This chapter was actually part of the next one, but it go too long, so I split them. That means this chapter is devoid of plot. Sorry.
Okay, done ranting. On with the story! (Is H. Jenkins Fresh Flowers Daily in Market Chipping? I can remember, and my HMC book has vanished again due to the extensive renovations going on in my house.)
Declaimer: Howl's Moving Castle belongs to the very talented Diana Wynne Jones, and I am not making a cent off of it.
CHAPTER THREE
"I'm disappointed that you think so little of me, Meliora," Edmund said, glaring coldly at his daughter. His gaze shifted to the ginger haired, pregnant woman who stood next to Meliora. "And I would appreciate it, Mrs. Pendragon, if you would kindly go away," he practically snarled. Meliora knew that he had very little patience for women like Sophie or Evelia.
Sophie snorted and crossed her arms, glaring right back at Edmund. "I'll thank you to be more polite."
"And I'll thank you to stay out of my business," Meliora's father snapped back.
Before Sophie could retort, Meliora said quickly, "Just give me a minute, father." Turning to Sophie she spoke softly. "Thank you, Mrs. Jenkins; you are very kind. I hope to see you again." Unfortunately, it was little more than a hope, since she knew her father would never let her go near any of the Jenkins family again.
"If I can do anything, don't hesitate to let me know," Sophie muttered, shooting a glare at Meliora's father.
Meliora was very grateful for Sophie's offered help and said so, but nothing else could be discussed, for Edmund was yelling impatiently for Meliora to hurry up. Sophie gave the younger woman a reassuring look before Meliora climbed the hill to meet her father.
Edmund gave his daughter a cold glare before grabbing her arm and hauling her to their waiting carriage.
"Let go of my arm!" Meliora cried out in pain as her father twisted her elbow.
Without responding, Edmund threw her into the dark brown carriage and barked at the driver to move. It didn't take long to get home at the speed they were traveling at, and as soon as the horses stopped Edmund was out of the carriage, dragging Meliora with him. He pulled her roughly through the hallways and into the study, where he pushed her into a chair and turned his gaze on her. His eyes were practically popping out of his skull. It was a look that Meliora knew well.
"You are the most ungrateful, simple-minded wench I have ever known," her father told her angrily.
Meliora sat very still.
"Your idiot mother taught you nothing, and told you only lies. You do not know how fortunate we are to be rid of her," Edmund said.
"What do you mean by that?" Meliora demanded, her temper rising.
"There are things about your mother that I hope you never have to find out, Meliora," Edmund said, returning to his usual superior self. "She was not a kind woman, nor was she honest. Her life was deceit and lies, her joy the suffering of others."
"Mother isn't like that!" Meliora exclaimed.
Edmund laughed a laugh that sent shivers down Meliora's spine. "Evelia was worse than I can tell you. Ask me again when you're twenty-one."
"Why not tell me now if I've been so deceived?" Meliora snapped, crossing her arms.
"Because someone your age shouldn't have to know about those things; you'll have to trust me on this, Meliora." Edmund crossed over to his desk and lifted a large file. Holding it up, he said, "These are the papers I have on your mother's trespasses. I have so much here that I could bury her if I wished to." He laughed at the pun he had made.
Meliora didn't think it was so funny. Her mother was not buried in that coffin, and she was not dead. Why did her father insist on talking about her in the past tense?
Because he's an idiot, said a voice in her head, making Meliora smile.
"But I am not a monster, so I have not revealed any of this to anyone. You know more than any other because I think you should be aware of what a witch Evelia was," Edmund said.
"She's not dead," Meliora told him.
"I have reasons to believe otherwise, but I cannot discuss them now. I do not want you upset, Meliora, and I have no desire to hurt you," Edmund said in a pitying tone. "You are so ignorant, and you don't even know it."
If this is supposed to make me feel better, it's not working, Meliora thought, annoyed. "Then why don't you tell me what you think I should know?"
"You should be subjected to such things. I'll tell you when you're old enough."
"I'm eighteen!"
"A child," Edmund said dismissively, "I am your father, I love you, and I want what is best for you." He put the file down on his desk and crossed over to Meliora and bent down to hug her. Meliora stiffened as he put his arms around her. "My poor child, you've been so deceived. But I will take care of you. Just trust me. I love you."
Something inside of Meliora told her to be wary of her father, but she said, "I love you too," and pulled away. "I'd like to rest for a while, if you don't mind," she said quietly.
"Of course, love. I'll see you at dinner," Edmund said in a syrupy tone that Meliora assumed he thought was endearing.
She hurried to her room and shut the door, the sobs that she had been holding in already breaking free. Collapsing on her bed to cry, she thought about what her father had said. She wanted to believe him, but she didn't think she could. But why not?
Because he's never been honest before.
"What does he have on mother that is so horrible?" Meliora wondered aloud a few minutes later, her tears beginning to subside. She couldn't think of anything other than donating money when he didn't want to, changing the color of the library without his permission, and several other things that Edmund had been against. He despised change, especially when it wasn't his idea.
Suddenly Meliora remembered what he had called her. "Of course, love." When had be begun to use the term 'love'? No one in Ingary used that term.
