I heard the jingle of the keys before my bedroom door unlocked. This only meant that my workday was starting.
The hauntingly black figure of the head maid appeared in the still black shadows of early morning and threw a burnt piece of bread at my feet, which would serve as breakfast.
The maids’ and servants’ corners were in the north wing of High Hill Estate. The estate currently housed Duke Kestrel and his family. After the uprising, ten years prior, they were moved here to oversee governing the capital of Airedah—Seagull’s Bay.
I grabbed the bread quickly before rats could spot it and immediately ate it to satisfy the rumbling in my belly. I would later have any leftover scraps from the duke’s breakfast.
My day started around four in the morning, so this little piece of bread would have to carry me until then. I tried to savour it, but my hunger compelled me to shove it in my mouth and eat it promptly.
I snatched my black maid’s garment from the small wooden peg near my bed and pulled it over my head. I slid my toned arms in the sleeves and pulled down near the waist, smoothing any wrinkles over my stomach and chest. The lacing on the front was easy to tie and helped adjust the somewhat enormous dress on my frame.
I wasn’t petite, but I was not big enough to fit in it properly. However, they only gave me this garment when I was sold to this estate one year prior.
“Ida, hurry up!” called the head maid from the darkness of the hallway.
She had already freed most of the other servants and maids, and I could see their black silhouettes passing in front of my opened door. She was looking at me with her usual displeased look.
I was probably the most annoying one out of all the servants and maids she had to keep in check. It wasn’t my fault, though; I wasn’t born into this life of indentured servitude, and the system was unfortunately rigged. Once you neared the end of your indenture somewhere, they would sell you to another home, and you’d have to restart your contract with your new owner and work until you had repaid your value. It was a way to keep us as slaves.
I had lived this way for almost a decade now, and I had issues with being compliant. What could I say? Old habits died hard.
I pulled my white apron over my tousled hair and deftly tied it on my back.
While moving to the door, I slipped my feet into my thin leather work boots and hid my red hair in a bonnet. Although it was not uncommon to have red hair, it left people with unsettling feelings because all Cardinal descendants had red hair. Having fiery red hair in this new era was not something people would consider lucky.
The late King Cardinal and his predecessors, who reigned for well over five hundred years over Airedah, had all bright red heads in the paintings I had seen. The new king would have destroyed most of them now, though.
Since my hair was that unfortunate colour, I hid it as much as possible under any headwear. If I had to wear a cap, I used a mix of ground coffee and tinctures to colour my hair a dirty brown.
They had whipped me frequently in my past indentures just for having that colour. Anything remotely red was now forbidden—a painful reminder for anyone still loyal to the old crown.
I closed the door hurriedly behind me, shuffled between the others, and we went close to the kitchen quarters to learn about our work schedule for the day.
They assigned many maids to the scullery or kitchen, others, laundry or the main lobby. Since I was among the prettier maids, they usually sent me to the parlours or living quarters where lords and ladies lived—they always sent the nicer one with a pretty face and all their teeth to better blend with higher society.
“Ida and Maud, you two are tending the young lord’s floor today. No one else is available to do it,” the head maid disdainfully said. “He will be entertaining lady guests, so ensure everything is spotless and his guests are well received. I will send you some kitchen maids around teatime.”
I rolled my eyes. The young lord was probably inviting single ladies again, hoping to find a wife. I had heard that this was a common occurrence. After all, he was indeed a wealthy and very eligible bachelor.
Duke Kestrel’s son, Alexander, was a mystery. I hadn’t even met him, but I already feared him. Apparently, he was very intimidating. He didn’t like to have maids running around his quarters, and his floor was off-limits to us except on special occasions like this one.
I glanced at Maud and saw the same uneasiness in her eyes. Good. I was glad not to be the only one with this weird feeling inside my stomach. I had never worked on Lord Alexander’s floor, so I didn’t know what to expect. I knew Maud had worked there twice, so my uneasiness diminished a little, knowing I would follow her lead.
I moved to the front, where the head maid was, and took the key she held out. It was the master key for the young lord’s floor. I heard Maud scuffle behind me, grabbing other necessities we would need.
Before I could leave for the servant’s stairs, the head maid grabbed my wrist. “Do not enter the room with the carved wood door. That one is… off-limits, and if one of you goes inside, you will suffer the consequences.”
