Rosie is a witch working at the magnificent Berkley Castle. Living happily serving the Master Sam, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery about her magic and the origins of all power. When a murder occurs at the Mansion, will she be able to sav...
Rosie looked at her reflection in the mirror. She seemed properly exhausted, with red and purple bags under her eyes. The green irises turned brown, purple and green again and she closed them right away. She needed to rest but with the old man back, it was impossible.
With two weeks early, his arrival couldn't be any better. Sam was about to return in a moment, fake the civilities with the guests and then attack his old man with everything he got. Rosie couldn't wait to see him explode.
But for now, she had to pretend nothing was wrong. The maids had prepared everything and the guests were about to arrive. She straightened her uniform - a simple green linen shirt with a brown tweed skirt, under the white apron with the family's crest on them. Splashing cold water on her face, she wiped it with her apron before combing her hair. The Old Master didn't approve of maids with long hair. She had to cut them right away and looked at the results in the tiny mirror.
Her brown hair always looked like they had their own mind. Her grandmother would always tell her how lucky she was to have such silky and straight hair, coming from her ancestor Black Bird. But Rosie never liked them, being half African - half native American hair. One second they were nappy and she could do whatever she wanted - braids, buns or twists - and the next, they were as silky as a bird's feather. At the moment, they looked sad and short, one side nappy and one side straight. And with her magic being uncertain, she had to comb them with a lot of water and patience.
Gathering them in a high bun, she put pins to keep her hair in place and went downstairs. All the maids were outside, gathered in line. A giant red and golden carriage was coming from the main gates. She hastened her steps and got out in the cold, standing next to Carine who gave her a mean side-eyes. She frowned before straightening her apron once more. The carriage had passed the two angels by now and was circling the huge fountain in the middle of the courtyard. It stopped in front of them just as the Old Master was coming to welcome his guests. All the maids were turning their heads to see better.
He had put a most fancy black tailcoat suit over a silky dark grey vest. He looked so ominous with his pale blue eyes gazing at the carriage's door opening.
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Where were Abhi and Sam, she asked herself. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear the Old Master calling for her. Only when Carine pushed her elbow in her ribs that she emerged from her thoughts. She ran to side by him and he frowned at her before putting a huge smile in his face.
First thing she saw when the coach opened the door, was an enormous amount of taffeta and silk. Then a pair of silk white shoes and a madam emerged finally. Rosie chuckled involuntarily and shared a look with the coach, who was smiling too. The woman had a face painted with what seemed like a thick white powder, with three black dots painted in both her cheeks and her chin. She looked like she was coming from the circus or the court of Louis the XIV. Her dress was so puffy that the Old Master and the coach had to unite to get her out of the carriage. Finally on the ground, she smiled like nothing happened and straightened herself. Rosie and the Old Master bowed.
