Water and Dust

Dezzy had opened the doors and let us into the house. Harry followed us in and chatted about how the house was a maze and we would definitely find ourselves getting lost. The foyer of the house was stunning. It had a shiny, black marble floor with back tables and silver accents. There were many abstract paintings hung around the room and a very large staircase with a navy blue carpet lining it. At the top of the staircase stood an older woman with a nasty scowl. She had salt and pepper hair tied up in a tight bun on the top of her head. She wore a jet black dress with a matching black bodice and a shiny pin on her chest.

"Destiny, you've taken too long." She said in a harsh voice.

"My apologies, Madam. I found these two ladies here to apply for the maid positions, so I took it upon myself to escort them," Dezzy said.

The woman flew down the staircase at an incredible speed for a woman who must have been in her sixties. As she got closer, I could see her face and it was very unpleasant. Not half as unpleasant as Mrs. Patrice's face, but still quite scary.

"You've brought me filth," she said as she looked both of us up and down.

"I apologize, we have been traveling to come here for-" I started.

"-Only speak when spoken to." She cut me off.

I quickly shut my mouth and looked to the ground. She lifted our dresses to inspect them closer. She said nothing as she circled us like a vulture except to make "hm" and "ah" noises.

"Destiny, get these two cleaned up so I can see if there is any potential here that is more than a potential mess on my floor," the woman said. "See me in the servants hall when you're acceptable." She walked off down a hall.

"I have never liked that old bag, she gives me the creeps," Harry said. "Dez, are your sisters around? I had a question that required their council."

Dezzy shot Harry a dirty look and shushed him.

"You know better. They're with mothe- the Dowager Countess," she corrected.

"It was worth a shot," Harry said. "Ladies, I am off to do my day's work. I hope to see you around the manor." He bowed his head and left through the front door.

"Follow me," Dezzy said and led us down a long hall. As we walked down the hall, we saw many portraits and tapestries hanging. The walls were all a dark cherry wood with black molding. At the end of the hall there was a single, tall, wooden door. Dezzy opened it.

"Servants chambers are through here. You'll take your baths here so you can be more presentable for Madam Pytha," she said exasperatedly.

"That was Madam Pytha?" Delilah asked.

"Yes, she has a bit of a temper. Try not to upset her," Dezzy said.

In the room there were already two baths drawn with hot water, soaps and washcloths.

"Are we taking someone else's bath?" I asked. "These are already prepared."

"They're for you. Word spreads quick around here. Undress and I'll help you in," she said, tossing each of us a towel.

I took off my clothes and boots and wrapped the towel around myself. Dezzy reached her hand out for mine and I took it so I could step into the tub. The moment our hands touched I felt electricity surge through my body. I felt like I had frozen in place, Dezzy's eyes caught mine. My body went numb and my vision started to tunnel. I could feel myself slowly falling backwards and everything turning white. The white started to fade into something yellow that looked almost like a sunset. As the sunset started to fade, I saw what looked like tree branches up above me. Was I looking up at a tree? I turned my head and saw a field of flowers and a man. I could not see the details of the man but I remember a beautiful warm smile and red glowing eyes. Was this a hallucination?

"Miss!" I heard Dezzy's voice far off. I closed my eyes tight and everything went black. When I opened my eyes, I felt like my head was spinning. I was standing with one foot in the bath water and one foot on the ground, I stumbled.

"Miss!" She said again, catching me as I slid backwards. With her help I managed to stand up straight.

"Cassandra, are you alright?" Delilah asked. She was already in her bath.

"I-Yes, I'm fine," I said.

"It's the hot water, it can do that to you if you're not accustomed. Sit, relax, you'll be alright soon," Dezzy said as she helped me into the bath. "I'll return when you're ready." She left the room.

"Cass, are you alright?" Delilah asked now that we were alone.

"Yes, I must just be tired, or hungry. I felt dizzy, that's all." I said and laid my head back.

After almost an hour, the door where we were bathing opened.

"Sorry, I'm late!" she said.

"Dezzy, do you have any bread or something we may eat? We've not eaten in a very long while." Delilah said.

"Dezzy?" the girl asked. Delilah and I both turned to look at the girl. She looked almost exactly like Dezzy except this girl's hair was pulled up into a high bun and she wore a black maids dress with a pin.

"Who are you?" Delilah asked.

"Faith, Destiny is my sister," Faith said.

"Oh, we didn't know Dezzy had a sister, let alone that she was also employed here," I said.

"Well, do you really actually know anything about Destiny? I think not," she said rudely. "Get dressed before Madam Pytha finally dies from old age waiting on you two." She laid down two black dresses. Delilah and I quickly put on the maid's dresses and pulled our hair back. We followed Faith back out through the hall and into the foyer again. There was a scullery maid dusting the banister of the staircase. She looked at us and smiled as we walked by, I smiled back.

"Don't look at her. Don't speak to her," Faith said very finally as we went into another hallway.

"Why?" I asked as Faith opened two large double doors. Inside was a large two level library. It had large windows that looked out over the grounds. The shelves were filled wall to wall with books of different sizes and ages. Some of the books looked ancient. In the center, next to a large black writing desk, stood Madam Pytha with a scowl on her face.

"Late," she said. Faith bowed to Madam Pytha, exited the room and closed the doors behind her.

"This is Master's library. This is one of his favorite rooms in the house and place where he often sits to relax. What do you notice about this room?" She asked.

"It's full of books," Delilah said.

Madam Pytha rolled her eyes.

"I hoped you weren't as dim as you looked, it's a library. Of course it's full of books," she scolded Delilah.

"It's a little dusty, but quite beautiful," I said.

Madam Pytha walked over and towered over me with her small beady eyes.

"That was the first test for your application. You-" she pointed at Delilah, "have failed."

"D-Does that mean I won't be a maid?" She asked nervously.

"It means you won't be a house maid." Madam Pytha walked over to a set of bells hanging beside the entryway. She grabbed the bell closest to the door and rang it.

"You-", she said as she walked back over to us, "You will have your second test." She picked up a bucket of cleaning supplies from behind the desk. "Clean the library."

"Will the Master be here this evening?" I asked as I looked around slightly overwhelmed by the task I had been given.

"Of course not," she said as the doors reopened. Dezzy walked in with the scullery maid we had seen.

"Take this one to Morgan," she said and nudged Delilah in the back. "Well, get to it," she said and left the room.

Delilah shot me a concerning "I'm sorry" look as Dezzy escorted her out and closed the door. I looked around the room and at all of the book cases. I ran my fingers along some of the shelves to check the amount of dust. I went back and examined the desk. On the top of the desk there was an engraving of a scepter and cypress leaves. I couldn't believe how beautiful everything in this house was, even the engravings on the wood. I pulled the desk chair out. It was black wood with blue velvet cushions. I sat in it for a moment. It had just hit me that I was stuck in this library by myself. It was just me and the books, alone. I loved it.