Her eyes lingered on me a bit too long, and I understood what they underlined.
I had to behave.
My curiosity last week earned me five lashes on my backside. I winced at the thought and nodded before heading to my destination.
I pushed the door to the fourth floor, and once Maud and I were out, I closed it neatly against the wall. The servant’s stairs entrance was behind an enormous painting and looked like the end of a corridor. It was seamless. If you didn’t know what to look for, you would think this part of the floor was a dead end.
Maud pointed in a direction, and I knew she silently told me to take care of that section.
We hurried and cleared the hearth, eventually lighting fires in all the main rooms. It was winter, and having friendly fires in the foyers would do wonders for all the lady folk who would gather here briefly.
I used to love sitting near my fireplace to read a good book. Faiths, it’s been ages since I have done anything remotely for myself and leisure. These last ten years have been hard on me.
The lord was nowhere to be found. He must have left early to start his busy day. I didn’t fancy a chance to meet with him—especially with the gossip I had heard about the man. Still, there was no need for us to linger here too long.
I set out to one of the main reception areas and determined this would do nicely for teatime. I started dusting and polishing the furniture.
I saw the carved wooden door that I could not open from the corner of my eye. It was stunning and looked to be a massive slab of hard oak. Just looking at it made me wonder how someone would push open such a door. It looked cumbersome.
To my surprise, the chamber door opened, and a tall half-naked man walked out. I hurriedly lowered my head and pressed my back to the wall, but not before I saw him smirk. He was only wearing his night trousers, and his torso was all on display.
I tried to hide the growing redness of my cheeks. Although it was not uncommon for the residents of this estate to walk as they pleased in their assigned areas, they usually kept themselves in the proper attire. They were shy, always afraid of what chatter could follow their indiscretions.
Once I heard another door open and close further away, I returned to fluffing the pillows and straightening the paintings.
I noticed the door from which the man had come out was still open, and my curiosity got the better of me. Technically, if I passed by and took a peek, I still respected the head maid’s warning. I would not open the door or go into the room.
“Loophole,” I snickered to myself. Good thing there was a painting that needed “straightening” right beside the door.
The hallway carpet muffled my steps, and I quickly went in front of the door to peer within.
It was pitch black, and the room did not have windows, which I found pretty odd. But the overall feeling that the room gave me was like a warning.
The hairs on my neck stood up when I smelled the metallic scent of blood, rust, and sweat.
A door at the far end of the corridor creaked. I took that as my cue to resume my work. I hadn’t started on anything essential, and there was much to do.Peering under my bonnet, I saw Maud coming out of what I assumed was one of the guest rooms. She took one look at me and quickly dashed around the corner.I thought her reaction was strange, but I was also jumpy from being on this floor.The sudden heat behind my back, and the hot whisper close to my right ear, surprised me.“You’re a curious one, aren’t you?” The voice was husky but also made me shiver in all the right places.I hurriedly turned around and was face to face with the half-naked man. I understood why Maud had left in a hurry. I bowed my head and tried to touch my back to the wall but couldn’t find it.The man stepped toward me, and I kept striding back while extending my arm behind me in the hope of finally touching the damn wall.“Did you see anything interesting?” The man asked interestedly.“No, my… lord?” I had sa
I bolted towards the servant’s stairs hidden behind the painting and almost hit Maud. She had a fear-stricken face, but her gaze softened a bit upon seeing me. Was she waiting for me to return? “A-are you okay?” She asked, skittish. Her eyes looked up and down to see if I was well. I also saw her glance at my back to see if someone was following me. I grabbed her black sleeve, dragged her with me within the confines of the secret stairs, and let out a deep breath I was keeping inside until I was sure to be safe behind the closed door. I held myself up with the unfinished wall and searched her face, hoping to decipher what she was thinking. Frankly, I only saw fear, so I sighed softly. She must have had a good reason to be acting this way. “Spill the beans, Maud. What’s gotten you so riled up suddenly?” “I-I saw you go in t-there. T-the room. Usually, w-when people go near that r-room, they don’t come back,” she explained with a shaken voice. “And you know this how? I mean, if n
