Ties Between Freedom and Love

✦08✦

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Visions Of Misunderstanding

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Emma and Rose left the living room as soon as the Doctor went to go find Dickens. After a few minutes, the two girls found themselves in what looked to be a pantry. Gwenyth smiled kindly at them in greeting before she lit a match and held it over the gas lamp. It lit the small room up and without thinking, Rose left Emma's side. She walked over to the counter and started folding the small dishcloths trying to help the poor servant girl, Emma smiled and joined her.

"Please, you two shouldn't be helping," Gwenyth pleaded, "it's not right."

"Don't be daft," Rose told her.

"We don't mind," Emma smiled, "Sneed works you to death."

Gwenyth held her hand out for the cloth, Rose looked at Emma, the both of them hesitantly handing over their dishtowels and Gwenyth smiled shyly in return.

"How much do you get paid?" Rose questioned curiously as Emma stood off to the side her arms crossed over her chest as she leaned back against the cupboard.

"Eight pounds a year, miss," Gwenyth hesitantly answered.

"How much?" Emma asked in disbelief.

Gwenyth looked back at her, "I know. I would have been happy with six," she confessed.

She was really happy with that?! "So," Rose started trying to pick her words carefully, "did you even go to school or what?"

"Of course, I did," Gwenyth glanced between them looking slightly offended, "what do you think I am, an urchin?"

Rose's gaze fell in embarrassment while Emma lifted her hands up.

"I went every Sunday," Gwenyth stated proudly, "nice and proper."

"Once a week?" Emma asked incredulously. What exactly were the 1860s like?

Gwenyth nodded, "We did sums and everything," she smiled. "To be honest, I hated every second."

Rose relaxed and laughed, "Me too."

Emma smiled, "Yeah, school's not fun," she agreed.

Gwenyth smiled and started laughing with them, she seemed to become more comfortable with the two. "Don't tell anyone," she said all of a sudden, "but one week I didn't go and I runned on the heath all on my own!"

"I did plenty of that," Emma whispered.

Rose smiled back at her before leaning closer to Gwenyth and whispering, "I used to go to the shops with my mate, Shereen. We used to go and look at boys," they all giggled like teenagers but then all of a sudden Gwenyth stopped.

"Well, I don't know much about that, Miss," she said turning away from them and back to the dishes.

"Oh, come on," Rose urged, "I bet you've done the same."

"Yeah," Emma said, "times haven't changed that much."

"I don't think so, Miss," Gwenyth protested.

"Gwenyth, you can tell us," Emma reassured with a teasing smile, "I bet you've got your eye on someone."

She hesitated before slowly turning back to them, "I suppose..." Gwenyth smiled. "There is one lad. The butcher's boy, he comes by every Tuesday. Such a lovely smile," she swooned and Rose cooed while Emma grinned.

"I like a nice smile. Good smile. Nice bum," Rose said and it was comical how large Gwenyth's eyes widened and her smile dropped.

"Well, I have never heard the like!"