Five years later

Celia’s eyes darkened in anger as Philip, her twin brother, smeared her face with even more soil.

“You’re dead. Do you hear me? You’re dead!” She screamed and started to chase Philip around the garden.

“You’re never going to catch me.” Philip taunted playfully from a distance, blowing raspberries at his increasingly irate sister.

Celia walked even closer and started to run again, determined and eager to overpower her brother. Philip did not survive being chased for long. He crashed into a trimmed flower bush and fell on the soft ground. Before he could get back up, his sister had landed on top of him. Philip began to scream for help.

“Mother!” He yelled, struggling to free himself of his sister. Celia held him firmly against the ground and heaped up a handful of the earth. Without hesitation, she smeared it across his face just as he did. Phillip’s screams continued to grow even higher, and Celia’s restraint stronger. The manor was far away, and no one was around to hear them. Not even their parents.

“Mother isn’t here to save you today.” Celia said, her voice laced with mischief. Her eyes searched the garden, looking for something else to taunt her brother with. She grabbed a random flower on the ground and placed it near his nose, causing him to sneeze. She was about to do it again when their mother’s voice, like thunder cracking across the sky, broke their fight.

“Good lord!” Juliet screamed, her hands over her mouth as she watched her kids wrestle each other across the dirt. “How did you both get in here?”

Like guilty dogs caught stealing pieces of bacon, they both slowly got up, bits of dirt slinking off their body as they rose.

Juliet’s heart sank, watching her children’s clothes become rags. “What am I ever going to do with you two?”

“He started it.” Celia reported, pointing an accusing finger at her brother, who remained silent and guilt-ridden.

“Is that true, Philip?” Juliet asked, her eyes narrowed at her son. “And you know what I’ve said about lying. Do not even think of trying to do that now.”

Philip opened his mouth to speak and shut it almost immediately, confirming Juliet’s suspicions.

“Just—come with me. Both of you.” Juliet said. They both walked out of the garden, their faces sullen and caught. Juliet led them to the manor and handed them both to one of the maids who had been passing by at that moment.

“Can you just help me clean them up?” She asked, an earnest plea in her eyes. The maid smiled and pulled the children closer to her.

“Absolutely, milady.”

“And please, bring them right back out when you’re done. I don’t want them wandering back to that garden.”

“I understand.”

Juliet watched her kids go with the maid and shook her head. Fate had gifted her with two of the most stubborn children in almost the whole of London.

Five years ago, Juliet was celebrating her pregnancy. After Irene announced it to her and Weston, he began to treat her like a fragile object. He wouldn’t let her do too much garden work or cook with too much fire.

“What do you think about getting a new maid?” Weston had asked.

“Absolutely not.” Juliet had replied, feeling a shudder go down her body. She had spent the early parts of her life having a maid at her back and call. It was her turn to figure things out on her own. She was only giving birth to a child. How hard could that possibly be?

Until she received the biggest shock of her life in the middle of labor, she had pushed out her child but Irene had said, in that moment, three words that would remain engrained in her brain for all of eternity.

“There’s another one.”

Juliet had frozen in that moment, her face transfixed between delighted and utterly surprised. Another baby?

Weston had grown even more elated. His mother used to tell him stories about how his grandfather had a twin brother. He did not know he would be able to also add twins to the family.

“Do you want to reconsider getting a maid now?” Weston had asked later that night as Juliet cradled her babies in her hands, affectionately kissing their foreheads.

“No.” Juliet’s reply had been packed and solid. She was determined to take care of her children on her own. They grew to be a handful at the age of three but not so much that she couldn’t handle them. As they grew even more, so did their mischief and stubbornness. Juliet had to succumb to nature’s demands. She needed help in raising the children. She needed a maid.

Today, they were in the Estfield manor, with Beatrice, who has always been excited to see the kids. Juliet returned to the empty bench beside her husband outside the manor after handing her children off to the maid. Beatrice sat on a rocking chair outside as well, letting the gentle breeze saliently pass through her hair.

“I do not think those kids are ours. Are you sure Irene did not mistakenly switch them?” Juliet asked, sinking into the bench. Weston, who had his eyes on the latest gossip sheets pulled his wife closer to him and let her rest her head on his chest.

“No. I am sure she did not switch them.” Weston replied, gently stroking Juliet’s hair. “Because our babies were the only ones she delivered that day. She also did it in our cottage.”

