“If you’re going to be my maid, you’ve got to look the part,” Cedric said, walking briskly. Nicole runs behind him, trying to keep up. Although his butler was taller than him, Cedric still had a good foot over her. Not to mention that his legs were much longer than hers so she had to walk at double the speed to match his strides.

Following them from behind was the butler. She sensed that he still resented her for stealing Mr. Whiskers's affections, though she couldn't be sure with his expressionless face.

She was lucky that the cat had entered the room during her interrogation. Cedric had looked like he wanted to rip her to shreds, so convinced that the only true thing she told him was a lie. But did he truly believe the rest of her words? She was being escorted throughout the manor, sandwiched between the two demons. It was no different than being trapped in that stairwell, only this time she was stuck between two men rather than two locked doors.

Cedric stops before the maids’ living quarters. He knocks on the door with three rapid taps. Immediately, a maid answers. Nicole recognizes her as the same maid that scolded the other maid for the soup she drank the night she arrived at the manor.

“My Lord,” the woman said, “what brings you here?”

“Martha, I’ve brought another young woman for you to train,” he said, pushing Nicole forward. “Her name is Sadie and she’s very eager to start working.”

Martha looks her up and down, frowning. “Her clothes are odd. I’ve never seen anything like them.”

“All the more reason for you to dress her,” Cedric said, already turning around. “See to it that she’s fit enough to be a maid of this manor. Spare no pain in making sure she does every task perfectly.”

“Yes, my Lord,” Martha said, curtsying to him. With that, the Lord and his butler left, leaving Nicole with her new boss.

The maid ushers her into the living quarters. “The Lord really is too generous for his own good. Taking on another charity case like you is unnecessary. I already have enough girls to keep the manor in good shape.”

“Another charity case?” How many have shown up at Cedric’s doorsteps? She was baffled by the demon’s kindness. He’s probably just a lecherous pervert who enjoys looking at girls in maid outfits.

“Yes,” Martha said, digging through a trunk for a uniform. “The Lord has given everyone who has shown up at his doorsteps a job. Runaways, orphans, bastards - the whole pitiful lot. And now he’s offering his home to another street urchin.”

Nicole scowls, a bit miffed to be called a street urchin. “Were you one of them?”

“One of what?” The maid pulls out her uniform and places the bundle of clothes into Nicole’s waiting arms.

“One of the charity cases,” she said, looking through the clothes Martha had given her.

Martha whacks her head before giving her a cold stare. “It’s not your place to ask those kinds of questions.”

“Ow,” she said, rubbing the side of her head. “You didn’t have to hit me.”

“You didn’t have to ask that question,” Martha retorts. “Now get dressed.”

She shoves Nicole into another room, slamming the door behind her. Martha was right. She didn’t have to open her big mouth and say that. Now that she thought about it, she sounded like an asshole, prying into Martha’s life, especially since Martha was supposed to help her. She wishes she could take back what she said.

She slips into her new uniform, wondering if there was some way she could make it up to Martha. She takes a quick peek into the mirror, examining her reflection. She dons a long-sleeved white collared black dress, with the black skirt reaching to her ankles. She ties a white apron firmly around her waist, completing her look. She tucks her wavy brown hair into a bonnet, successfully stuffing all of her hair in except for that one annoying strand that refuses to obey her fingers. This wasn’t a uniform a pervert would make a bunch of girls wear. It was sturdy and practical, meant for cooking and cleaning.

If Cedric didn’t keep a bunch of runaway girls around for his pleasure, then why did he allow so many of them to live under his roof? What was the demon lord up to? Was he even a demon?

Of course, he’s a demon! You saw the way the key vibrated in his hand. He’s in cahoots with his butler, who’s also a demon.

But he certainly didn’t act like a demon, giving his home to those who needed a place to stay. If anything, she looked like the villain trying to kill him.

She pushes open the door, vanquishing her thoughts. She knew what Cedric was. She didn’t need to question what Lillian told her. What she needed was to go home.

“You’re dressed,” Martha said. “Time to get to work. The day’s already begun.” She shoves a broom into her hands. “I need you to sweep all the steps out front. Ruth will lead you to them. You’ll be helping her out today.”

A girl with copper plaits walks into the room. Nicole instantly recognizes her as the maid who answered the door when she snuck into the manor. A pang of guilt hits her. She was also the maid who took the blame for the missing soup.

