The Maid

Chapter One

Chapter One

England, 1784

"Rose! Rose Gilmartin, get in here now before I tan your backside so hard you won't be able to sit down for a month!"

I sighed, almost inaudibly, as I entered the house, a basket of bread on one arm. "Sorry, Mam. I met Nell on the way home from the baker's and we got talking." I ducked my head, peeping up at Mam to see what she would say.

Instead of beginning one of her long lectures as usual, she let out a long breath, full of disappointment or exasperation--I don't know which. "Sit down, Rose."

Apprehension tugged at me. What was she going to say? I knew I daydreamed more than I worked, and my clumsiness had managed to break more things than usual, but I didn't mean it.

Mam sat down, and then reached into her apron pocket and took out a folded up piece of paper. "Read that and tell me what you think."

It was a letter, written in a very small hand with curling letters. I peered at the paper and began to read, very slowly.

Nancy,

I'm sorry I haven't written, but as you know, I never was very good at letters. The reason I am writing this is because recently, one of our maids at the Wayside Inn got married, leaving a place vacant. I figure your Rose is of age now to leave home, and she'll not want for anything here. When you make your decision, send a letter to me.

Your brother,

Henry

"So what do you think?" Mam asked.

I bit my lip. I'd never been farther than the end of our close, let alone an inn on the wild moors of Yorkshire. I'd never even met Uncle Henry! And yet there was something...intriguing about the words in the letter. As though they were a magic potion casting a spell over me. I glanced up at Mam, my mouth struggling to frame the words. "I..."

"I know what you're goin' to say," Mam interrupted me. "I've seen that look afore. Same thing on your father's face before he left home."

I had vague memories of my father: straight brown hair like mine; a laugh that seemed to come from deep down inside; and a safe, leathery smell. He had joined the Navy and left when I was two, and he hadn't been seen since. For all we knew, Mam said, he was at the bottom of some Spanish sea, a pirate's sword through his chest. "I don't want to leave you, Mam," I whispered.

"I know you don't, love. But you're going to someday, and it had better be sooner than later." There were tears in Mam's eyes, but she was smiling. "Who knows, you might even find your father out there." She held out her arms and I got up and ran into them, hugging her tightly, breathing in the smell of fresh baking and soap and the lavender perfume she wore that she made herself. Tears streamed down my cheeks, but at the same time, excitement beat hard and fast in my chest. I was actually going!

This is the first story I've ever done on Wattpad, so I hope you'll all excuse any mistakes that I make. Please read and review; I welcome constructive criticism, but no swearing. If I receive at least ONE tiny review, then I'll think about continuing. Until then, adieu!