Chapter 20

Agnes looked at her and raised her eyebrow in misbelieved. "What do you mean? What exactly happened in there?" asked.

Adela realized her doubts, and then she recounted everything in every detail that happened in that room.

Agnes's eyes opened wide in all this she was listening to.

"But this is wonderful news!" Agnes said excitedly when Adela finished. "And now? They are still in their room?"

"I suppose. I left them in their room all alone, full in love." She bent down to Agnes' ear. "If I get it correctly, at this moment, we talk, they must live their love." She looked at Agnes and winked at her meaningfully.

Agnes laughed. "Perfect! I am really happy for them. I can't even imagine what your mother suffered for so many years. It is sad. I am glad that we have redressed this injustice. Now everyone will be fulfilled."

"Yes! Thanks to witch's Magic Potion. What about Emily? Did she wake up?" Adela asked.

"Fortunately, she didn't come out of her chamber. She will probably still sleeping. And you know, when your sister is asleep nothing can wake her up. For a first time that shortcoming of hers came in useful."

Adela laughed. "Indeed. We don't need to tell her anything of all this. How are we going to explain to her? It would be a big lie, and I don't want to lie to her."

Agnes agreed with an affirmative nod. "You have right."

Adela squeezed Agnes' hands and looked deep into her eyes.

"Now that I'm sure the potion works, I want to give it to Stefan to drink as soon as possible. Tomorrow!"

Agnes bit her lower lip. She hesitated.

"Say it," urged Adela.

"You may not like it."

"I want to know what you think. So say it. Whatever it is."

"Will you be really happy to live with Stefan knowing that his love will be due to the potion?"

Adela took a deep breath. Her gaze turned to the window, and she looked out thoughtfully for a few moments. She spoke without looking at her.

"Yes. I will be able to do that. What I will not be able to do is live without him."

"Very well then. Let it be what you want to be. I will convince Mrs. Nina to go together to the market, so that you have free way through from the kitchen. The other maids will be busy with their duties as always. However, be careful. I will try to delay with Mrs. Nina as much as I can."

"Great! You are my treasure Agnes." she told her happily and closed her in her arms.

By the end of the day, Agnes had managed to convince Mrs. Nina to escort her the next day to the market on the pretext of some things she needed to buy.

"Okay, my little girl," Mrs. Nina told her tenderly and laughed. "You got me. I need some things too for the kitchen anyway."

The dawn of the next day was sweet and fresh. Adela took this as a good omen, and immediately her mood improved, and her impatience grew.

"Finally Agnes, you are here," she said as soon as the door opened and Agnes appeared at the entrance.

Agnes laughed softly. "You didn't have to wake up so early. We are not going to leave so soon. The market has not opened yet."

"It does not matter. I didn't sleep much anyway because of my anxiety."

Agnes poured the clean water she had brought into the porcelain basin, and Adela got close to washing her hands and face.

"Before we go to the market I will come to inform you."

"Okay," she told her with his handfuls of water before throwing it to her face.

Agnes was waiting for her to finish to help her get dressed. Not with the maid's clothes. Adela would dress as a maid when the time came.

Adela stayed in her room until it was time for breakfast. She went down to the dining room. Her parents were there!

"Good morning, Adela," they said to her with a big smile on their faces. Their eyes shone with happiness. Especially her mother seemed to be a different person. Full of joy, she was looking at Augustine and languishing for his love. Likewise, Augustine made sheep's eyes at her.

Adela liked this picture. "Good morning! How are you today?" she asked them, flashing a smile.

"Great!" they answered in one voice. "Wonderful!" With the smile always pinned on their face.

"I'm glad. How come you haven't left yet, father? You always leave very early in the morning."

"Yes, but today I wanted to spend more time with your mother," he said, looking adoringly at Margaret.

Augustine and Margaret couldn't take their eyes off each other.

Adela couldn't get enough of looking at them. She felt an unprecedented euphoria flooding her. So, this was how it would be with Stefan, she thought, floating in happiness.

"Where is Emily?" she asked them after taking a sip of her tea.

"She hasn't come down yet," Margaret said, her eyes always fixed on Augustine.

Margaret was living the ultimate happiness! She didn't know what had changed. What exactly had happened? But she didn't care. For her, the result counted. She gained what always she dreamed about. Her husband!!

"How are you going to spend your day mother, after father leaves for work?" Adela fished her.

