The Mistress

Chapter 2

I take in the scents of the perfumes poured into my bath. As I undress and settle in the large tub that engulfs my body. The servants scurry around my bathroom making sure I'm comfortable.

I close my eyes for a moment. "All that matters is you find a well rounded man with wealth and a title." My fathers words pierced my mind. "Charm, charm will do half the work for you." Says my mothers lyrical voice ringing in my ears.

I hated that this is how it had to be, how I was. I hated what I was known for. But I have such little to no title, I must stand out in one way or another, if it means dressing extravagantly to get the attention of proper suitors then i will do what it takes, my family is depending on me, Isabel expects it of me.

I wish it didn't have to be this way. I'm not as conceited, and loose as society would call me.

I really just want to love someone. Someone who loves me back. For just being me. Not the flirtatious, charming, act I put on. Not the flamboyant outfits I choose to dress myself in. I wasn't that type of child. It's something I've trained myself to be, to get attention.

I hate it. I wish I could love someone slowly. Without force. I wouldn't mind loving a servant, or a baker, or even a stable hand. As long as the love was true. But I could never bring myself to it, I would be a disgrace. So I must find false happiness in playing the hearts of men I suppose.

The small servant girl comes running in, to lay out my gown and robe.

"Juliet." I say softly. She looks back shocked that I know her name and am actually calling her by it.

"Yes miss?"

"Do you love someone, a man?"

Her face lights up as I ask her. And she she lays down the gown on the stool next to the tub.

"I do miss."

"Tell me about him."

Her smile continues "are you sure miss?" She asks

"Of course. Take a seat" I say motioning to the chair next to the mirror and sink.

She sits down.

"Well we haven't been together for long. Just six months. He is a blacksmith. He's kind to me, and treats me like a princess. Well in the ways he can you know, money is tight these days." She claims while smoothing out  her dress, still smiling. Her cheeks were bright and her eyes were sparkling as she talked. You could tell she was mad about this boy.

She was a plainly pretty girl with a sweet smile. Though she looked rather young to be in love she wore a sophisticated manner about her that showed she wasn't as young as she looked.

The bath was warm. And the steam gave me this fussy feeling I was begging to enjoy, or maybe it was the way her happiness radiated from her.

"Tell me how you all met, tell me your love story." I say quietly

"If you wish miss." She says slowly, but you could tell she way happy to share.

"One day you were short handed in the stables so your stable hand Aren asked me to assist him to the forge, to pick up some horse shoes. I agreed. So I went down to with Aren. When we got there, there seemed to be no one around. So I looked at saw a stack of horse shoes next to the fire and went to pick them up. I grabbed one and it was scalding hot. Burning my hand to pieces. I let out a scream which must have startled Joseph, Joseph is my fiancé. But anyhow, he came rushing out of the back room, and when he did, he hit me right in the head with the door. Now we can laugh about it but I was quite furious with him at the time. Well he was so ashamed. He picked me up off the ground where I had fallen to. Tears pouring down my eyes and he looked at me with the most compassion and concern I had ever seen in a man. He sent Aren on with the cooled horse shoes and I stayed back allowing him to attend to my burn and bump on my head. We bonded and became friends talking about our home lives growing up, which were extremely similar and then somehow we managed to find love in our hearts for one another. Then just the other day. He took me on a picnic and asked me to marry him." She says softly. "I love him Miss. I really do."