“Ruth,” Martha said, “Sadie here will be helping you out with all your chores today. Show her the ropes, will you?”

“Aye, aye captain,” the tiny maid said, saluting Martha. “I’ll make sure the ship sails smoothly.”

“I told you not to speak like that,” Martha said, scolding her affectionately.

“But Martha I already explained,” she said. “The Lord’s got an eyepatch so we’re all pirates of the seven seas.”

Nicole couldn’t help but smile at the young girl. She had quite the imagination. Martha shakes her head.

“Oh hush,” she said, pushing both girls out of the room. “Get to work and I’ll read you more stories tonight.”

“Really?” Ruth asked. “You won’t be tired tonight?”

“Really,” Martha said, patting her head. “Now shoo.” She shuts the door behind them.

“The steps are hard to sweep,” Ruth said, leading Nicole to the front of the manor. “They’re big and the leaves never stop falling on them.”

“So what’s the point of sweeping them?” she asked.

Ruth laughs. “Your clothes always get dirty. What’s the point of cleaning them?”

She blushes, embarrassed that she had asked such a stupid question.

"Besides, we wouldn't want the Lord to trip and fall down the steps. He's already lost one eye," Ruth said, opening the front doors.

"Do you know why his eye is missing?" she asked.

"I heard he lost it in a duel with another lord," Ruth whispered. "But I don't know if that's true. Martha says it's none of our business since we're just maids." She sweeps the leaves off the steps.

Nicole follows suit, taking the right staircase. She mulls over Ruth's words. If Cedric had really lost his eye in a duel, then why did his butler also wear an eye patch? Had the butler interfered with that said duel and lost his eye in the process?

No, it would be too much of a coincidence for them to lose the same eye at the same duel. There was something suspicious about the pair, the way the butler was always at the Lord's side. Maybe they were lovers hiding in plain sight. It would explain why the two extremely attractive gentlemen didn’t have wives, although there was a chance they were engaged to some eligible bachelorettes to keep up their charade.

But why should she care about the love lives of a pair of demons? They probably did all sorts of sinful things together. She could picture it now. The butler servicing the Lord, stripping down and getting on his knees. He may have looked intimidating, but in the hands of his lord, he was putty.

Lost in her daydreams, she didn’t notice that her feet had accidentally skipped a step while she was sweeping. She tumbles forward, headfirst into the stone steps. Time slows. She hears Ruth shouting in the background, giving her a warning that comes too late. She closes her eyes, bracing for impact.

It never comes. She opens her eyes to find herself in the arms of the Lord. She quickly gets up, pushing him away. She had a feeling that if she stared at him for too long, she might be bewitched by his devilish good looks.

“I leave you alone for a few minutes and you almost die on my front steps,” he said.

“I’m sorry about that, my Lord,” she said, attempting a clumsy curtsy.

“I told you to call me Cedric.” The butler appears next to him.

“I’m sorry, Cedric,” she said, correcting herself.

“Already doing a bad job on your first day?” the butler asked. “Maybe being a maid just isn’t for you.”

“I agree, Aaron. Sadie doesn’t seem like she has the grace it takes to be a maid of this manor,” Cedric said.

She raises an eyebrow. What kind of lord was on a first-name basis with his butler? Maybe her theory of them being lovers wasn’t so far-fetched after all. But then again, the Lord did insist on being called by his first name.

“Sadie,” Cedric said, “I’m going to have Martha make you a scullery maid instead. It seems you can’t be trusted around staircases.”

She opens her mouth to protest, but he holds up his hand, silencing her. “You will be in charge of making my dinner tonight. My decision is final. Ruth will escort you into the kitchen.”

With that, the Lord and the butler left, descending the steps of the manor. They were off in a carriage to who knows where. Probably plotting some devilry or whatever it was demons did.

Ruth escorts her back into the manor, leading her to the kitchen where Martha was. “I thought you were going to be seriously hurt when I saw you fall down those stairs. You were lucky that the Lord was there to catch you.”

“I guess I was fortunate,” she responded. Just because he rescued her didn’t make him any less of a demon. She almost fell because he wanted her to be his maid.

No, you almost fell because you were imagining his love affair with Aaron.

“Sadie, how old are you?” Ruth asked.

“I’m eighteen,” she replied, wondering where Ruth was going with her question.

