"Ooh!" many members of the crowd called out gleefully as if this was a stage performance rather than reallife.
Iris wanted to scream, so many violent yells travelled up into her throat, all the emotions from the turbulent day rose to the tip of her tongue, but Victoria stopped her, just intime.
“Daisy?” She touched her shoulder lightly. “Come with me, I know where your roomis.”
It was probably a good thing; an argument was not the best way to start aday.
As they walked through the cramped hallway, Iris could tell that Victoria wanted to offer her some comforting words, but she could not find them. She was not really her cousin, not even a relative at all, nor a friend. It was clear that if Iris was going to get herself into trouble then she would have to suffer italone.
She supposed that she could understandthat.
“Here you are,” she mumbled as they reached a small, very brown and beige, room. “I hope this is to yoursatisfaction.”
Nothing was to Iris’s satisfaction, but that had nothing to do with the room. “It is fine, thank you,” she replied wearily, choosing to keep her grievances to herself. “I shall see you in themorning.”
Victoria hung around in the door frame for a moment, as if she had something else to say. Iris had all but given up on the idea that it might besympathy,
“Amy will not wake until the later hours of the morning since she currently has no responsibilities with the master being out of town, but she will expect you there earlier than that,” Victoria finally blurted out. It clearly wasn’t the subject she intended to start with, but it was the one she had pickednow.
“I am an early riser, that shall be no trouble.” Even if Amy had shown no sign of wanting her there, Iris still felt very determined to help her. If early mornings were important, then that is what she would do. She could also be patient if she needed to be. “Thank you oncemore.”
“Yes, well, goodnight.” She gave up. Iris didn’t blameher.
“Goodnight,Victoria.”
As Victoria left, Iris curled herself up into a ball on the bed and she finally let the tears roll free. They had been building all day long, so it was a relief to have them out now. This would not be the easy ride she had assumed; Daisy was right about the difficulties the lower classes faced. She should have listened much more, instead of delving into her imagination. Her dreams were nothing; they did nothing good for her. She needed to let themgo.
For the very first time since the switch first happened, Iris started to believe that maybe she had made amistake...
* * *
Iris wantedit to get better, she needed it to get better, but it didn’t. Her first few weeks in the Oakley household had been nothing short of a disaster. Amy hadn’t yet responded to her in any real way, and the other staff had now resorted to ignoring her as if she wasn’t there. It was as if they knew that isolation would hurt her most. Her discomfort pooled inside of her likeblood.
She had spent a lot of her life alone, uncomfortable with herself, this was supposed to be a fresh start. It was all supposed to be different. Where had she gone sowrong?
Victoria spoke to her when she could, but there was a chasm of space between them and it seemed she wanted to keep it that way. Iris could understand why she didn't want to get tainted with the same terrible luck and reputation that she had, but still, ithurt.
Daisy would never have done that, but Daisy was brave. Daisy would have caused a fuss and demanded that everyone behave muchbetter.
Iris missed Daisy more than she every thought possible. It was a physical ache in herheart.
DearIris,
Iris scrawled across a blank piece of paper that she had managed to find in Amy’s waste paper basket. It didn’t even have anything written on it, it was as if Amy simply wanted to throw something out to rebel against something. Goodness knowswhat.
I hope you are enjoying your new life; I hope it suits youwell.
She did not even think that she would send this letter, she simply wanted to write something secretly for herself to get her feelings out. Luckily, Iris had the privacy of her own bedroom in which to behave as she so wished. If she had written out in the common area of the servant’s quarters, everyone would have picked up on her writingstyle.
She clearly had an education, that showed through her cursivescript.
I hope that you found the freedom you wanted to find. I wish that I could say the same formyself.
Her heart lifted a little as she wrote. It was actually a littletherapeutic.
I now understand what you meant about the poor having restrictions and a hard life of their own. It is not the work that I mind, that part is alright, it is thepeople.
The lady of the house believes that I am beneath her and that I would not understand her issues. The sad thing is I do, but she will not let me in. I do hope that neither I or my sisters gave you so muchtrouble.
