Chapter 320 - Chance To Walk Out Of The Shadow
When Paula finally ventured out of her room, she looked pristine.
Though her uniform covered her from neck to toe, it was well-fitted which made the contours of her body visible for everybody to see.
A simple glance at her and people could make out that she was a buxom beauty even if her status was that of a mere servant.
When she stood beside her Mistress, she would certainly pale before her youthful charm.
However, now that she was alone with no one to compare her with, she was a beauty too.
It was just that whenever she stood with her Mistress, Raylene's beauty was stunning enough to overshadow Paula's beauty.
Paula had long understood that if she was without her Mistress, she was also a beauty but she never had the chance as the Mistress and maid were together at all times.
Now was finally her chance to walk out of the shadow and stand tall in the radiance of her beauty which was not bad at all.
'Master will be charmed too!' She was certain that without Mistress, he would be able to notice and observe her better.
Her hair was tied in a neat bun though she had fastened them with just a single hairpin, implying that in one swoop she could let her hair open.
The fragrance of the roses emanated from her body which made her smile, causing her eyes to crinkle which added to her charm.
This confident and brave version of Paula was something that no one had ever seen before.
And this was all for the Earl to see so that he might realize that there was another gem hidden under the radiance of the other bigger diamond whose absence would now let her beauty show in its fullness.
When Paula reached the Mansion through the back entrance which was closer to the servant quarters, she peeped in and sighed when she found no one around.
'They must have gone for their break.' She surmised and was now sure that she had arrived at the perfect time.
Straightening her back, she resumed her confident stance as she strode in the direction of the Kitchen.
Unbeknownst to her, at a distance, a certain beast was watching her sneaky actions and snorted in disgust.
Demon had smelled a fragrance that was a combination of his Master's mother and the maid whom he was tasked to watch.
Therefore, he had come over to see who it was and found that it was the maid who smelled like the Master's mother due to the fragrance originating from her body.
Her fragrance was strong enough for the etcher to sense from a distance but as she moved further into the Mansion, the scent was beginning to diminish.
Not willing to slack on the mission assigned by his Master, Demon galloped towards the Mansion but went around it while staring at the wall.
He stepped forward when he felt the maid move forward inside the Mansion and stopped when she had halted too.
Inside the Mansion, Paula walked into the Kitchen which only had one young maid while the rest had vacated the place for their afternoon break.
She did not realize that there was a massive beast on the other side of the wall, outside the Mansion who was keeping an eye on her every movement.
Noticing that the young maid here now was staring at her with wide eyes, Paula's confidence rose higher.
She was sure that this younger maid could not take her eyes off of her and thus, she was gawking unblinkingly.
Paula was not wrong to think so as this maid was truly stunned to see this different appearance of the Madam's haughty personal maid who was only docile when the Masters were nearby.
Her prideful personality had ruined her beauty a long time ago in their eyes so this maid was staring at Paula, wondering why she had decided to dress up so well today.
Most of the servants had heard that the Madam's maid had not accompanied her because she had injured herself but now, the same injured maid was standing here without any difficulty.
This thought made the young maid narrow her eyes but she could not voice her thoughts out as Paula's position among the servants was higher due to her being the Madam's only personal maid.
"How can I help you, Miss Paula?" She inquired while pressing down the curiosity about the injury inside her heart.
Paula was pleased to see this behavior of the maid and nodded while glancing at the stove.
"Prepare hot water. The Master desires to drink tea." She commanded with such confidence that the maid nodded immediately as she got to work.
Paula hadn't gone over to that side of the Mansion so how could she ever know what the Master wished to have?
This was the excuse that she had thought up to meet the Master when the other servants were not around.
While boiling the water for the tea, the young maid furrowed her brows.
'Shouldn't it be Butler Limo who performs this duty?' She wondered but shook her head as Paula wouldn't dare to go against the two powerful men in this household by acting on her own accord.
Therefore, she pushed her suspicions aside and prepared the teapot along with the cup for their Master.
"All done, Miss Paula." She announced and handed over the tray to the other woman.
When Paula stepped closer to accept the tray, the sweet scent of roses filled the air around them which caused the younger maid to frown again.
'That is Madam's…' She took a moment to recall where she had smelled that same fragrance before.
Just as she had come to that conclusion, she noticed that Paula had already left the kitchen, leaving her alone with her doubtful thoughts about what had just happened.
The clicking of heels resounded in the vacant hallways as the maid stepped in the direction that she knew she would find the man of her dreams.
Just before she could turn around the corner which would lead her to the Master's office, Paula's feet halted as she stood with her back pressed against the wall.
Her thunderous heartbeat for what she was about to do was pacing faster as she recalled that she still had one more obstacle to overcome.
Her body stood ramrod still with only her head peeking over the corner which she retracted immediately.
'He is still here!' She snarled after catching a glimpse of the figure standing outside the door, guarding the Master's office like the faithful dog that he was.
Paula was gritting her teeth as she knew that she would never be allowed to meet the Master if that man remained outside the door.
She needed him to leave but there was nothing that she could do to make that happen without arousing his suspicions.
Paula's troubled mind froze when she heard the sound of footsteps.
'Did he notice my presence!?' She clamored, terrified that her plan would go awry before she even got a chance to meet the Earl in her new and improved demeanor.
However, her fear faded when she discovered that the sound of footsteps was fading which meant that the Butler was moving in the opposite direction.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Paula glanced down and smiled when she could still see the vapors escaping the teapot, proving that the water was still hot.
Peeping once again, she grinned when she found the coast to be clear for her to make her move.
Not wasting a single second, she strode towards the office while trying her best to not make any sound while she walked.
When she reached her destination, Paula shut her eyes to regain her composure and when she reopened them, determination and confidence were flashing in her eyes.
'Let's work hard for that better life!' She cheered for herself as she held the tray in one hand and used the other to knock on the door.
She was nervous and excited as she waited for the Master's reply to such an extent that she had failed to notice someone else watching her every move.
This time it was Butler Limo who was spying on her from the other end of the corridor.
He was not a fool, he had already predicted that it was Paula when he heard the loud clicking of heels which she had failed to realize while walking towards this corridor.
He had also seen her peeking through the corner and knew that she would never approach while he was present.
Therefore, following his Young Miss's directions, he decided to turn a blind eye towards her.
He also walked in the opposite direction and hid his presence after turning around the corner.
He adopted the same method she had used, to spy on her and watched as she entered the Master's office, praying that everything would be alright.
'I trust you, Master. Please remain faithful to Madam and your family!' He pleaded even though he knew that the Earl could not hear him.
Taking a deep breath in, he returned to his former position and once again stood guard outside the office door.
What Yvonne had thought was true, if Rutherford were to cross the line and make a mistake then as his Butler, Limo would have no choice but to stand by his side and protect his image by cleaning up all of the evidence of this incident.
While he hoped and prayed that this family never broke, he was bound by his duties to serve his Master and follow his every instruction.
Even if that instruction was to help him keep this matter a secret from the rest of the household, he would have to follow it.
This was also why Yvonne had planted her loyal etcher as the second spy who was still outside the Mansion but even at this moment, he was observing their every move.