Ploy.

At once, Bessie had run her way outside to welcome the family, also in hopes that she would find Elizabeth in the company with the rest, but she was wrong.

She stood by until she had seen everyone alight the double-horse propelled carriage, including the coachman who had gotten off to assist in bringing down the boxes from the vehicle.

'What does this mean? Does this mean that Elizabeth did not make it out of the Castle? Oh god! I wanted my gut feelings to prove me wrong just this once,' cried Bessie in her heart.

"Well...are you just going to stand there looking at us idly, come take these inside, Bessie." Mrs Blythe had instructed her as soon as their eyes met.

Knowing fully well how close Elizabeth was to Bessie, Letita had seen through her countenance that she was heart-broken from realizing that Beth had not returned with the rest of the family.

But why should she care? Moreover did Beth not go out of her way to ferry herself to Aegremonth thereby violating her stay-in-house order? Therefore whatever should become of that rascal of a girl back at the Castle shouldn't concern her.

Just in time, Mr Blythe gave the coachman the other half of his payment and muttered a polite "Thank You". The latter had then doffed his hat before hopping on the seat at the front of the carriage.

In a blink of an eye the coachman got on his way humming melodiously whilst the elegant thumping of the horses' feet coursed noisily through the late night air.

Meanwhile, before her daughter and husband made their way inside the house, Letita[Mrs Blythe] had hurriedly walked in first at about the time that Bessie had carried their boxes in.

The beautiful surprise which Letita had carefully thought out all through their ride back home as the perfect punishment to mete out to Beth, was about to get set in motion.

After she had watched Bessie take the box to her room, Letita had craftily turned her self about and headed for Elizabeth's room. There she hurriedly crafted a note in Elizabeth's writing ink and used the door key to lock the door from outside.

"Now, let me see if you'll have a home to return to after this. Hypocrite!"

Though Mrs Blythe had mumbled her words softly, she spat angrily on the entrance to Elizabeth's room.

'If I don't teach her to be a decent girl, won't she wreak havoc on the family name? This is the right thing to do indeed! For every mother should not be quick to spare the rod if her daughter became too bold to abide by her instructions,' she scoffed after thinking such.

In a flash, Letita had already put away the key to Beth's room door inside the breast of her fabric and was standing by her matrimonial room door when her husband had come by her side to join his wife.

"Dear, why has Elizabeth not come out yet to greet the rest of us? I don't think she should be asleep by this time," her husband said to her.

"Don't bother so much about it, honey. She might really be asleep and we did arrive late so let her rest," said Letita to her husband.

But while their conversation went on, Louisa had made it to the hallway. She was on her way to her room when the echoes blew her mother's words to her ears.

"Elizabeth? Asleep? Of course not!" Louisa mumbled to herself and was about to head up to her sister's room when something had prompted her to change her mind.

"I am too tired to care about her now. I should freshen up instead and go take care of my stomach."

Louisa had then sauntered to her room instead.

Few minutes later, the rest of the family except Elizabeth had gathered round the dinner table for a quiet supper time.

That night they all ate in silence while Bessie's heart kept pounding within her chest for Elizabeth's sake and as such she didn't feel obliged to eat supper like the rest.

——

The Morning Came...

While everyone else had slept with ease that night, Bessie had had a sleepless night because thoughts of her lady troubled her sore those dreary long hours.

Despite that, she was up as early as five to keep the house in shape and prepare breakfast early because she had deliberated on sneaking out to hint to Mr Graylock that Elizabeth had gotten left behind.

At this time, she didn't care to have the kind Lady Osborn involved. Also, she knew that she ought to stop by the tailor's shop to inform him of the unplanned delay in Elizabeth getting to return the rented dress to his shop.

To this, Bessie mumbled her thoughts...

"The kind Mr Lynchfield would understand the inconvenience," she said in a low tone.

However, she noticed something odd that morning.

At about 7:00am, Bessie had intentionally stopped by her lady's room when she found the door to be locked.

"How did it get locked all of a sudden? Who took out the keys?" pondered Bessie within herself.

"Bessie!"

The call from the housemaster had caused her to reply and make herself available at once to know what he wanted her to do.

.

.

.

At the time of the morning [8:00am] the whole family had sat to dine for breakfast when Mr Blythe noticed again that Elizabeth had not joined them.

It was true that the night before, they had arrived late and just like his wife had explained to him, it was in her[Elizabeth's] best interest not to get disturbed from her sleep. Therefore he had listened to his wife's suggestion.

Now it was morning and still no sign of Elizabeth. Not her cheerful presence or her jovial aura. At this point, Mr Jacob Blythe only had one demand...

"Where in god's name is Elizabeth? Or is this her subtle approach to get back at me for denying her leverage to accompany us to Aegremonth?" Jacob asked no one in particular.

'Father is right,' thought Louisa, 'Even I have done wrong by not going to check on her up till this time.'

Seeing that no one was offering him any response, Jacob was about to speak again when his wife, Letita, decided to speak up.

"Come now dear, don't overwork your nerves for nothing. This is just a ploy to get subtle attention. I'm sure she'll come out soon when she doesn't get any of that," said Mrs Blythe wittily.

Jacob did not buy his wife's words even at the very least.

Hence, he stood up at once.

"That is a preposterous thing to say! Have you no care for our daughter's emotion if that were the case?" asked Jacob in a disappointed tone.

Letita simply shrugged and went on to scoop a mouthful of the scotched eggs when the heavy thumping of her husband's footsteps alerted her of his next move.

'Great. Everything is going as planned,' thought Mrs Blythe.

"Father! Please!" cried Louisa as she got herself up to accompany her father to his destination—Elizabeth's room.

By now, Letita had no choice other than feigning an act of motherly concern as she rushed towards her daughter's [Elizabeth's] room.

She did this whilst taking care to mutter loudly to Bessie's hearing, her following words...

"This girl and her woes! May god save us from this one!"

Bessie who had just returned to the dinning hall with a wooden pallet of fresh green vegetables froze instantly on the spot as soon as [the master's wife] Letita's words flew callously into her ears.

"A storm indeed!" Bessie mumbled weakly as she dropped the pallet she was holding and clutched tightly at her chest.

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📚 So one more chapter coming through to celebrate our colls rising to eighty-one[81]. Yayyyy🎈

If you like the story please do well to support it...

PS. We would be getting to Ezekiel's arrival in Griffinwald in a bit. Much Love😘