The Sleepwalker

Lisbet was angry. No, she was not angry; she was furious. She wanted to scream and break things, but her Mamma had told her that a Lady never showed her emotions; she never let anyone see her upset.

She was a bride of three months, and her husband was already bringing his mistress into the house to sleep with her. He couldn’t even pretend he loved her for a little longer, but he moved her right in just as soon as the honeymoon was over. The real kicker? The bitch didn’t even have the common decency to show a hint of remorse for being the other woman. She jumped in and tried acting like the Lady of Elm Creek Manor. She went as far as attempting to tell the staff what rooms to clean and the kitchen what to serve.

Of course, the well-trained staff here knew better than to listen to some common trollop who was only sleeping with his Lordship. After all, Lisbet was and would always be the Lady of Elm Creek Manor. The Mamma to the future Lord of the Manor. The one whose money would save this monstrous heap from decay.

Lisbet claimed to have a headache tonight and asked for something light to be sent to her room to eat. She just couldn’t stand to dine with her husband and his wench. As she ate, she came up with an idea. The more she thought of the concept, the more she liked it. So starting tonight, she would begin implementing the first stages of her plan.

That night, Lisbet went to bed early. She pretended to be asleep when the maid came in to turn the blankets down for the night and stoke the fire. She was faking sleep when her husband poked his head in the room. She waited until the clock in the hall struck 2 AM before setting her plan's first stage.

Getting up, Lisbet slipped her house shoes on and put her robe over her night dress. Lighting a lamp, she slowly entered the room and opened the door. Seeing no one in the hall, she proceeded to walk through the halls of Elm Creek.

Lisbet walked every hall and traversed every stair. No passage was off limits for her. When she would meet anyone, she would pretend to be sleepwalking. Before the clock struck six, she was back in bed.

For the next fortnight, Lisbet did her sleepwalking routine nightly. Every night, she made sure at least three servants saw her before she went back to bed.

Finally came the night for Lisbet to implement the final stages of her plan. She went to her room early, as usual. She pretended to sleep until 2 AM. Then she walked straight to the tramp's room in the south wing. Lisbet opened the door, and she threw the lamp into the bed of the harlot, setting the bed on fire. Turning, she went back to her room.

The following day, the fire and death of the Lord’s floozy was all the talk with the servants. However, when the constable showed up to see if the staff had seen anything, no one admitted to ever seeing the Lady of the Manor sleepwalking for the last fortnight. Lisbet had been counting on their loyalty in that regard.

That evening at dinner, Lisbet ensured to have served her husband all his favorite dishes. She sent the servants away, ladled food onto his plate, and poured his wine before making hers. Sitting down to eat, Lisbet took a sip of wine, looked at her husband, and said, “It’s a pity about Rose. By the way, Doctor Melgrue says there will be a baby here by Michaelmas.”