Battle of Fear and Trust

A Step Closer

"He's ready to see you, madam." I hear a man say as I get up from my seat and follow him out of the entrance hall to meet with Lord Chesterfield in his office. I plan on being his new personal secretary, which will give me more connections in higher society, as well as to keep my parents from wondering where I got the money to buy all my lovely outfits. Unfortunately, they found out I was lying about working at a clothing shop and starting to wonder where I really get my money from. If they found out they would see it as stealing.

Not that I really want to live with them, but I can't afford my own place and I don't want to get a flat with any of my friends since they might find out about my financial situation. I could lose my place in their society and with everything Jadis and I work for, and we definitely can't have that. So, it's best to get this secretarial job to avoid all that and get closer to having the luxuries of a queen.

"Sir? A woman is here to see you about the secretarial position." I hear the servant say.

"Thank you, Harrington, send her in," another man says.

I walk into Lord Samuel Chesterfield's office to see a man coming towards me. He's quite handsome; with his smooth brown hair and his dreamy blue eyes, not to mention he's a lord, so he must be incredibly wealthy.

"Remember Susan, this job is your chance to move up in the world; you need to make yourself as desirable as possible- that way he won't be able to resist," Jadis says, though of course, she doesn't have to tell me twice.I think I'm going to enjoy getting to know Mr. Chesterfield, I reply, giving him a massive smile as he stands in front of me.

"Hello, you must be here for the secretarial position," he says.

"Yes, I'm Susan Pevensie," I say while giving him a handshake. He smiles at me, and as his eyes wander, I can tell he's charmed by my beauty. Of course, I spent three hours making myself as attractive as possible. Knowing that my looks were my best chance at getting this job.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, please take a seat," he gestures to an open chair in front of his desk. I sit down, taking a second to cross one leg over the other. I look around the average office which has a shelf full of books, a cluttered desk, and a globe in the corner.

"So, Miss. Pevensie, have you done any other secretarial work or have any other experience?" He asks after sitting behind his desk.

"Well, most recently I worked as a general secretary for a small company. I was there for three years before they went bankrupt and couldn't afford to keep me." I say, confidently reciting this prewritten falsehood. I only worked at a cash register at a clothing shop and quit after about six months; when Jadis had suggested I had a better shot selling gifts from my dates. I won't tell him that though. I need him to trust me if I want a chance at getting this job. "My father fought during the war, I helped my mother out a lot in those days and when my siblings and I were sent to the country, I practically had to raise my siblings". That was painful to say, but men liked it when they saw a woman's softer side, so it didn't leave me much choice.

"I see." He says calmly and I watch him stare down at his desk. It was as though the subject of the war was one he wished not to talk about. "That must have been difficult on you."

"Yes, but I stay strong for my younger siblings," I say before I continue telling him about myself. At least the parts that show my qualifications and get him to like me. If I can get him to like me and enjoy my company, maybe I can get more than just a job.

Soon he gives me a short trial run by having me write up a letter for him and organize a few files, it is true that they are trivial tasks but I need the money to keep up with society. The job would also help give me a higher standing and get me closer to living the life of a queen. Once I'm done, I hand him my work and I can see that he likes it, though he looks more at me than the paperwork.