Chapter 15
The land surroundingthe mansion that was about to become Iris’s new home stretched for miles. The grass went on forever and there was even a small orchard off in the distance. That filled Iris with excitement as she imagined herself sitting in the shade on a hot day, picking apples to crunch upon as the hunger got too much, losing herself in her own little forest, daydreaming the entiretime...
Not that she was here for play and dreams, she needed to remember that. She was not Lady Iris Warwick anymore, someone with leisure time to spend as she pleased, she was Daisy Jones, the simple servant girl. There was work to be done, and she had to doit.
Well, handmaiden actually, to the lady of the house. When Daisy spoke to Victoria the day after the ball, she discovered that was the only position that needed filling so she hastily agreed to it on Iris’s behalf. Iris probably would have agreed to it anyway, it was still preferable to the alternative! Whenever she began to feel overwhelmed, she remembered that at least she was notmarried!
“Hello, I am Daisy Jones, your new handmaiden,” she practiced her initial greeting under her breath. “Your new staff member.” Urgh, there had to be a protocol for this. Why did she not knowit?
Actually, the chance to discover all that she could from Daisy vanished very quickly. Her friend got wrapped up in wedding plans, in setting up the financial arrangements and moving things forward almost instantly. She moved in such a frantic, desperate manner it was almost as if she was scared that something would come along to ruin it if she did not actfast.
She must have really wanted to be the Duke’s wife, there was no other explanation. It did not have to make sense to Iris to be the truth. Daisy wanted what she wanted, and she was on the verge of gettingit.
Iris fingered the small bundle of money that lay in her pocket in an attempt to regain that sense of freedom once more. It wasn’t much – even less now that she’d paid the driver who had brought her here in a carriage arranged also by Daisy– but she was still grateful that Daisy had managed to organize that much for her. It was not easy for any woman, even a lady, to acquire cash. This had taken a lot for her todo.
“I am Daisy Jones, pleased to meetyou...”
Her eyes ran along the mansion with awe. Iris had always assumed that her family was the wealthiest around, but this home was much grander and more impressive than the one she grew up in. Maybe money stretched further out of the city and allowed people to purchase bigger properties, but her father did not want to move because he liked to be in the heart of everything. The outskirts of the city were far enough for him. She had certainly travelled some distance to get here, so it felt like anotheruniverse.
Although Iris never travelled far, so everything would feel like a greatdistance.
Maybe she should have assumed that this family would have more money than her... the Warwick girls had never been given a permanent handmaiden. The maids completed the tasks that a handmaiden would, but that was not their sole purpose. Only the truly very wealthy could affordthat.
The white bricks shone in the sunlight, giving off an even more impressive glow. There was a welcoming feel to the place, but even that couldn’t help Iris right now. Nerves darted through her like there was notomorrow.
You have been brave already, she told herself. You have come this far. You can knock on adoor.
There was only one person inside that building who knew who she truly was. Daisy had been forced to tell Victoria some of the truth so she could explain her own disappearance, but she had sworn her to utter secrecy. Iris felt that she probably would keep the information to herself, to prevent her cousin from being exposed as a fraud, but the anxiety was still there. Anything could still go wrong, she was not naïve enough to not seethat.
She had to force her wooden legs to move, to walk towards the house. It wasn’t easy, a big part of her wanted to resist, but this was what she had signed up for. The least that she could do was follow it through, for Daisy. Daisy had her happiness now, at least Iris could feel good aboutthat.
Once she settled in, it was likely that she would be just as happy too. After all, in a strange way, this was what she had alwayswanted.
Iris curled her trembling hand up into a fist and she stretched up to knock on the door. She paused briefly, standing like a statue who had been frozen before getting the chance to take action, and then she just went forit.
Bang, bang,bang.
The sound felt so loud it reverberated through Iris’s skull. She leapt backwards like a frightened little mouse, but she managed to quickly regain herself just intime.
The door swung open, and behind it, there was a man in a tight fitted, black tuxedo staring at her. At first, she thought he might be the gentleman of the house, but the moment her eyes spotted the white gloves that had been slipped over his fingers, she recognized the truth. He was the butler, of course, she should have known that much. That information alone allowed her to blow out a big, calming breath ofair.
Serving staff, she could copewith.
“Hello, I am DaisyJones...”
“Oh yes.” His snooty tone almost threw her. Her butler never looked down on anyone. “We have been expecting you, please comeinside.”
She followed him into an extremely impressive reception area. Marble tiles covered the floor, there was a grand staircase which separated into two at the top, and artwork that Iris felt certain was painted by some of the best artistsaround.
She couldn’t help noticing that there were no family pictures, just like in her own home. Her family could afford them, but her father did not seem to want them. Iris wondered what the reason washere.
“Lord Oakley is not here at the moment,” the butler told her regretfully. “He is on business in the city.” Iris’s chest tightened, the city that she had just come from. “But I am certain he will greet you upon hisreturn.”
“Right.” Iris tried to think, but she could not recall her father ever greeting any of their staff. “Ofcourse.”
“But Amy is here, and it is her that you shall be workingfor.”
He leant in as if he was about to whisper a secret to her, before pulling away leaving her with nothing. As Iris tried to work out what it might be, his pinched expression left her incrediblyconfused.