Jane's Descent

(-- Prologue --)

A woman with short dark hair sat in an armchair. A gas fireplace flickered beside her, and she used the light to read a letter. As her sharp gaze scoured the page, she frowned. Her name was Evaline Strout, the governess of the estate, and the letter displeased her.

"How troublesome..." She let out an annoyed sigh and folded the letter up. She returned it back to its envelope and glanced around the room.

She sat in her chambers, wearing a black silk robe that matched her hair. A half drank glass of wine sat next to her, and she picked it up. However, as she sipped the velvety drink, her anger flared up.

"Someone needs to be punished..." Eva said to herself. She swallowed the last of her wine and grimaced.

A knock came at the door, and she glanced at it, but didn't respond. Instead, she filled herself another glass of wine.

"I've come as requested," a voice called from the other side of the door.

Eva set aside the bottle and re-corked it. "Come in."

A brown-haired maid, Maria, stepped inside and gave a small curtsy. "You called?"

"Yes, I did." Eva stood up and approached the maid. She gave a sickly sweet smile, hiding her frustrations behind a thin facade. "Before we get started, is there anything you would like to tell me?"

Maria was of a similar age as Evaline, but she lacked the grace of a noble birth. Her eyes widened at the question, and she glanced down at the letter in Eva's hand.

"Is there something you'd like to know?" A small waver entered her voice, and she gripped the front of her skirt.

"Relax, sweetie." Eva let her smile loosen a little, but her anger kept any hint of amusement from her eyes. "All I ask is for your honesty. You know that, right? As long as you own up to your mistakes, we won't have a problem."

"Of course. I would never lie." Maria looked up and nodded, but her voice wavered. Her eyes stared back like a deer in the headlights.

"That's right, you would never lie. Because, if you did, I would know." Eva let her fake smile fade away. "Now tell me, what do you think this is?"

Eva offered the letter, and Maria took it.

She read the name on the front before turning it over. A broken wax seal lay on the back. However, even with the damaged wax, she recognized the sender, and her eyes widened.

"This is a letter... from you?" Maria asked. "Did someone intercept your mail?"

"Why don't you read the letter itself?" Eva narrowed her eyes, and Maria flinched. "I'll give you permission, just this once."

Maria nodded, but her hands shook under Eva's gaze. She pulled out the letter and opened it slowly. As she read the contents, her face went even paler.

"I-I did not write this!" Maria raised her voice, and her hands trembled violently. She glanced between Eva and the letter, then back again. "There has to be some mistake. I-I..."

The letter fell from Maria's grasp, and she pinched the front of her maid uniform to stop her trembling hands.

Eva stared at her unblinking, analyzing her reaction. "You never were very good at hiding secrets..."

"Please believe me. I've never seen that letter before in my life. I would never-" Maria paused and shook her head. "Please believe me."

"Don't worry, I believe you."

"Then..?" Maria swallowed nervously.

Eva let the question hang in the air, still staring at her. "Why don't you have a seat on the bed, Maria."

Her already pale face went shock white. "I thought you said you believed me? I really didn't write it! Please..."

"Go sit on the bed and don't make me repeat myself."

Maria's mouth opened and closed, attempting to protest, but no words came out. Eva's steady gaze bore into her, and she nodded. "Of course, as you wish."

She stepped past Eva and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Eva let out a slow sigh and followed her. She came to a stop in front of Maria and gave a wistful smile. "We've known each other for a long time. I wish we could think of each other as friends."

"I do-" Maria stopped herself and shook her head. "I did..."

"However, business comes first." Eva's gaze sharpened.

Maria stared at the floor, but nodded knowingly. The longer she sat on the bed, the further her shoulders slumped in resignation. The tension drained away, and exhaustion took its place.

It pained Eva to see, but she had to make it worse. "I'll be sending that letter. It won't be exactly the same, of course. I'll write it in my own words and remove the mentions of you. However, it will accomplish the same outcome."

"What..?" Maria raised her gaze, and her eyes searched Eva's face in visible confusion. "Why would you send that letter?"

"We've sat on this powder keg for long enough. If someone wants to blow it up, then we'll just have to do it ourselves. At least this way, we'll be the ones in control."

Maria shook her head. "But you can't... She shouldn't be involved in this world!"

