Albin knocked on her door that night. She opened it and he immediately stepped away when she appeared before him.

"Fanny says that you must join us for supper," he said, eyes not meeting hers.

She nodded. "Albin," she said as he turned to walk away. "I am sorry. And please, you can act your normal self in front of me."

The footman turned to face her, his brown eyes almost dark in the corridor. "You cannot expect me to do that, not after what I discovered about you." He started to walk away but stopped to whirl on his heels once again. His eyes were accusing. "I have treated you as a friend."

"And I am your friend still!" she said, tearing up. "I do consider you a friend, Albin."

He merely scoffed and walked away. She followed close behind, each step fearful, but she must face the others. She could not stay in her room, can she?

When she appeared in the kitchen with Albin, Molly and Lottie did not look up. Oscar simply ignored her as well. Fanny gestured at the empty chair beside her and Maxine dutifully sat down.

No one offered to give her food so she reached for them herself.

Fanny broke the most awkward silence Maxine had to suffer by saying, "Why are you looking for your mother?"

"Yes, I have been wondering of that as well," Albin said. "If what you said is true and the Theobalds have been naught but good to you, why are you looking for her?"

Lottie scoffed and shook her head. Molly turned her head to wait for Maxine's answer.

Maxine swallowed her food. "Rachel, my stepmother, has been very good to me. She treated me as one of her own, but I have always known that I was not hers."

"You always knew you were a bastard then?" Albin asked with surprise.

Maxine nodded.

"Then why the bloody hell look for a woman who did not want you? Ye have a mother back home!"

Maxine flinched. Yes, why was she looking for the woman who did not want her and ignore the one who had always been there for her?

She could not find the correct words that would adequately answer Albin's question so Maxine chose to silence. She could hardly convince herself that her reason was enough to cause the trouble she did.

"She wants to know what it would have been like if the woman kept her," was Fanny's reply.

Lottie looked up to gaze at Maxine. Molly blinked. Albin fell silent and Oscar continued eating.

Maxine felt a lump in her throat so she simply blinked away the tears and nodded. Fanny had given voice to the many thoughts and questions that even Maxine found hard to explain.

Everyone did not speak again after Fanny said the words and continued eating.

Supper ended not in a jolly one, nor horribly. It ended in a more tolerable way and that was good enough for her.

*****

Two days had passed and yet Maxine was yet to make up her mind. She would be receiving her pay on the morrow and she was considering asking Maxwell to return her ruby necklace to her should she need more townsends for her journey. But asking for it would certainly cause him to suspect that she may be planning to leave.

No, she could not ask him for the necklace. He was too bloody wise not to be suspicious. He had once outwitted her. Well, yes, probably more than once.

It had been a difficult two days for her. None of the staff would talk to her, save for Fanny who tried to be considerate. But that was the woman's nature. Although Maxine knew she was disappointed, even angry, Fanny was still Fanny.

Lottie had started to eat earlier than the others that Maxine was considering not joining them for supper later that night. She was supposed to be the one who must spare them of her presence, not the Lottie or the others.

As she was walking out of Nicholas' study to fetch him tea, she saw Maxwell striding across the hallway with a bag in hand. He did not see her as she was on a rush and she stepped behind a pillar.

She heard him talking to Oscar but their voices were muffled, difficult for her to discern.

She frowned. Was he leaving?

Mayhap he was returning to his estate. Did his mistress leave him alone now? Was he planning something? He had not sought her out for two days since his confession in the study after all. Mayhap he felt utterly ashamed that he said those things? Did he realize he said the wrong things and that he did not fancy her at all?

Maxine incredulously shook her head. She ought to feel relieved then!

She ought to feel relieved that he was leaving the estate, for whatever reason!

But she suddenly felt quite lost instead.

She had managed to stay away from him, minding her tasks as a valet and all the while avoiding him and the other servants, but the knowledge that he was in the estate somewhere had been a comforting thought.

She walked to the hallway when she heard the front doors close. Oscar met her after closing the door. She bowed her head to keep on walking but he said, "Have you planned your departure?" he asked.

Maxine paused. "Yes," she lied and caught herself. "No," she honestly added. "But I shall keep my promise to leave in three days' time."

Oscar merely nodded before he walked off to wherever else he spent his time.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. She was never chummy with Oscar, but the man had been a good mentor. And he was a considerate man despite his cold demeanor.

Maxine made her way to the kitchen to prepare a fresh pot of tea for Nicholas and found Molly inside, washing a cloth.

The maid ignored her at first but as the silence lasted longer, Molly cleared her throat and said, "Lottie is very angry at you. She feels utterly betrayed."

