The Maid

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

The next few weeks passed by swiftly. Mam wrote a letter to Uncle Henry, telling him I was coming to the inn. She sat up all night sewing, letting down the hems of my dresses and making me a new coat.

The day before I left, I went to see Nell. By now, the entire close had heard that I was leaving home, and neighbours came by regularly to wish me luck and ask questions as to my destination. But my best friend hadn't even darkened the door. I wanted to find out why.

Nell was cleaning the front step of her house when I arrived. Our close was narrow, with houses and tenements squashed against one another on either side of the street. Wagons passed there often, and when there had been a lot of rain, our windows and doors got splashed with muddy water. Still, Nell's Mam and mine insisted on cleanliness, so immediately after the wagons passed us girls were out scrubbing the filthy areas clean again. We did this at least half a dozen times a day, except for Sunday when the lanes were quiet.

"Nell!" I called.

She got up, turning to face me. Blonde and green-eyed, Nell was the complete opposite of me, which was one of the reasons why we were best friends. Right now she didn't look happy, though.

"When are you going?" she asked flatly.

"Tomorrow, with the mail coach." I bit my lip. "Nell...I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"It's not that," she returned, a weak smile lifting up the corners of her mouth. "You couldn't keep a secret here if you tried. It's just that...you'll get to leave this place and see the world and I won't!"

"Oh, Nell." I reached out and squeezed her hand. "You'll leave the close someday. And Mam says Yorkshire can't be that much different than here. I'll miss you more than you know."

Nell smiled again, but there were tears in her eyes and she hugged me tightly. We spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and reminiscing about pranks we'd played and adventures we'd had, and we promised to write to each other. By the time morning came and I was ready to leave, I was beginning to wish I had never agreed to Uncle Henry's letter. But we needed the money and Nell was right; it was a chance to get out of this close and see new places.

"Have you got everything?" Mam asked me as she straightened my clothes.

"Yes, Mam," I replied obediently, for the fourth time. I hugged her and she gave me a kiss on the cheek, before I climbed into the mail coach, clutching my bag tightly.

The driver's horn sounded, and with a jolt, we were off. I poked my head out of the winow, waving like mad.

"Give your uncle my love," Mam called. "And write to me!"

"Every day," I called back. "I love you!" I caught a last glimpse of her blowing me a kiss, and then the coach rounded a corner and I couldn't see her anymore.

The first day of the trip I was by myself, but on the second day, the coach was invaded by a couple and their son. They all had one thing in common: fat. They took up most of the space in the coach, squeezing me up against the window, but I couldn't have cared less. I was too busy looking at the scenery. It could have been an entirely new country, everything was so different. Grand houses and fancy carriages lined the streets. There were ladies and gentlemen walking arm in arm; lawyers in their wigs and black robes; children in expensive clothes skipping along the street. Even the smells were different: instead of drying laundry and chimney smoke, there was the odours of fresh paint, cut grass, and flowers filling the air.

Then we left the city and the view changed to little cottages with smoke coming from the chimneys, and fields as far as the eye could see. More than once I caught sight of a farmer herding his sheep down the road or a woman in a shawl on the way to market.

Trying to sleep in a jolting coach wasn't easy, but I managed. We stopped at an inn for fresh horses and I took the chance to eat the sandwiches Mam had packed me, but saved the homemade cookies for later.

By the time we reached Yardley, a town several miles away from the Wayside Inn, the coach was full to bursting. There were two soldiers; the stout couple and their son; an elderly lady carrying a basket, and a reverend in his black clothes. Everyone but me got off at Yardley.

The driver poked his head in. "Gettin' out, little 'un?"

"I'm supposed to go to the Wayside Inn," I said.

"Sorry, love. Yardley's as far as we go."

I had no choice but to get out. When the coach had pulled away, I stood in the square, feeling lost and frightened. Everything was so unlike home.

"Buy some fresh fruit, dearie!" An old woman shoved a basket of fruit that smelled anything but fresh under my nose.

"No, thank you." I got away as fast as I could, not stopping until she was out of sight.

I wished Mam were here. She had obviously not foreseen this wrinkle. There was no one and nothing I recognised, and I felt sick.

A tavern was on my right, the sign reading: The Dog and Duck. Some men were sitting around a table outside, smoking and drinking and laughing.

Mam had warned me never to go near such men, but I needed directions. I walked up and cleared my throat politely. "Excuse me?"

All of them stopped and looked at me blankly, probably never having heard anyone speak to them that way before.

"Do any of you know how far it is to the Wayside Inn?" I asked tentatively.

A big man with a beard that spread across his chest spoke up. "The Wayside Inn? That's twenty miles from here, darlin'. If you're plannin' to walk yer won't get there tonight."

"Well...could someone take me there?" I ventured.

There was a burst of laughter and I felt my cheeks turning hot with embarrassment. I was about to turn and walk away, but someone called out, "The Wayside Inn?"

I turned around. At another table sat a boy about my age or a few years older. He had curly dark brown hair and wide blue eyes that gave him a very innocent look. He smiled at me. "I work at the Wayside Inn. Are you Rose?"

"Y--yes."

"Uncle Henry's been talking about you. I'm about to head home now; you can come if you like."

"Uncle Henry? Is he your uncle too?" I asked, bewildered.

He grinned. "No. Everyone just calls him that. I'm Dominic, by the way." He put some money on the table and then stood up.

A jolt of shock ran through me. He was a dwarf.

Mam had told me that we shouldn't treat a person differently just because he didn't look like we did. Still, I couldn't help staring at him, mouth open.

He obviously didn't notice. "There's a wagon round the side of the inn. Come on." He walked off and I followed mutely.

When we had both climbed onto the seat, Dominic turned to me. "Ready?"

"Yes." I nodded with more confidence than I felt.

He clicked his tongue to the horses and I set off for my new life.

Here it is, y'all--another chapter! Thanks for the review, MistyMoncur, it meant a lot! I've tried to follow your suggestion in this chapter--please tell me what you think! Two reviews and I'll post some more!