"Her involvement is inevitable. Someone already has her in their sights."

"If we could find who wrote the original letter, perhaps we can..." Maria trailed off and cast her eyes to the ground.

Eva walked back to her chair and picked up her wineglass. She took a sip before turning back. "The wheels of fate have already begun to turn."

Maria's shoulders slumped once more. "The wheels of fate, huh?"

"That's right." Eva stepped up to her again and offered the wine glass. "Care for a sip?"

Maria stared at the glass for a moment, then took it. She tipped the edge to her lips and gulped down the red wine. She downed the entire glass in a few seconds, and a blush rose to her cheeks. After emptying the glass, she let out a satisfied sigh.

Eva smiled and took the empty glass back, setting it aside.

"Our esteemed guest will arrive in three weeks," Eva said. "She will spend seven days under our care, and in that time, we'll find who sent the original letter."

"And what happens to our esteemed guest after her seven days are up?"

Eva sat down next to Maria and loosened her silk robe. "In those seven days, I'll work on defusing the powder keg. I doubt it will take long to get what I want. I can be very persuasive when I want to be."

(-- Chapter 1 --)

Jane sat in her cramped studio apartment. It was almost noon, and she'd usually be working at this time, but that wasn't the case today.

Her apartment didn't have any chairs, so she sat on the kitchen counter. Her fingers drummed restlessly on the cheap countertop, and she glanced at the clock.

"Only two more minutes..." She said to herself and sighed.

She glanced around the apartment restlessly, and her eyes landed on the microwave. The glass reflected her face back, and her lips twisted into a frown.

She reached up and adjusted her bangs. They had grown out since she last cut her hair, but the brown mop never looked good no matter how she prepared it. Growing up, the boys had always called her 'Plain Jane', and for good reason.

She still wore her staple outfit from back then, an old t-shirt and jeans. It was more comfortable and cheaper than anything else she could think of. However, it earned her another nickname, 'Frumpy'.

Jane glanced at the clock again and sighed. "One more minute..."

She felt like she'd go crazy from the wait. Only sixty seconds remained until noon, and every slow tick of the clock felt agonizingly slow. However, just as she thought she'd go crazy from anticipation, a knock came at the door.

Three quick raps echoed through her apartment.

Jane jumped off the counter and rushed to the door. "You're one minute early," she said as she opened it.

A man stood on the other side. He looked at an old-timey pocket watch, and then back at Jane. "I am, but I heard you sighing. I figured a minute early couldn't hurt."

His name was Mister Hayes, an old lawyer Jane had known for most of her life. His only remarkable feature was his uncanny punctuality. However, today, he showed up early.

"Come in, come in." Jane moved out of the way and let Hayes inside.

"So, I take it you read the letter?" He asked.

Jane closed the door and nodded. "Is it true? Am I really the heir to that prim-whatever family?"

"The Primrose-Lilium estate." Hayes corrected her. His lips tightened into a line, but his eyes softened slightly. "I've worked for them a long time. At the very least, the sender is who they say they are."

"So, you've been watching over me all my life, and now you're finally here to inform me of my true birthright?" Jane's eyes sparkled as she spoke, but Hayes grimaced.

"This is my first time hearing about your true circumstances. This is as much of a surprise for you as it is for me."

"I see, so even you didn't know..." Jane reached into her pocket and pulled out the letter in question. It had crumpled after she stuffed it into her jeans pocket, but the elegant penmanship was still legible.

The letter explained the reasons for her upbringing, and the trust fund that supported her through her early years. Both her parents had passed, and their estate was now managed by a third party. However, all of that would change once Jane turned twenty-one. In two weeks, on her birthday, she would receive full ownership over the entire estate.

"When can we leave?" Jane glanced up from the letter and back at Mister Hayes. "The letter mentions something about a train ride."

"They have a private line to their estate," Hayes replied. "As mentioned in the letter, it's scheduled for Sunday at noon, one week from now."

"Can't we leave now?" Jane asked. "Why do we have to wait?"

"The train only runs when they tell it to. Unless you'd like to walk twenty miles through the forest, you'll have to wait till next Sunday. Besides, you'll have to schedule the time off at work, right?"

"I've already quit, actually." Jane clenched the letter tight, and her hands trembled in excitement. "My bags are already packed."

