Servitude: The Hydrangea Chapters

Chp 51: Serving the Sullivan Mansion - Part 1

The next morning.

Another long night of waiting. If Marlina had the freedom to wander around, it would be easier. However, she has to do everything in her power to avoid appearing suspicious. 

The moment Marlina hears her new roommate start making noises and stirring, she ruffles her wig, leans back from her sitting position in the small, simple bed, and pulls the blankets over herself, arranging herself as if she were sleeping.

Hearing a yawn, Marlina has her eyes barely open, just enough to see her vision shift as she is gently shaken.

"Time to wake up, Marina," a girl says sleepily, before hearing her scuffing footsteps.

Marlina waits a few moments, then slowly gets up. She mimics a yawn and raises her arms as if she's stretching. "Good morning, Mi... Cara." She has to stop herself from calling her 'Miss Cara.'

Sitting on the other bed, resting against the opposite wall, is a young woman with long, wavy, chocolate-colored hair. She might be a little younger than the twins, but not by much. She is brushing her long hair slowly and gently to smooth out the tangles that formed during sleep. Dressed in a plain, long nightgown with cloth ruffles on the cuffs and collar, her eyes are closed, and she doesn't look fully awake. 

"Did you sleep okay, Marina?"

"Very well! I'm feeling refreshed and eager for my first day," Marlina answers enthusiastically.

"Man, they weren't kidding when they said you have energy to spare. I hope that energy lasts; we've got a long day of cleaning ahead of us. With all these suitors in the castle, all their rooms will need regular cleaning." Cara grumbles, already sounding exhausted from just the thought. 

"Why so many all at once, though? Couldn't this have been drawn out?"

Cara opens a wardrobe and takes a maid uniform, stepping behind a privacy screen to change. "Can't say, suitors are needed for heirs, guess His Lordship isn't a patient man. Then again, if anything happens to him, then Master Liam is next in line. Aside from that, there's no one else."

Marlina wanted to ask about Elek, but that would be too suspicious.

"Well, what should be our first task?"

Cara yawns again, coming out from behind the screen and tying her hair into a bun, with the ends hanging down to her shoulders, creating a half-up, half-down style. "Hold your horses, we have to eat first, otherwise we won't get the chance until nighttime. We need to tidy the common rooms before the others wake up, then move on to their rooms, so save that energy for now." 

She returns to the wardrobe, picks out one of her uniforms, and holds it out to Marlina, noticing her 'gloved' hands. "You wear gloves to bed?"

Marlina freezes for a moment. 

"My... hands get cold very easily." The nightgown is long enough to cover her legs to her feet, while the long socks she was given cover her knee-high boots.

Cara's lip shifts. "Might want to see a doctor about that, could be a couple of bad things."

"Of course, thank you for caring about me. I hope to see one once I have some money."

"Might be a while then, middle ring doctors can be a little expensive. Doctors from the slums aren't good for anything, you'd waste your Coin."

"Thank you for the advice, I'll keep it in mind." Marlina bows her head, then steps behind the screen to change clothes. The dress is a little big, since Cara is slightly larger than Marlina, but it will do.

Once they leave their room, the other maids are filing out of theirs, greeting each other good morning as they make their way through the halls to the staff dining room. The dining room is certainly large, with simple, mismatched wooden furniture. Staff from maids to footmen to gardeners mingled at the various tables after filling their plates from the buffet on one side of the room.