Where You Belong
Back to Square One
Leslie walked through the weathered door with a heavy heart. Not from leaving the Rivera's -- oh, no, she was far more glad to be away from such a horrendous family -- but from the woman who had helped her get job after job when all others fell through.
Knowing she would be made to go get cleaned up beforehand, Leslie made her way quickly up the stairs in the foyer, passing a few of the younger men and women who would soon be sent off to a respectable family. She wasn't stopped by any of them, but rather, they lined the walls, knowing her record and knowing what was to come within the hour.
Leslie held her head high, not letting those future maids, butlers, gardeners, and cooks know that on the inside, Leslie was scared. Scared of what lay ahead. Leslie knew that if she messed up much more, she would be forced to go through training all over again, and that she could not have.
You see, Leslie Faye Waters has always been a extremely temperamental person. She was stubborn, she held herself in higher regards than those she worked for. Her temper and her back-talk have always been her downfall, and which is why she was dismissed from the Rivera's. Mrs. Rivera had come home, told her young William that he was to go and straighten his room, and he refused. He went on to tell her that he could do what he wants, the usual of a teenage boy, which then lead to his mother landing a rather hard smack across his face.
Leslie would not tolerate the sort of thing from her employer, although she was trained not to dabble in the affairs of those above her. Leslie gave Mrs. Rivera a piece of her mind while tending to the beet read hand print on William's face. Now, here she was, walking to her death, so to speak.
Having made it to her ten by ten room at the end of the hall, she went in, closed the door behind her, and placed her possessions where they belonged. Once finished, she collected her uniform she was to wear about the home and made her way to the showers, hoping to be ready by the time Lady Emmaline got back from the dry cleaning.
Time Elapse
Leslie paced back and forth in her room, nine steps one way, nine steps the other. Her head was bowed, her clothes were neat, her hair put up in the way she was taught to do it. Her hands rested at the base of her stomach, clasped so tightly that her knuckles were the color of bone. She had just turned around at the edge of her bed when she heard a pair of feet stop outside her door.
"Miss Waters, Lady Emmaline requires your presence in her office at once." The voice did not belong to someone she knew, but she heard the urgency in the tone. Making sure once more that her clothes were straight, she opened the door and came face to face with a boy no older than thirteen. "Follow me."
Following the boy down the long hallway, Leslie decided to look around the home she has not seen in eleven months. For having been around since the 18th century, Lady Emmaline and those in the household have kept in nice on the inside. It was slightly crumbled on the outside, but not enough to cause alarm. It was a strong place.
Lowering her gaze, Leslie kept pace with the boy before her, watching his feet as they moved closer and closer to the woman that scared her more and more every time she was dismissed. After what seemed to take a lifetime, they arrived, and the boy knocked three times before speaking. "Lady Emmaline, Miss Waters is here."
"Send her in, Nikolai, and be off," came the all too familiar scratchy, high-pitched voice of Lady Emmaline. The one called Nikolai opened the door and stepped away, allowing Leslie to walk before him. She bowed slightly in thanks towards him before walking into the room completely. The door behind her closed and she knew the color drained from her face. "Oh, Miss Waters. What am I going to do with you?" the Lady asked, causing Leslie to take a quick glance up. "Yes, you may have your head up. You're not in a new residential job."
Leslie lifted her head, keeping her mouth shut. "You've been dismissed seven times, seven times in six years!" Lady Emmaline screeched, standing up and walking around to the front of the desk. "Do you not realize what I'm doing for you? I've been trying so hard to find you a decent job with decent pay, but for whatever reason, you always get dismissed with complaints coming to me."
Leslie watched the Lady with sheer curiosity, but she knew that the fear was still very much present in her eyes. "I don't know how much longer I will be able to keep you on board, though I know in letting you go, you'd be more than happy. I'd be happy, for you'd be one less bother to the rest of the world. You're a disgrace to this home. To my good name. I've never had a complaint from families with the workers I put out. Not until you."
"Miss, I just don't--"
"I did not give you permission to speak, Miss Waters. I'm letting you know right now that you've got one more chance to prove that you are capable of doing what you're supposed to do. If you fail this time, you're going through the training again, and I will make sure Madame Beauregard will be the one to train you." Leslie shuddered. Madame Beauregard was the worst when it came to training to be a maid. She wasn't afraid to get physical if need be.
"Luckily, the household I found has only one single person who lives there. His name is Mr. Benedict Cumberbatch. He's a well-known actor in England, and will be treated with decency. If you fail him, you fail me," said Lady Emmaline.
This would be the first time in fifteen years when one of the workers from the home was sent overseas for a job. It was only done as a last resort. "Do you have anything to say on this matter, Miss Waters?" the Lady asked, leaning against her desk.
Leslie shook her head gently, the pain in her temples growing by the minute. "No, Lady. I have nothing to say on the matter."
"Good. You will be departing in one week's time. I will send Miss Trinity out to the shops to pick up some better uniforms in a few days. You're dismissed." Bowing, Leslie turned and walked out of the room, closing the door gently behind her. Kicking her shoes off and picking them up, she quickly made her way back to her room, hoping to hide the tears from her fellow workers.
Once she reached her room and had the door separating her from the rest of the home, she slid to the floor and let the tears fall. Leslie just knew she would fail again, and she needed so much not to.