Hayes sighed and glanced around the messy apartment. Jane's extra clothes lay scattered around the room, and a travel-worn suitcase bulged with items on her bed.

"Well, try not to go crazy while you wait."

-- One Week Later ---

Jane sat in a small trolley. A warm summer breeze blew through the open windows and carried the earthy scent of pine needles. Outside, the trolly passed through countless trees, following a narrow track through the forest.

"Do they really own this entire forest?" Jane asked. She turned to Hayes, who sat in front of her.

"Indeed. They have several properties built in the forest, and only this tram connects them."

The trolley itself looked similar to a streetcar. Seats lined either side, and a walkway ran down the middle. Jane and Mister Hayes were the only occupants, but a maid stood at the back, driving it.

"Hey, can I go talk to the maid?" Jane asked.

Hayes glanced down at his pocket watch. "I would keep it quick. We only have a few more minutes before we reach the residence."

Jane nodded and headed to the back of the trolley. "Hey, do you drive this thing often? Why aren't there any roads in the property? What do you do if the trolley breaks down? Where are the windows? What do you do if it rains? Do you have a separate car for the winter?"

The maid blinked in surprise at the deluge of questions, but her eyes softened. "I don't drive it often. There aren't any roads because none were built, and if it breaks down, we repair it. The windows are in the garage. If it rains, we put them back on, and in the winter we have a portable heater."

She appeared to be in her late thirties or early forties, and she clearly knew her stuff. At Jane's barrage of questions, she answered them all clearly and concisely.

"You were completely ready with those replies, wow..." Jane blinked in surprise, but the maid just shook her head.

"Any of the other maids could answer just as quickly." The maid said and leaned to the side, looking over Jane's shoulder.

"Oh, sorry." Jane stepped aside so that she didn't block the view. She leaned against the corner between the side of the trolley and the operation station. However, her gaze remained on the maid.

It was the first time she had seen one before. The uniform was black and white, with an apron on the front.

Jane stared for a few seconds and blushed. The chest of the uniform left a generous amount of cleavage exposed.

"Is that a summer uniform?" She asked.

"Indeed, we have one with longer sleeves for the winter."

Jane had been more curious about why it exposed so much cleavage, but she decided not to press it. Instead, she returned her gaze to the forest and the track ahead.

A clearing of trees widened as they progressed forward. Metal gates came into view, and a sprawling grassy property lay on the other side.

"This is...?"

"This is it," the maid confirmed. She pulled a lever and the trolley slowed as they approached the gates.

"So this is it." Jane's eyes sparkled as she stared through the gates. An enormous mansion came into view, and a winding path led from the metal gate to the residence. Countless flower boxes lined the path, and more gardens and greenhouses rose in the background. "Wow..."

The trolley came to a stop, and the maid stood up from her seat. "Let me get the stairs."

The maid prepared a small set of wooden stairs, and they descended from the trolley onto the gravel road. She also carried Jane's suitcase down and confirmed everything was in proper order.

"Thank you, and uhm, I forgot to ask your name." Jane turned around and accepted her suitcase. She tried to thank the maid, but she only received a polite smile in return.

"Good luck." The maid said. Her smile didn't reach her eyes, and she turned away. Without another word, she jumped back into the tramcar and drove off.

"How odd..." Jane said to herself.

"We are thirty seconds early." Hayes closed his pocket watch and glanced back at Jane. "What is odd?"

"Nothing. Have you seen this property, though? Did you know it was this big?" Jane turned back towards the entrance. A large floral crest lay on the front of the gates, and a huge three-wing mansion stood off in the distance.

"I've been inside several times, it's quite impressive."

"This is more than impressive. It's amazing!" Jane wandered up to the gates, taking in the luxurious property. The longer she stared, the more unbelievable it felt. Would all of this really be hers in seven days?

"Indeed, it is incredible, isn't it?" An unfamiliar voice echoed from behind them.

Jane spun around to find a new maid standing behind them. She had a raven-black hair that reached down to her shoulders, and a pair of sharp eyes to match. At her arrival, and with the unexpected intensity of her gaze, Jane jumped a little.

"Woah, where'd you come from?"

There was no other path up to the gates. She had to have come from the forest, or along the trolley tracks. However, her neat uniform and polished black loafers showed no signs of such a journey.

