A mask of innocence *On hold*

Chapter 2

****Hey everybody!! Thank you all so much for voting!!! it means alot to me :D <3 So here's another chapter of a mask of innocence. I hope you guys like it!! Sorry it's kind of short. Please show your support by voting and commenting and if you have critiques please tell me! I'd love to know how i can improve my writing (: Anyway, enjoy!***

9 years later.

“Cam, wake up.  It’s almost sunrise and you haven’t started on your chores yet.” Somebody said as they gently shook me.

“Mmm, just five more minutes. It is entirely too early for one to be thinking about chores.” I spoke the word as though it were a curse.

The person chuckled. I saw that the person was Marianna.

I stared at her through bleary eyes, trying to focus on her figure in the doorway.  “Come on then, as soon as you finish them, I’ll fix you some tea.”

I got up quickly at the mention of tea. If anything could get me up in the morning, it was that.

I trudged to the henhouse, grumbling to myself the whole way. To say I hated my life would be an understatement.  Ever since that letter about my father had come, my life had become miserable, and it was getting worse each day.  Delia decided that if I was going to live here, I would have to work for my keep… in my own house. Since that day, she had never looked at me the same way, and I have no idea why.  She harbored a personal hatred towards me, and anything I did slightly wrong just gave her more excuse to hate me. I was too tired to speculate about why she hated me; it didn’t change what my life was: a mess.  I scooped up the food pellets and sprinkled them out for the chickens. Something hard hit me in the back of my head and I let out a yelp.

“Be more aware next time, eh?” Tommy said from behind me.

I turned around and scowled at him.

“Thomas Anderson.  Try something like that again and I’ll kill you.”

Tommy just smirked at my hollow threat.

Over the years, Tommy and I had formed a truce. Both being rejected from the family, it was only expected, especially of two lonely kids. Although Tommy still lived in the house, he preferred to be around the servants.

 And who could blame him?

His own mother wouldn’t spare him a glance and his sisters couldn’t be bothered with anyone but themselves.

I yelped as Tommy gathered me in his arms and carried me toward the pond.

“Tommy,” I started, “Put me down.”

“I warned you to be more aware,” he shook his head, “Now I’ll just have to teach you a lesson to be more on guard.”

“I will be! Put me down! Please?” I stuck out my lip.

“Nice try,” He grinned as he threw me into the water.

I thrashed around, trying to find the surface.  My head was about to break through when it was roughly shoved back underwater. I heard voices on the surface but couldn’t make out the words. The voices stopped and I was abruptly pulled from the water. I lay on the ground next to the pond, gasping and shivering. Even in the rising sun, the pond water was still unbelievable freezing.

“Did you hear that, Cam?” Tommy asked cheerfully, standing above me.

I spit out some water at him and glared.

“No, I was kind of busy trying not to drown.”

Tommy only shrugged. “No matter. Mother just came to me and told me that there is going to be a ball tonight.”

I groaned. This was just great, now I would have to spend the whole day running around the grounds, probably the whole town, finding the exact pair of shoes that would match Della’s dress or the jewel earrings that complimented Delilah’s eyes. Normally, I could handle their overbearing personalities, but it was ten times worse whenever there was a ball.

“And why are you happy about this?” I questioned Tommy. He usually shared the same attitude as me when it came to balls, refusing to go to them.

“Because,” he said, moving closer to me, “She told me that this is a different kind of dance. A masquerade… where you wear masks.” He explained when I looked confused.

“I know what a masquerade is, Tommy, I just don’t see what this has to do with me.”

Tommy sighed, exasperated. “If someone were to go to the ball with a mask on, what’s to say that somebody will recognize said person? Said person is you.” He hinted.

I rolled my eyes. “Tommy, I’ve told you a thousand times, I don’t belong at a fancy place like a ball.”

“But you do! You deserve to be there just as much as Della and Delilah! You’re our stepsister!”

“I know but I haven’t forgotten what I have on right now and what I’m supposed to be doing right now, which is chores. I’m a servant now, so I no longer belong in the same society as you.”

I spun on my heel and rushed away before Tommy had a chance to reply. I would never let on, but I wanted to go to a ball more than anything. That was one of the things I had looked forward to most when I was a child. Having to watch as the whole household prepared for a ball made me wish more than ever that I could go. Of course, that wasn’t possible anymore, I told myself, I belong in the kitchen now, not a ballroom. I made it to the kitchen just as the cook, Marianna, laid out the platters of breakfast.

“What happened to you?” She exclaimed when she saw me. I had forgotten, in my haste, that I was still soaking wet from my little ‘swim’ in the pond.

I sighed, “Long story.”

Marianna nodded, though her eyes were burning with curiosity. She knew it had something to do with Tommy. I took the trays from her and headed upstairs to serve breakfast. First stop was Della and Delilah’s room. I carefully knocked on the door, not wanting to wake them up.

“Hurry up!” Came the response.

I opened the door and entered the room. Della sat at her vanity table while Delilah was still asleep.

“Put the tray down and get out,” Della hissed.

I hurried to do what she said and left. Any interaction with them was never pleasant and I avoided them at all costs.

Next was Delia’s room. I knocked on the door as softly as I could and waited.

“Enter.”

I balanced the tray on one hand and opened the door with the other. Delia’s room was still dark since the curtains hadn’t been opened yet. I moved over to her bed and sat the tray down on the side table. I was just about to make a quiet escape when Delia’s voice stopped me.

“Why are you wet, Cambridge?” her voice was as cold as the water that dripped down my dress.

“Because, Ma’am, I fell into the pond this morning.”

I looked up into her cold eyes that were looking me over.

“I see. This morning, I saw Tommy down by the pond, acting rather strangely. You wouldn’t happen to know anything of it would you?”

“No ma’am,” I lied.

Even though Delia held no interest for her son, she still made sure that he never talked to me. Well, she tried to prevent him but it never worked.

“Hm.”

I could tell she didn’t believe me, but miraculously, she didn’t say anything.

“What are you staring at? You’re dripping water all over this carpet. I expect you to be back in here to clean it up when I’m finished breakfast.” She instructed.

Just another thing to add to my long list of chores.

She turned away then, clearly dismissing me.