"If you love me, meet me at the train station" Margaret's handwriting had always been so pretty. When James first found out she could write, he was surprised, she was only a servant, after all. He had never paid much attention to her, except to admire how beautiful she was. His younger brother, Richard, noticed too, and tried to take profit of her. That was the first time James got to talk to her privately.
Sir James Abbot, James' father, had died seven years earlier, when James was barely fifteen. Since that moment he had been the man of the household. James never liked that role, he knew his mother would do a better job than he could ever do. But Dame Martha insisted on his taking the reigns, even if he ended up asking her for advice most of the time. So, for seven years it had been his work to try to control his unruly and rebellious brother. Richard always took wealthiness for granted, and he assumed he was superior to everyone else. James wasn't surprised when he heard his brother had tried to rape one of the maids, he was saddened and disappointed, but not surprised. He made the servant go to his office before talking to his brother, he wanted to know all the details.
Margaret went to him teary eyed but proud. Her green eyes rimmed with red, her long lashes wet. She wore her long auburn hair on a tight bun under her bonnet, but some stray curls escaped it. He invited her to seat.
-Thank you, Mr. Abbot.
-Would you mind reminding me of your name?
-Margaret, Mr. Abbot.
-How are you Margaret? Are you feeling fine?
-I have been better, Mr. Abbot, but I will recover.
-Would you mind explaining me what happened?
-I was tiding up Dame Martha's study when Mr. Richard entered the room, closing the door behind him. At that moment I was cleaning the window panes, so I didn't realize it was him until he spoke. He asked me if I was happy working as a maid, when I told him I was he told me I was very beautiful and that I didn't need to waste my youth cleaning houses. That I could live as a lady, if I accepted some of his terms. He also asked me if I was a virgin, and if I thought he was attractive. I tried to divert the topic, because I didn't like where it was going. But he insisted, in the end I told him that for the things he was proposing he needed to find some nice girl of his own class and marry her. This was when he became violent, he told me he didn't need to marry anyone to do what he wanted to do, and that I was no one to tell him what he needed to do. That he was my superior and I should do whatever he told me. He next leaped on me, and the next moment he was lying on the floor and I ran to hide in the kitchens.
James looked at the girl, she must have been very strong to push his brother aside.
-Did he hurt you?
-No, Mr. Abbot.
-And do you want to keep working in this house?
The question took her by surprise, she had expected him to dismiss her for hurting his brother. She looked into his kind eyes, and realized he was nothing like his brother.
-Yes, Mr. Abbot.
-Perfect, we just need to solve the problem of my brother, but I will take care of it. He will never molest you or any of the maids again.- James paused and a thought crossed his mind.- Margaret, Dame Martha's handmaid is leaving to get married, would you like to take her place? I will need to talk to my lady mother first, but I am positive she will agree.
Margaret's face lit up and her expression softened, showing how young she really was.
That was the first time he had actually talked to her, where he saw a glimpse of her personality, but it wasn't the first time he saw her write, he thought as he reread the note for the thousand time.
No comments:
Post a Comment