Katie Gardner and Travis Stoll (Fanfiction)

The Gardener (Part 3)

“No,” Her eyes were bewildered as she stared at the old women. Last nights dreams had left her uneasy and tense.

“Katie I will need help. This is a very important dinner, I can’t be down a serving maid,” Ms. Dorris countered.

“Will I be paid?” Ms. Dorris nodded her head.

“I might even give you a bit more then normal because of what your usual role is in the estate,” She sighed, there was nothing she could do. She needed the money. The letters had started coming in from loan sharks and club managers demanding repayment, the stack was piled on the floor next to her bed.

Katie glanced at her grass stained shoes, reluctantly nodding her head.

“Thank you dearie, heaven knows what I would have done without you! Now off you go into today work, but come this afternoon. I'll send someone out to help you get ready."

****

The brush scrubbed her skin red, as Ms. Dorris and one of the kitchen staff concentrated on getting the dirt and grime off. It had been over a hour and they hadn't even started on her hair. They had time though, Katie would not be needed until later that night.

She couldn't remember the last time she had needed to take this much effort in getting ready. They plucked and probed, and scrubbed and scraped leaving her skin red and agitated as the water flowed over her shoulders washing everything away. She was surprisingly happy with the thought of dressing up and looking presentable for once. The small smile that grazed her mouth didn't go unnoticed by the two women washing everything away. Leaving Katie clean and free in more ways then one.

The bath continued for another hour or so, before Katie was told to dry off and follow the two women in only a robe. She had thought she was going to the maids quarters to borrow a simple dress for one night. After they had climbed two flights of stairs and wounded onto the royals personal floor she figured that was not as such. She needed the money.

The women entered a large room filled with clothes and dresses, pants and jackets. Everything was boxed and filed away under some numerical system written on the tags.

Katie stood there awkwardly as the women trifled through the rows upon rows or lavish clothing. She didn't understand why she was there, she didn't belong among the expensive silks and satins. But she stayed none the less. She needed the money.

Ms. Dorris, and the kitchen maid come out with over ten dresses hung on their arms. This was going to be a long afternoon.

****

After trying on the sixth dress, the two women decided beige and nude weren't my colors and violet would be the best option.

It didn't matter either way to Katie, her feet ached from standing and her stomach cramped from being in a corset much too long. They were down to two dresses, both violet, both seemingly uncomfortable. The first one didn't fit, the neck line was too tight, and no matter how found Ms. Dorris was of it, Katie was human after all and needed to breathe in order to live. That left one dress.

It was thick and long, flowy and restrictive, and modest in every way except the neckline. It made Katie uncomfortable, but it fit. She guessed that that was what mattered. Ms. Dorris continuously gushed over how it made Katie looked, to her though it was just fabric sewn together by someone who charges much more then the dress is actually work. She needed the money.