CHAPTER TWO
Madeleine Gray’s Journal
(Continued)
My eyelashes fluttered open, and I found myself in my bedroom once again. I was almost certain that I was actually awake this time. It took a glance at the clock – It was only around eight-thirty. There was knocking at the door.
“Come in.” I said, thinking it to be Sarah, carrying my breakfast tray.
The door opened. It was Sarah. She was her usual outfit – a crisp, cherry colored dress and a white lace apron. Her thin black hair was tied in a bun, and my eye caught a glint of silver.
“Breakfast, Miss Madeleine.” She recited, handing me the tray. “I hope you will enjoy. Call me when you are finished, and I shall help you dress.”
“Thank you, Sarah,” I said. “It looks very good.” I saw oatmeal with peaches, and two slices of steaming toast – one with butter, one with strawberry jam, and there was a yellow china cup, filled with tea.
Realizing how hungry I was, I ate the food quickly, leaving the tray on the end table. Sarah came in a few minutes later, without me having to ask her.
“I’m finished. Can you take my tray?”
“Yes, but we need to hurry. I need to go into town to pick up an order by nine-fifteen.”
“What’s the order?”
“Your Father ordered a shield for General Harris’ birthday from the young silversmith in town. His name is Murtagh Simmons.”
“Okay,” I said slowly. I looked at Sarah. It was early, but she already looked like she had gone through a few days worth of work. We didn’t have any other servants, and there was a large amount of work that had to be done to upkeep our large house. She didn’t even get paid, but she never complained, so she at least deserved a few minutes of rest. “I’ll go for you.”
“What? Miss Madeleine . . . it’s okay.”
“Look. Helena’s getting up soon. You’ll have to make her breakfast, and help her dress as soon as you get back. Then, you have to do your regular chores, which lasts until you have to start preparing dinner for when Father gets home around eight-thirty. Then, you have to clean up from that . . . You deserve a few minutes of rest. It will be okay.” I said.
She sighed, smiling. “Well, alright. Thank you.”
“Could I dress in my ice blue gown today?”
“You certainly may. I like the gown – It compliments your eyes nicely.”
I smiled weakly. I was shy about things, such as my appearance. My eyes wide, almond-shaped, and ice blue. My hair was wavy – it came down my back in lemon waves. Maybe I was pretty, maybe I wasn’t, but my appearance was a compliment that was done to death. I was hoping that people would look deeper in me, and not just view what was on the outside.
“Thank you.”
Sarah got the dress out of my wardrobe. I began to get out of my white nightdress.
“How did you sleep?” She asked me.
“Good, expect I had a dream, and mother was in it.”
Sarah tied the first lace of my corset. “I miss her. You know, I’ve been with your family ever since I came to your mother’s house. That was when she was your age. She was a lot like you, more then you know. She was extraordinarily kind to me, especially because her parents were not. They came from a very wealthy household. Her father was the Duke of York.”
I laughed as Sarah tied another two laces, not knowing what to say. I had known my mother came from nobility, but Sarah’s comparison of me and her seemed far too grand. She was a great person, and I was . . . mad, according to my tutors and Father. Sarah finished tying the corset, and I put my dress on over it.
“Do you know where the silversmith is?”
“No.”
“You can’t miss it. Just keep going straight until you get to the dock, where there should be a semi-circle of stores. You should know which one the silversmith is – there’s a big sign.”
“Okay, thank you.” I said. “Should I go right now?”
“Well, It’s nine,” said Sarah, looking the tall grandfather clock. “I would consider it best, In case you run into any distractions in town.”
I smiled. Whenever you tried to go into to town, there were always street vendors who tried to sell you things and beggars asking for money. “Okay.”