Ruth’s eyes widened. “You’re old.” Nicole frowns.

“No, I’m not,” she replied. “How old are you?”

“I’m ten,” Ruth said. “Girls around your age are usually married by now. They quit being a maid and go off to start families.”

“Well, what about Martha? Isn’t she older than me?” Nicole protested.

“Martha’s only twenty, not much older than you. She already got married.” Ruth fiddled with her plaits.

“Then why is she still a maid here?” she asked.

Ruth looks at the ground. “Her husband died. Her family has worked here for generations. She had nowhere to go.” They arrive in the kitchen.

Nicole thinks back to the question she asked Martha. Are you one of the charity cases? If there was a way for her to travel back in time and punch herself, she’d do it.

“Finished sweeping the steps already?” Martha asked. She was chopping some vegetables over a boiling stove.

“No ma’am,” Ruth said. “The Lord said Sadie didn’t have the grace to be a maid. He’s assigned her to do the scullery work.”

Martha narrows her eyes at Nicole. “You’re too old to do scullery work. Only the youngest maids have to be my assistant.”

What was it with people here thinking she was old? She was only eighteen for god’s sake! Where on earth had Lillian sent her?

“She doesn’t even have a fiance,” Ruth said. “Give her a break.”

A fiance? She didn’t need to be married to be a woman. Where were all these archaic notions coming from? She knew she was in some version of the past, but she didn’t think Lillian had sent her back that far. But then she remembers what Lillian said. It’s practically identical to this universe’s Victorian era.

“The Lord asked me to be in charge of making his dinner,” Nicole said. “I don’t think I’m supposed to be your assistant.”

Martha stops chopping the vegetables. Then, she wipes her hands on her apron and hands Nicole a cleaver.

“Be my guest,” she said. “By all means, prepare all six courses of the Lord’s dinner. If you can do this successfully, I’ll forgive you for what you said to me today.”

Nicole gulps. Six courses? How much did the Lord have to eat? She thinks about backing out. It was her first day as a maid after all. But she wanted Martha’s forgiveness. She puts on a brave face.

“Deal,” she said. “I’ll prepare all six courses by myself.”

“You better hurry. The Lord eats his dinner at four. I’ll make his supper by six,” Martha said. The two maids left the room, leaving Nicole alone in the kitchen.

She looks around. While she was familiar with the ingredients, having cooked at home, the tools were unfamiliar to her. She saw scales for weighing things and strangely shaped pans. The rest of the tools, such as the rolling pin and the stove, looked like things she could use, but she wasn’t sure if she could operate the stove.

She glances at the clock. She had two hours to prepare for the Lord’s dinner. She spots a stack of notes in the corner of her eye. She sifts through them, realizing they were recipe cards. Martha must have left them behind. And lucky for her, they were labeled with what course they should be.

She gets to work, tending to the soup Martha had started. She starts chopping carrots and onions and dousing the soup with whatever spices she could find.

Time flies. Before she knows it, she’s finished a grueling two hours of cooking, with all six courses ready. She wipes the sweat from her brow and looks out into the dining room.

The table was already set, with the plates and utensils out. The flowers in the small vase had been replaced with fresh ones. And the Lord had entered the room, just in time for his meal.

She brings the soup out, setting it before him. He takes a whiff of the dish. He looks at her. Then his head swivels back to the dish.

“Aaron,” he said, motioning for his butler, “will you try this soup for me?”

“I didn’t poison it,” she said. He raises an eyebrow at her.

“I never said you poisoned it,” he said.

“Then why are you making Aaron try the soup first?” she countered.

“It just smells different. What’s wrong with having my butler eat my food? I’m not a cruel lord,” he said. He spoons a bit of the soup and feeds it to Aaron.

Now I’m sure they’re lovers. Who feeds their butler like that? She spots the way Cedric cupped Aaron’s chin and wiped his mouth. They weren’t even trying to hide it at this point.

A strange expression appeared on Aaron’s face. “My Lord, the soup is different, as you suspected. I’m not sure how to describe it. You should try it yourself.”

Cedric dips the spoon into the bowl and takes a sip. His brows furrow.

“Is there something wrong with my cooking?” Nicole crosses her arms.

“Are you trying to seduce me?” Cedric said.

Her mouth drops open. Had she heard the Lord right?

“I don’t like repeating myself, Sadie. Martha, come and try the soup,” he said, beckoning for the maid.

