Chapter 19
Although Iris was utterly convincedthat she would get no sleep, she must have drifted off at some point because the morning came around all too quickly. Iris still felt very sleepy as she arose, but the buzzing of excitement was all toomuch.
As she pulled on her uniform, Iris did so with a bright smile. This clothing fit her so much better than any of the stiff expensive dresses with tight stays underneath ever did. The dark blue slip dress which Iris wore with a cream coloured apron hugged her svelte figure in a much more comfortable way. It also gave her plenty of freedom to move, which of course was very important toher.
Right, she thought in her mind. Today is a brand new day. A good day too. Keep up the way things are going, and this will become an amazing place tolive.
With a smile already on her face, Iris left her bedroom just to run straight into Alice who was racing towards her very quickly. Since she had spent such a long time in almost isolation, the fact that someone sought her out feltphenomenal.
“Good morning, Daisy, how are you feeling this morning?” Her eyes shone with glee, she looked very excited. Alice was over the moon with what she had achieved the night before, the house already felt much more harmonious because of it. She knew that, by bringing the new girl down to eat with the others, but she still felt pleased with how well things had turnedout.
“I am very well, thank you, Alice. How are you?” Iris returned thegrin.
"Oh, I am going to be very busy today.” Alice clutched Iris’s arm as she spoke, she was so filled with anticipation and she wasn’t quite sure how to control it all. “More so thanusual.”
“Howso?”
“Oh, have you not heard?” Alice looked very shocked as she said this. “I am sorry, I thought that you knew. Master Oakley is due to return home from his triptomorrow.”
“Oh wow.” Iris had thought about this, she knew at some point that the master would come back, but she hadn’t expected it to happen so soon. Just as things had gotten settled, everything was about to turn on its head all over again. “Well, if you need any help please let me know. I have my duties with Amy, but during the times I am not busy please let me know if there is anything you need me to helpwith.”
“Oh, thank you. That is very kind. I will look for you if I amdesperate.”
As Iris made her way up the stairs she noticed that everyone had their heads down and they were all getting on with work. The fact that the master was on his way home had everyone a little freaked out. Still, despite how much they all had to do, everyone turned to smile and greet her. It made Iris feel wonderful. The fact that they were making such an effort, finally, was huge. Iris did not think that she would ever be able to stopsmiling...
Until she ran head first into Mr. Shipman, that is. Iris was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn’t see where she was going until her head bashed into the body of anotherperson.
“Oh, I am sorry,” she said rapidly as she stumbled backwards. Her face flushed and she instantly felt very panicky inside at her mistake. That got even worse when she saw who it was – the one person in the Oakley household who still did not like her. “I did not mean to... I wasn’t looking where I wasgoing.”
Mr. Shipman continued to stare down at her as if she was something to be feared. Iris didn’t like that one bit. If everyone else could accept her for whoever she might be, then why did this man find it so hard? She decided to try and push just a little, to see if she could achieveanything.
“I know that you all have a hard day today,” Iris said very softly, desperately trying to reach through. “I have already spoken to Amy about this, but please come to me if you need any helptoday.”
“Oh.” Mr. Shipman looked very shocked at that, as if he could not believe that she was offering help. “Oh, right, Isee.”
Suddenly panicking that she might be stepping on some toes, or that the offer might come across wrong, Iris continued to chat in a very nervous way. “Of course I know I might not be able to do everything the way that you can, I have been told that you are an expert at what you do.” Iris hoped that some flattery would work wonders. “But if I can offer my assistance, I would like to doso.”
Mr. Shipman nodded slowly, as if he did not know how to take this offer. He had been nothing but awful to this young lady, yet she was still willing to help him out. Considering all the handmaidens that had come before had left almost as quickly as they had arrived, he had to be impressed with this girl’s tenacity. She was determined, if nothingelse.
“Yes, thank you,” he bristled, unsure of how to behave now. “That is very good ofyou.”
"Of course,anytime."
Iris turned to watch as Mr. Shipman walked off with a powerful sense of exhilaration racing through her system. This wasn’t a competition, she did not want to view it as that, but if it was that way, then surely she could count that as a win? It felt like a step in the right direction at any rate. It may never lead to friendship, Iris wasn’t sure that could ever come about, but she hoped that she no longer had anenemy.
As Iris made her way up the stairs, she couldn’t help noticing that there was an actual skip in her step. She felt like her delicate body was lighter than air, and that she could take off flying if she wanted. Finally, she was the bird with the world below her. She was looking down on the world as she soaredabove.
“Oh, good morning, Amy.” Iris was shocked to find Amy already out of bed and dressed as she entered her bedroom. Her first thought was that maybe she had woken up late herself, but the light in the sky was at the same point it was every single day. This was not her doing something different, this was Amy. “How are you feelingtoday?”
“I am very excited that my brother is coming home.” Amy could barely keep still. Even if Iris wasn’t so happy today she felt like spending time with Amy would boost her spirits. She had that shining joy that impacted on the entire room. “It will be nice to see him, once he ishome.”
“You love him very much,” Iris observed. “He must be a very good brother toyou.”
“He is the best.” Amy perched on the edge of her bed and she pursed her lips thoughtfully. “It was hard for him, when our father died. I imagine it was hard for him when we lost our mothertoo.”
“You do not recall you mother?” Iris knew that this was a dangerous subject, one that could quite easily send her back into a tailspin of emotion herself, but she wanted to try for Amy. She wanted her to let herin.
“She passed away while giving birth to me.” Amy’s face fell, Iris wondered how much she blamed herself for that. “My brother never speaks of her, but I think it upset himgreatly.”