The clock in the hall chimed the hour, and Meliora was surprised at the time. She still had things she wanted to do, like rescue some of her mother's things before Edmund could throw them out. But she was so tired. Maybe I'll just rest my eyes for a moment…
The next thing Meliora knew she was waking up to her father's angry yelling. "If you let this happen again, I will personally make sure that you never work in Kingsbury as long as you are alive!" he screamed.
Meliora sat up quickly; ignoring her much wrinkled dress, she dashed for the top of the stairs and looked down. Edmund was scaring a young maid who looked like she would be timid to begin with. Sir Lothiar waved his hand at the girl, dismissing her. Meliora returned to her room, wondering what that was about, but knowing that her father would be too busy laughing at her if she was still dressed as she was now.
After changing into a light yellow dress and washing up, Meliora went searching for her father. She found him in the study going through her mother's desk.
"What was going on earlier?" Meliora asked, an accusing tone in her voice, "And why are you going through Mother's things?"
Edmund jumped at the sound of her voice and looked around guiltily. Then, seeing it was only his daughter, his features took on a sneer. "Everything in this house belongs to be, including you, Meliora."
Meliora stiffened, but pressed on. "Why were you yelling at that maid?"
"She let someone in the house that I didn't want here," Edmund said simply, "And she did so without my permission. This is my home and I will be obeyed."
"You don't have to be a bully about it," Meliora practically scolded.
Edmund ignored her. Strolling over to the large grandfather clock in the corner, he observed its intricate carvings before speaking. "I have to do something with you now that your mother is gone. I cannot be here all the time to watch over you. You've finished your education, so the only thing left to do is… Well, I'll tend to that."
Meliora did not like the look on his face. "What are you going to do?"
Edmund did not respond, instead looking back at the clock.
Hesitating for a moment, Meliora thought over what she was going to say before she blurted out, "I was thinking about getting a job."
Her father looked up at her in surprise. "You? You'd get lost and I'd have to find you," he said.
Meliora wondered where that came from. "I've wanted to get one for quite a while, and… well, I don't plan to marry, so I need some way to…" She had been about to say that her mother was helping her find one, and that she would need a way to support herself. Meliora realized that she had no intention of staying with her father longer than she had to. But at the moment she had no money, no where to go, and no means to get there.
"What would you do with a job?" Edmund asked mockingly.
Ignoring his tone, Meliora continued, "It would give me something of worth to do, and keep me out of your hair."
"Meliora," Edmund said, once again using his syrupy voice, "I love having you with me. Actually, when your mother was here I had to work more to keep up with the bills she was accumulating, and it almost broke my heart that I could not be here with you."
"I wouldn't be gone all that much, father, only a few hours a day. You could use that time to work, and then we would spend the rest of the day together," Meliora suggested, trying to remember a time her mother bought something with Edmund's money. Nothing came to mind. Evelia had always used only what she earned from sewing fancy gowns for ladies she knew.
Edmund appeared to be thinking it through. Meliora crossed her fingers and hoped. Finally, "Very well. Look for something, and I'll decide whether or not it's appropriate for a young lady."
Meliora restrained herself from sighing, whether in relief or from frustration she did not know. "Thank you, father. I'll begin after breakfast," she said politely.
"I am nothing if not benevolent, daughter," Edmund said.
"Oh," was all Meliora managed to say before she fled the room.
An hour or so later she got herself together and began thinking about what she wanted to do for a living. Sooner or later she was going to leave, and she was beginning to hope for sooner. Maybe she should try being a seamstress. No, she couldn't sew very well at all. She could cook a bit, and clean, and she wasn't too bad at art. Well, she had the whole day to look around.
As she was heading out the door, the cook, Celia, asked suddenly, "Would you like to help me with these apple turnovers, Miss?"
Meliora stopped, surprised, and nodded her head.
Celia smiled a friendly smile and beckoned her over to the kitchen table where three baskets of apples lay waiting to be peeled and sliced. After giving Meliora detailed instructions on how the fruit should be cut, she went back to the stove to finish the sweet sauce for them.
Meliora spent the time peeling apples happily, glad to have something productive to do with someone she knew.
"I heard you and the master talking about Maggie," Celia said presently, stirring the sauce. Meliora looked up in surprise and almost took her finger off with her sharp knife. She laid it down carefully as Celia spoke again. "It's not many that would stick up for a servant," Celia said, "And I can tell you on behalf of all of us that we're thankful; Maggie's a timid girl and doesn't take well to shouting."
"Well, Father was being horrible to her. I don't like it when he does that to me, either," Meliora said, scowling down at her apple slices.
Nothing more was said about Edmund as the apple turnovers were finished. Celia chatted about the kitchen gossip and several funny things people had said at the market. All too soon it was over and Meliora was thanking her and heading out the door to search for a job.
"Good luck, Miss. I think a job will be good for you; gets you out of the house and keeps you busy with something honest," Celia told her.
With a final farewell, Meliora was gone.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Edmund glared out the window, watching his daughter walk down the road and out of his sight. She was too much like her mother, and that posed a problem, especially if she was gifted in the same area's Evelia was.
"What to do with her…" he murmured thoughtfully. Suddenly an idea struck him and his face split into a nasty grin. "That will do quite nicely."