The Bitter Taste

Chapter 12: After Party

The evening was festive for the most part. Mr. Barnett looked as cheery as ever with his wine and Mrs. Barnett seemed to share the same enjoyment. The old man had already finished all his paper work for the following week, and was extremely relieved that everything was falling into place, especially on this occasion when another problem already crawled its way to the manor. Meanwhile, his wife was having the time of her night, feeling the same amount of joy Mr. Barnett had and simply resonating good auras through out the whole dining room. They sung old melodies, ate cake, sipped tea and most of all, had Jane with them to celebrate.

"Darling Jane! Why don't you have a slice of your cake? I baked it especially for you" said Mrs. Barnett, getting a plate from the corner of the table and cutting a slice from the large layered cake in front of her.

"It's chocolate!" She encouraged, still smiling ever so brightly at her niece who was feeling rather glum.

Jane had been resting her chin on top of her knuckles for hours since the celebration began, barely giving smiles if not occasionally. She had gotten a few glasses of wine gulped down her throat, and her face was just as plump and red as her Aunt's, however not as physically active as the both of them.

"Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to have a slice." The young lady said. "It really looks delicious."

"Do you not like cake?" The old man joined in the conversation with a slightly flushed face from all the alcohol.

Jane looked at the both of them and smiled. "Well, to be honest..." She probed the puffy cake slice with her fork. "I'm not really fond of sweet things. Confectionary to be specific."

"Oh?" Mrs. Barnett chuckled. "Well this is the first time I've seen someone who doesn't like sweets."

"Yes, I am an oddball, aren't I?" She smiled once again, now slicing a piece from her plate.

The cake tasted sponge-like against her tongue. As she chewed the cake, chocolate melted in her mouth and the texture simply spelled perfection. Sometimes Jane would pity herself for not being fond of pieces of art like these, especially when they were just so good.

"It's delicious." She said, slicing another piece and placing it into her mouth so she could savor the taste once more.

"See! I knew you'd love it." Mr. Barnett said as he clapped his hands.

"Well, I am certainly glad that you are enjoying the night Jane." He said, chuckling slightly. "But I have my word to keep and so, I think I'll have to give my explanations about today's... Events."

Jane looked up from eating her cake and nodded at the acknowledgment of a change in topic.

"About the Earl... Well..." The old man took a sip from his tea cup and breathed in. "His mother requested me to influence him for the better. I found no other useful way to mold him into a better man without such complicated circumstances that involve his position, the distance from his home and ours, of  course time, and so on..." He exhaled some air. "Which is why I thought that bringing him here would be more convenient. That way, we get to hit more birds with one stone, don't you think? If he stays here, then he will learn to adapt to other properties besides his own, once that happens, it'll be easier for me to bring out the humble man in him."

"I see." Jane nodded again.

Mr. Barnett gave the young lady an endearing smile, full of exhaustion yet still loving. If there was one person Jane would ever consider truly sincere, it was her uncle. "I apologize if he will ever cause you some discomfort, Jane." He said. "I promise that I will do my best to form him into the gentleman he was supposed to be."

"Oh no, please don't apologize!" Jane exclaimed, waving her hand. "The fact that you are doing this for the better of someone is very meaningful in itself. Please, uncle, take your time. Don't worry about me."

Mr. Barnett, even with red cheeks and a drunken appearance, made the most thankful response which was greatly appreciated by the young brunette.

"Well, I suppose it is about time we head back to our bedrooms?" The old woman said. "Jane, you're going to work tomorrow, right?"

Jane gathered all the used plates from the table and headed towards the kitchen. "Uh, yes. It will be my first day."

"I see, well, after you finish cleaning the dishes, make sure you go up and sleep soundly for tomorrow." She said, sweet and gentle as ever, bringing her husband to their chambers.

"Thank you very much."

---

Jane climbed her way through the staircase, trying to prevent herself from suddenly screaming at every faint sound. The hallways were dark, once again. It seems that Mrs. Barnett turned off the lights and not a single place in the manor were remained bright. The young lady had to watch every step she took, making sure that she wouldn't slip on a carpet, miss a step and trip, or worse, find out that she wasn't the only one roaming around this late.

Jane shivered at the thought of possible ghosts appearing underneath the blanket of moonlight rays, making eerie sounds just to scare her away. Being frightened by her own thoughts, she picked up the pace and briskly walked her way to the second floor. She was slightly relieved now because she was finally nearing the place where she really wanted to be, however, she was frightened again by yet another surprise. The door of the room opposite to her's had opened and rays of bright light slowly shone itself amidst the dark hallway. It was the Earl's room.

Jane gasped at first at the sudden change and ended up twitching her eyes a bit at the brightness it emitted.

"Jane."

The young brunette widened her eyes at the unusual addressing.

"I-I mean... Ms. Hackett."

They were silent for a while. Jane was still shocked at seeing the Earl awake at this hour, while at the same time, somehow finding herself mesmerized by his appearance. His hair seemed to reflect the light from inside his bedroom and my, did it glow like an angel's halo. So did his eyes, with their natural earthy green which definitely did not fail to make her heart skip a beat. The two merely stared at each other, green orb to her brown ones and for a moment there, it almost seemed like that encounter in the Antique store. That is... Until he broke the silence.

"Why are you up this late?" He furrowed his eyebrows and glared at the young lady, his hands still attached to the door knob.

Jane rubbed her eyes and tried to adjust her vision. "I could ask you the same."

The man just compressed his lips together and squinted at her. This lasted for about a minute until he finally sighed and beckoned Jane to come inside his room.