Once inside the quarters, Charlotte took a deep breath, attempting to calm her racing heart. The muffled sounds of Cassius shouting echoed in the distance, but she chose to focus on the warmth of a cherished memory instead.
Finding a quiet corner, she settled down and pulled out the book Vagatha had given her. As she opened it, her mind drifted back to Milliana's voice, the enchanting lyrics of the song, and the way the world had felt so magical in the garden.
What if she could learn more songs? What if she could dance again? The thought filled her with excitement.
Just then, the door creaked open, and Vagatha stepped inside, her expression softening as she saw Charlotte lost in thought.
"Charlotte, are you alright?" Vagatha asked gently.
Charlotte looked up, her eyes sparkling with the remnants of her earlier joy.
"I met someone in the garden, Vagatha! She taught me a song!"
"A stranger? Charlotte, I told you not to speak to strangers."
"But she was nice to me."
Vagatha sighed.
"I understand, but you must be careful. Not everyone has good intentions, especially in times like these. Right now, no one can know that you're here."
"Why not?"
"Because my master is a cruel, greedy, and unreasonable man. He wouldn't hesitate to throw out a poor woman in distress and the servant who helped her. As much as I loathe this job, I desperately need it."
"Job?" Charlotte inquired, her curiosity piqued. "What is a job?"
"It's what keeps women like us from relying on arranged marriages and prostitution!"
"Huh?"
"What I mean is, it's something people do to earn a living. It's how they provide for themselves and their families. I work for my master, tending to the household and ensuring everything runs smoothly."
Charlotte furrowed her brow, trying to grasp the concept.
"So, you have to do what he says?"
"Yes," Vagatha replied, her voice tinged with sadness. "I have to follow his orders, even when they go against my own wishes. It's the only way I can get paid."
"Paid?"
"Given money, which I use to obtain things I need, like food and clothing."
"Does everyone have to get a job?"
"Everyone who's not born into money or doesn't become nouveau riche like my master and his family."
"What's nouveau riche?"
"It's usually people who were originally poor or had average means but made their fortune through hard work. I admire those who earn their wealth, but my master just got lucky and inherited his fortune from a well-married relative."
Charlotte listened intently, her young mind trying to piece together the complexities of the world Vagatha was describing.
"So, if you don't do what he says, you won't get money?" She asked.
"Exactly." Vagatha replied, her eyes clouded with a mixture of resignation and determination. "If I disobey him, I risk losing everything, my job, my home, and the little security I have."
"Wow, your master sounds horrible. Are they all like that?"
"Many are, at least in this family. The original mistress of the household was the daughter of impoverished aristocrats, who let their status and greed dictate every choice they made. They disowned their son, her brother, simply because he fell in love with and chose to marry a woman of color he met while sailing."
YOU ARE READING
The Modern Adam and Eve
Mystery / Thriller"No one need ever die. I will stop this." "No! You can't cheat death!" "We won't know unless we try." "I warn you, what you are suggesting is not only illegal, it is immoral." "Did you ever consider the consequences of your actions?" "Who am I? Wher...
