Coleman's Point of View
Pink and orange streaks brushed the sky, creating a picturesque, beautiful sunset as I returned home. My emotions more closely reflected a grey sky of foreboding clouds, threatening to release a storm at any moment. I threw open a side door to the palace and entered the hall, where I saw a petite maid stop suddenly in her tracks. Purposefully loose strands of her sandy hair brushed her face, the rest of her hair pulled back and crowned with a frilly white headband. Her already large eyes somehow widened, and a pink blush stained her cheeks. I recognized her as the servant that had replaced Cassie on the weekend of her silly castle tour, but the maid's name slipped my mind.
"Prince Coleman!" She dropped into an elegant curtsey. "How might I help you, your highness?"
"Do you know where Missus Lucille is?" I asked.
"Yes, your highness. Would you like me to take you to her?" She smiled eagerly, her hazel eyes glistening with delight.
"Yes. And when you've done that, you can take care of my backpack," I said.
"Yes, your highness."
Now why couldn't Cassie seem to grasp that polite little phrase?
The sandy-haired maid led me to Missus Lucille's office; it was an impeccable, clutter-free room that reflected the Missus' personality. She sat over her spotless mahogany desk with a pen in her hand. The only items on the empty desk were a lamp and the crisp piece of paper she was pouring over. Missus Lucille startled at our noise and looked up. She had always been a great woman of wisdom and respect, but only in the past few years did she have the wrinkles and grey hair to reflect her old soul.
"Prince Coleman." Missus Lucille immediately placed down her pen and stood at attention. "It is an honor to see you here. How might I assist you, your royal highness?"
"Thank you for leading me here," I first addressed the young maid beside me before handing her my backpack.
"You are dismissed, Sherry," Missus Lucille said.
Sherry. That was her name.
Sherry bobbed her head, curtseyed, and left the office. I took a step deeper into the pristine room. The waning sunlight poured in from the windows, casting an orange glow around us.
"I need to speak with my maid—Miss Cassie," I said with a clipped tone. "I understand she may be upset, but her behavior today was completely inappropriate."
Missus Lucille's eyes widened, and I answered the question that she didn't ask.
"Cassie was supposed to attend me on my hike, but completely abandoned her duties today and left early without so much as a word."
Which, of course, was completely true. Cassie hadn't spoken anything, though I suppose her face said all that I had needed to know. I could picture her clearly. Her bright brown eyes with smudgy mascara, only moments before dancing with glee, turned sharp and fiery. Her nostrils flared, her face scarlet, her jaw clenched, and her eyebrows drawn in a wounded look. It wasn't like I was shocked to return to camp to find that she had up and left, but still. She shouldn't have.
Sure, maybe I hadn't responded the best to her allegations of flirtatiousness. Perhaps I had been a bit patronizing.
But still!
This was a job, for heaven's sake. She couldn't just abandon a day of work because her pride was wounded!
"Your highness, I am very sorry to hear this," Missus Lucile said, indignation sparking in her eyes. "You are absolutely correct in that her behavior is completely inappropriate." She shook her head. "She's a foolish, headstrong girl."
YOU ARE READING
Maid For You
Romance"GET OUT!" After kicking an egotistical, rude (albeit gorgeous) jerk out of her store, Cassie thinks she's seen the last of him. Too bad he's a prince. And that she's his maid.
