The Shadow Maid

A fabricated fall

There was pandemonium in the dining room. The valuable rug was transformed into an ugly purple hue by the spilled wine, causing Mrs. Kensington, a wealthy socialite, to cry out in fury. Everybody's gaze was fixed on Emily, who was motionless and holding the broken pieces of a wine glass in her shaking hand.With his heart thumping in his chest, Alexander shoved through the throng. A wave of denial swept over him. No accident could have occurred. Not Emily—not with her attention to detail. His growing suspicion was confirmed when he noticed Victoria's sly smile."Emily," he uttered in a low, urgent voice. "Did you do this?"His question hung there, accusing, heavy in the air. Emily had a look of shame in her eyes, but when she spoke, her voice was emotionless. She muttered, "Yes, sir," as the burden of guilt began to descend on her.Alexander felt a wave of anger come over him, but it passed quickly and was replaced by a steely, cold resolve. Victoria would not be allowed to win this. He would learn the truth later, but for now, he had to deal with the situation.He turned to smile his most endearing smile at Mrs. Kensington. His voice was as smooth as silk as he said, "My deepest apologies, Mrs Kensington." "I am solely responsible for this regrettable incident. I think Emily lost her balance because I ran into her earlier."Satisfied with his attention, Mrs. Kensington scowled but took his explanation. The other guests soon moved on, more focused on gossip than a rug's end. But the damage was already done.When the guests left later that evening, Emily was faced with a different kind of storm. Fueled by jealousy and Victoria's subliminal incitement, the other maids launched a vicious assault of accusations and taunts at her."Clumsy little thing, aren't you?" Sarah, the head maid, sneered, her voice full of poison. Another maid, with joy glimmering in her eyes, chuckled, "Looks like you'll be out on the street soon."With tears burning in her eyes, Emily resisted giving them the satisfaction of witnessing her fall apart. However, the weight of the charges and Alexander's previous query crushed her. She was alone in her room, mentally reliving the incident. The wine glass had been nudged, not dropped from her grasp. A hand that hardly touched her fingers, but was sufficient to knock the glass over. Was it something she imagined? She was plagued by doubt. Even in disguise, Alexander's first suspicion remained raw. Was she naive to believe he was interested? She was just a maid caught in the crossfire of his fiancee's jealousy, and he was a man of his world.Emily felt defeated when she woke up the following morning. The mansion's once-familiar hallways felt oppressive, full of her coworkers' snickers and accusing looks. She was scared of what was in store for her when she faced Alexander. With a scowl on his face, he was pacing restlessly as she entered the library, ready to apologize once more. He raised his head and scanned her eyes. She expected to be angry, but instead she felt a twinge of concern that made her heart race."Emily," he said in a rough voice. "About last night…"He paused, his eyes darting over her face. "I don't believe it was an accident, do you?"Emily's expression of surprise was real. She stammered, a glimmer of hope lighting up her eyes, "You... you don't?" Alexander moved across the room, bringing his presence to the large library. "No," he said in a determined, low voice. "I observed it. A light touch that is hardly noticeable. A hand pushed against the glass.Emily let out a shaky laugh along with a sigh of relief. "You saw that?" "Yes," he answered with a steady gaze. "But who?"The answer lingered in the air, as far as they both knew. Emily felt suspicion descend upon her like a lead weight. She muttered, "Victoria," the name leaving a bad taste in her mouth."I wouldn't be surprised," Alexander uttered with a tight jaw. "She's been… threatened by your presence, to say the least."Emily felt a flash of anger at his words. "In danger? I work as a maid."Not to me, Emily," he said, his tone becoming softer. "You're more than that."Their gaze met, a wordless exchange taking place between them. Unspoken emotions splintered through the air, and the tension was strong enough to pierce with a knife. His intense gaze was too much for Emily to handle, so she quickly averted her gaze.The tense atmosphere was broken when the library door creaked open. The head maid, Sarah, came in looking arrogant. "Mr. Thorne," she said in a tone that was rife with faux civility. "There's a… situation in the kitchen."Her gaze flicked over to Emily, a sly smile tugging at her mouth. Alexander's expression hardened as he followed her gaze. With a suspicious tone in his voice, he said, "What is it, Sarah?""It appears Emily has... lost a priceless silver spoon," Sarah said, her voice full of accusations. "We've searched everywhere, and it's nowhere to be found."Emily's heart gave out. The spoon theft was a clear-cut plot device, another attempt on Victoria's part to discredit her and damage her standing in the family. Her features twisted with anger and fear as she turned to face Alexander. Her voice quivered as she cried out, "It's not true!" "I wouldn't steal anything!"Alexander locked eyes with her, their silent struggle for control evident. Her eyes showed him her raw vulnerability, a reality that struck a much deeper chord than made-up charges. His voice was harsh and cold, "Leave us, Sarah. After giving it some thought, Sarah nodded curtly and left the library, leaving a sense of smug satisfaction in her wake. Alexander turned to Emily as soon as the door closed, his voice full of quiet determination.With a gentle grasp of her hand, he assured her, "We'll find out what's going on." "I won't let them get away with this."Emily felt a warmth from the contact, a glimmer of hope fighting against the fear that was still there. She felt safe for the first time, confident that maybe, just maybe, Alexander wouldn't allow her to become a victim of the schemes being cooked up inside the opulent walls of his mansion. Their tenuous bond and the battle for truth had only just begun.