Sweet Satisfaction (Purple UGC Winner 2014)

Sweet Satisfaction - Ten

Ten

“I know why my sister’s whisky was in your trunk, Miss Bourton. It’s because you stole it,” Father proclaims.

“No, I never stole it. Gerroff me!” Beatrice yells as Father grabs her arm, frog-marching her to the gates. She turns around, desperately.

“Elsie please, you know me. Elsie, you know I didn’t do it!” Know I didn’t do it, know I didn’t do it, know I didn’t do it…

Gasping, drenched in sweat, I threw back the heavy quilt, my hair plastered to the plump cornflower blue pillows. It was just a dream, I told myself. But it wasn’t. I closed my eyes, recalling the events from last night.

Disgust rose up in me that Beatrice would steal from my family but a logical, calmer piece of me questioned this. Why would she risk her job and lose a good character reference? Beatrice was one of the most sensible people I knew. Or was she? How could she do something so stupid when people like Alice and Percy were dying needlessly? The bomb attack wormed itself into all my thoughts, I couldn’t forget.

Fed up with arguing with myself, I swung my legs over the bed and sunk my feet into a soft, fluffy heaven.

Resting on my crutch, I went over to the window. I pushed open the lace-rimmed curtains, hoping for sunlight to stream in. No luck. There were some signs of life in the town: the bakery where Bobby worked had steam floating out its chimney into the dismally cloudy sky.

I smacked my palm to my forehead; how could I have been so stupid as to forget Bobby and his note? I felt into the hole in the wall by the window for the slip of paper. The smile that rose on my face at his words faded as I thought with dread of how I was going to reply. What do you say to one who hints at wanting to walk out with you?

Roses are red, violets are blue but no-one I know is as sweet as you. Everyone I know loves you too and you dance so daintily in your shoes. Let’s dance together as husband and wife and together let’s conquer all strife. xxxx

Well, not so much as walking out but downright suggesting we would one day be married! I shook my head in exasperation. Bobby would never understand that we had to set limits to our friendship: a wealthy heiress and a baker’s boy could never be married. Well, they might if they wished to elope.

Taking a luxury eagle quill pen and a piece of my rose-bordered notepaper from my desk, I carefully wrote:

Bobby, you must not propose such things. Matters are strained here at the present time, with my personal maid having been accused of stealing and furthermore sacked. I hope your job is providing you well. Best, Ellie xxxx

There was no point telling him about the bomb attack in King’s Lynn; I didn’t want to worry him. I folded the piece into tiny squares but stuffed it hastily into my pocket when Mother came in. My throat when dry. Now I could see her in the light, her condition looked worse. Her pale skin was fragile like tissue paper and her eyes sunk into hollow, red-rimmed sockets.

“Elsie, please dress and meet us in the lounge.” I frowned at her emotionless tone, her blank expression, her trembling hands which were like the juddering of someone’s voice when it gets stuck on the gramophone. Was she about to tell me why I had been called home? Surely it was because of her ill health? What had happened to reduce her to this shrunken, shrivelled creature?

Hurriedly, I threw on the dress that was most easiest to fasten without help. I crammed my feet into heeled white slippers and my hair into a bun.

I rushed down the stairs with as much dignity as I could muster, eyeing the walls that displayed abstract paintings by my mysterious Grandmother. The door of the lounge was opened as the sound of my heels thudding against the shiny, polished floorboards announced my arrival.

I stood up straight, bracing myself. Father was pacing up and down by the fire; Mother was in an armchair.

“Good morning, Father, Mother,” I greeted awkwardly. Father turned to face me, spinning around on the heel of his pointy-toed shoe.

“Elsie, there is no other way of saying this but your engagement has been made.”