Dandelions don't die [Ongoing]

THREE - Elizabeth

Breakfast and intruders

Elizabeth woke up in a strange bed, to strange noises in the middle of the night. Or rather early morning because it had been a lot past the midnight hour when Lulu had shown her an unused room in the servants' quarters. It was a sparse room with a bed, a table with a bowl for washing and a small dresser. It was very simple but it wasn't cold as the room was above the kitchens and the bed was clean. 

And the room had a simple lock to keep unwanted guests out.

Though Elizabeth was doubtful if it would help her much, when some of the large men or women from the tavern tried to get in. Some looked like they just had to give the door a little shove and the lock would just break even. Still, the room had felt like heaven to Elizabeth, who had been so tired that she just wanted to sleep for several days. She hadn't been used to this amount of physical labor since she had married Ernest.

With her heart now beating in her throat, Elizabeth tried to listen to the sounds to figure out if there was a danger close by. She had become an expert at identifying Ernest's mood based on the way he had moved. He had been usually much louder when angry, but not as loud as when he had been out for wine and ales with friends. When he had been in a good mood, his footsteps had been light and he even sometimes had whistled. But that had been seldom in the last years.

Now she was confused by the strange sounds. It was a rhythmic banging but it wasn't close by. It sounded like it was coming from somewhere in backhouse of the large tavern.

For a moment Elizabeth wondered if she should go and look whether someone needed help but then admitted that she would probably not be of much use. She didn't even know where Glenna's rooms were, so she couldn't alert her either. With a sigh she turned around and closed her eyes again.

***

When Elizabeth woke up the next time, it was to the sound of someone drumming on her door.

"Poppet, are you in there?" Glenna's deep voice vibrated through the door.

Elizabeth scrambled up and quickly unlocked the door.

"Good morning, ma'am," she said and tried to stifle a yawn.

The other woman looked like she had been already awake for hours. Was it already so late in the day?

Glenna raised her eyebrow.
"Didn't I tell you yesterday that you are to call me Glenna? I don't like to repeat myself."

Heat crept up Elizabeth's cheeks.
"Forgive me."

"It's alright. You just won't make it very far here, if you're polite to everyone."

Elizabeth didn't know what Glenna meant with that but still nodded.

"It won't happen again."

"Good." Glenna seemed satisfied with that answer. "Come for breakfast and then I'll show you around. The others already downstairs."

After a quick wash up and an attempt to tame her locks without a comb, Elizabeth followed the tall woman down the narrow stairs and into the kitchens. For someone as tall as Glenna she moved with a lot more grace than Elizabeth, who tripped trice on the way down, because her muscles were stiff and hurting. Every time Glenna turned at an inhumane speed and caught her by the arm.

"Careful, poppet, you can't work, when your arms are broken."

Elizabeth only now noticed that Glenna had taken to calling her poppet instead of popsy. She took it as a good sign that maybe some day, she would be called by her own name.