"What?"
"Mrs. Blackwell was the one who ordered it. Before she left yesterday, she gave instructions that you should be taken to Master Aiden's room. She was also the one who had you locked up for days when you arrived."
Celeste frowned. "What do you mean? Are you lying about your mistress?" she asked. She knew too well how some servants spoke badly of their employers behind their backs. Mrs. Blackwell had shown her nothing but kindness since she arrived, and now she was hearing this?
"I have no reason to do that, Miss," Clarke said. "I'm only worried about Master Aiden. As long as you're here, they will only keep hurting him."
She paused, then continued.
"You're being used, not just by Mrs. Blackwell, but by all of them. They're only giving you false hope. They have no intention of letting you get a divorce. They want to gain access to Master Aiden's fortune through you, and once they do, they'll get rid of you both.
Celeste blinked, her voice barely above a whisper. "What?"
"I meant to tell you earlier..." Clarke lowered her gaze, guilt written all over her face. "This morning, when they heard you survived the night, we were ordered to cover you in rose scent."
Celeste's frown deepened.
"Our master is triggered by rose scent you see," Clarke continued. "That's why he reacted the way he did. Your clothes were covered in it."
Before Celeste could respond, Clarke suddenly dropped to her knees.
"I didn't understand at first," she said quickly. "I had no idea it was all planned. But after what happened... I realized it was a setup. They wanted to make you give up on divorcing Master Aiden."
Celeste's heart sank as she listened. But she couldn't believe it. She couldn't bring herself to accept that no matter where she went, she was nothing more than a tool to be used. To her own family... and also in here.
"Why would they do that?" she asked, shaking her head. "The Blackwells aren't like that. They have no reason to keep me here. I... I can get a divorce if I want..." her words sounded uncertain, even to her own ears. If her own family had deceived her, then it wasn't hard for the Blackwells to do the same.
"They have so many reasons to do that Miss Celeste. You may not know it, but the Blackwells are not who you think they are. The surname is the only thing Charles and his family have to their names, other than that, they're like everyone else. Their banks are dry, they have no properties or anything worth money they claim to have. They are only surviving because of Master Aiden's wealth."
"When Master Richard died, his brother moved in with his family. Everyone thinks he came to care for his nephew, but in truth, he came for the fortune Richard left behind. After spending all that Richard had left behind for them, they are now desperate for Master Aiden's share. But the only thing standing in their way is his madness, and that's why they need you."
"Me?" Celeste asked.
"Yes, Miss. The only way they can gain access to Master Aiden's inheritance is through you. Once they convince the Blackwell lawyers that you can live with our master, they will grant you full control over his assets. Then they plan to manipulate you into handing everything over to them."
Celeste let out a short laugh. All her life, she had been made to feel unwanted in every possible way, and now the Blackwells needed her? The richest family in the world?
"Why me?" she asked, in disbelief. "There must have been others. Why choose me?"
"There were many before you, but none of them survived this long. When Mr. Harlow and I arrived this morning, we were surprised to find you... intact."
Celeste frowned. "So I was just a test subject? What if I had died or gotten hurt?"
"I'm sorry, Miss. I was only following orders. If anything had happened to you, they would have simply replaced you, like they always did."
"So why are you telling me this now?" If she couldn't trust Mrs Blackwell, Celeste wasn't sure if she could trust the housekeeper or anyone else living in the estate.
"It seems my master has taken an interest in you," Clarke said softly. "And I am loyal only to him. It is my duty to protect what matters to him. He is being whipped now for no reason, which is only an excuse for Margaret to take out her frustration on him. You are the only one who can stop them. You are the true mistress of this estate, not her or anyone else.
She looked up at Celeste, her eyes pleading. "If you can't do this for him, then do it for yourself. See it as a way to take revenge on those who tried to use you. Please miss, please save my sister.
Celeste stared at the woman still kneeling before her. Everything she said all added up. Why would she have all people marry into a family like this if not to be used. She had been fooled again. She hated how everyone saw her as someone so gullible. They never wanted her to get a divorce, which was why they'd set this up. They just planned to give her false hopes to hold on to, and then discard her when they'd gotten what they wanted.
But she wouldn't let that happen. She knew their secrets now, and she wasn't going to let anyone fool her anymore.
"Help me change my clothes, Clarke." She said. "We can't let them beat up someone innocent."