The Female Line

Written from Maidstone Manor, Kent, England...

It had been a cold night, and all throughout I could hear the wind battering the wooden windows, the glass shaking as the wind pounded its panes. Maids had entered my room twice at night, to make sure the ferocious howls of the wind had not broken the window, so vicious was its roar.

I remained awake for the majority of the night, listening, oddly comforted by its howls. I awoke the next morning, stiff, sore and cold but with a resolution. However long my time at Maidstone was left, until I was given in marriage, I would get to the bottom of what the maids were doing. In my mind, I was hoping it was child’s play, but within my heart I knew that there was some form of a plot against my father. Although I did not care much for him, he was my guardian and the plot seemed to involve not only him, but myself and Alain.

I had realised that Alain, being my brother, and the sole male heir to my fathers estates would be the Lord of Maidstone, if my father passed away. Therefore he was a valuable asset. Thus that would make myself, as his sister an eligible prospect, though we were both bastards. The thought cheered me, as I did not want to go into marriage as a wife with no value. But I could not marry, if something underhand was occurring which may put Alain or my fathers lives in jeopardy.

Miss Rivers had told me last night that the Lady Catherine and herself would teach me womanly arts before I married, but currently I was not dwelling my mind too much on this. I already knew how to sew, but I would have to learn the rudimentary skills of cuisine and learn the art of conversing prettily to my elders, which was not as crude as what the Lady Felicity would have to learn when her turn came, for she was not as able as myself in housewifely arts though she was much better accomplished at the art of dress and conversation for she read a large amount of written works and poetry. I was told that I would also need to learn the skills of precedence at court, as a contingency if I was ever to become Countess. I did not know yet how I felt about my marriage to the unknown as I called him in my mind, but as sister to the sole male heir of my fathers title, my brother would soon be, God willing, Lord of Maidstone and the 7th Earl of Aldermarch. This made him valuable I recognised, and the evil maids seemed wary of this too. In fact it had recently occurred to me that they could be working for someone outside the castle rather than themselves. Perhaps for my fathers dynastic opponent the Earl of Arundel? It was well known around Maidstone that my father and he hated each other with a passion. It was quite a treat for people at court to view them conversing prettily on state occasions. His wife, the frumpy but jolly Countess was well known to the servants here, who out of loyalty to the Lady Catherine taunted her below stairs.

When the morning came, colder than ever, I slowly got up and with Anna’s help had a long warm bath to ease my stiffened joints and picked my red and cream gown with the frills. It was a rather simple gown that I wore regularly. The bodice was laced from the back, and reminded me of a medieval style gown, in fact the designer had made it with those types of gowns in mind. As I was spending the day at home I had no need to wear the wretched hoops, as I would not see my father or any visitors. I had heard from Alfie March that my father had urgent business and would be leaving this morning, so there was no risk of him walking in on us.

‘There y’are miss.’ Said Anna. She was the only one that had the liberty to call me ‘miss’ at Maidstone as she had been with me for more than a few years now. She knew most things about me, the odd marks on my body, my love for drawing, and she often used to bring me succulent ginger cakes from her fathers farm in Aldemarch. Her lovely round face with the dimples always seemed a symbol of positivism and safety. I had seen her for the first time, when I was seven and she had just come to Maidstone. I had returned from one of my many jaunts into our garden, sketchbook under my arm, and the door into the foyer was shut as usual. I had to enter via the herb garden entrance and through door leading to the servants quarters. I had walked up the small corridor leading to the servants common room and there I saw her. She had a tweed green coat on and was taking off her matching green bonnet to put on the white one which all the maids were ordered to wear, revealing a shower of thick pearly blonde curls. I remember how Warren March, then a footman had seemed unable to take his eyes off her.

I had rushed up to her, being only a small and told her how beautiful she was, and she had given a tinkly laugh and gave me a daisy which was in her hair as thanks. And ever since then she had loved me, more so than my own sisters. A year or two after, when Miss Rivers arrived and I was charged to dress like a woman, she became my own special ladies maid, my sisters had one to share between them but she was my own. And her we had been together ever since. I wondered if she was allowed to come with me when I married. Hope swelled within me, it would be so comforting to have her there to watch over me.

