Just a Girl

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

 A butler knocked on Winnie’s bedroom door. She jumped off her bed in fright, fixed her chocolate brown curls to lie on her shoulder and answered the door with a “How may I help you?” in the peppiest voice possible.

 “LETTER FOR WINNIE LOVELLO! THERE IS A LETTER FOR WINNIE LOVELLO HERE!”

 Winnie undid the latch on the door and met a crazy young man, about sixteen, that threw Winnie her letter and ran down the corridor. “Thank you!” she yelled after him, but he was long gone by then.

 Winnie closed the door and sat down on her mattress with a smile on her face. It was from her parents. After the recent ‘illness’ or what Winnie liked to call ‘being over tired.’ She ripped open the envelope and unfolded the letter. It read:

My Dearest Winnie,

 Your father and I feel absolutely terrible. Missing your 17th birthday is killing us. But, because it’s your birthday, your father and I saved up for something extra special for you. You will find that we have saved 25 coins for you for your BIG 17th birthday! Our work is going well, and we miss you lots!

P.S. Your Aunt Rose and Uncle Peter wanted me to say “Hello!”(5 coins are from them). We all love you.

Love, Aunt Rose, Uncle Peter, Father, and Mother

 Winnie smiled at the sight of her mother’s hand-writing. ‘Some things just never changed from when you were a kid,’ Winnie thought, ‘but others do tremendously.’ Winnie lay on her mattress rereading the letter again and again, and thinking about a response. She wasn’t sure how she would get it there, but she hoped Mary could help her get it sent out.

 She got a piece of parchment paper from Liz’s night stand, and began to write her next letter. Winnie sighed as she finished writing the last sentence. She pulled an envelope from the drawer, and placed the letter gently inside it. Winnie sealed the envelope and went over to tuck it under her mattress when she heard the door begin to open.

 She jumped, startled. She had not been allowed to lock the door, for many reasons. She did not have the authority to do that just as the ‘servant girl’ of the king, and plus, she didn’t want to upset Liz by locking her out of her own room.

 “Hello,” Liz said as she stuck her head in the door.

 Winnie gasped for air, “Oh my gosh! You scared me!”

 “I’m sorry,” Liz said, pushing herself through the door. As always, Liz was done up just nice in a blood red colored corset top, laced neatly in the back, and had a huge hoop. She looked amazing, as always, as she pushed her way through the door.

 “What were you hiding under your mattress?” she asked, suspiciously.

 “I was actually just putting my letter to Father and Mother under my mattress for safe keeping.”

 “Oh!” she exclaimed, “They wrote you another letter? Can I read it?”

 “Um…well…” Winnie said, stammering. She was trying to waste time, but it didn’t matter because Liz had already gone over to the corner of the mattress where she saw the two envelopes containing the letters in them.

 As Liz read the letter her parents had sent her, she sat there in a reverie. ‘I can’t believe I got 25 coins! I’m rich!’ Winnie never got that much money for any birthday of hers. She just couldn’t believe it.

 “Winnie! Winnie! WINNIE! ANSWER ME!” Liz started to yell, trying to get Winnie’s attention.

 “Yes?” Winnie said, still unfazed by Liz and not really paying attention to what she was saying.