The Bitter Taste

Chapter 39: Sacrifice

After his visit to the Duke's manor in Berkshire, the Earl decided to return back to London with the growing hope of seeing at least the Barnetts. He had already suspected that Jane left to do whatever she desired, trying to find a girl that she's never met or known, but at the same time, already sighed out the disappointment and settled with accompanying her uncle instead.

The Earl opened the door of the Barnetts manor and peaked in a little first to see if the lights were on. Seeing as they were, he welcomed himself inside.

"Mr.Barnett? Mrs.Barnett? I'm back!" He said and continued to dally inside.

"Ah! There you are." The old woman said, coming out from the kitchen and towards the Earl to grab him for a hug.

"Sorry that I left without notifying anyone. It was quite a spontaneous decision." He said, and he really did regret it. Waking up early morning in a fit of erratic breathing and an on edge gut spring wasn't exactly a good feeling, especially during a day where he actually needed - and was willing - to attend certain activities.

"Oh it's fine... We were worried, but I'm mostly glad that you're safe."

The Earl could feel her heart beat murmuring sounds of unpleasant worry however, and realized that despite her words of encouragement, Mrs. Barnett still felt extremely anxious.

"Where's Mr.Barnett?" he asked.

The old lady furrowed her brows like that of a bridge, and looked down. "Uhm... he already left to work." She said. "I told him to wait for you but, he acted rather strange this morning and, well... a cranky man never listens to anyone but his own head."

"I see."

"But I suppose that doesn't mean you can't go out yourself and visit him on your own accord!" She cheerfully added. "After all, I'd bet a grand that he would certainly be delighted to see you waltz in inside his workplace."

The Earl smiled and nodded before leaving.

---

"Barnett! A man's here to see you." Mr. Wallace said as he opened the door to his boss's office.

The old man raised his glasses up from his nose, making it rest on the edges of hair strands that had already begun to fall at the sides. He squinted at one of his work men like a predator, and laughed breathlessly.

"A man you say?" He said. "Tell him to come in."

After Mr.Barnett heard the closing of his office door, he leaned against the backrest of his chair and released a groan. It was only the middle of the day and he was already feeling extremely worn out. The numbers and words displayed before him in piles of messy papers screamed out until he felt deaf and utterly hopeless.

Especially at the current state that the business is in right now, the sensations simply worsened.

"Mr.Barnett..." Said the Earl as he entered inside. His hands were rather moist from the heat resonating around the building they were in, since the temperature of this season were of its highest peak.

"So, you decided to come and see me?" Mr.Barnett said. "I'm glad."

"Mr.Barnett, I uh- I'm sorry for making you worried earlier. This morning, I woke up with a sudden impulse and I just- I'm just really really sorry for burdening you."

"Aside from that, whatever it is that you desperately needed to fulfill, I suppose it was of great importance." Mr.Barnett said. "And that's fine. At one point, we are all given sudden urges to simply run to a place where we are given chances to set things right. Judging by your rather... explicit change of attitude, I would say that you were able to attempt something just like that."

Mr Barnett collected all his papers that were laying on his desk and straightened them in an unorganized but tidy pile. He swiftly took off his glasses and placed them inside his pocket where he liked to keep all the tiny objects he owned, and moved aside from his desk, towards the young man.

"I truly hope you were successful."

"I was."

"Good." He said, and beckoned the young man to follow him with a nod. "I want to show you around the workplace."

The Earl followed after his footsteps, his chest still heaving slightly as if the weight was still pushing his knees to the floor. He had probably done the right thing, but being sure whether he did what would make him happy was still a question. But after everything he's done to her, to everyone and to even himself, thoughts about entertaining his own wants was sure to be the wrong route this time around.

He knew it would have to be this way.

"Listen, I'll be blunt with you." said Mr.Barnett, furrowing his brows like that of a child's frown. "Our business has begun slipping out of stable hands lately, mainly because a new company took storm across England. They delighted children with a ton more varieties, and even added new items that most people considered to be quite innovative. Because of that, I've... had a pretty difficult time. Dealing with these kinds of things are never easy, despite trying to tell yourself that there will always be a way."

The Earl leaned forward and raised his hand hesitantly, patting the older man's back.

"At this rate, we'd need donations. It sounds rather pathetic, but if we are able to gather a large amount of cash by the next month, then perhaps we can still keep the company standing strong."

"Wait, but where will the money go?"

"To mechanical toys." Mr.Barnett said. "We will still be producing stuffed toys, but if we need to fight, then we'll fight fire with fire. Business asks for nothing less."

---

The trip back to the manor was mostly silent, with only the thumping heart of Mr.Barnett exploding out of the quietness. He really was stressed out. The Earl, however, could only watch as the scene unfolded before his eyes. To be quite frank, his thoughts have always wandered around the topic of business. Business was brutal. And to think that a man like Mr.Barnett was able to survive years of facing everyday, looking though the minor and major problems, and finding a solution for them. If he was in his place, he couldn't even survive a day. Sure, the noble's been surrounded by paperwork, piles even, but never with stakes this high. Never in circumstances that may cost his home.

"Mr.Barnett, I might not be able to understand what you're feeling right now, but I believe that... your company won't come to a permanent decline."

The old man was awakened from his daze and looked at the young man, sitting before him with foreign, yet earnest eyes. He simply sighed and shook his head with a sad smile. "It's been months since actually." He said. "Even before Jane arrived in London, before I got the letter of your mother's request, and before I began to lecture you. I thought it would eventually climb back up, may it have been gradual, since we worked so hard, but... The demands just kept on decreasing. It was only recently that it's come to a dangerous point."

Mr.Barnett rested his palm on top of his eyelids, tightening his lips together in a thin line. "I don't know what to do anymore."

The Earl widened his eyes. He did all that?

"Meaning to say, you-"

Sacrificed all those hours of brainstorm, work, meetings... just to spend them with me?

The carriage suddenly came to a stop, and awoke the two men of their surroundings. "Looks like we're already here." said Mr.Barnett. "Come on, we can't keep dinner waiting."