I watched her bustle about in my room clearing my things from my dressing table and making sure my bedstead was tidy enough with her duster. I could smell the dust floating about. She noticed my grimace, and went at once to open the window.

‘Anna,’ I asked quietly, wondering whether to voice my thoughts aloud. She turned from the window, her black dress billowing from side to side, the frills dancing in the wind now blowing furiously through the window. As was tradition she curtseyed, her elegant legs bent low and her head bowed slightly. I could see the strands of thick blonde curls tucked under her bonnet.

‘Yes miss,’ she said smiling.

‘I was wondering about something…’ I said nervously, moving my foot in and out of my new patent leather slippers, pondering over how to phrase my question.

‘About what miss,’ she said brightly and a little too eagerly. I smiled at her and gestured at her to close the bedroom door. As she walked towards it, I could hear the floorboards creaking beneath loudly beneath her feet. It felt like a warning, I heard it very loud inside my head. Don’t say too much I said to myself. I turned and sat on my bed, taking care not to crease my gown. Outwardly I seemed very calm but inside there was a raging battle in my head. I heard her footsteps move close and then stop. I lifted my head, and moved some stray hairs back inside my bonnet. The crown of my head was mingled with sweat.

‘I have some suspicions about some maids,’ I began speaking slowly so she could understand fully. But also to stem the beating of my heart which was now beating extremely loudly, I was surprised she could not hear it.

‘Suspicions,’ she repeated, her young full face suddenly became agitated, her eyes seemed suddenly bloodshot. She seemed rooted to the spot where she stood as if she were a plant, planted into my the core of my bedroom. ‘Of-of me…’

‘Oh no, oh not of you dear Anna,’ I said eager to reassure her, ‘I mean of-of s-some maids that work in the nursery.’ I paused and let her regain her composure. She visibly relaxed, her shoulders dropped and she rubbed her eyes.

‘Which maids?’ She asked enquiringly when she was done, curiosity overcoming the terror she must have felt for her job mere seconds earlier… ‘I-I know Hester Palmer has been accused of stealing Mrs Hutchinson’s personal belongings?’

‘No no, not Hester’ I said quickly, but making a mental note in my head that I should be wary of said Hester. ‘I meant Lilith and Elspeth, one scrubs the nursery and the other is a maid. I j-just have a peculiar feeling about them.’ I shuddered remembering the icy cold feeling I always had whenever one entered a room and how goose pimples appeared on my arm, as if my arms were naked. ‘Do you know of them?’

Anna who had been standing very still before me suddenly became rather fidgety. Her face was twitching and her eyes were shifting. ‘Madam,’ she said slowly, though she never called me that - calling someone ’madam’ was a sign of speaking to your elder and better. ‘Lilith and Elspeth both came with the master the last time he went to France. H-he ordered Mrs Hutchinson to give them places in the household. That’s really all I know of their personal lives. I know Mrs H did not want to, but she had to find two extra places.’

‘Why on Gods earth did he do that?’ I asked excitedly, feeling at last that I was going to obtain some information on them that was useful. I beckoned her closer with my finger and she moved two steps forward, off the Persian rug she was standing on and closer to my bed, her leather shoes making the smallest of sounds as they came closer. ‘Sit on that pouffe,’ I said pointing to an ornate white pouffe with silver embroidery on the side of the bed. My father had bought that pouffe, and a few others back from India when he resided there during his early years after he had completed his education. I had taken this from the nursery. I smiled as I remembered Felicity’s anger when she realised I had it, as it had always been her favourite too. Anna sat on it with the air of a lady, and I realised she must have copied the mannerisms of Lady Catherine. She was still looking scared still but faintly reassured that nothing was going to harm her. ‘Who were they to him?’ I asked in a quieter tone.

‘I-He… I mean the Master comes down to see them regularly when he is here. In the servants quarters. I suppose, and everyone else supposes he is very close to them, or owes them a personal debt.’ She looked down at her feet and I realised my father‘s unqualified kindness to these maids was the subject of much gossip below stairs. ‘Th-they earn a lot you see, and that’s why they keep themselves to themselves. Earn twice as much as what I does. Closer to Mrs Hutchinson’s wage I’d say.’

I raised my eyebrows. A scrubber earning as much as a housekeeper?

‘Anna…’ I asked suddenly, the need to know overpowering me like a venus flytrap overpowering its prey, heathenishly, ‘Could you do me a favour?’

