“Our new home,” Annabelle declared happily as she ran her eyes over the place. Maybe it was not a house all for themselves, which they both would have preferred, but it was a lovely roof that would be over their heads. “Are you terriblyexcited?”
“I am nervous,” Floyd confessed, but at least he sounded pleased to finally have somewhere to live. "But I am looking forward to spending time with horsesagain."
“Thank goodness they needed a stableboy.”
Annabelle did not mention her job, it was a little hard for them to discuss. To get the only job that Annabelle could possibly do, she had to reveal a little bit of the truth about herself to the master of the house. He did not need a maid or someone to work in the kitchens. The man was looking for a secretary for his legal company that he ran from home. To get that position, Annabelle had to confess to a good education, which she had to explain away. She did not tell the full truth, she never revealed her name or the fact that she had run away. Instead, she said that her father had passed away leaving the family in debt, so now she needed ajob.
Maybe Mr. Brentwood did not believe her, but he was so desperate that he was willing to offer her the job and a place to live in the servants’ quarters. Out in the countryside somewhere, there weren’t any towns nearby anyway, so there was nowhere else that she couldlive.
It wasperfect.
“Let us go inside, we need to settle our belongingsin.”
The couple walked through the building, admiring the high ceilings, the intricate lighting fixtures, the red and gold wallpaper. The rug that splayed across the wooden floor looked too delicate for Annabelle to step on, she scurried around itrapidly.
"Look at all the pictures," she whispered, amazed to Floyd. "Do you think that painting on the wall is of hischildren?"
“You are not supposed to really look at anything,” Floyd hissed back quietly. “It is best not to see the house atall.”
“Oh... right.” Annabelle did not know what to think about that. She fixed her eyes on the ground, remembering who she was these days. “Isee.”
“Come on, let us go to where webelong.”
Floyd dragged Annabelle towards the stairs and down to the servants’ quarters where he would feel much more confident. Floyd did not know how to behave in the luxury of the upstairs of a house, he only understood how to be among his ownpeople.
Annabelle once again watched the colour of the house fade into whites, browns, and beiges. The luxury turned into simplicity. The plush chairs became hard, wooden structures that were designed for practicality rather thancomfort.
The other staff members watched these new people infiltrating their quarters with sick curiosity. Annabelle wanted to put her head down, she wanted to run into a bedroom where no one could stare at her anymore, with so many eyes upon her she feltuncomfortable.
But Floyd made herstay.
“Hello...”
As he introduced them to all these new people, Annabelle could only look up through her eyelashes. Despite the fact that she had not been wealthy for a while now, she did not know how to speak to this group of people either. She was somewhere in the middle; she did not fit in with anyoneanymore.
Will it always be this way? She thought sadly to herself. Will I never find anyone to connect with everagain?
“Hi,” a soft, female voice whispered behind her, interrupting her moment of potentially falling into a sad abyss. “My name isViolet.”
Annabelle found herself staring at a small, svelte young girl who appeared to be in her late teens. With her dirty blonde hair twisted up into a knot and her bright blue smiling eyes, there was something about her that put Annabelle atease.
“Hello, Violet, I am Annabelle. It is good to meetyou.”
Annabelle let go of Floyd’s hand and stepped away from the crowd. She wanted to speak to this girl, she felt much more comfortable with her one-on-one rather than dealing with everyone atonce.
Violet extended her hand which Annabelle took. They shook and giggled at the strangeness surroundingthem.
“Have you come from far away?” Annabelle nodded, not trusting herself to answer that question with words. “I am sure it must be strange for you, but this is a good place to work. The master is a goodman.”
“What do you do here?” Annabelle askedcautiously.
“I am one of the maids. What shall you bedoing?”
“I will be working as the master’ssecretary.”
Annabelle held her breath as she waited for the awkward questions to come her way. She expected Violet to wonder who she was to land such a position... but fortunately, she did not question it atall.
“Well, it will be lovely to have you around, I look forward toit.”
