Around a week had passed since me and Master Eugene's last visit when one night, after dinner, Rudy called me out again.

It was no longer strange. Our group of girls had assimilated well with the other employees, besides Phillip, of course, and sometimes at night we hung out with them.

Rhiannon began to use the Beardsley library, borrowing thicker and thicker books each time, and they were fancy too: ones with leather-bound cover and silver or gold gothic letters engraved into it. Sometimes she also had 'special chores', tidying Silas's office or running an errand for him. It was hard to accept at first, but when I saw how Clo and Beth got on innocently without any knowledge of what happened, I tried my best to pretend I didn't too.

Yes, Rhiannon and I weren't enemies. Our masters may have different things in mind, but that didn't mean anything for us. We were friends.

Talking about friendships, Beth became good friends with Matheus, Holden, and Otis as she had started to play cards regularly with them after dinner, along with Mister Kupka, who was both a bad player and sore loser. And, even though Mister Kupka would never admit to it, he had began to grow fond of Beth too, treating her like a daughter. Well, she was the youngest, and her optimism and occasional silliness brought our solemn servants' quarters and dining halls a lot of fun.

Clo, surprisingly, had befriended gloomy Harper, who was actually twenty-seven. He smoked too, so if they were both free and bored, the two would wordlessly go to the back door and smoke. Once, when Beth teased her about it, Clo answered emotionlessly,

"I would never do something as stupid as fall for someone in my workplace. Besides, if any men were to ask for anything before marriage, I know that they won't follow up on it."

It reminded me of what she said about the Beardsley men.

Either way, with all the new friendships blossoming, I began to talk to Rudy more too. Apparently he had a wife and daughter too, but his wife died a long time ago and his daughter went to work overseas, leaving him alone. That's why he began to work in the Beardsley house, not paying the rumors any attention.

"What about the others?" I had asked. "Especially Harper. He's so young: I would've expected him to continue his education or learn a trade, not confine himself in a house known for such bad things."

"Harper is a strange guy," he admitted. "Perhaps you can't tell, but he's a curious man. I think that's a part of what drove him to the estate."

"Oh."

Besides that, all I knew was that Mister Kupka and Phillip were the oldest workers there, as they worked there since Lord Adam Beardsley was a child and his father, Christian Beardsley, was the lord of the house, and Eugene's father, Daniel Beardsley, lived there too.

I had found out quite a number of things about the house and it's history in the one week I was there, and got used to the work, but I had never been given an official mission until that day.

"I heard Master Tobias found a man who had ties to Lord Adam Beardsley, by the way," Rudy said that night as we took some leftover cookies to feast on. We ate them on the staircase leading outside, as the dining table was dominated by the card-playing party and Clo and Harper were outside.

"Ties? How?"

"A close friend. He visited him often before he succumbed to tuberculosis."

"Does he know anything about a will? Or maybe a lawyer?" I asked.

"That's the thing—Master Tobias hasn't made a move yet, while Mister Silas has. I know you changed plans and decided to help Master Eugene in this struggle for inheritance, so I think this will be helpful."

I gasped at the realization.

"It will! Thank you for telling me, Rudy!"

"Not at all. The only thing is I don't know if it's a good idea. Maybe you should run it over with Tobias."

"No." I paused, unable to continue. "I don't want to have to go through him for everything, because I am helping Master Eugene now. I can't rely on someone else." I peeked at Rudy to see if he was offended, but he only smiled.

"I see. Then go sometime when you're free, I'll try to fish out some information about the man."

"Thank you so much!"

"No problem. Now here, take the last cookie." I nodded as I took it. "I can tell you like sweets, so I always tell Otis to save a little bit after the children have their fill."

"You do?" I blushed. "Thanks, Rudy. That is really kind of you."

"No problem."

The next morning when I saw Master Eugene, I told him about it.

"Ahh, yes, that's the type of person Rudy is," he said, nodding. "Before I got Matheus, I shared a valet, Rudy, with Tobias, and he is a very kind man. He's observant and knows exactly what you like. He also loves been relied on—but Tobias doesn't rely on anyone, not even him, which is quite a pity." Eugene told me this after I finished changing his sheets and was dusting up his table and mantelpieces.

"But if Master Tobias doesn't use him, how does he attempt to become heir?"

"Tobias relies on himself," he said. "Even before Father's death he was trying his luck in stocks, and now that Father is gone, he has been trying to provide an income for us."

"And Mister Silas?" I asked, moving on the to mantelshelf itself. "Does he do anything of the sort?"

"Oh, no. The way things go, he's certain to become the next heir, so he takes it easy and goes to public meeting and represents the Beardsleys." I was amazed at how easy-going the rich were, without constant thought of whether they could afford their next meal. But then again, they could probably sell any painting or sculpture sitting in some unused room for a hundred or so pounds.

"How is Mister Silas treated at those meetings?" I asked. "If I remember correctly, a lot of people aren't fond of the Beardsleys."

"Fond of?" He laughed. "Thank you for trying to make it sound better, Shuyan, but it's fine. We all know we are hated, and it's not too much of a surprise." He tapped at his chin as he tried to answer.

"Silas is probably the best choice at this point—he manages to put on a normal front. If it was Tobias, he would scare everyone away with that glare of his, and the twins are still a bit immature."

"True." I smiled to myself. Ever since that day, I felt as though I could ask Eugene questions about him and the house openly under the pretense of helping him and getting knowledge. So far, I haven't learned anything concrete, so Rudy's information was valuable.

"Then on my next day off, which is next Sunday," I said, "I suppose I'll try and look for the man Rudy mentioned."

"Hmm," Eugene said. "I don't know if it's still fine for you to step into public after what happened last time, though."

"It's fine," I assured him, turning around and trying to beam like Beth. "I'm stronger than I look. I also need to go outside to seek more information about Adam Beardsley in the future too, so this will serve as a good experience."

"Hmm," he murmured, unconvinced.

"I'll be going then, Master Eugene," I said, gathering my feather duster into my apron awkwardly. He hadn't given me an answer, but I didn't want to make the others wait too long for me.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was daydreaming." He smiled, but he looked weary and listless. "Goodbye for today, Miss Shuyan, and see you tomorrow."

"Yes." I tried to sound as enthusiastic as possible, but truth was, my nerves were in a wreck. Going outside without Clo, Beth, and Rhiannon, and to a town I probably didn't know sounded like trouble, but I had promised Eugene I would be fine.

I was not going to drag him down by any means.

That night Rudy slipped me a slip of paper under the table as we gathered to hang out with the servants who were playing card games. Mister Kupka was sitting out to count the bottles of wines in the cellar, so Rudy was taking his place. Rudy, despite having played a lot, lost with near certainty, but I didn't know any of the harder card games they were playing, so I sat by the side and watched.

When we went upstairs, I unfolded the paper and read the script on it.

"Robert Miller Thompson, 40-10 Ashby Street, Bellport."

I frowned at the name. So utterly plain. I had expected someone as rich and eccentric as Lord Adam Beardsley to be friends with a rich gem collector, foreign minister, or something of that sort.

Either way, on Sunday I will be meeting Robert Miller Thompson.

And finding out what type of man Lord Adam Beardsley exactly was.