Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Being decent, elegant and calm is the key to control...
At seven o'clock the next morning, Edward woke up as usual and rang the bedside bell. While waiting, he recalled the bad news, and his fragile nerves were once again crushed. He sighed for half a quarter of an hour, but found that he did not hear his wife's comfort.
"Jenny? Dear Jenny!" He called out twice, then reached out to touch the bed beside him. The quilt was already cold. Edward muttered in surprise, "Oh? Unbelievable! It's only seven o'clock! Why wouldn't a married noble lady be in bed waiting for breakfast and the newspaper today?"
Taking off his eye mask and nightcap, Edward drew aside the heavy curtains. The beautiful Norman manor welcomed a brand new morning, the sun glaring at him so brightly that he couldn't open his eyes. He heard the door open behind him, and he muttered to himself, "Charlie, you're a little slow in responding to orders. This isn't the standard expected of my personal valet..."
"No, Edward, it's me."
Edward was startled and turned around to see Jenny coming in with a breakfast tray.
"Jenny?" Edward's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he looked at the simple meal on the tray and the apron Jenny hadn't taken off in time. "Don't tell me you did this! Unless all the servants disappeared overnight?!"
"I'm afraid it's just as you think." Jenny nodded helplessly.
"Oh my God, are you kidding me?" Edward was puzzled. "My dear, even though I have fragile nerves, I don't need this kind of adjustment."
Jenny stared at Edward and gave him an apologetic smile.
Edward was stunned.
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Edward walked hurriedly on the spiral staircase, and the sound of his footsteps attracted the ladies at the table to turn around.
Breakfast and milk were placed on the long dining table. Isabel and Audrey sat opposite each other, with Mary and Anna sitting next to them.
Edward, who was always a respectable gentleman, now appeared in front of everyone with messy hair and wearing a bathrobe.
"Bella! You're too impulsive! The Norman family is well-known in Rosen County! If nothing unexpected happens, the news that we've fired all the servants has spread far and wide!" Edward, facing his daughter, was emotional for the first time. He ignored Jenny's pulling and said, "Our kind neighbor Colonel Lucas will even add fuel to the fire and tell all the nobles in the Principality of Ceylon that old Norman is a pathetic creature!"
"No, Edward, calm down and don't lose your temper at the child." Jenny frowned and sighed, "If we don't agree to Herman's marriage proposal, we will have to live in debt, and it will be a matter of time before we have no servants. You rejected him verbally that day, didn't you? Bella just helped us make this difficult decision."
Edward slumped down, holding his head helplessly.
"I'm sorry, Bella, baby. I really don't know what to do." He went back upstairs again, not even in the mood to eat breakfast.
Isabel watched his back disappear, a faint smile appearing in her ice-blue eyes.
When everything went smoothly, Edward was undoubtedly a good master, a good husband, and a good father. But when things got tough, this pampered aristocrat would retreat into his shell, trying to escape difficulties by playing dumb.
Conscience and upbringing told him he couldn't give in to debt and betray his daughter's marriage. The pressure of reality was too much for him to bear, so he fell ill and allowed everything to happen, even though only his wife and daughter were left to bear the burden.
On the first floor, many pairs of eyes were watching the quarrel in the restaurant from the servants who were on strike but refused to leave.
"Just wait and see, Mr. Norman will definitely invite us back! No noble family would allow a young lady to tell them what to do!"
What a joke! Leave this place? Is it so easy to enter a noble estate? They're not stupid! They're adept at assessing the situation—collectively demanding early pay to test the estate's financial health and bottom line. Receiving the reassuring sum of money, they know their difficulties will be easily resolved. As a fig leaf for the nobility's respectability, they're confident and can use this as leverage to confront the owner.
However, Miss Isabel, who made the decision to fire the employee, did not show any sadness.
"I'm sorry, Mom, for not telling you last night." Isabel finished her milk and wiped the corners of her mouth gracefully.
"It's okay, Bella. But..." Jenny shook her head and looked at the servants who were spying in the dark, worried. "They refuse to leave. What should we do?"
