My Bratty Wife
Chapter 33 - Thirty Three

Chapter 33: Chapter Thirty Three

Frustration gnawed at Suzy. The missing seventy gold coins wouldn’t disappear on their own. She craved answers, and the castle’s outdated hierarchy seemed designed to bury them. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her posture and marched out of her chambers.

Her steps echoed down the grand hallway as she made her way towards the Steward’s office. With a firm rap, she announced her arrival. A gruff voice boomed from within, "Enter!"

Suzy pushed open the door, revealing a cluttered office dominated by stacks of parchment and ledgers. Behind the towering desk sat Mr. Bradford, his brow furrowed in concentration as he scrutinized a document.

"Mr. Bradford," Suzy greeted him, her voice laced with a hint of forced cheerfulness. "I hope I’m not interrupting."

Mr. Bradford looked up, surprise flickering across his face. "Your Grace," he stammered, rising from his chair in a fluster. "What can I do for you?"

Suzy smiled politely, her gaze flitting around the room before settling back on him. "I was simply curious," she began, her voice adopting a casual tone, "about the process of staff payments here at the castle."

Mr. Bradford blinked, clearly taken aback by her question. Staff salaries were hardly a topic for a Duchess to concern herself with. "Well, Your Grace," he stammered, "it’s a rather straightforward process. I calculate the salaries based on their positions and experience."

He gestured towards a particularly large ledger overflowing with handwritten entries. "All the details are documented here, of course."

Suzy nodded, feigning interest. "And then?" she pressed gently. "Who distributes the actual coins to the staff?"

Mr. Bradford sighed, relief washing over his features. "Ah, that wouldn’t be me, Your Grace," he explained. "Those duties fall to Mrs. Agatha, the housekeeper. She handles the day-to-day affairs of the staff, including their wages."

Suzy’s smile faltered slightly. A housekeeper? Another layer of hierarchy, another person involved in the money trail. "So, you calculate the wages, inform the Duke of the total amount, and then he provides the funds?" she clarified.

Mr. Bradford nodded eagerly. "Precisely, Your Grace! The Duke, in his infinite generosity, ensures his staff is well compensated."

Suzy pursed her lips, her mind racing. The Duke provided the funds, Mr. Bradford calculated the wages, and the Housekeeper distributed the wages. Three people involved, a seemingly clear-cut process, yet something didn’t sit right. The missing seventy coins were a nagging thorn in her side.

Mr. Bradford," she asked, her voice firm, "why does the librarian receive a higher salary than the head maid? Aren’t their positions of equal importance?"

Mr. Bradford adjusted his spectacles. "Traditionally, Your Grace, positions requiring a higher level of education command a higher salary. The librarian, by nature of his work, is expected to have a more extensive knowledge base."

"The ledger states Elias is receiving 200 gold coins," Suzy lied trying to get him to talk.

A flicker of surprise crossed Mr. Bradford’s face. "200 gold coins?" he echoed. "Surely not, Your Grace. Elias is a new employee, and the starting salary for a librarian is..." he trailed off, consulting a ledger on his desk. "... 100 gold coins. Although, his last payment was 120. The Duke gave everyone a raise."

Suzy’s eyes narrowed. This was getting more complex than she initially thought. A starting salary of 100, a ledger entry of 120, and Elias receiving only 50. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to fit, but the overall picture remained blurry.

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Bradford," she said, offering a tight smile. "This has been most informative."

With a curt nod, Suzy turned and left the office. The answers she sought seemed further away than ever. Mr. Bradford, despite his detailed explanation, hadn’t mentioned anything about discrepancies or hidden payments. But Suzy wasn’t one to give up easily. The housekeeper, Mrs. Agatha, was the next piece of the puzzle. With determination, Suzy set her sights on the bustling heart of the castle – the housekeeper’s quarters.

Rounding a corner, she nearly collided with Mary, the head maid, who jumped back with a startled gasp.

"My apologies, Your Grace," Mary stammered, dropping into a deep curtsy.

Suzy offered a tight smile. "No need to apologize, Mary," she said, her voice gentle. "Tell me, how are your duties faring?"

Mary straightened, a hint of weariness in her eyes. "They are demanding, Your Grace," she admitted, "but I manage."

Suzy nodded sympathetically. Running a grand castle like this must be no easy feat, especially for the staff who kept the wheels turning behind the scenes.

"And speaking of managing," Suzy continued, her voice taking on a more businesslike tone, "how much do you receive as your monthly wages?"

Mary blinked, surprised by the question. "Fifty gold coins, Your Grace," she replied after a moment’s hesitation. "The same as always."

Suzy’s gaze sharpened. Fifty gold coins – the same amount Mrs. Agatha had paid Elias. A knot of suspicion tightened in her stomach.

"Have you been informed of any raise recently?" Suzy pressed, her voice laced with a hint of curiosity.

Mary shook her head, a frown creasing her brow. "No, Your Grace," she said, her voice firm. "There hasn’t been any mention of an increase in my wages."

Suzy’s suspicions solidified. If Mary, the head maid, hadn’t received a raise, and the accounts showed a higher salary for the position, then where was the remaining gold coins going? The answer, it seemed, pointed directly towards Mrs. Agatha.

"Thank you for your time, Mary," Suzy said, a polite smile on her face. "You may continue with your duties."

Mary curtsied once more and scurried away, leaving Suzy alone with her thoughts. Seems Mary, like many others in the castle, were cheated out of their wages.

Alone once more, Suzy stood in the silent corridor, her mind racing. Mrs. Agatha, the seemingly unassuming housekeeper, was now the prime suspect in her growing web of curiosity. The question that gnawed at her was – why? What motive could the housekeeper possibly have for pocketing the extra gold coins? Was it personal gain, or was she acting on someone else’s orders?

