Dreaming of a Blue Box ✧ Doctor Who ¹ ✓

16 - The Unquiet Dead (Part III)

Continuing from 'The Unquiet Dead - Part II'

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LILY VOLUNTEERED HERSELF TO HELP GWYNETH WITH THE WASHING after everyone had finished their tea. There inside the pantry, Gwyneth lit up a gas lamp on the wall while Lily started lathering the cup with the soapy water. "Please, miss," Gwynth joined Lily's side at the washing tub. "you shouldn't be helping. It's not right."

"Oh, hush." Lily laughed and continued. "The least I could do. Plus, Sneed works you to death." But Lily could see it made Gywneth uncomfortable so she smiled and handed her the rag. Gwyneth gave her a thankful gaze while Lily backed up from the tub. "How much do you get paid?"

"Eight pound a year, miss," Gwyneth answered, positioning her body to wash and look at Lily at the same time.

"Excuse me, how much?" Lily couldn't believe what she heard.

"I know," Gwyneth giggled shyly. "I would have been happy with six."

Lily watched her wash- choosing to change the subject. "Do you go to school?"

"Of course I did. What do you think I am, an urchin?" She muttered that last part like it was an atrocious thing to say. "I went every Sunday. Nice and proper."

Lily's eyes widened. "Just once a week?"

She nodded, laughing. "Did fractions and everything. Hated every minute of it." She lowered her voice and added. "Don't tell anyone, but one week, I didn't go and ran on the heath all on my own."

"I used to do that plenty of times." Lily leaned a shoulder on one of the shelves as she reminisced. "Me and my sister Rose, when she was old enough, would go down the shops and look at boys." She decided on just mentioning the obvious gender she was attracted to given the time they were in.

But even then Gwyneth's smile became a frown and turned back to her work. "Well, I don't know much about that, miss."

Lily saw her start closing off and that was the last thing she wanted. "Hey," She softly touched her shoulder to comfort her. "You can tell me. There's no judgment here."

"Well, I suppose," She abandoned her rag and turned to fully face Lily- leaning her back on the work table. "There is one lad. The butcher's boy." She started blushing and Lily beamed to encourage her. "He comes by every Tuesday. Such a lovely smile on him."

"I like a nice smile," Lily revealed. "Second thing I notice after the eyes." A pair of blue irises passed her mind but she pushed the thoughts away. "Maybe talk to him and see if anything starts up between you two?" Talking to Gywneth in this manner started to make Lily miss her sister- now more than ever. "Invite him for tea or something?"

Gwyneth gave her a confused look. "I swear it is the strangest thing, miss." She gestured to Lily's gown. "You've got all the clothes and the breeding, but you talk like some sort of wild thing."

" Eh, maybe I am." She shrugged, twisting her locket around its chain. "Maybe that's a good thing. You need a bit more in your life than Mister Sneed"

"Oh, now that's not fair. He's not so bad, old Sneed. He was very kind to me to take me in because I lost my mum and dad to the flu when I was twelve."

"Oh," Lily's heart ached for her. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you, miss. But I'll be with them again, one day, sitting with them in paradise." Her words were sad but her face wasn't. "I shall be so blessed. They're waiting for me. Maybe your birth mum's up there too, miss? If she's still alive, that is."

"Maybe." She paused when it fully registered what Gwyneth said. "Who told you about my birth mum?"

"I don't know," Gwyneth replied uneasily. "Must have been the Doctor."