A MAZE OF GREED

Ruth was in the worst mental stress. The first problem was Edwin. He had locked himself in his office. Ruth heard from the guards on the night duty that Edwin slipped out of his office late in the night when everyone went to sleep and came back before dawn.

Ruth was curious to know where he went. Was he going to meet Florence or some other of his rendezvouses?

That thought made her distressed.

And the second problem was Florence.

She had irritated Ruth to the level that Ruth wished her to get disappeared for a lifetime. Florence sent many notes that were full of threats. She even visited 'the great manor'.

And when she did not find Edwin, she caught Thea and Rees. She apologised to both of them for her past rude remarks and inappropriate behaviour towards them.

To Ruth's surprise, Thea forgave her easily and, Rees obediently agreed with his wife.

"See Ruth. I am already making progress with your friends! You have only one day left." Florence said that before she left.

Ruth was mad that her friends forgave Florence. But then she could not say anything to them as it was their choice. She could not pressurise them on keeping grudges against Florence.

Ruth realised one thing and that was Florence had walked far away to understand with mere words. Ruth had tried it the last time, but it did not work.

It was the second day of Florence's ultimatum. And today, Ruth had decided what she want to do with Florence. That would keep her mouth shut for good, she believed.

Ruth tried looking for Edwin's sight the whole day. And once again, she was met by nothing but disappointment.

'One thing at a time Ruth!' She reminded herself.

She had already told Mrs Payne that she was going to meet Florence and try one more time. Mrs Payne was worried, but then she had to trust Ruth and her powers.

Mrs Payne was trying to figure out what was Ruth's exact powers, and what could they do. But she had no way of finding it until now.

She expected something good to happen in that regard tonight.

"Lady Elsie I am leaving for home. Do you need anything else?" Ruth asked after Elsie had her dinner and changed into her nightdress.

"No Ruth. I will sleep now. You must be tired. Go home quickly, eat the dinner and sleep well. See you in the morning!" Elsie waved with a smile.

Ruth left Elsie's chamber and began walking out of the building.

"Ruth! Ruth!"

She heard Ida and Thea calling her from behind.

Oh no

Ruth maintained a calm face as she waited for her friends to come near.

"Are you done for the day?" Ida asked.

"Yes, I am. I am leaving for home." Ruth answered.

Thea intertwined her hand in Ruth's with a smile. "Good! Rees is coming late tonight. So I and Ida have decided to prepare a good dinner and a nightout at my home. We were waiting for you."

Great!

Ruth smiled uneasily as she slowly removed Thea's hand from hers.

"I.. I have to apologise that I can not join you two tonight."

"What? Why?" Ida asked with a disapproving look on her face.

"Actually, I... I need to go home early."

"Ruth, is Mrs Payne alright?" Thea asked in concern.

"But I met her in the morning and she looked good," Ida said with a question mark on her face.

Ruth did not know what to tell the ladies. "Yes... she is fine! She... yes, she needs to send a parcel to her relatives. I have to go home early collect it and take it to the man who was going to deliver it." Ruth blurted out the first thing that came into her mind.

"Can not you do it tommorrow. Please???" Thea gave her a puppy face.

But Ruth's resolve was stronger to get broken by her puppy face.

"I am really sorry Thea! It has to be done today itself or I would have joined you happily. Maybe next time?" Ruth tried to sound as genuine as she could.

"Fine! But next time you can not give any excuse, mind it!" Thea warned.

"Yes!"

"Ruth do you want us to accomany you to the town? You know after what happened last time... we do not want you to get in another trouble." Ida said.

A shiver ran down Ruth's spine at the memory of that hungry hyena attacking her. Its sharp teeth had managed to leave a mark on her hand for her entire life.

"Do not worry, Ida! Thank you for asking. But I will come soon and will be more careful this time. I have learned my lesson the last time." Ruth told.

To break the tension, Thea nodded her head confidently. "My best friend is brave, Ida! She will be just fine! Right Ruth?"

Ruth smiled in response.

"Okay then, see you tommorow Ruth!" They both waved their hands at Ruth before parting their ways.

Ruth exhaled a breath of relief. She felt bad for lying to her friends, but what else she could do at that time?

Ruth decided to not use the front gate, as the guards there were very well acquainted with her. Ruth did not want anybody to know about this. So she decided to take another route where new guards were appointed.

She had a shawl with her as the night air was cold. It was not teeth-chattering cold but cold enough that one needed something to cover up themselves.

Ruth covered herself with the shawl, careful of hiding her uniform. Her heart fell at ease only after she walked some distance away from 'the great manor'.

Her legs walked faster under the moonlight and the street lamps on the roads of the town.

About half an hour later, Ruth found herself walking on the familiar dirty roads that had clogged drainages and garbage sprawled all over.

After living in the cleanliness of 'the great manor' for months, she could not help but feel disgusted by that filthiness.

Some things could never change. She was lucky. She got a chance of leaving that dirt behind. Ruth scoffed.

She took the well-known allies turned at the familiar corners until she stood in front of the building she once called her home.

That four-storey building stood just the same as she had left. Ruth glanced around, but the world was resting in the comfort of warm houses.

Ruth picked up her pace again and entered the building. She stopped in the third room on the second floor.

She had stood at the exact spot many times in the past. But never she had imagined that she would again stand there in such circumstances.

For once, Ruth felt confident standing at her doorstep. She gently knocked on the door.

Although the door did not open for about a minute, Ruth was sure that Florence was at home. The way she was set on destroying Ruth, she could not disappear a day before she achieved her goal.

Ruth knocked again, a little louder this time.

She heard the shuffling sound coming from inside. Soon the door was opened by sleepy Florence. It took Florence a moment to get hold of the reality. Ruth was standing at her doorstep at this odd hour in the night.

And when she realised it, the surprise on her face soon morphed into a victorious smile.

"Ruth Moore, headmaid of Lady Elsie, is standing at my doorstep at this time?! For what I owe your divine presence here My lady?" Sarcasm dripped from Florence's every word as she smirked Ruth's way.

Ruth maintained her calm composure.

Not raising her voice to let the neighbours know about her presence, Ruth said, "can I come in? We can talk then."

Ruth knew how paper-thin those walls were.

Florence shrugged her shoulders.

"Fine! Come in. I am not as mannerless as you think, Ruth. Welcome back!" Florence stepped aside to let Ruth in.

Ruth once again glanced to her right and then to her left. Nobody had seen her.

She went into the room, and Florence closed the door behind her.

"So tell me, Ruth. What brought you here? I am sure you are not here for a glass of water or a cup of tea, are you?" Florence said, as she walked to her bed and sat on it, pulling her one leg over the other.

Ruth glanced around the room, and it looked the same. It reeked of money of the men from the elite class of the society and smelled of salty tears of their wives. Ruth felt repulsive of this place before, and nothing had changed until now.

Florence wore a revealing silk gown that left her hands bare. Its neckline was low enough to display her womanly assets temptingly well.

Ruth mentally shook her head.. She had given enough chances to this woman, yet she failed to realise that. And now Ruth was here to settle the skirmish between them once and for all!