Speak. on hold until summer :/

Chapter 6

Sorry for going AWOL….more excessive apologies at the end.

Recap because of the whole “Holy shit I haven’t updated in 5 months” thing.

Madeleine is a maid who’s been living homeless on the streets for a year before landing a job with a struggling family. There she meets Harry and his family. Harry wants to become an author but his parents need money and want to marry him off to some random rich girl. In the last couple chapters, Harry’s family had a dinner party with some friends (Liam’s family), but Harry had an argument about marriage and stormed out and had a heart-to-heart moment with Madeleine (which is not supposed to be Madeline btw). So Madeleine follows him and after, Harry’s mom asks Madeleine what happened.

Also I know there are a lot of characters being introduced so I will put a list in the side bar. (I PROMISE IT WONT TAKE ME 5 MONTHS)

Madeleine.

            “He found me, lost in the garden and walked me back to the house. After, he went back out, though I’m not sure of the direction” I lie, shifting back and forth on my heels.

Lady Anne doesn’t look convinced, but she doesn’t press any further. “Very well then. Sleep well and feel free to come to me if you happen to remember anything.”

Lady Anne has been so kind to me since I arrived, but I cannot help but feel intimidated by her. She is not cruel in the least, yet I feel very small in her presence. I watch her stride down the candlelit hallway, her shadow dancing behind her.

I hurry back to my room where Ann is already asleep. It seems like a lifetime ago I was wondering the slums of London looking for a scrap. My life has changed so quickly, I’ve had trouble properly processing everything that’s happened to me.

Being able to tuck myself into clean washed sheets in a proper nightgown still feels foreign to me. My small, crammed room is anything but luxurious with mold growing in the corners and bugs that crawl around below me. But I am still thankful that there is a roof above me to keep out the blizzard that storms outside.

Laying on my bed, I decide to explore the house in closer detail tomorrow after morning chores. There are numerous rooms in the upstairs that have been blocked off so conserve heat and money for upkeep. I know I must rise early to help Ms. Carter with the produce delivery, but sleep doesn’t come easily as Harry and I’s conversation replays in my head until the hours of dawn.

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

By some miracle, I wake up before Ann this morning and decide to sneak into the library before meeting Ms. Carter. I rise from my bed and hastily dress, slipping my bare feet into old leather boots Ann gave me until I can afford to buy my own. I quietly open the door and tiptoe down the stairs to the main hallway. Hurrying down the corridors, I am glad to not run into anyone. I am not technically banned from the upstairs, but I don’t have any business there if I am not tending to the fires or delivering tea.

After getting lost twice, I finally find the library. The wooden door groans from dampness as I slip into the room. I take a deep breath of the inviting smell of old pages and wood. About every single book in existence covers the shelves that are so full, there are neat stacks of books spread out along the walls that are almost as tall as myself. I run my fingers over the aged spines deciding which book to read.

“I did not know you were fond of books.”  

I spin around to find Niall behind me. “Oh, you surprised me.” I say, “And yes, I love reading.” I say.

“Glad to know that I am not the only one around here anymore.” Niall says, “What book are you looking for?”

“I don’t know, actually.”