***

The dark oak door was ajar leading to a narrow corridor. Nobody could have suspected there was a multitude of rooms behind that door, but there was. I crept forward stealthily, hoping beyond hope nobody saw us here, but the servants had all arisen and were going about their duties. I heard Anna’s slow footsteps behind me. I could smell the trepidation that arose from her, her fear at what we were going to do, but I stayed cautious. I had not told Anna the reason why I needed to do this, and as a good servant she had not asked, rather she took it for granted that I knew better.

I had never entered this part of the house before, even though I always knew of its existence. The servants quarters. It was always referred to. ‘Are we nearly there,’ I breathed to Anna.

‘Yes we are,’ she said. ‘My rooms just here.’ She stopped and I allowed her to move forward and to take the lead. She opened another panelled dark oak door halfway down the long corridor and it creaked open reluctantly. I looked in through the doorway and saw a small dark boxed room with wooden floorboards. I could not see a window. It seemed quite stuffy to me. Two single beds with a thin blanket each stood on either side of the room, and an old weathered nightstand with a candle upon it. There were two large rosewood chests on the foot of each bed. Both were the same, as all of the servants were issued with one when they arrived to store their possessions. Both had the same inlain brass front panel. But the lettering on both was different, on the bed on the right hand side was a large slightly faded golden E.S and on the left hand side was A.B, which was a lot clearer. There was a luxurious small red rug on the floor with sapphire and a gold mosaic pattern entwining around the borders and an elephant in the centre blowing a trumpet. It didn’t seem to belong in this room.

Anna saw me looking. ‘It was me mothers,’ she said gazing at it with a wispy look, ‘it was given to her by her cousin, who lived in India, she passed it onto me before she died.’

I gave Anna a smile. ‘It’s delightful,’ I said, and it was. It took me away for a second, from myself, from my thoughts.

I shut the door taking care not to make too much noise. ‘Where are their rooms.’ I asked impatiently. I wanted this over with as quickly as could be done. Anna must have realised and then she walked past me and motioned me to be quiet. I could tell she was afraid. She started walking, slowly again making her way to the very end of the long corridor.

These women were no ordinary women, and even she may have pondered that in her dealings with them, below stairs. I had an inkling she had not told me everything she knew about them, but her actions yesterday, the way she had fidgeted, her furtive glances had told me all I had needed to know.

‘Here we are,’ she whispered, her lips were hardly moving. We had reached the very end of the corridor. There was only one door, similar to the others but with a golden coloured knob rather than a brass one. It seemed bigger than the rest, taller, and more imposing. ‘It is this room madam, and you must go in alone.’ She was speaking in a more shrilly tone, as if she thought I would force her inside too.

‘Its alright dearest Anna.’ I said, ‘I will enter. You need not, you may stay here and keep watch.’ I saw her nod, words had perhaps failed her. I gave her a reassuring smile and opened the door slowly expecting a creak, but it didn’t, it slid open rather easily. Taken aback, I took a deep breath and entered the room.

I gasped, my hand flew to my mouth. The size of the room had astounded me, it was extremely spacious in comparison to Anna’s and there stood no cold floorboards beneath my feet but a rather worn russet coloured carpet. Although it felt scratchy I understood it probably meant for a warmer room than Anna’s cold dark box room. I jumped as I felt something slink around my legs and then I heard a meow. It was a black cat looking at me determinedly I thought. Its gaze was rather sinister. I stepped away from it. It didn’t follow. It sat in the spot I had stood and carried on staring, as if it knew I was an unwelcome intruder, as if it had assumed the role of guardian.

My gaze took in two single beds, similar to Anna’s but the blankets on it looked more similar to my own. Both stood at opposite ends of the room with the same chests at the foot of the bed. There was a scruffy panelled fireplace in the centre of the room with a small bucket of coals on the side and on the mantelpiece were needles and a maroon coloured box full of ribbons. I shook my head and reminded myself to stop looking and fulfil my resolution. I had decided yesterday to search their rooms to find something which would tell me more about them. I resolutely moved forwards towards the chest marked L.G. and tried to open it but it was firmly locked. After scratching at the inlay for a while I gave up and tried to see if the key to the padlock was located on her side of the room. I searched the bed, underneath the bed, the box of ribbons found nothing but ribbons and thread. As I was examining the nightstand next to the bed my eyes caught a piece of parchment folded over numerous times. I took care to unfold it slowly as to remember the exact way in which it was folded.

