CHAPTER 2
1010 Words
The woman arrived the next morning, just as he had said she would.
Lina knew because the house had changed before anyone else announced it.
The air carried an unfamiliar perfume -light, refined nothing like the plain soap Lina used. Footsteps echoed with confidence, not hurried or cautious the way servants moved, but steady, unafraid. Voices followed, warm and impressed, servants whispering to one another as though of importance had stepped into their quiet world.
Lina stood by the staircase with a folded cloth in her hands waiting. She did not lift her head when the woman appeared.
"Miss Vivienne Hale's" voice was smooth when she spoke."Thank you" This estate is even more beautiful than I imagined.
The man was already there.
Lina felt it before she saw it. The way Vivienne smiled was easy. "You're very kind."
That word echoed too
As they walked past, Lina stepped aside automatically. Vivienne glanced at her then really looked at her and offered a polite nod.
"Is this one of your staff?" Vivienne asked.
"Yes," he replied. "
She'll attend to you while you are here."
He did not mention her name.
Lina lowered her gaze again, and her fingers tightened around the cloth.
"Yes, sir" she said softly.
Breakfast was prepared in the main dining hall, not the smaller room the man usually used. Fresh flowers were placed on the table.
Vivienne sat across from the man, her posture graceful, her smile confident. She spoke easily about books she had read, cities she had visited, and people Lina had only heard about in passing.
The man listened. He did not interrupt. He did not dismiss her words. At times, he even smiled.
Lina stood, nearly pouring tea, refilling cups, and serving food that went untouched while conversation flowed freely.
"You studied abroad?" he asked Vivienne.
"Yes," she replied. "Languages mostly. I find communication fascinating - the way words shape people."
"That's impressive," he said.
Impressive.
Lina felt the word like a quiet weight pressing against her chest.
When Vivienne asked for sugar, Lina handed it to her without being asked. When Vivienne's cup cooled Lina replaced it. When Vivienne laughed softly at something the man said, Lina looked away.
She told herself it was nothing.
That was what he wanted.
At one point, Vivienne turned to Lina." You're very efficient," she said kindly. "How long have you worked here?"
Lina hesitated, just a moment.
"Five years, miss" she answered.
Vivienne looked surprised.
"That long?"
"Yes."
"Well, Vivienne said, glancing at the man, "you're fortunate to have such loyal staff."
He nodded once. "She does all her duties."
That was all.
Lina stepped back.
The rest of the day unfolded the same way - Vivienne was shown the gardens and the library, the guest wing. Lina followed quietly, carrying, what was needed, opening doors before being asked, remaining invisible unless spoken to.
She noticed how Vivienne asked questions and how the man answered them patiently. She noticed how slow his steps were so Vivienne could walk comfortably beside him.
Once, as they passed the servants' corridor Lina turned away before he could see her.
She did not want him to notice the way her hands trembled.
That evening, Vivienne requested tea in the sitting room. Lina prepared it carefully choosing the blend the man preferred, then hesitated before serving it
Vivienne took a sip and smiled.
"This is lovely."
The master looked at Lina then.
For just a moment.
Something unreadable crossed his face, but it passed quickly.
"You may go" he said.
Lina bowed and left. She did not linger near the door as she usually did.
She did not wait in case he called. She walked down the hallway and into the small room she used for work, closing the door behind her.
It was quieter there
Too quiet.
Later that night, Lina avoided the main corridors. She finished her duties early, moving through the house like a shadow when she passed the sitting room again, she heard laughter - Vivienne's soft, confident laugh - and the sound of the man's voice answering her.
Lina did not stop.
The next morning, she was not there when breakfast was served.
The man noticed only that the tea was not poured, the way he liked it.
"Where is she?" he asked sharply.
The steward hesitated.
"The maid, sir ?"
"Yes"
"She requested to work on the west wing today."
The man frowned slightly.
"Why?"
I believe she said she did not wish to disturb your guest."
The words lingered.
He looked toward the doorway, expecting - he wasn't sure, silence met him instead.
For the first time since Vivienne arrived, Lina was absent.
And though he turned back to his conversation moments later, something unsettled remained quiet and unfamiliar.
He did not yet understand it.
A space where someone used to be.
The silence followed him longer than he expected.
When he rose from the table, it lingered - unbroken stubborn. The corridors felt wider, the house less attentive. No soft foot steps echoed behind him. No presence waited just beyond his vision, ready to respond before he spoke.
In the West wing, just lay undisturbed. A tray rested where it had been set the night before, untouched. He paused, frowning at the small detail, then dismissed it as nothing.
Yet as the day stretched on, the absence grew teeth.
Lunch was served without quite precision. His coat was fetched a moment too late. A document he expected at his desk did not arrive until he asked for it.
Each delay was minor.
Together, they formed something unsettling.
He found himself listening.
At dusk, his gaze went to the staircase without intention for a heartbeat, and he expected to see her there - head lowered, hands folded, waiting.
No one stood there.
The realization came slowly, unwelcome and sharp.
Lina had merely stepped away.
She had left a space behind.
And for the first time, he wondered - not where she was.
But how long had she been finding before he noticed?
- Writer
