The Odd Life of Cornelius Tessington

Onions and Flo

Once I stepped outside Agatha and Hampton were upon me like hungry cats upon a mouse. "Well? Did you get the job?" She demanded. Scared I'd give the wrong answer I merely nodded, causing her to give a loud laugh and elbow Hampton in the side, giving a smug smile. "Pay up, I win," I felt confusion and faint concern since I didn't have money but I realized it was Hampton she was talking to. He grumbled and handed over a shilling, huffily walking away while giving me a glare as Agatha kissed the coin before tucking it in her apron, grinning at me. My confusion must have been apparent because she chuckled. "He bet a shilling you would be kicked out while I bet you wouldn't, thanks to you my girl I earned myself a nice little treat! Ha!" then she began to push me down the stairs, causing me to stumble down, trying hard not to lose my balance. "Now, we'd better get you changed and cleaned up, the master doesn't like a dirty staff!" I was taken down to the kitchen where I saw lots of servants cleaning up and preparing dinner, all dressed in warm colors like tans and white, not the usual black and grey my mother wore. What I also noticed was there were men and women working here, not just women as the rumors said. (Thank God for that!) Even though most of them were around my age or a little older. In fact, there were only a few out of the group that were older like Agatha who appeared middle aged. She directed me to a small bowl of water and a dark towel and handed me a small disk of something sweet smelling. "Wash your face and hands, go on, you can't work till you do," I hastily began to do as she ordered, scrubbing until my skin was light and pale once more, no longer streaked with dirt. She made me do my hands again to get under my nails that were brown with grime. When I did my face she sighed and did it herself, muttering about how people these days didn't know a thing about hygiene. Once I was clean and scrubbed she pushed me to a young woman about my age with light brown hair and a lean face with blue eyes. The woman was peeling onions and glanced up when Agatha forced me up to her. "Flo, this is our newest servant and I need you to show her the ropes," Flo made a face.

"Agh, but Agatha, I did the last two newbies, and if I don't finish these we won't have enough for the master's favorite meat!" Agatha snorted.

"Then have her help you and you just tell her, you talk too much anyway, might as well speak of something important," Before another word could leave Flo's mouth Agatha was off, shouting about some sort of food that wasn't being put together right. I turned to Flo who sighed and gestured for me to sit down.

"Take a seat, I've got a lot to say," I quietly sat, everyone here was very talkative and...casual, except for Hampton of course. "Do you know how to peel onions?" I nodded silently and started to peel the skins from the vegetable. Flo then smiled faintly. "Well, first of all, what's your name? I'm Flo if you haven't guessed,"

"I'm Edith," She raised an eyebrow.

"Wow, serious name; well I'd better start or Agatha will get on my back. So I know you've already seen the master because you wouldn't be here if you hadn't. What do you think about him?" I shrugged, peeling slowly as I thought over my reply. I thought a lot of different things about him, but I didn't want to be kicked out for gossiping.

"He's...odd, he mostly talked and asked me about my family before asking if it made a man crazy if he spent all day in his nightclothes and sleeps in his suit," She grinned.

"He asks everyone that. I would have loved to see what Hampton would have said at that!" Flo laughed.

"But why?" She gave me a smile that spoke of impishness.

"He didn't tell you? Well he asks everyone that question because he does it, he goes about all day sometimes just in his nightwear and goes to bed in a suit," I froze.

"You aren't serious," I gasped and Flo giggled.

"It's odd yes but also amazing how little he cares about what people tell him. In fact, he was once hosting a tea party with two neighbors and when they came he was dressed in his nightclothes. And they were so embarrassed but neither of them said anything because it would be rude and he acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary. He actually sat there in a nightshirt while he drank tea with a lord and his wife! I watched for a few minutes before Agatha had to send me out because of my uncontrollable laughter. The woman looked so embarrassed that her face was red the entire time!" I smiled, that did sound funny, oh the poor couple! But Flo went on, "So yes he can be odd but what else? Come on, tell me," I shrugged, staring at my onion instead of the servant.