As the day turned into night, Leslie remained sitting in front of her door, ignoring any and all sounds from passer-by's. She only hoped her temper wouldn't clash with the anger that was sure to come with her soon-to-be employer.
Knowing she would be made to go get cleaned up beforehand, Leslie made her way quickly up the stairs in the foyer, passing a few of the younger men and women who would soon be sent off to a respectable family. She wasn't stopped by any of them, but rather, they lined the walls, knowing her record and knowing what was to come within the hour.
Leslie held her head high, not letting those future maids, butlers, gardeners, and cooks know that on the inside, Leslie was scared. Scared of what lay ahead. Leslie knew that if she messed up much more, she would be forced to go through training all over again, and that she could not have.
You see, Leslie Faye Waters has always been a extremely temperamental person. She was stubborn, she held herself in higher regards than those she worked for. Her temper and her back-talk have always been her downfall, and which is why she was dismissed from the Rivera's. Mrs. Rivera had come home, told her young William that he was to go and straighten his room, and he refused. He went on to tell her that he could do what he wants, the usual of a teenage boy, which then lead to his mother landing a rather hard smack across his face.
Leslie would not tolerate the sort of thing from her employer, although she was trained not to dabble in the affairs of those above her. Leslie gave Mrs. Rivera a piece of her mind while tending to the beet read hand print on William's face. Now, here she was, walking to her death, so to speak.
Having made it to her ten by ten room at the end of the hall, she went in, closed the door behind her, and placed her possessions where they belonged. Once finished, she collected her uniform she was to wear about the home and made her way to the showers, hoping to be ready by the time Lady Emmaline got back from the dry cleaning.
Time Elapse
Leslie paced back and forth in her room, nine steps one way, nine steps the other. Her head was bowed, her clothes were neat, her hair put up in the way she was taught to do it. Her hands rested at the base of her stomach, clasped so tightly that her knuckles were the color of bone. She had just turned around at the edge of her bed when she heard a pair of feet stop outside her door.
"Miss Waters, Lady Emmaline requires your presence in her office at once." The voice did not belong to someone she knew, but she heard the urgency in the tone. Making sure once more that her clothes were straight, she opened the door and came face to face with a boy no older than thirteen. "Follow me."
Following the boy down the long hallway, Leslie decided to look around the home she has not seen in eleven months. For having been around since the 18th century, Lady Emmaline and those in the household have kept in nice on the inside. It was slightly crumbled on the outside, but not enough to cause alarm. It was a strong place.
Lowering her gaze, Leslie kept pace with the boy before her, watching his feet as they moved closer and closer to the woman that scared her more and more every time she was dismissed. After what seemed to take a lifetime, they arrived, and the boy knocked three times before speaking. "Lady Emmaline, Miss Waters is here."
"Send her in, Nikolai, and be off," came the all too familiar scratchy, high-pitched voice of Lady Emmaline. The one called Nikolai opened the door and stepped away, allowing Leslie to walk before him. She bowed slightly in thanks towards him before walking into the room completely. The door behind her closed and she knew the color drained from her face. "Oh, Miss Waters. What am I going to do with you?" the Lady asked, causing Leslie to take a quick glance up. "Yes, you may have your head up. You're not in a new residential job."
Leslie lifted her head, keeping her mouth shut. "You've been dismissed seven times, seven times in six years!" Lady Emmaline screeched, standing up and walking around to the front of the desk. "Do you not realize what I'm doing for you? I've been trying so hard to find you a decent job with decent pay, but for whatever reason, you always get dismissed with complaints coming to me."
Leslie watched the Lady with sheer curiosity, but she knew that the fear was still very much present in her eyes. "I don't know how much longer I will be able to keep you on board, though I know in letting you go, you'd be more than happy. I'd be happy, for you'd be one less bother to the rest of the world. You're a disgrace to this home. To my good name. I've never had a complaint from families with the workers I put out. Not until you."
"Miss, I just don't--"
"I did not give you permission to speak, Miss Waters. I'm letting you know right now that you've got one more chance to prove that you are capable of doing what you're supposed to do. If you fail this time, you're going through the training again, and I will make sure Madame Beauregard will be the one to train you." Leslie shuddered. Madame Beauregard was the worst when it came to training to be a maid. She wasn't afraid to get physical if need be.
"Luckily, the household I found has only one single person who lives there. His name is Mr. Benedict Cumberbatch. He's a well-known actor in England, and will be treated with decency. If you fail him, you fail me," said Lady Emmaline.
This would be the first time in fifteen years when one of the workers from the home was sent overseas for a job. It was only done as a last resort. "Do you have anything to say on this matter, Miss Waters?" the Lady asked, leaning against her desk.
Leslie shook her head gently, the pain in her temples growing by the minute. "No, Lady. I have nothing to say on the matter."
"Good. You will be departing in one week's time. I will send Miss Trinity out to the shops to pick up some better uniforms in a few days. You're dismissed." Bowing, Leslie turned and walked out of the room, closing the door gently behind her. Kicking her shoes off and picking them up, she quickly made her way back to her room, hoping to hide the tears from her fellow workers.
Once she reached her room and had the door separating her from the rest of the home, she slid to the floor and let the tears fall. Leslie just knew she would fail again, and she needed so much not to.
As the day turned into night, Leslie remained sitting in front of her door, ignoring any and all sounds from passer-by's. She only hoped her temper wouldn't clash with the anger that was sure to come with her soon-to-be employer.