Chapter 45 - A Preposterous Gift

Odette and Madam Ayles stood out the room's door with a worried frown. "Did she eat?"

 "Yes... but she has not come out. I have not cleaned that room for a few days now.. Madam... I'm worried..." Odette held madam Ayles's hands.

"I—I am worried too.. Shall we try to go in by force? Will she like that?"

"Miss will hate it. But we have to... I will do the honors for you, madam," Odette tied up her skirt with a ribbon and stood a few steps from the door. With her right leg up front, she was ready to dash close and kick it down.

"Ready.... one... two..." Odette slouched down, ready to run.

"Three." She dashed like a bullet.

Just as she got close.....the door shot open.

"Oh no...." Odette could not stop in time. She collided with little miss and they both toppled to the ground. "Miss!!! Are you okay!!"

"Odette, darling!!! Are you both okay? Oh Eloise..... what have we done..." madam Ayles hurriedly ran to get them off the floor.

Odette stood up, groaning softly. "Little miss!! Little miss!!!"

Eloise just laid there giggling loudly.

"M—miss?"

"I have done it!! It has been done..." Eloise mumbled, giggling loudly. She rolled over, glancing to the side at something peculiar.

"What is that miss?"

Odette walked closer to the thing and tapped it with her fingertip. It was stiff and .... ugly looking.

"What is this mess? Eloise! Madam Ayles lifted her daughter off the floor and glanced at her form. Her daughter was covered in unknown substances all over. Her hair was matted with it, too. The scalp was oily and... her dress. Oh, her dress was a mess!!

"Go take a bath immediately. I can't stand you being so dirty..."

"Cool mom, I am good. This thing will just wash off," Eloise mumbled, pulling at the hair strand that was stuck together. "But did you see my creation! Isn't it amazing?"

Madam Ayles peered at the monstrosity. It was made from clothes and it had a obvious smell of tree sap. It was shaped like a seat but it had a weird bent tube like thing attached to the bottom.

Odette gently tugged at the corset that was stuck in the tube like structure. "miss... is that your corset?"

"I needed something to help keep its shape. Corset worked the best." Eloise happily explained and tried to tug it out. "But now it kind of got glued together... but we can cut it!"

"What... is that supposed to be?" Madam Ayles grimaced a bit.

"Mum, let me introduce you to a wonderful creation. This is a model toilet bowl! Tada!" Eloise held out her hands outstretched. "Isn't she a beauty?.."

"What is a toilet..." Odette mumbled, touching the weird cloth surface of the seat.

"It's a modern chamber pot!"

Odette gasped. "Miss.. do you not need me anymore... why.. why are you replacing me with this!!"

Eloise slightly frowned. "Ew, you made it sound very weird. I am just replacing the chamber pot,"

"We have a perfectly functional ceramic bowl right there. Why do we even need that," madam Ayles gestured to the chamber pot.

Eloise frowned deeply. "That thing is an inconvenient to use and..... it's so unhygienic."

"Eloise, stop yapping. We have been using this for centuries and that is your favorite bowl!"

Eloise moved closer and held her mother's shoulders. "Mum, it's logical to have a favorite rice bowl but not a toilet bowl. It's not logical and that sounds nasty."

Madam Ayles just sighed loudly. "Eloise.. What's gotten into you all of a sudden? What if the duke sees you like this? I bet he will scam in just seconds,"

"Why should I worry about him?"

"Well, you should worry about him?" she said subtly, winking.

Eloise gasped. 'oh I think she means that I should not embarrass myself in front of the duke because we are business partners now. Fuck, why didn't I realize that? Mum's always right!'

She nodded like a docile doll. "Well, I will get ready then,"

"I will bring back the tub. Hot water or lukewarm miss?"

"Make it hot. I don't think trees sap with come out in lukewarm water," Eloise mumbled, grimacing slightly.

After taking a bath, Eloise swiftly got dressed in her best once again.

Watching this lady, Ayles nodded to herself proudly. 'My darling is really trying to impress the duke.. good... good. If they can fall in love, that would be the best...'

Eloise ran back to her room and brought back the small creation. "I'll get going then,"

"Wait, where are you taking that thing?"

"To the duke!" Eloise rushed out the door before she could stop her.

"Wait, Eloise!! You can't gift the duke that preposterous thing!!!"

"It's not a gift," Eloise shouted as she ran away into the distance.

Madam Ayles leaned against the door tiredly. "Odette, is it my fault? Did I not teach my child well about the matters of heart? Look at her... she is going to gift her lover a... chamber bowl!!!" she held her forehead.

Odette patted her back softly. "It's made of cloth madam.. I believe it won't serve the purpose well."

"Even more so!" madam angrily closed the door.