A MAZE OF GREED

Ruth dropped another glass while cleaning it with a napkin. The loud shattering sound brought her back to her senses.

She cursed under her breath, her brows furrowed deeply in frustration. For the last two days, she could not concentrate on any work. Her mind kept getting lost, and the headache never left her company.

Anything that she touched either broke or got lost. She was like King Midas but with a slightly different curse that she had not gotten from her greediness like him.

"What are you doing woman? Are you set on destroying this manor with your hands?"

Ruth closed her eyes in annoyance. Fannie was the last thing she needed at that point.

Not getting any response from Ruth, Fannie dared to turn her around to face her by holding her arm tightly.

"I am asking you something, you beggar! This is the fourth glass that you have broke in last two days. Do you even know that this glass set was bought by Lady Theodora from another country."

Not wanting to let the matter stretch anymore, Ruth decided to apologise quickly.

"I am sorry. But I did not mean it to happen." She said as politely as she could.

"Sorry? For this loss all you have to offer is your pityful sorry?" Fannie asked incredulously.

"Then what do you expect me to do? I will apologise to Lady Theodora. Is it fine with you?" Now Ruth was out of her element and could not take more of Fannie's annoying words.

Infuriated hearing her, Fannie continued with glaring eyes. "You ungrateful bitch! How dare you speak with me that way. First, you insulted Lady Eloise and now me?

Lady Eloise has shut up, but I am not like her! If you work all your life with that good for nothing old lady with yours, then also you will not be able to pay back the loss you have caused in these two days! Is this what that old bag has taught you-"

"SHUT UP!" Ruth exploded, her eyes blazing in anger.

Hearing her insults was something that she could tolerate but speaking of Mrs Payne, Fannie had crossed her limits.

Fannie's eyes widened in shock, hearing Ruth's tone. She stared back in her hazel eyes, unable to move her eyes away from hers. Her breaths turned irregular. She felt like a vice grip was crushing it with force.

Her body went still, unable to move. She tried moving her hands or speaking out, but her mind had lost control over her body as something else had seized it from her brain.

"One more word about Mrs Payne and you will find yourself begging for one more breath!" Ruth threatened.

She looked nothing less than a merciless creature who had her fury directed at her prey.

As soon as Ruth said those words, it became hard to breathe for Fannie. She felt tremendous pressure on her chest and throat. She tried gasping air but could not. Her eyes widened to the sizes of saucers, fear broke loose behind her orbs.

She tried lifting her hand to touch her throat, but her body had turned into a statue- immobile and out of her control.

Ruth was too angry to care about the other woman's plight. It was like some evil force had taken over her that made her blind to see the pain of Fannie.

Fannie's eyes watered, her body struggled due to lack of oxygen like a fish out of water. Her face that had turned red before now started turning purple. Her eyeballs started rolling in her eyes.

"Fannie? FANNIE!" Ida came running when she saw her miserable state.

She held Fannie's body before it dropped to the ground.

"Ruth? Ruth! Ruth! RUTH!!!" Someone shook her violently, and as if broken from a trance, she blinked a couple of times.

Ruth was confused to see Elsie, whose face screamed shock.

"Fannie? Fannie, breath... breath Fannie!"

Ruth heard Ida's voice. Confusedly she looked down at Fannie's purple face as she gasped for air while coughing and crying.

Ruth's eyes widened, and her heart raced in fear. Did something happen? Did she do something again?

Ruth recalled Fannie getting on her nerves. She became so angry, and what happened after that was only an imperceptible, blurry memory somewhere at the back of her mind.

"Fannie-" Ruth tried reaching for her, but the woman scampered away from her as if she was some demon.

Ruth's heart twisted in her chest.

"Ruth? What happened to you?" Elsie asked.

"Wh-what? I... I do not understand you Lady Elsie." Ruth said nervously.

"You do not know?" Elsie asked suspiciously.

The look of apprehension in Elsie's eyes made Ruth uncomfortable. She caught Ida looking at her with the same emotions as Elsie through the corner of her eyes.

"G-get her a-away from me! P-please!" Fannie croaked, the sweat and her tears mixed together hard to distinguish.