Martha moves forward, armed with her own spoon and dips it into the soup, puzzled. Then, she tastes it and her face reddens.

“My Lord, I’m sure Sadie didn’t mean to make the soup like this,” she said, lowering her head.

“Let Sadie speak for herself,” Cedric said, looking at her expectantly.

What was she supposed to say? She had no clue why the Lord thought she was seducing him.

“I just cooked the food the only way I knew how to,” she said. “I don’t see why you think I’m trying to seduce you. I was just doing what you asked of me, my Lord.”

“Sadie, good wholesome English cooking isn’t supposed to have so much flavor,” Martha explained. “The American Dr. Kellogg and our very own Mrs. Marshall have warned against the sinful desires flavorful food could arouse in virile young men like the Lord.”

“The Lord is a grown man,” Nicole said. “He should be able to handle a little extra flavor in his soup.”

“She’s right,” Cedric said. “Besides, what does it matter? I already sin enough on behalf of the Queen.”

“The Queen?” Nicole asked. Everyone in the room turns toward her. Martha looked perplexed as if she couldn’t believe Nicole had asked such a question. Aaron’s eye narrows into a single slit, his face full of suspicion. And Cedric? He was the only one smiling.

“Yes, the Queen, the most important person in Britain and a woman no true British person would ever think to forget. I’m guessing that you aren’t British, Sadie,” he said, pinning Nicole down with his words.

She remains silent, unsure of what to say. After all, she hadn’t tried to disguise the fact that she was a foreigner. But that left the matter of that pesky lie she told Cedric boiling in her guts. She had clearly made up the story of how she came to the manor.

“I mean, I knew from the start that you weren’t a citizen here. Your accent, your strange clothes - none of that is British. But still, you pretended that you were a waif from the city who ran away from a terrible home,” said Cedric. He takes another sip of the soup.

“You told a good story, a real tearjerker. But you gave yourself away before you even opened your mouth. Aaron, show me her hands.”

The butler steps forward, grabbing Nicole’s wrists. Cedric runs a finger over the sensitive skin of her palms, making her shiver.

“Your hands are soft, too soft for someone pretending to be as poor as you said. You’ve never done a day’s worth of hard work in your life, never spent hours scouring pots or scrubbing floors. So I had the brilliant idea to make you my maid, see how long you would last.”

“And?” she asked. “How did I do?”

“Take a seat, Sadie. We’re going to eat this dinner you made for me together.”

Aaron pulls out a chair for her next to the Lord. He drags her closer to the table before pushing down on her shoulders, forcing her to sit down.

"Martha, bring out the next course," he commanded. He looks at Nicole. "I have a theory about your real identity but there are a few things that don't add up. You are going to fill in those blanks while we share this lovely meal you made."

"What makes you think I'm going to do that?" she asked.

“Because if you don’t, I’m going to do to you what you tried to do to me. Only unlike you, I will succeed in taking your life. This may as well be your last meal.” He gives her a sinister smile. Coupled with the eyepatch, he truly looked like a villain. She wonders how she ever doubted that he was a demon. Again, she thinks to herself how different this boy was from the awkward, shy person she met in the fog all those years ago.

“You’re bluffing,” she said. “You won’t kill me without getting the information you want.”

“Spoken like a true American,” he said. “I recognize the accent. Tell me, are all the women in the colonies this bold?”

She glares at him. “I’m not saying a thing.”

“Very well then. I was willing to be civil with you regardless of who you were. You’ve left me no choice, Sadie if that’s even your real name.” He snaps his fingers, summoning Aaron to his side again.

“Let’s give Ms. Smith some time to think about withholding information from me,” he said. He cuts into his turkey leg and takes a bite of the meat.

Aaron nods. “Yes, my Lord.” Before Nicole could move a finger, the butler restrained her, tying her hands behind her back with a handkerchief. He blindfolds her with another cloth before picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder. She wriggles in his grasp, but he’s got a tight hold as if he’s used to kidnapping young girls like her.

He brings her down a set of steps and back into the interrogation room. She feels the hardwood of the seat and the metal of her shackles again.

“I suggest you tell my Lord the truth,” Aaron said. “Killing is such a nasty business.”

“Never,” she said.

“Suit yourself,” he said, his steps receding. “Just don’t beg for mercy when we have no more left to give.”