The Life Of Lizzy Red

Chapter 5:

I hadn't remembered falling asleep in the carriage, but apparently I'd dozed off on the window sill, my head resting on my hand until the sun began to rise, which was when we had finally arrived. I had awoken to the sound of the horses' whinny as it stopped at the command of the carriage driver.

I opened my eyes and picked my head up, watching as the driver whose name I still did not know hopped off his seat and made his way to my door, opened it and bowed his head with a warm smile as he held his hand out to help me out of the carriage. I gave him a half smile back and took his hand, stepping out onto the smoothed cobble stone street. Something my feet were not used to...

He closed the door and to my amazement, before me only a few yards away was the biggest structure I'd ever casted my eyes upon.

A palace? A mansion? Maybe it was a-

"A manor." Edward interrupted my thoughts, coming up from behind me, and gently pulling a piece of my long red hair behind me to my back.

"Welcome." He finished.

What does he mean 'Welcome.'? Surely he doesn't intend to tell me that this is his living space? How could I have not known? Who is he? And why would he not tell me sooner...?

Soon I was being escorted up the white marble steps into the manor before me. This is nothing like the manor I had lived in as a child...It was enormous.

The walls and ceiling were covered with fancy art of baby angels, white fluffy clouds with a bright sun shining through them, the angels held harps or trumpets in their hands, they looked as if they were soaring through the blue skies. On the walls were paintings of men and women in beautiful clothing, jewellery and lovely hair.
The men stood beside their fancy coats or a pedestal of brass.
The women sat with their hands folded in their lap, a serious expression on their faces, showing of all of their rings, necklaces, and puffy dresses.

They all were so beautiful, I was breath taken. I hadn't even noticed the men in fancy jackets and shined up shoes staring at me as I stood bewildered in the middle of the manor. They bowed their heads when they saw me make eye contact, but not before scanning over me.

I couldn't figure out why though.

"Abigail," I heard Edward's stern voice call over a maid dressed in white with a snap. She quickly shuffled over, looking down at the ground when he looked at her. "Take my guest up to a spare room, a fine one. And dress her." He said in a low voice, but I had heard.

I felt my face go hot...

Of course...I'm in just my skimpy robe while at the most beautiful manor I've ever seen in front of all these people.

They must've all thought I was so stupid.

I followed the maid up a winding case of stairs that led to the second floor, a long and wide hallway with many doors on each side. There were a few big windows that let in the bright sun light from outside, and the walls were brown wood with a matching brown wooden floor.
A long red hallway carpet was stretched to the end of the corridor until it reached a big fire place at the very end, that was not lit, but had two red bergére chairs sitting across from eachother in front of it.