"Understandably so," Maxine said, already tearing up. Despite everything that Molly had attempted to do, she had been good to Maxine. "And I also understand if you are too."

"Of course, I am," the maid snapped. "And I thought myself in love with you! How shameful! You turned out to be a woman! And a gentry at that! How bloody blind of me!"

Maxine did not comment.

"Now I doubt myself. I do not think I would ever trust myself should I find someone I fancy!"

Maxine turned to give Molly a look. "Mayhap you ought to consider someone who had always been there for you."

"Who? Albin? He did confess to me and I do not believe we suit each other."

"I meant Oscar."

The maid stiffened in surprise. She gawked at Maxine, brown eyes filled alight with shock. "Now that you know we know you are a woman, you attempt to gossip!"

"It is not gossip, Molly," Maxine said as she placed the pot of tea on the tray. "Oscar does fancy you but he is too afraid and proud to admit it, I am afraid. You ought to ask Fanny as she is aware of it as well."

Molly scoffed. "Do not hope that I believe you. After all, you have lied to us too many times."

Maxine shrugged. "Very well, I cannot force the truth upon someone who refuses to have it." She turned away with a smile when she saw Molly absently looking at the bubbles of soap in her hands with a curious frown.

*****

Maxine entered Nicholas' study and prepared his tea in front of him as he worked. He had been extra happy since she saw him two days past.

But even though her master was in a jolly mood, Maxine was mentally worried.

She was trying to figure out the best way she could deliver her statement without sounding impolite. She wanted to ask if he could lend her another month's worth of pay. Of course, she would not be staying here to work off the debt for she would be long gone by then. She had to pay him back after she returned to Theobald, of course.

"I have noticed that Albin has not been talking to you," said Nicholas as he picked up his teacup. He frowned at Maxine. "Did the two of you fight?" A knowing smile curled on his lips. "About a lady, eh?"

Maxine shook her head. "Merely a small disagreement, milord." Not wishing for him to delve further into the details, she said, "I believe you have met great success in Rock'oles, milord?"

His smile widened into a satisfied one. "Yes, very much so, I believe." He replaced the teacup on the table. "My friends at Grey's are missing me as I have been giving Rock'oles more of my attention. A man ought to work harder for his target, see?"

Maxine smiled. "You have met her then, milord?"

He shook his head. "No."

She frowned. "Then how is it a success?"

"She is considering allowing me entry into her chamber," he said with a chuckle. He looked like Samuel when he was younger, when he managed to finally urge their father to procure him a horse—the one she lost in Marsden.

For a moment, Maxine felt sorry for the woman in Rock'oles. It was clear that Nicholas merely considered her a challenge. But then, the woman had chosen to live such life and must be fully aware of such matters.

"Do you wish to know how I urged her to consider?" Nicholas asked, leaning his forearms on the table with excitement.

"Of course, milord," Maxine lied. No, she did not wish to know every detail of that horrid place.

"Weeks ago, I met with one of the men who claimed to have—"

The rest of Nicholas' words were left unsaid as the door burst open and Maxwell stalked inside. "Ah, there you are," he said, walking closer toward her.

Maxine was still surprised by his sudden entry that she did not realize he had caught her hand. How could he possibly be here? She saw him leave!

Nicholas was scowling at his brother, but Maxwell was not paying him attention.

"Come with me," Maxwell told her before he started to pull her toward the door.

"What the bloody hell are you doing to my valet, Max!" Nicholas demanded, jumping to his feet. "What in the devil, Maxwell! Are you bloody mad!"

"Let me go," Maxine hissed at Maxwell.

"Let go of my valet at once, Max!" Nicholas shouted but Maxwell continued his pace. "Stop at once!"

Maxwell did stop but his hold tightened around her hand. "You must come along, brother, I need you," Maxwell said to Nicholas who was already on his feet, stalking after them.

Maxine frowned as Nicholas stalked toward them. She turned to Maxwell. His hair was nearly hiding his face from her angle and she could not read him at the moment. But by the strength of his hold, Maxine was quite certain that whatever he had planned, he was determined to have it done. "What are you—"

"The carriage is ready," Maxwell said to Maxine, finally turning to face her. For a moment she remembered their night at the townhouse. His green eyes were looking at her the same way they did that night and she almost nodded her head, ready to do whatever he had planned.

But she snapped to her senses and shook her head. "No, I am staying here and—"

His hand tightened as if he wanted to shake her to her senses. "I said the carriage is ready."

"Ready for what?" Maxine and Nicholas asked in unison.

Maxwell rolled his eyes before he pulled Maxine closer beside him. "I am marrying your valet, brother," he wryly said to Nicholas. "And you are coming with us to Tiny Town."