When the kind-hearted lady was cooking in the morning, she encountered many pleas for mercy, saying that they had elderly parents and young children to take care of, and that they were old and sick, etc., but Jenny had learned her lesson from being soft-hearted in the past and did not agree.
"Don't worry, I'm prepared." Isabel put down her napkin and waved, "Lucy."
The red-haired maid nodded and immediately ran out. The ladies looked at each other in confusion. A moment later, a bearded man in uniform came in with a group of guards.
"Sheriff?!" Jenny's eyes widened. "Oh! Bella! Isn't this too…"
cruel.
The word brewed in my throat but was never uttered.
Soon, a series of commotions erupted from the servants' quarters. Those who refused to leave were forcibly removed by the sheriff, charged with "illegal trespassing." Several elderly servants cried and screamed, one even throwing himself at Jenny's feet.
"No, ma'am, I'm the one who's been possessed by the devil. I swear, as long as you're willing to keep me, I'll never have second thoughts again!"
Jenny looked reluctant and looked at Isabel tentatively: "Bella..."
Isabel raised her eyes and looked at the bearded man. "Your Excellency, Sheriff, thank you for your hard work."
The bearded man took off his hat and saluted: "It is my honor to serve you, Miss Norman."
The elderly cook was dragged away crying.
The sharp-tongued maid walked last, starting out tough and then pleading for mercy. Finally, realizing all hope was lost, she regained her coldness and arrogance. As she left, she stared fiercely at Isabel's back, uttering each word with measured emphasis, "I hope you'll always be this arrogant and heartless! Just wait! You'll get your comeuppance sooner or later."
Nowadays, it was considered extremely vile and audacious for commoners to disrespect or even curse nobles. This angered all the ladies present, but their reserve allowed them to restrain their emotions.
Jenny finally hardened her heart and said, "Please get out. You are not welcome here, Jessica!"
The maid, named Jessica, shook off the guard's hand and strode out. As she walked down the stairs, she heard a familiar voice behind her, a slow and elegant tone - "Welcome to your revenge, Miss Jessica."
The other party's calmness made Jessica angry. She clenched her fist and kicked a stone on the roadside.
The riot finally subsided, the sheriffs politely left, and only five women were left sitting opposite each other in the empty hall.
Mary took a sip of coffee and frowned slightly at the rough taste. "Okay, Miss Isabel, now you can answer our questions."
"I'm sorry, dear. My cooking skills can't compare to those of a professional." Jenny gave Mary an apologetic look, replaced her cup with freshly brewed black tea, and handed another cup to her eldest daughter. "Bella, although I completely respect your decision, but... if we proceed according to our plan, Hermann's debt will be written off, and Norman Manor really doesn't need to fire all the servants. This will cause unnecessary trouble, won't it?"
"Jenny! The cookies you made are too hard! It's true that when a noble lady is a lady for too long, her cooking skills will decline." Anna bit into a jam biscuit and muttered, "In my opinion, Bella is really wasting her time! Besides being blamed and bringing disrepute to the Norman family, she also has to choose a new batch of servants! Oh, don't look at me like that, Jenny. Does a Baroness have to cook for the rest of her life? And for hard bread! This is ridiculous!"
"Aunt Anna, Mom's already worked so hard cooking! Please stop complaining." Audrey looked at Anna helplessly, handed her a cup of black tea, and brought herself a cup, then sat down next to her sister. "Even though I don't understand, I believe you, Bella."
"Thank you for your unconditional trust, Otti." Isabel chuckled. "But... let me remind everyone, from this moment on, I am Audrey Norman, and you are Isabel Norman. Not only must everyone here remember this, but the servants of the manor must not allow any accidents to happen."
Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes widened, finally realizing the overlooked detail.
Mary frowned slightly, then regretted it. "Yes, I understand... We were careless. The bride exchange may be hidden from strangers, but it cannot be hidden from the servants who know the ins and outs of the manor."
They planned to act as quickly as possible on the day Herman arrived. However, no matter how secretive the process was, it would be difficult to escape those dozen or so eyes.
