To Love A Myth - Book 1: Mr. Higgs and the Maid🎩✔️

1

Merida Dunbrough sighed, crossing off yet another house that wasn't looking for a maid. Or rather, they weren't looking for a Scottish maid. She didn't really understand what was so wrong about being Scottish and being a maid, considering the English looked down upon them anyway, so what was the point? She was prostrating herself to be a maid, which was pretty lowly. Merida pushed her bright red locks behind her ears, which really didn't help anyway, and looked around for another mansion to try and get a job at. The Highland Wars had gotten pretty harsh and her mother had sent her down to try and find a better way of life, even if that meant being a maid. Merida didn't mind as long as the owners of the house treated her with respect.
Merida walked down the roadway and saw a small estate next to a lonely untrekked road and looked beyond the house to see another one up on a hill. She didn't take into consideration the one on the hill but went up to the one in front of her and knocked on the door. After waiting a few moments, a young woman opened the door.
"Yes, can I help you?"
"Good evening to ye; I was wondering if ye was in need of a maid."
The young woman looked at her sympathetically, the only one to even act like they cared at all, but Merida could tell what the answer was going to be.
"No, I'm sorry, we have all the servants we need. Although... you may want to check at my brother's manor on top of the hill." She said, motioning behind her.
Merida made a face. "Ye talking bout the one up yonder that looks like it's abandoned?"
"It looks abandoned but I assure you, my brother lives there. He's been in need of a maid for some time now... if you're not afraid of rumors and such."
"Rumors?"
"My brother, Higgs Northumberly? I'm sure you've heard at least some rumors of the Northumberly line?"
"Aye, cannae say I have. Just got here not to long ago from my homeland in Scotland. Cannae ye tell from the accent?"
"I could but I didn't know how long you may have been here... Then again, you must have traveled a long way and you look a right mess. The dirt makes you look a little older than you might be."
Merida made a face. "Aye, I'm only twenty and one."
"I apologize... Well, like I said, he'd probably hire you but it's up to you whether you stay or not."
Merida lifted an eyebrow. "Ye're making it seem like there be monsters that live there?"
The young woman's answer didn't make Merida feel any better.
"Depends on who you speak with."
"It looks like I'll be talking with yer brother then. Thank ye for directing me to him."
"Not at all... um... there is one thing though."
"Yeah?"
"Give him a chance... please? I know that sounds odd but it won't take you long to realize what I'm talking about. Just give him a chance to explain."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Merida walked off and shook her head in confusion. She hoped nothing too odd happened in that house.

**********************

Merida finally got to the top of the hill by the time the sun was just about to be gone in the horizon. She hoped that if he didn't need a maid he could at least let her spend the night so that she wouldn't be set out in the cold. She knocked on the door and waited, looking around the outside of the manor. It looked dilapidated, red and green ivy intertwining all around the pillars of the house. It actually looked like the front panel of the house had been freshly painted... The lock scared her and she looked back at the flaking door as it opened. Merida blinked in surprise.
"Are ye Mr. Northumberly?"
"Yes. How can I help you?" the young man said, looking at her curiously.
Merida was surprised that he was younger than her. She thought for sure he'd be at least in his late twenties, maybe early thirties. He looked like he was in his late teens, her age at the most.
"I'm sorry but... is yer first name Higgs?"
"Yes... Is there a problem?"
"No I just... I talked to ye sister down there and she indicated ye needed a maid..."
"Oh, I get that all the time. A lot of people perceive me a little older than I am. If it helps, I'm ten and nine, plenty old enough to have a house of my own... Was there something you needed?"
"If ye be needing a maid..."
Higgs looked Merida over, taking in her flushed pale cheeks dotted with light freckles, her reckless and unruly fiery curly hair and her slightly taller stature to his. He could tell she was older than him.
"That's up to you, I think. Will working for me be something you'd be interested in?"
"In all honesty, I just need work period. I dinnae ken what's wrong with yer family line or any of that mess, I just need work."
"If that's the attitude you have then sure, I could use a maid." He opened the door wider. "Come inside."
Merida was hesitant but walked in and looked around the dusty place as Higgs closed the door.
"I guess formal introductions would be the key here. I'm Higgs Northumberly. People call me Higgs or just Umberly. I don't care either way what you call me unless there are other present. In that case you are to call me Master Higgs. Will that be a problem due to our age difference?"
"Age difference? Ye're only two years younger than me."
"I didn't mean to offend. All that dirt is not exactly helpful to identify your age... Why don't you go wash off and find yourself a room?"
"Do ye not have anyone else here? Family, other servants... friends?" Merida asked, looking around the dark house.
"No, I live here by myself most of the time. My father visits and Fuscia does as well but I don't have friends."
Merida turned to the young man, his gray eyes looking at her kindly. Even though he seemed quite nice, things still didn't add up in regards to why he was by himself in a lonely manor away from everyone... on a hill no less. What have I gotten myself into? Merida thought as she went up the stairs towards the bedrooms. She stopped though and turned back, finding Higgs looking up at her.
"Do I need to be somewhere else?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I'm a servant right? Dinnae ye have servants chambers?"
"That would be if I had a lot of servants and people living in my bedrooms but I don't. There's my bedroom and then there are various other vacant rooms. The only thing I ask is that if there is a room with a letter on it, it's not for the taking."
"Alright..."
Merida continued up the stairs and went into the hallway. As she turned, she found that practically the whole left half of the hallway had a letter on it. Whatever they meant, she didn't know, but she finally got passed them and found an empty room. It was pretty bare, happily a fireplace at least, but there was nothing to it. She set her traveling bag down and sat on the bare mattress, taking off her shoes and sighing in relief. If nothing else, she had a bed and roof over her head for the night, which was more than what she had had for the past couple of weeks.
There was a knock on her door and she turned as it opened. Higgs walked in with a wad of sheets in his arms.
"I had a feeling you'd pick this room. Here are some sheets and curtains and a frame canopy to use to your liking. This was the first set I picked out but I believe Fuscia got me six different colors or patterns. Again, however you like it..."
"Shouldnae I be doing this for ye?"
"Well, you don't know where anything in the house is, do you?"
"Aye, I guess not."
"I've got some water boiling for a good hot bath too."
Merida made a face. "Mr. Umberly, I came to serve ye, not the other way around."
"Again, you can't serve someone unless you know where their things are and what to do. You look like you've been traveling quite a bit and I'm sure you got turned down a lot around here."
"Are ye trying to say something?" Merida growled.
Higgs laughed. "I'm from here, so I know how these people are. They don't take too kindly to strangers knocking at their door and most are quite prejudice about the Scots. They aren't kind..." He said with a pensive look that told Merida that there was something else behind the words. He shook his head thought and smiled. "Besides, I haven't had company in a while and like I said before, you look dog tired."
"Well thank ye kindly. Ye dinnae have to do any of this."
"I'm sure you'll be saying something else by next month." Merida made a face at him and he smiled at her too brightly. "In any case, the water is getting warm so come when you want and tonight will be a day off for you. Tomorrow I'll show you around the manor and tell you what I would like from you."
Merida nodded and he left. She looked around again and tried to run her fingers through her hair, but they got caught in the curls. She scoffed, pulling them out gently.
"Well, I have the feeling that things are about to get verra strange around here."
She decided to at least dress her bed before getting a nice bath, not knowing what the future would hold.