Elsie nodded at Ida to take Fannie to the physician of the O'Dell family.

Studying one long moment at Ruth, Elsie said, "Come with me."

Wordlessly, keeping her head low, Ruth followed Elsie to her chamber. Elsie did not want the intrusive eyes and ears to know about the exchange between them.

The guard closed her bedroom door after the ladies went inside. Elsie first offered Ruth some water and made her sit. Elsie had so many queries and more speculations. After an episode with Eloise, Rees and Lester had some discussion about Ruth.

Although they have not told her much about it, she knew that they were missing something. Elsie was concerned about what it was and what implications it would have on Edwin.

When Ruth calmed down a little, Elsie began, "Would you like to explain that?"

Biting her cheek, Ruth narrated the whole incident, not leaving any detail behind. She was confused herself and was searching for answers. If discussing it with Elsie might help, then she was ready to take that chance.

"Hmm... but what Fannie said was not entirely wrong Ruth."

Ruth frowned hearing that.

Elsie explained, "I accept that her method was wrong but what she was trying to say was right. I have noticed a change in you. Since you are moved in the servants quarters, you seemed disturbed.

Do not you like it there, Ruth? If you find it uncomfortable, then let me know. We will see what could be done about it."

Ruth felt guilty hearing Elsie's concerned voice. "No, My Lady. It is not that. I am very much comfortable there."

"Then what is the problem?"

"I... I do not know." Ruth confessed in shame.

Sighing, Elsie took her hand in hers. "Look, Ruth. You may find it rude or confusing, but we elites have to be careful about some things that you might not understand.

I like you very much because you are a good person. But goodness is not enough for everyone to like you. I can not defend you all the time. You are fortunate that brother Edwin prevented sister Eloise from complaining about you to my father.

Ida is taking care that you do not come on mother's radar. But we can not always be there with you. You... you have to be careful here." Elsie said the last part as if she was telling her a well-guarded secret.

"What?" Ruth understood Elsie's concern, but she did not understand the worry in her eyes.

Uncertainty appeared in Elsie's eyes, but soon it was masked by determination.

"There are some things that are beyond your understanding... for now at least. You will know them very soon, you have to. But for that, you need to be more attentive to your surroundings.

You must think that a naive girl like me, who have not stepped under the sunlight without someone to cover her head is telling you about how to live life.

But trust me, Ruth. Sometimes, life finds a way to teach you no matter if you live in between four walls or on the open ground."

Ruth noted the hint of sadness and something more that she could not comprehend.

"I... I am sorry, Lady Elsie. I... I will be careful from the next time."

"You should be!"

Leaving Elsie's chamber, Ruth headed straight towards the corner of the vast garden of 'the great manor'- a place that she had reserved only for herself.

People did not use that part much, and thus it was the best place on the whole property where she could sit alone and think about whatever was going on in her life.

The night she had seen that inscrutable dream after touching that white feather, she had no sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, the same man with big green eyes and golden brown hair smiled at her.

She felt some kind of connection with him as if she knew him closely. But she could not recall a single moment where they had met before.

Something about those dreams irked her, set her heart and mind in turmoil.

And more than that, something else felt more peculiar to her.

Something was happening to her. She did things that she had never done before. The tolerable and patient Ruth was transforming into a short-tempered and rude person.

What happened with Florence, Eloise and Fannie were out of her understanding, but she was sure that it was her. She caused them to react that way. She scared the daylights out of them.

But how?

Clenching her eyes shut, Ruth tried to block the irritating sound of a duck that was swimming in the pond water. That sound derailed her train of thoughts, and that annoyed her.

Not able to withstand more of it, she opened her eyes and glared at the duck. The bird stared right back at her.

"Will you just shut up?" She said through the clenched teeth.

The duck opened its mouth for quacking again, but the sound disappeared inside it before it came out.

A crooked smile came on Ruth's lips. Some loud noise around made her blink. The bird flapped its wings loudly, splashing water everywhere. It hurriedly flew to get away from her.

She watched the bird in confusion.

What did happen?

"You are a trouble, do you know that?"

She stilled with wide eyes hearing that familiar voice.