Tudor Girl

4

It's been a week since I arrived. I miss my father ever so much and he still hasn't written. I am often tempted (when the days are really difficult) to walk home and visit him. But I know I couldn't do that, not without permission and I daren't ask for fear of the master not being home and me having to ask Bastian.
I am making baskets out of sticks of willow, weaving the sticks together until it resembles a basket. I find this chore to be one of my most soothing and one I don't mind doing as it releases me from the tormenting grasp of the twins. 
They haven't let me be for more than two hours each day, making me doing my chores very difficult. 
I sit and weave until I hear a cry. "Help!" a male voice yells. I drop my basket and rush to the source of the commotion. A young man is trying to catch get-away horse.
I rush to the creature, which is startled by the man's size and how intimidating he looks to the poor thing, and soothe it by talking calmly and making myself small in its eyes. It stops bucking and whinnying. I stroke its face. It's pale brown with a very dark mane and is beautiful. I haven't seen it before and what with the amount of time I spend in the stables, I deduce that it must be new.
Calmly, I tell the man to pass me the rope in his hand. He does as I say and I tie the horse up in a way that doesn't hurt him and I lead him towards the man. Only now do I get a good look at him. He is tall with a muscled build. He has a handsome face with chestnut hair and brown eyes. I smile at him when I hand the horse over to him.

"Thank you." He says taking the horse, but warily.
"Is it a new horse?" I ask, stroking the horse's shoulder.
"New horse and new stable boy. I am called John." he says with a cheerful smile.
"And I am Ethelreda, maid to the twins mostly, but help everybody else as well." 
"May you show me to the house. When I was employed they told me to buy a new horse with the money in the letter on my way to my first day. I am to take the horse to the stables and then meet master Bastian." I nod. 
I lead him to the stables and then to the house, praying the minutes slow so that I don't have to see Bastian. But they don't and soon enough I am knocking on the door.
"Enter." I hear him say. And I do with John in tow. I feel sorry for him, completely unaware of what is in store for him here.
"Sir," I curtsy. "This is John. He is the new stable boy. He was requested to come to you when he arrived."
"Leave us." I do.

I wait outside the door for John. I have decided that I am going to visit my father and that now is as good a time as any to ask Bastian for permission.
The door opens and John gives me an unexpected smile. I am surprised to see him happy after being in a room with Bastian. Before the door shuts, I stop it and walk into the room.
I curtsy again before speaking. "Sir, I was wondering if I could visit my father." when he looks at me, I feel the need to justify myself. "Not for long, I am worried for I haven't heard from him." Bastian picks up an unopened letter and opens it whilst he says "You have been here a week and already you wish to visit your father?" he asks.
I nod. "He is my family, sir. My only family." he scans the letter whilst I talk and I feel as though he is not even listening to me. "I know it seems petty, sir, but I have grown up with him and after my mother and brother died we've been very close and-" he cuts me off with a wave of his hand.
"You may visit him. I will escort you." I shake my head.
"You needn't feel obliged to-"
"I don't feel obliged to do anything. I am headed in that direction now and despite what you may think, I am a gentleman, miss Montague." I just curtsy. 

"Come on. It's only a horse. Give me your hand, miss Montague." warily I raise my hand to Bastian's. It's shaking. I like horses, but I have never needed to ride before and this horse is rather tall.

When my hand is in his, Bastian lifts me with surprising ease onto his horse. I didn't think he was strong, but then again I don't think about him.
To begin with, I don't feel the need to hold onto him, but then the horse sparks into life and I instantaneously wrap my arms round him. We aren't even going quickly, what I know to be a trot. It's just the motion I am not used to frightens me.

We trot down the lanes in silence and, as I get used to the motion and speed, I loosen my grip around Bastian. 
I start to recognise the houses now and start to get impatient. We are so close to my old house that I can barely sit still. I start fidgeting and Bastian notices. "Stop that, now. It's irritating and if you don't stop, I will throw you from this horse." I stop, mostly from fear that Bastian's threat is not an empty one.

Then we arrive. 
My old house is quaint compared to the one I am living in now. There are a few bushes and vines near the house and I love the ivy climbing the wall of the house. I didn't realise until now how quickly I have adjusted to living in Lord Neville's house. "It's here, sir." I say and he stops. He helps me down (holds my hand as I struggle off the seat and horse) and make my way down to the front door. 
I hear Bastian gallop off. Yelling at the horse to be faster. 
Whatever he is going to seems urgent, and yet, he was only going at a trot whilst I was on the horse with him. Could he have been kind? I shake the thought from me at once. He was merely trying to avoid having me fall off the horse and having to employ a new maid is all. I think.
I turn towards the house once more inhale deeply, and knock on the door.