“How were we blessed with children this stubborn?” Juliet asked, inhaling the fragrance mixed with her husband’s shirt.

“We have twins, Juliet. A boy and a girl. It is the ultimate childbearing blessing. I am sure the stubbornness will fade away when they grow up.”

“It will.” Beatrice chipped in, a broad smile on her face. “Weston was just as strong-headed as a boy. I’m sure they will grow out of it.”

Juliet gasped and looked up at her husband. “You did not tell me our children took after you.”

Weston raised his hands in resignation.

“Traitor.” Juliet whispered, laughing heartily.

Juliet and Weston had always switched between the manor and the cottage a little over three years back. This was a way to keep Beatrice close to her grandkids as much as possible and also help them get a break whenever needed from the silence and sounds of nature in the woods. Beatrice was more than pleased with this arrangement.

Today, Juliet and Weston were planning to throw a ball, marking their five-year anniversary. When they approached Beatrice with the idea, she asked that they leave all preparations to her. The ball would happen the next day, late in the evening, and guests were slowly beginning to arrive, starting with Anne and her husband, Earl Henry, an amiable and handsome young man.

“Look who’s here.” Weston said, a wide grin on his face as he watched his sister alight from her carriage, guided by her husband.

“You did not think I would miss your anniversary now, did you?” Anne said. They exchanged pleasantries, elation and excitement penetrating the atmosphere. The next to arrive later that afternoon was Aunt Grace. Juliet ran to give her aunt a giant warm hug.

“I love seeing you, Juliet, but you know the people I want to see more than anything are those little rascals.” Grace said, slightly pulling away from the hug.

Juliet laughed. They’re in the manor. You can go meet them if you want.

“Fantastic.” Grace replied. She greeted everyone as well, sharing the happiness in the atmosphere before heading inside. Juliet was grateful to an extent that she still had someone from her family who could grow excited to hear from her. After she learned of her father’s death the past year, she decided to completely cut ties off with Willowbrook, especially now that Adam was the Earl. It was just better to leave them to it and enjoy her new life. One she would never trade for anything, no matter how stubborn everyone got.

The following people to arrive were Lord Charles and his most darling wife, lady Estelle. Juliet frowned in surprise when she noticed a young girl also alight from the carriage with them. Juliet and Estelle kept in touch with each other since she let her go. They both knew everything going on in each other’s lives. Their relationship grew from that of a mistress and her loyal maid to the best of friends. Juliet knew almost immediately after Lord Charles proposed to Estelle, and they’d made wedding preparations together.

Charles pulled Weston into a giant hug as soon as he reached the bench. Estelle did the same to Juliet.

“How many people did you send word to about the ball, mother?” Weston asked, turning to his mother in surprise.

“Oh, just close family, as you can see. And a few other people who are going to fill up the manor.”

Juliet laughed. Of course, her mother-in-law would send an invite to almost anyone she could think of.

“I even sent an invite to Lady Violet Northam, the gossip monger. Did you hear her husband of three years divorced her? It is a shame really.”

Juliet narrowed her eyes. “Mother, did you invite her to show her that the marriage she had mistakenly started was still up and running?”

“What?” Beatrice placed a hand on her chest in a surprised gasp. “I would never do that.”

A wave of laughter erupted from the scene, passing through everyone.

“I have so much to tell you.” Juliet said to Estelle, pulling her away from the others.

“As do I as well.” Estelle replied.

Juliet’s eyes darted again to the young lady they had brought with them, who stayed near the carriage, intense nervousness clouding her face.

“Who is that?”

“Your new maid.”

“What? I do not need—”

“You really think I cannot tell when you’re struggling. I saw it the last time I visited and knew you needed help. So I brought her for you.”

Estelle gestured towards the girl to come closer. Juliet watched her walk closer to them and make a slight genuflection.

“Good afternoon, milady.”

Juliet nodded. “Good afternoon. What is your name?”

“Rosemary.” She replied. Juliet turned to Estelle, her eyes filled with gratitude. Estelle reached for her shoulder and squeezed it affectionately.

“You have some really big shoes to fill, Rosemary.” Juliet said, turning to the girl again.

Rosemary nodded and smiled. She had thought Juliet would instantly be a viper, but it looked like there might be hope for her after all. Suddenly, she was looking forward to starting her new life with them.

The End