Status: Completed.
The Forbidden Fruit
Privileged
We arrived when the sun had set. I was hungry and tired from the travelling, not to mention the fatigue. The seats had been comfortable, but it had been impossible to sleep as the carriage swayed from side to side. Me being a rather scrawny person, I was being easily thrown into the air. George, bless his soul, had to hold me close to ensure it would not happen again.
He walked by my side as we entered Rutherford Manor. It was large and well looked after. Their garden was rather large and stretched out to a place my eyes could not reach.
"So this is how the rich live," I muttered under my breath.
"I said the very same thing upon my arrival here," he said. He had heard me.
"It's beautiful," I continued in awe of the Manor.
We entered to find maids running to and fro. They all looked really busy. George removed his hat and bowed at an elderly woman who stood before us. I curtsied.
"Elise Crofton," he said. The woman smiled cheerfully at me as she looked at me.
"Oh my," she laughed elegantly, "we can not present you to the master the way you are looking now. Grace! Prepare the bath for this young lady. George, I do thank you for bringing her here safely. Your food is in the kitchen, you are relieved of you duties for the day."
George bowed again and left for the kitchen.
"I am Demelza," the woman said as she walked me to the bathroom. She sounded nothing like a peasant. It was as if she had been born and bred by a nobleman. Grace had just finished pouring some water for me. Demelza thanked Grace and told her to go prepare me some clothing. Grace did as she was told.
"I shall return when you are done," she said as she left me alone. Many candles had been lit. I lay in the warm bath. It was different from home. I always bathed whilst standing, with a small bucket holding in the water, but here I was able to lay in a tub. I wondered what Albert and Gwendolyn were going to eat for dinner since I was not there with them. Were they thinking of me as well?
Grace escorted me to the dinning room. We exchanged a few words before we found ourselves standing outside the large doors. There were so many questions I wanted to ask her. How old was their master? What did he look like? What was he like? Grace noticed I was shaking and she held my hand.
"You look beautiful," she assured me before opening the door.
He walked by my side as we entered Rutherford Manor. It was large and well looked after. Their garden was rather large and stretched out to a place my eyes could not reach.
"So this is how the rich live," I muttered under my breath.
"I said the very same thing upon my arrival here," he said. He had heard me.
"It's beautiful," I continued in awe of the Manor.
We entered to find maids running to and fro. They all looked really busy. George removed his hat and bowed at an elderly woman who stood before us. I curtsied.
"Elise Crofton," he said. The woman smiled cheerfully at me as she looked at me.
"Oh my," she laughed elegantly, "we can not present you to the master the way you are looking now. Grace! Prepare the bath for this young lady. George, I do thank you for bringing her here safely. Your food is in the kitchen, you are relieved of you duties for the day."
George bowed again and left for the kitchen.
"I am Demelza," the woman said as she walked me to the bathroom. She sounded nothing like a peasant. It was as if she had been born and bred by a nobleman. Grace had just finished pouring some water for me. Demelza thanked Grace and told her to go prepare me some clothing. Grace did as she was told.
"I shall return when you are done," she said as she left me alone. Many candles had been lit. I lay in the warm bath. It was different from home. I always bathed whilst standing, with a small bucket holding in the water, but here I was able to lay in a tub. I wondered what Albert and Gwendolyn were going to eat for dinner since I was not there with them. Were they thinking of me as well?
Grace escorted me to the dinning room. We exchanged a few words before we found ourselves standing outside the large doors. There were so many questions I wanted to ask her. How old was their master? What did he look like? What was he like? Grace noticed I was shaking and she held my hand.
"You look beautiful," she assured me before opening the door.