visibly, she answered with an enthusiastic smile, "...I can keep a secret, Milady."
"Is that, so?" Arabella huffed in amusement. Well, by the looks of things, it seemed as though what happened that night in her bedroom had remained a secret even to Aubrey. Forcing a pleasant expression on her face, Arabella clapped her hands together, trying her best to look as innocent as possible. "...I'd like a hansom cab called to the front gates at midnight. Something that my brother and sister wouldn't find out about. Would it be possible for you-"
"I sneak into town discreetly all the time, Milady. Leave it to me." Carol's enthusiasm caught even Arabella off guard as the redhead smiled determinedly. She Picked up her skirts and had already made it towards the door, "I won't be long!"
Arabella couldn't even get a word in as she was left alone in the drawing room.
...For some reason her victory felt empty. Was all it took really just an apology? Was her old self really that inept and selfish? Yet another item to add to the list of her many failures. Puffing air out of her cheeks, Arabella brushed back her hair and forced herself to look forward. After all, regardless of the past, it was an accomplishment and one that she would have to take in stride.
--------------------
The night air nipped at the noses of the two young teens as they exited the safety of the hansom cab and faced the outside of a bustling pub within the dead centre of the earldom. The scent of alcohol prevailed over any other sensation, even while standing outside of the establishment. Glancing up at the hanging sign above, Arabella huffed to herself. 'The Hound'. How on the nose.
Alistair crossed his arms over his chest and nodded towards the entrance, "Do you remember what I told you?"
"Yes. The code. Of course." Arabella made sure once more that the hood of her cloak was securely pulled to cover enough of her face. "If she is there, I can be fairly convincing." Facing the door now, it suddenly dawned on her that she was entering unknown territory and a nervous shiver wracked her spine. Arabella frowned, looking towards Alistair who seemed at ease. "...This 'Winter', is she someone... with some decorum?"
Smiling, Alistair answered, "If you're scared, that's fine. But I can assure you nothing will go wrong in there. She's not a wild animal."
"I'm not scared." Arabella clung to her cloak with an unconvincingly straight face. She didn't appreciate his teasing tone and made a point to shoot him a sharp look.
Taking a breath she stepped forward, pushing open the door and entering the warmth of the pub. The overwhelming beer smell caused her to wrinkle her nose once she did, surprised at how it seemed to permeate the air. It wasn't as busy as she had first anticipated it would be, though it did not make the place seem any less lively. The warm lighting and intimate setting didn't seem fitting. Letting her eyes move away from the small groups drinking and laughing at separate tables, she forced her feet towards the bar. It took some trouble to get onto the stool with her height, but after some effort, she came face to face with a bearded man.
"...We don't serve kids."
His surly voice made Arabella freeze up slightly but after remembering her goal, she persevered, clearing her throat, "I understand. I am only here for... um..." She thought back to the phrase Alistair had given her and with a shaky voice spoke. "... A warm Chamomile..."
The man at the bar, paused for a moment, and though it was barely noticeable, raised a brow, "...You're certain about that?"
"Yes. It looks as though it will snow tonight."
At her response, the man huffed and turned from the bar. He didn't look as convinced as she was hoping but her qualms were washed away when he gestured lazily to the back of the pub. "Up there. 3 Knocks."
Turning, she spotted stairs leading to a second floor and a door. Without question, she put on a brave face and forced her feet to carry her, shakily, up the steps. Upon meeting the solid wood door she took a deep breath and gave 3 knocks, just like she was told. There was hardly a sound for a while, and Arabella felt a nervous sweat grow on her skin until a mature voice from the other end made her jump.
"Enter."
Arabella obeyed and upon doing so, froze in her footsteps. Her eyes widened at the sight of a woman lounging on a sofa, cigarette holder in hand and lips blowing out the smoke. A single Sultry brown eye looked at her through long brown eyelashes, the other one evidently covered with side-swept hair, hiding a wide eyepatch beneath it. The woman sighed to herself, "Arabella Lockhart. He said something about this, I almost forgot..." She inhaled a hearty intake of cigarette smoke. "You've caused me some trouble lately with all the fuss your brother is making about those made-up thieves of yours. I can't catch a break, even here."
Arabella's heart raced as she tried to make sense of the deja vu arising within her. The door shut behind her, startling the girl and she forced herself to calm down. Facing winter, she answered cautiously, "That... wasn't my intention." Arabella spoke absentmindedly, entranced. Her eyes widened as things started to piece together in her brain one by one. The feeling of familiarity from her conversation with Alistair earlier came to the forefront of her mind. "...You're 'Winter'...?"
'Winter' laughed and stood up, her tall stature causing her to tower above the young girl. She tapped the cigarette holder, ash falling like snow to the ground and smirked, "You have the right person. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, at last."
Arabella swallowed hard and stared at Winter, a feeling of certainty and reluctant relief rising within her. Because she was certain of it now- She knew this woman. Not as 'Winter', but as a fleeting memory from her past life.
As a fellow prisoner.