Suzy retraced her steps, a mixture of thoughts swirling in her head. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to click into place, forming a picture far more sinister than she could have imagined.

With a resolve, she marched back towards her chambers.

Reaching her room, she found Doris dusting a decorative vase with meticulous care. "Doris," Suzy announced, her voice firm. "Please ask Mrs. Agatha to come see me immediately."

Doris paused, a surprised look flickering across her face. Interactions with the Duchess, especially of this nature, were rare for a maid like Doris. "Of course, Milady," she curtsied politely and scurried out of the room.

Suzy sank into a plush armchair, her gaze fixed on the crackling fireplace. The warmth of the flames couldn’t dispel the chill that had settled over her. Everything – the discrepancy in salaries, Mr. Bradford’s explanation, and Mary’s confirmation of her unchanged wages – pointed towards Mrs. Agatha.

"It’s so obvious," Suzy muttered to herself, her voice laced with disbelief. "All this time, right under our noses."

She imagined the previous librarian, the man accused of theft and dismissed in disgrace. Now, it seemed clear – he might have stumbled upon Mrs. Agatha’s little scheme and paid the ultimate price for his curiosity. Framed for a crime he didn’t commit, his reputation tarnished, his life forever altered.

"A clever move," Suzy continued, her voice hardening with anger. "But maybe a bit too clever for someone so... foolish."

The audacity of it all made Suzy’s blood boil. Mrs. Agatha, a seemingly innocent and trustworthy figure, had been manipulating the system, stealing from not just the staff but from the Duke himself. And for what?

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Doris peeked in, her face a mask of apprehension. "Mrs. Agatha is here, Milady," she announced hesitantly.

Suzy straightened in her chair, a steely glint in her eyes. "Thank you, Doris," she said, her voice leaving no room for argument. "Show her in."

The door creaked open, revealing Mrs. Agatha. The once composed housekeeper, now pale and flustered, curtsied deeply. "Your Grace," she stammered, her voice betraying her usual confidence.

Suzy met her gaze head-on. "Mrs. Agatha," she began, her voice dangerously calm, "we need to talk."

Suzy gestured for Doris to leave, the dismissal curt but clear. The room fell silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Finally, Suzy placed the ledger on the table with a decisive thud.

"Mrs. Agatha," she began, her voice dangerously calm, "I’ve been looking into the staff salaries." Mrs. Agatha’s eyes darted nervously towards the ledger, a flicker of fear betraying her facade. "And I’ve noticed a discrepancy. A rather large discrepancy."

Agatha’s eyes darted to the ledger, a flicker of fear flitting across her features. "Discrepancies, Your Grace?" she echoed, her voice trembling slightly. "I don’t understand."

Suzy leaned forward, her gaze unwavering. "Don’t play coy with me, Mrs. Agatha," she warned, her voice laced with a hint of steel. "We both know fifty gold coins is not the standard salary for a head maid. And yet, that’s what Mary, and many others, claim to receive."

Agatha’s face drained of color. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Suzy pressed on, her voice firm. "Where is the remaining seventy coins allocated for Elias’s salary, and for the salaries of several other staff members? Where does that money go, Mrs. Agatha?"

Silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the crackling fire in the hearth. Agatha’s facade had crumbled, replaced by a mask of desperation.

Agatha’s eyes flickered to the ledger, then back to Suzy, a desperate plea forming in their depths. "It’s... it’s a mistake, Your Grace," she babbled, her voice cracking under pressure. "A simple clerical error. I’m sure it can be rectified..."

Suzy’s lips curled into a humorless smile. "A mistake that’s been happening for months, Mrs. Agatha?" she countered. "And a mistake conveniently in your favor?"

The housekeeper’s face crumpled, the facade of composure finally cracking. "I... I don’t know what you’re talking about," she mumbled, her voice barely a whisper.

Suzy’s patience wore thin. "Do not lie to me, Mrs. Agatha," she warned, her voice hardening. "I will not tolerate deception. Tell me the truth, or I will be forced to report this directly to the Duke so he can investigate it himself."

The threat of facing the Duke’s wrath seemed to break Agatha’s resolve. Her shoulders slumped in defeat, and a flicker of shame crossed her face.

"Alright, Your Grace," she sighed, her voice heavy with shame. "I confess. I... I took the extra gold coins. It was just a little bit here, a little bit there. It doesn’t seem like much, but it adds up, Your Grace."

Suzy watched her, a cold fury simmering beneath the surface. This wasn’t a simple mistake; it was blatant greed. This woman, entrusted with the smooth running of the household, had been lining her pockets at the expense of the very people who kept the castle functioning.

"Why, Mrs. Agatha?" Suzy asked, her voice low and dangerous. "Why steal from the very people who rely on you?"

Agatha hesitated, then mumbled something about a sick relative, a mounting debt, a desperate need for extra funds. But Suzy didn’t believe her for a second. The elaborate scheme, the years of manipulation – it all pointed to a deeper, more insatiable hunger.

"Greed," Suzy finally stated, her voice devoid of emotion. "That’s why, Mrs. Agatha. Nothing more than your own insatiable greed. If you were desperately in need of money, I’m sure the Duke would have helped you."

The housekeeper flinched as if struck, her eyes filled with a mixture of shame and defiance. Suzy knew there wouldn’t be any apologies, no remorse for the trust she had so blatantly violated.

"You will pay back all and failure to do so will get you arrested. Consider this your final act in this castle, Mrs. Agatha," Suzy said, rising from her chair. "I will inform the Duke of your... activities. After the payment, you pack your belongings and leave."

Agatha opened her mouth to plead, but the steely glint in Suzy’s eyes silenced her. With a defeated sigh, she turned and stumbled out of the room. Suzy watched her go, a heavy weight settling in her stomach.