“Goodnight.” Iris held onto Daisy’s hands and she gave her a loving look. “And thank you again, I truly appreciate everything that you have done forme.”
“Oh do not worry yourself, Iris, I will see you in themorning.”
As Iris left the room, Daisy stared around her in a little bit of shock. She had spent a lot of time in this bedroom, she knew this room very well, but now she could see it all differently. Now it was almost hers... at least for the next few days at anyrate.
Maybe Iris was right, maybe she should have been born alady.
Despite Daisy’s kind words, Iris felt a little nervous as she made her way down the stairs to where the servants slept. She had always known about this area of the house, but it hadn’t ever troubled her. She had never really thought about it, it was just this small piece of knowledge in hermind.
Now though, it was everything toher.
The staff had been so lovely with her, particularly Betty, but she was not sure if things would be different if she told them that the plan was still going ahead and that now she was to become one of them. Iris feared that she would be asked the questions that she had no idea how to answer:what will happen after the ball? Will you switch forever? What if someone finds out? What if another male from the ball wants to marry you... and you areDaisy?
Iris did not have the answers, she did not want to think too much about them because they poked too many unwanted holes in the idea, and she was scared that tonight she might have to facethem.
“Oh, Iris,” Betty gasped and she clutched her heaving chest as soon as she laid eyes on her. “How did it go? Did you manage to servewell?”
“I did...” she answered cautiously. “It went very well. My uncle believes that Daisy isme.”
“So, what now?” Betty had a homely look about her, and it helped to put Iris at ease... at least a little bit. “What will happennext?”
“My uncle wants to hold a ball in which Daisy, orI, will meet DukePembroke.”
“And that is where Daisy will put him offyou?”
Oh, it sounded so silly to have someone else say it. "Yes, I supposeto."
She braced herself, flinching as she prepared herself for a lecture, but somehow it didn’t come. Instead, Betty changed the subjectcompletely.
“You must be very hungry, Iris, I have not seen you eat all day long.” Iris had not thought about it before, but now the thought of food had her stomach growling desperately. She hadn’t eaten out of nerves, but now all of that unwound. “Let me get you a plate of food. It is a stew, probably not the lovely food that you are used to, but it will fill youup.”
“Oh that sounds delicious,” Iris practically whispered with excitement. “Thank you somuch.”
The dining rules were much more relaxed in the servant’s quarters. The table was not set up in a fancy way, there were no decorations getting in the way, the cutlery was scattered everywhere. There was also a bench along the table, rather than chairs, and other people had their bodies twisted in whatever way they wanted. It made Iris realise just how stiff and formal the dinners that she had attended actually were. Here there was chatter, laughter, a lovely atmosphere that was utterlywelcoming.
One of the girls even had her elbows on the table, that was practically unheard of! It made Iris’s heart explode with a deliciously happy sensation.Thiswas far morefun.
Iris felt strange as she took her seat, as much as it was welcoming, she still felt out of place, but Betty sat with her to help her feel comfortable. She had already eaten herself, but she sensed that Iris was not yet ready to be leftalone.
“Are you sleeping in Daisy’s bed?” she asked her quietly. “And Daisy inyours?”
“Yes, for now.” Iris tucked into the food, the starvation too much for her, and she moaned with bliss as the stew slid down her throat. “Oh, Betty, you are amazing,” she cried. “I’ve always known how much of a wonderful cook that you are, but this isincredible.”
“Oh no, that is just because you haven’t eaten all day.” Betty blushed as she tried to brush off the compliment. “But thank you very much, it is kind of you tosay.”
"I mean it, Betty. I really appreciate everything that you have done for me." Of course, Iris was not only referring to the meal at this point, which Bettyunderstood.
She held onto Iris’s hand and smiled lovingly at her. “You are more than welcome, Miss Iris, I would do anything for you.” There was something about Iris that made all of them want to protect her, it was an aura that she gave off. “You know that we are all here for you now, no matter what happensnext.”
Iris was torn. On the one hand, she was happy that Olivia would be getting such a wonderful staff for herself and her child, but on the other, she wanted to keep them for herself. She loved these people, even more so now that she knew them. Whatever happened next, it would beimpossible.
“Thank you, Betty, you arewonderful.”
Eventually, the other members of the staff started talking to Iris too, and instead of judging her or asking challenging questions that she would never be able to answer, they welcomed her into the fold as if she was one of their own. The more they spoke to her as if she was one of them, the happier Iris felt. There was such an intense blissfulness within her that she actually felt lighter thanair.
Once she had finished eating, and she crawled into bed surrounding by many other people, Iris felt like herself. Shaking off the expectations that weighed heavily on her, brushing off the Warwick name and taking on another, it was freeing. Even more than she thought it wouldbe.
This experiment had shocked her in more ways than one. For someone who had spent most of her life alone, she was stunned to realize how confident she could be with other people if she allowed herself. She wasn’t sure why, maybe it was just because she had spent so much time with Daisy, but she felt much more like herself with these people than with the ones that she should have spent her lifewith.
Of course, Iris was still scared about a lot of things. She might have told Daisy that the ball would be absolutely fine, but she wasn't convinced herself. It would be a challenge to ensure that no one who knew her face well enough to recognize her would attend the ball unless she somehow managed to convince her uncle to let her organize the guestlist.
That wouldn't be the easiest plan, but it was not impossible either. He might not want to delve into her father's address book to sort out some written invitations. Betty would help her, and the others too, probably if she askedthem.
Maybe she would have to ask them, she couldn’t do all of thisalone.
As Iris turned on the bumpy mattress and she pulled the scratchy blanket further up over her body, she couldn’t stop smiling. Finally, she felt a little bit in control of herself and her life, and that sensation was wonderful. She never wanted it toend.