"I was on the trolley with you, don't you remember?"

"You were?" Jane blinked in surprise and glanced at Hayes for confirmation.

He gave a small nod in return. "You didn't notice her?"

"I guess I got distracted by the scenery, my apologies." Jane scratched her cheek awkwardly, but the new maid just shook her head.

"There is nothing to apologize for. I should have introduced myself earlier. I'm Serina, and I'll be your guide to the mansion."

"Nice to meet you, Serina." Jane stepped aside and let the new maid up to the gates.

Serina walked up and slid a key into the giant crest in the front. A heavy thunk echoed out of it, then the gates creaked open.

"Let me get your things." Serina picked up Jane's suitcase and began walking towards the mansion. Despite the heavy luggage, she walked gracefully down the gravel path.

Jane stared at her in a daze. A faint floral scent followed the maid. She was also younger than the previous maid. Serina couldn't have been much older than Jane herself, and as Jane gazed at the maid, a blush rose to her cheeks.

(She looks like a supermodel...) Jane thought to herself.

Everything about her exuded grace and talent. Her makeup was so good, Jane couldn't tell if she wore any. Unlike the previous maid, her uniform had long sleeves and left little skin to be seen. However, every step she took exuded an air of maturity that complimented her more conservative uniform.

"Are you coming?" Hayes asked. He stepped past Jane and looked back at her.

"Yes, of course." Jane jogged a few paces to catch up. As she walked behind Serina, the faint floral scent got stronger. She couldn't tell if it came from Serina herself, or the flower boxes lining the path. The same pleasant aroma came from both of them.

Each flower box grew the same type of flower. Countless white lilies overflowed from the miniature gardens. A discerning eye might have found it odd for all of them to grow the same flower, but Jane got lost in the extravagance of it all. The beautiful flowers gave off a sweet scent that wrapped around Jane and filled her head with fluffy thoughts.

"Wow, those flowers smell amazing."

"They're a unique breed that grew out of a rigorous selective breeding process," Serina replied.

Jane glanced between the rows of flowers as they walked down the path. She had never been much into flowers, but these had an aura all their own. They practically glowed with a beautiful radiance. The scent was sweet, but not too strong. It felt light in the air, like a playful scent that erased all of Jane's worries.

"We're here," Serina announced.

Before Jane knew it, they were at the top of the mansion's stairs and standing at the front door.

Serina set down Jane's suitcase and opened the door. "Someone else will deliver your things to your room. For now, please follow me."

Jane stepped inside and found architecture rivaling the flowers in beauty. Ornately carved banisters lined a second-floor balcony, a crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, paintings covered the walls, and this was only in the foyer.

Serina led them into a parlor next. It had even more ornately carved furniture, with a fireplace, table, and resting chairs. As Jane stepped inside, she spun in a circle, taking it all in.

"You may wait here until the governess arrives," Serina said. She stepped out of the parlor, leaving Jane and Mister Hayes alone.

"This is amazing. I knew this was a mansion, but it's even more impressive from the inside. How much do you think all this furniture cost? It must be more than I make in a year."

"It would take more than a year to craft all this," Hayes said, glancing up from his pocket watch. "So I think your estimation is correct. I would be careful not to damage anything."

"You act like I would just go around scratching up priceless furniture..." Jane stepped up to the head of the long table. She leaned in and inspected a chair. Flowers were carved into its surface, and none appeared the same. Fine details varied from flower to flower, proof it was engraved by hand. As she inspected the fine details, Jane shivered. "Perhaps I better not touch these after all."

"It is a stressful place to do business," Hayes said and nodded. "I get nervous every time I have to sit down."

Even Hayes sounded on edge. He always wore a luxury tan suit, and his abnormal punctuality left the impression of a cultured gentleman, but he still found the opulent furniture too much. As Jane considered this, the door to the parlor opened again.

A woman with short dark hair stepped inside. She wore a pencil skirt and the blouse of a businesswoman. "Hello, I am Evaline Strout, the governess of the estate."

Jane was speechless. She looked even more like a supermodel than the previous maid. She seemed to be in her early forties, but she exuded a graceful elegance that outshined even Serina. From her makeup, to clothes, to her carefully sculpted pixie cut--not a hair was out of place.