The Wammy House Memories

Settling Into A New Home

Chapter 2!

Elizabeth quietly closed the bedroom door behind her, she looked down the stairscase. A smile crept across her face, the scent of toast wafted up the staircase. The breakfast Rose was preparing downstairs smelt delicious, she must be the greatest housekeeper if she could create scents like that Elizabeth thought to herself. Her stomach couldn't help but grumble, she was starving. She hadn't eaten since last night, she was definitely ready for her breakfast this morning.

Making her way down the staircase she jumped from the bottom step, she then looked around the hallway. She noticed a few photographs on a wooden end table near a coat stand, they looked old. She walked over to them and carefully picked one of the photo frames up from the end table, there was a little girl sitting on a chair with a black cat on her lap. She wasn't sure who the child was but she looked unhappy which was quite sad.

" There you are, my love!" Rose said, she was standing behind Elizabeth. " You better put that back before Miss Havisham comes down for breakfast, she won't appreciate you messing with her belongings."

" Who is Miss Havisham?" Elizabeth asked while she looked at the photograph. " And who are all of these people in these photographs? They look like they're from the old times before photographs had colour."

" Miss Havisham is your Aunt Thora." Rose replied with a smile. " Now put it back, if your Aunt catches you she may give you a scolding"

" Okay." Elizabeth said. 

Elizabeth looked over her shoulder at Rose, she soon disappeared back in the kitchen. Elizabeth placed the photo frame back on the end table and cupped her hands behind her back while she enteted the kitchen. She stood near the kitchen table and watched Rose buttering some toast, she looked busy. Rose was wearing a dark blue jumper and some black trousers today with a yellow apron tied around her waist, she didn't really dress like any of the housekeepers from the movies Elizabeth had seen growing up.

" Come on now, let's get you seated at the table. Then I'll get you something warm to drink." Rose said before she took something from the oven. " Did you wash your hands before you came downstairs?"

" Yes." Elizabeth lied.

" Good girl, now take a seat and I'll get you some poached eggs." Rose said while she placed a bread tin on top of the stove. " Help yourself to some toast, there is three different kinds of jam on the table. Also some marmite, just help yourself."

" Thank you." Elizabeth said.

" Your Aunt should be down in a few minutes." Rose said.

" Okay." Elizabeth said.

Elizabeth took a seat at the table and looked around the kitchen, she had never been a kitchen like this before. It was old looking, it was bright and airy too. There were pretty white flowery curtains hanging above the window and a wooden wall cupboard filled with many different kinds of plates above the kitchen sink. Taking a piece of toast from the toast holder she placed it down on her plate, she now had to decided what kind of jam she wanted on her toast.

" Here we go, I hope you like poached eggs." Rose said while she placed two poached eggs on a plate down in front of her. " Would you like any french toast or bacon? I do a delicious mushroom and cheese omelette if you're interested. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, I want to make such you get a good meal before the day begins."

" No thank you." Elizabeth replied.

" Okay, enjoy." Rose smiled.

Elizabeth watched Rose walk back over to the stove, she really was a kind lady. Her Aunt must be one lucky woman to have an amazing housekeeper like her around the house. Spreading some strawberry jam on her toast she placed the knife down on the plate, she then took a big bite of her toast. The toast was really good and crunchy, but her attention was soon caught by the kitchen's door opening. 

" Good morning Miss Havisham, how are you feeling this morning?" Rose asked. " Your porridge is nearly ready, I'll pour you a cup of tea in moment."

Elizabeth looked over her shoulder while she slowly chewed her toast, she saw a tall slender lady standing in the doorway of the kitchen. The woman had a fancy walking cane and shawl draped around her shoulders, she was wearing a white buttoned up blouse and a long black skirt with a thick bet around her waist. She looked elegent and smart, she was Elizabeth's Great Aunt.

" I'm well, thank you." Thora said, she walked forward while she used her walking cane for support. " I'll take two sugars in my earl grey this morning. I would also like some chocolate chips in my porridge, I believe I maybe acquiring a sweet tooth." 

" What's a sweet tooth?" Elizabeth asked. 

Elizabeth watched her Great Aunt Thora sit down across from her at the kitchen table, she rested her walking cane against the wall by her chair. She took a pair of glasses from her blouse pocket, she then put them on and looked at her from across the table with a blank expression on her face.

" You must be my Great Niece Elizabeth, I see you have no manners. You never interrupt adults when they're having a conversation." Thora replied with a sigh. " I see I'll have my work cut out with you young lady, but it's a pleasure to met you finally."

" I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you." Elizabeth said.

" Mistakes happen, you're forgiven." Thora said, her speaking tone was more softer this time. " If I may give you my condolences about your Mother, she was a lovely and kind girl from what I remember. She will be missed, but I'll try and do my best in bringing you up until you're old enough to lead your own life."

" Did you know my Mum when she was a little girl?" Elizabeth asked before she sucked some jam from her finger tip. " She told me that you were her Mum's big Sister, she would have been my Grandmother."

" Yes, I knew your Mother Daniella when she was a little girl. She and my Sister stayed on many occasions at my cottage in the summer months many years ago before you were even a thought in your Mother's mind." Thora replied with a smile. " But at this moment I think we should eat our breakfast before it gets cold and finish our conversation later over some tea about our family history in my boudoir."

" Your tea, Miss." Rose said. 

" Thank you, Rose." Thora said, she smiled at her housekeeper when she placed her teacup in front of her. " I have a meeting at 1pm with a business contact. Would the time of 11am be suitable for you, Elizabeth? " 

" I so guess." Elizabeth replied before she picked her folk up from the table. " Can I bring my photo album with me please? I want to show you some photographs of my Mum and my old house in Oxford."

" Yes, I would like that very much." Thora replied, she then took a sip of her tea. " Now eat your breakfast, I like to eat in peace first thing in the morning while reading my copy of the Hampshire Chronicle. But seeing as it's only 8:25am I give you full permission to take a look around my cottage, I want you to learn the building's layout. This is your home too now, I would like you to get to know it better. But I would like you to stay out of my boudoir unless I've invited you to enter it. Do you understand?"

" I understand, thank you Great Aunt Thora." Elizabeth replied.

" Please, you may call me Aunt Thora." Thora smiled.

" Okay, Aunt Thora." Elizabeth smiled.

Elizabeth began to eat her poached eggs, she took the odd bite of her toast while she drank her tea. She wanted to explore every nook and cranny of the cottage before 11am, especially the garden. She wanted to see those faerie lanterns in the morning light, also the flowers she had seen from her bedroom window this morning. After she had finished her breakfast she helped Rose clear up the table, but Rose soon told Elizabeth to go and get changed into her wellies before she went outside. It had been raining through the night, she didn't want the young girl to get muddy. Saying goodbye to Rose she went to her bedroom to get her wellies, maybe living here in Winchester wouldn't be too bad after all Elizabeth thought to herself.