To my most faithful of friends, Lilith Eve Galdrich,

I will not tarry and write much in this letter, in case of an interception. Even now, I feel prying eyes upon me whilst I write every word. It feels as if water is trickling down my back, so be warned for you are not yet safe. You must stay careful my sister, for it will not do for us to be found out just yet. We have much to accomplish so such written correspondence is necessary, for the time is near. Our plans are ripe and soon they will come to fruition and when they do dearest Lilith, your place will be beside me again as my sister, my comrade and my friend.

I implore upon you to send news of my family and how that they do. How is my dearest son. I earnestly hope he is well and I know by the grace of our master he is kept well. I earnestly hope the children I have bore within my womb have not forgotten me, and nay if they have then yea I shall remind them. For my female line must continue, for our blood needs to remain hot, for our souls need to survive and the seed must be implanted before she returns to me.

Lastly, I must inform you that Marmites visit was indeed a great success. He now knows what he must do, and I assure you your positions are quite safe, though I know you must rather desire to return home. For myself and the sisters are quite in need of your ‘wondrous skills‘.

Your mistress
E.

I turned and read it through once more, the words embedding themselves in my mind. I did not know what this letter meant, but I somehow sensed evil was prevalent, that I was indeed correct about them. I folded the letter again, and placed it back where it had originated from. Slowly I walked towards the door. I would come back again I thought but at this moment I had to think …

I saw the black cats eyes fixed upon me as I opened the door and slid out. I looked back and I thought its eyes staring in a malevolent fashion. I shivered and slowly closed the door without making too much noise. As I turned around and saw that Anna looked relieved. So was I in truth - relieved no one had caught us.

‘Found anything miss?’ she asked curiously.

‘No,’ I said, my usually musical voice sounding strangely hollow. ‘I must have been mistaken in my suspicions.’ She smiled briefly at me and a flicker of understanding passed between us. But then she shrugged and said,

‘Come on then miss, your governess won’t be happy if your late for afternoon lessons!’

***

My memory has always been quite good, but as soon as I went back to my rooms and found Miss Rivers was absent, I immediately went into my own oak chest and found my little black notebook. The front was covered in golden embroidery and my father had given one each to myself and my sisters to note down the books we had read each month. I myself, never an avid reader had been using this wondrous notebook to write down everything I had heard Lillith and Elspeth say in my presence.

I sat down at my desk. The light was pouring in through the windows. It seemed God was making up for the ferocious wind this morn by making the day at least quite pleasant. I itched to be out in the gardens, drawing as I loved to do but I knew I must write down everything I remembered from that letter. The phrase ‘Even now, I feel prying eyes upon me whilst I write every word,’ felt like icy cold water trickling down my back. It was indeed suspicious.

My door opened suddenly and I jumped and turned around. Staring at me with her hair wound tightly into a jet black bun and a haughty expression was Miss Rivers.

‘There you are Miss,’ she said plainly seething I hadn‘t come for my lessons. ‘Come to the library now for we must commence your lessons. The ladies Felicity, Rose and Cecily are already hard at work, and there you are sat as if you have no care in the world!’

I closed my eyes as she rattled on, annoyed at being disturbed, but stood up and brushed my little book in the drawer of my desk. ‘Come on now,’ Miss Rivers said, her hands on her bony hips, ‘What have you been doing all this time?’

I closed and drawer. ‘Nothing, I had a headache,’ I said moodily.

‘Well that’s no excuse is it.’ She said tartly making her way out of my room. ‘Bring your drawing materials for we shall be drawing a teapot today in Art.’

‘Yes Miss Rivers’ I said to her retreating back as I trudged to the library.

* * *

‘Henry VIII’s first marriage was to the Lady Catherine of Aragon, infanta of Spain and daughter to the King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile who was Queen in her own right,’ said the Lady Cecily squinting slightly as if she was trying hard to remember what she was learning. I could see her fingers shaking as she was struggling to remember what she had learnt since yesterday.