"As always. What kind of question is that?"

"You mean embroidery with Emily?"

"Yes. The dowries cannot wait. And when I'm done with Emily's dowry we'll start with yours."

"Oh!! I am sorry mother, but it will not need." thought Adela, taking another sip of her tea.

Emily appeared soon. Awake and somewhat cheerless. But as soon as she saw her parents, she woke up for good. She looked at them with interest and amazement. She had never seen them like that before. She secretly nodded to Adela, asking her what had happened, but Adela just shrugged, showing her that she didn't know. She felt terrible she lied to her, but what else could she do? Especially the truth was impossible to reveal to her. At least not yet.

The time for the father to leave had arrived; although he didn't want to leave the house, he did. Margaret and Emily went to their usual place.

But this time, it was different! The mother was cheerful and jolly. Now she was singing softly and then she was very talkative. And the most paradoxical? Her behavior was not tiring at all to Emily. On the contrary, Emily was listening to her very carefully.

Adela got up and went to her chamber to wait for Agnes.

Her heart was beating hard. On the one hand, she was dying for the time to come, but on the other hand, she was afraid of failure or her treacherous action to get exposed.

It was a susceptible situation that needed great care.

***

Adela in her chamber couldn't stay still. Anxiety and impatience didn't let her calm down.

"You are finally here!" exclaimed as soon as saw Agnes entering.

Agnes smiled at her. "We are leaving in five minutes. Please, be careful."

"I will, don't worry."

"I hope so. Do you want any help to get dressed?"

"No. First I want to check the whole house and then I will do what I have to do."

"Okay. Good luck, Adela," Agnes told her and hugged her. As soon as she walked out of her hug, she left the room, closing the door behind her.

Adela remained in her room for a little longer and then got out.

On the right, a little further, was Francesca dusting a statue. She seemed very concentrated on her work.

"This is not good," Adela thought and approached her. "Will you be late to finish with the statue?"

Francesca looked at her wickedly, and a gentle smirk appeared on her lips. Adela ignored her. "She can think whatever she wants about me, I don't care." Adela thought.

"No, ma'am, I'll be done soon and I'll go to the living room downstairs," came the maid's answer.

"Very well," Adela told her indifferently and moved on her way.

Adela continued the inspection throughout the rest of the house. The maids kept their noses to the grindstone. So far, so good.

Returning to her room, she noticed that Francesca was gone.

"The time has come," she murmured happily.

She hurried into her room and changed her clothes with the maid's clothes. She put the bottle with the magic potion in her apron's pocket and took the white hat in her hand to wear it when it was time.

She opened the door slightly and looked carefully out. Nobody was coming. With great care, she headed to the kitchen. She took a clay glass and filled it with red wine. She took out the bottle with the magic potion, opened it, and poured a drop into the wine. She was ready to close the bottle again with its cap, but at the last moment, she regretted it and dropped another dip into the glass, to be sure.

After, she closed the bottle and kept it again in her apron pocket. She put on her hat and hid her hair inside it. When she was done with that, she took the glass in her hands, opened the door leading out to the courtyard, and went out. She headed for the well with her heart fluttering.

She felt like smiling but restrained herself. What would Stefan think about her if he saw her smiling for no reason?

When she reached the well, she waited for a while but nothing. She decided to call Stefan when she saw him coming out of the stable and heading for the well.

Stefan saw her and realized that she was the maid who confessed her love to him in an awkward way. Suddenly he felt discomfort, but he couldn't avoid it; he needed water immediately.

"Hello, Stefan," she said with a smile as he approached her.

"Hello," he replied casually.

"I brought you some wine to drink, I thought you might thirsty," she said and stretched the glass to him.

"No, no, I cannot drink, I have no right. I am a mere servant. If I got thirsty I will drink water."

"No one saw me taking it. And of course I will not tell anyone. It is sweet and light. Like water. The cook is missing today. The kitchen was empty and I thought it would be a good idea to bring you some wine to drink. No one will know. It will not… »

Stefan felt dizzy from her talkativeness. He would not get rid of her easily. So the sooner he drank it, the faster he would get rid of her.

"All right, all right, give me the glass."

"Here it is," Adela said, handing him the glass. Her heart was pounding so hard she was about to tear her chest and go out. Her legs shook slightly, and she felt sweat flowing along her spine. Her eyes never left Stefan.

Stefan took the glass and lifted it to his mouth.