Gutter Children

No More Sparks

After I showed Calvin and the other applicants to their room, I settled back down in my room.

“You must be intoxicated!” Kat was yelling at me. So much for taking a short break.

“Oh, and why’s that?” I challenged.

“Well, you just can’t be hugging this boy in public! My Lady will go mad! I swear I thought you two were going to start necking at any moment!” She was getting a little too worked up, but I just put on my afternoon apron, trying my best to ignore her.

“You can’t pay him any special attention, do you hear me?” She demanded.

I knew she was correct. “I know,” I admitted. It would be hard, but I would find a way to pull it off.

“I mean you seem to be carrying a torch for the poor boy!”

“I am,” I told her.

“Well then put it out! Now!” She insisted, and left the room.

Angry, I stormed out after her and up the steps. Mrs. Darlin was waiting there again. I had never seen her in the kitchen so much.

“My Lady,” I said, bowing to her.

“Charity,” she said, shrugging my presence off. “The boys settle in well?”

“Quite well, My Lady,” I told her.

“Good. Well, goodbye then,” she quipped, and hurriedly exited through the back door. The door that I had never seen her even open.

I turned to fetch the kettle off the pot, when there was a light tap behind me. It was Calvin.

“Are you alright?” He asked worriedly.

“Everything is Jake,” I told him, trying to sound half decent. I then went into the dining room, where Mr. Darlin’s mum was still sitting, and filled up her cup with fresh tea. “My Lady.” I said, bowing to her.

“Clarissa, is it?” She asked me with a weary voice.

“Charity,” I spoke. I felt bad, correcting an elder, but I did not want her to find out later she had my name wrong.

“Come sit, my dear.”

I had never sat at the dining room table before, but I did not argue with her. I pulled out the chair, far, and sat down in it. She motioned for me to scoot the chair in more, and I did so.

“You know, you would make a good flapper.” She told me. Her voice was crisp, as it almost seemed to match her white worn out pearls. She clung to them so dearly, which made me think she wore them for sentimental purposes, instead of fashion purposes.

“Thank you, My Lady.”

She nodded, and continued. From the corner of my eye, I could see Calvin looking at us both. He was pretending to clean something, but his eyes were fixed on me. I looked away quickly, and back to My Lady.

“Charity, do you know you are the first maid I have ever talked to?” She leaned in towards me, and grabbed onto my hand. I had never been touched my Mr. or Mrs. Darlin before, and now, being touched by an elder seemed to be a blessing.

“Thank you, My Lady.” I told her graciously.

“I want to tell you something.” She said to me. She grabbed onto her pearls again, and I watched her play with them.  She would turn each one to the right, on by one and finally when she had done a full circle, she would go to the left. It was an interesting process to look upon.

“I was a maid.” She confessed.

I couldn’t believe it. A royal being a maid? How did she get out of it? Was there a way to leave?