‹ Prequel: Stay Gold
Status: Hurp a durp.
Hidden Perfections
Chapter Three
The next morning, Emma woke up to find Burke standing inside her door. Just watching her while she slept. It was a bit disconcerting to wake up and find herself being watched. But she tried to brush it off.
"Good morning." Her voice was husky from sleep.
He looked down at her, and gave her his signature sneer. He was still wearing the mask. She was still very curious why he was wearing it. "Good morning, Emma." He told her, with an edge of superiority in his voice. "If you'll follow me, I can show you your new bedchamber." And he turned and started walking.
Emma hadn't even gotten up off the bed yet, so she had to jump up and jog after him. He hadn't even given her a chance to braid her hair or wash her face. How rude.
The castle was much bigger than it looked from the outside.
There were too many hallways and corridors to count. No sooner had she stepped into one grand hallway was she rushed into the next. Eventually, Emma just shut herself off from noticing.
Finally Burke stopped them outside a door. Emma figured he must have taken them through the entire castle. And she hadn't seen a soul, save herself and Burke. Could it really be possible that he had no other maids? Men who lived in castles didn't cook their own meals and wash their own clothes.
Emma would be quite disappointed if he didn't. She had been hoping she could make friends with other maids so she wouldn't be so lonely. She was a people person, she couldn't survive without human interaction. And there would be none for her unless she decided to chat with Burke. And that was a big 'no'. Emma cringed just at the thought of an idle conversation with that man.
Burke opened the heavy oak door, took Emma's arm and lead her inside. There was a plush looking bed, with a deep blue bedspread. There was a mahogany wardrobe across from that and a few feet away was an oak wash table. But the grandeur stopped there. The floor was filthy. There was a rust covered chamber pot in one of the corners with some unidentifiable liquid pooling around it. There were rat droppings in one of the corners. Cobwebs covered the ceilings and filled every corner. And the worst part was the spiders. They were everywhere. Big fat hairy ones. Small ones scurrying about.
Emma hated nothing more than spiders.
"Livable." She scoffed under her breath. She didn't know if Burke heard her, but she hoped he had. Either way, he gave no indication.
"I took the liberty of having some clothes made for you."
"Oh, great." They would no doubt be too big in the bosom, and too small in the waist. That's how men worked.
Burke cleared his throat. "Sarcasm is wasted on me." He turned and left the room.
Emma sighed when he was gone. She figured she better get to cleaning if she wanted her room to be somewhat clean. This should be fun.
"Good morning." Her voice was husky from sleep.
He looked down at her, and gave her his signature sneer. He was still wearing the mask. She was still very curious why he was wearing it. "Good morning, Emma." He told her, with an edge of superiority in his voice. "If you'll follow me, I can show you your new bedchamber." And he turned and started walking.
Emma hadn't even gotten up off the bed yet, so she had to jump up and jog after him. He hadn't even given her a chance to braid her hair or wash her face. How rude.
The castle was much bigger than it looked from the outside.
There were too many hallways and corridors to count. No sooner had she stepped into one grand hallway was she rushed into the next. Eventually, Emma just shut herself off from noticing.
Finally Burke stopped them outside a door. Emma figured he must have taken them through the entire castle. And she hadn't seen a soul, save herself and Burke. Could it really be possible that he had no other maids? Men who lived in castles didn't cook their own meals and wash their own clothes.
Emma would be quite disappointed if he didn't. She had been hoping she could make friends with other maids so she wouldn't be so lonely. She was a people person, she couldn't survive without human interaction. And there would be none for her unless she decided to chat with Burke. And that was a big 'no'. Emma cringed just at the thought of an idle conversation with that man.
Burke opened the heavy oak door, took Emma's arm and lead her inside. There was a plush looking bed, with a deep blue bedspread. There was a mahogany wardrobe across from that and a few feet away was an oak wash table. But the grandeur stopped there. The floor was filthy. There was a rust covered chamber pot in one of the corners with some unidentifiable liquid pooling around it. There were rat droppings in one of the corners. Cobwebs covered the ceilings and filled every corner. And the worst part was the spiders. They were everywhere. Big fat hairy ones. Small ones scurrying about.
Emma hated nothing more than spiders.
"Livable." She scoffed under her breath. She didn't know if Burke heard her, but she hoped he had. Either way, he gave no indication.
"I took the liberty of having some clothes made for you."
"Oh, great." They would no doubt be too big in the bosom, and too small in the waist. That's how men worked.
Burke cleared his throat. "Sarcasm is wasted on me." He turned and left the room.
Emma sighed when he was gone. She figured she better get to cleaning if she wanted her room to be somewhat clean. This should be fun.