"Even if there hadn't been a strike, I would have fired them. But this incident has given me a more appropriate reason. It's enough to prove that their loyalty isn't enough to keep a secret." Isabel said slowly, "Why not take this opportunity to replace them with new people and introduce them to them..."
"Miss Isabel." Isabel pointed at Audrey with her fan, then at herself, "and me, Miss Audrey."
Audrey was called her sister's name. She was surprised and nervous, and murmured, "Yes, I must remember that I am Isabel Norman."
Isabel looked at her sister and couldn't help laughing. She brushed her curls and said, "Relax. Apart from changing your name, you just need to be yourself. People outside this manor don't know the difference between the two Miss Normans."
Mary smiled and praised, "Dear Bei... No, Otti! Your meticulousness is enough to put our minds at ease. Now, it's time to find a new servant. Otherwise, the empty manor will make Mr. Hermann suspicious."
"'Audrey Norman' thanks my aunt for her compliments." Isabel nodded and smiled. "However, the new servants are on their way, and Mrs. Michelle will lead them in learning the rules tonight."
At this moment, Mary was really amazed. "Oh! You mean, you planned so many things in one night! My good girl! It's really great!"
Jenny finally relaxed and made the sign of the cross on her chest: "Bella never makes us worry."
"No, Mom, it's 'Otti'!" Audrey reminded with a stern face.
Jenny covered her mouth: "Yes! Yes! Otti! You are Bella!"
Like Audrey, several older ladies constantly repeat this in their minds and force themselves to change their habits.
Aunt Anna suddenly looked strange and looked towards the corner.
There, Mrs. Michelle was waiting with the only two remaining maids - one of them was Lucy, and the other was Audrey's personal maid, Emily.
"Mary, please speak to Be...Otti with an attitude that challenges my opinion!" Anna muttered sarcastically, lowering her voice. "Unless those three ladies swear an oath like I did last night, I don't believe they will keep the secret!"
Hearing this, everyone glanced at the three servants subtly.
Audrey disagreed, but lowered her voice. "Aunt Anna, Mrs. Michelle is loyal and reliable. She has served the manor for decades and is absolutely trustworthy. Emily is my personal maid, and I can vouch for her character. And Lucy, she's a good girl too!"
Aunt Anna snorted: "In the eyes of cute little Norman, there are no bad people in the world!"
She clearly didn't believe Audrey and only cast her gaze on Isabel. Anna was always hesitant to act rashly towards her eldest niece, let alone act like an elder, so she could only question her cowardly.
Mary took a sip of her tea and said calmly, "Can they be trusted?"
"Of course." Isabel looked at her aunt and said casually, "Any lady should have a personal maid. Lucy is cautious and attentive, and will help 'Miss Isabel' better adapt to the new environment. Emily will follow me to the Duke of Spencer's Mansion."
"Yes, that's a very reasonable arrangement." Mary stopped asking questions and responded with complete trust.
Just as Mary was the backbone of the Calvin sisters, Isabel has become the voice of both generations of women, empowered by the freedom to explain her decisions.
Anna muttered, "I think it would be more reliable to force them to swear an oath!"
Audrey: "Aunt! Even my sister thinks they are trustworthy, what else is there to doubt?"
The aqua-blue eyes looked at Isabel, revealing a feeling of complete dependence.
Isabel chuckled and didn't refute: "Yes, trust is a valuable quality."
Of course, she would not explain the complicated calculations to the naive Miss Audrey.
The three maids possessed a certain loyalty, but it was the bond of a destitute family that bound them together. When necessary, they would resort to even more brutal means to coerce their "loyalty." However, a wise person would not allow themselves to find themselves in a situation where their true intentions were fully exposed.
Being decent, elegant and calm is the embodiment of being in control of everything.
When everything was ready, Isabel slowly put down the teacup, gently waved the feather fan, and waited for tomorrow to come.
The author has something to say:
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Updated every night at midnight, working hard to save the manuscript! Getting married tomorrow!
Hermann: (Adjusts his bow tie) (Enters with pride)
Audrey: (Takes a deep breath in front of the mirror) Me! Isabel Normand!
Isabel: (Propping her head and looking at her sister in the mirror) Cute little thing.
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