‘Correct’ trilled Miss Rivers. Cecily beamed at me. I smiled encouragingly back. Cecily unlike her sisters was not academically minded and much preferred to be taught dancing, singing and music. Whereas the Lady Felicity and Rose preferred books and then I preferred art. At one point I had thought it lovely that we all had different interests but now I just saw the wide gap between myself and my half sisters. In lessons involving the English aristocracy I saw it more, as my mother was a commoner, thus I did not have as many connections as my half sisters thus I felt an outsider. I say that but I must be honest for Cecily always sought me out and treated me as a friend.

‘Why do we have to learn this?’ asked Cecily closing her history textbook, voicing my thoughts. ‘There’s no point for what help can it give us in the bearing of an heir or in the running of an estate. We would be better off learning accounts or how to run farms?’ Miss Rivers glanced at her stonily. Felicity and Rose both looked up from their books, Felicity from her biography of Thomas More, and Rose from her copy of Utopia, both of them a second ago they had seem totally absorbed but now sniggered as they so often did at their sisters practical question.

‘Why do you think dummy,’ said Rose tossing her long brown hair, her only asset, to the side. ‘Because you are to be known as the Honourable Lady Cecily of Maidstone. Thus we can sell ourselves to our future husbands by knowing where our family fit into the history books and the social strand of society on both our Lady mothers family and that of Papa‘s.’

‘Your father encourages all of you Mesdames to study the royal families of England and Europe for you are interrelated and it is good for a lady to know so.’ cut in Miss Rivers plainly. ‘Rose is correct. That way one can educate ones children in the appropriate fashion, and thus ones blood is even more valuable to a future husband.’ She smiled drily at us all. ‘You are all prizes to be won I should say.’

Felicity and Rose smiled back. They loved hearing what prizes they were in the marriage market. ‘At least we will be marrying legitimate men of honourable stock,’ Rose said with a sneering look at me clearly inferring my potential marriage was not good enough. I put my head down and pretended I was absorbed in the biography of Thomas Cromwell.

‘I think its lovely,’ said Cecily dreamily, ‘I saw Mr Lucas Derby at the Countess of Arundel’s place last summer when I went to stay as a guest with mamma. He was her ward, he was charming. He had nice long dark hair and…’

‘It’s not about being charming,’ spat Felicity and Cecily looked abashed, ‘Its about connections and having a title with history for your children.’

‘He could potentially have a title,’ I said a little too loudly directing my angry face towards Rose and Felicity, ‘And besides, should you not look to yourself instead of criticising me?’

‘That’s right,’ said Cecily and I was grateful for the help, ‘Emily is lucky to be marrying someone youthful rather than an old codger, and he comes from good stock too.’

Felicity smirked and said ‘the title was newly granted I wager?’

I looked at her and said ‘His title was granted forty years ago? To his grandfather.’

‘Yes,’ said Felicity and out of the corner of my eye I could see Miss Rivers watching our exchange, fascinated by the arguments of the well-bred, ‘But he was merely a merchant before that, he was made rich with his cloth factory.’

I decided to end this exchange here. ‘You can think what you may,’ I said presenting myself as the graceful of the party, ‘But I say, is pride not a great sin?’

Felicity opened her mouth and then shut it again trying to think of how to respond. Before she could do so Miss Rivers who had finally realised her authority stood up! ‘Enough girls! Neither of you are diminished, you are all equally privileged and if you would like to know how much so I suggest you come with me when I visit my home town of Manchester and see what my little nieces who are the same age as Rose and Cecily do for a living in the factories of the city.’

Rose and Felicity had the grace to look equally abashed. ‘Sorry Miss Rivers’ they said in a monotonous tone.

Miss Rivers mutinous gaze turned in my direction. Even though there was a merry fire in the room I suddenly felt cold. ‘Sorry Miss Rivers,’ I said quietly. She nodded stiffly. ‘Back to work then girls.’

I smiled at my lovely two sisters who threw me a contemptuous glance before returning to their books and their notes. Part of me realised that although they so obviously hated me, for not being their mothers daughter, it riled them enormously that I was to be married to someone before them.

I smiled to myself then and returned to the world of the arch politician of Tudor England, Thomas Cromwell whilst Cecily resumed her monologue, under Miss Rivers watchful eye.

‘Catherine of Aragon was a staunch Catholic who possessed many admirable qualities including piety, helping the poor and…’