The head maid had been giving me queer looks ever since the incident with the lord two weeks prior. They had not punished me for anything because neither Maud nor Lord Alexander said anything about it to her. Still, she kept giving me weird side glances every time she saw me. Luckily, they asked me to report on Lady Lucia’s floor these last few weeks. I enjoyed working for her. She was Duke Kestrel’s wife. A sweet lady with a playful side. She made me think she wasn’t born into nobility. She had a very laissez-faire attitude about many things—something no respectable noblewoman would have. While I waited for her, she would often talk about her youth and all the mischief she would get into. I adored working in her quarters. It was just so much simpler. Lady Lucia never reprimanded me and always asked how I was in the morning. She would even let me stay with her while she had tea and read her poetry books aloud, so I, too, may enjoy it while cleaning and polishing chandeliers. I fe
I could still feel Lord Alexander’s burning gaze on me while his mother made small talk before sitting in her chair.I stayed even though I felt a bit out of place when they didn't dismiss me right away. The conversation they were having made me feel uneasy.“Could you please reason with that man, Mother?” Said Alexander.The young lord was resting on the edge of his seat. He hunched over with both his elbows lying on his muscular thighs. His demeanour was severe but almost desperate, and I noticed Alexander still kept eyeing in my direction. Maybe he didn’t like that I was forced to stay and listen to their conversation.I made an “ahum” sound in my throat and hoped that his mother heard me, but she continued her conversation regardless that I was in the room.“You know I cannot change his mind, my love. He’s a stubborn man, your father, and he only wants you to find someone and settle down. You’re the heir to High Hill; you should have been married a long time ago,” she replied; her
Alexander’s still dark gray eyes stared at me, analyzing my expression. Was he waiting for an answer? He inched closer. He smelled like the forest—a mix of pine, spruce, and earth that made me long for my missing freedom. I was convinced that smelling like this was not natural. However, his scent was intoxicating, and I knew I needed to tread carefully about the reaction my body was giving him. I kept eyeing his lips, imagining what they felt like. They looked so soft. I could see myself wrapping my hands behind his head, curling my fingers in his dark unruly hair while tasting his mouth, teasing him with my tongue, and nipping his full lower lip. My legs clenched at the sudden heat I felt down in my belly, and I became hyperaware that I was not acting like myself. I saw Alexander stiffen. I hoped he didn’t notice what he was doing to me. I was so ashamed by the wetness that overcame me I could hardly look at him when I replied, “I’m sorry, milord, but I’m afraid you will have to
I followed the footboy to the fourth floor. He hadn’t used the servant’s stairs; Instead, the boy had beckoned me to follow him through a new section of the estate I had never seen before and ushered me into a small-looking broom closet. An oil lamp was lit, and I noticed a bare tiled floor and wooden walls instead of brooms and cleaning supplies. He effortlessly slid close the door and pulled down a lever. I had a weird sensation that gravity was pulling me toward the ground. However, I soon realized that it was because we were going up. I didn’t know this estate had elevators—they were relatively new. I waited patiently behind my guide. The boy had soft brown baby hair curling around his ears. He must not have been over ten years old. He was wearing a black vest with a white dress shirt tucked into navy-blue pants with one white line following the outside seam of the leg. I had so many questions I wanted answers to, but when I opened my mouth to ask them, the boy let go of the
My eyes flew open, and my arms grabbed each side of the tub to sit upright. I brought my thighs toward my stomach, hoping to hide my nakedness. Water splashed everywhere, and nothing in my movements was graceful. I glared up at my uninvited guest. How dare he come in without announcing himself? Alexander had his left shoulder pressed on the bathroom door frame, a sly smirk on his godlike face that I momentarily hated. Both his hands were in his front pockets. He looked amused as my cheeks flushed with shame… and maybe want. Faiths, I really wanted him, but I also wanted to punch him! “Oh, don’t stop on my account; I was really enjoying this! Do make it a habit.” He winked. His eyes were still black. I thought I had imagined them ever being gray. Whenever I saw Alexander, I thought I saw their pale gray colour, but they seemed to darken unexplainably when he suddenly noticed me. I hugged my knees to my chest, looking at him, trying to pull the most infuriating, scolding, death st
I woke up early to a soft knock on my door. The sun was not up yet, but I could see the faint tell-tall sign that it would rise soon through the window. I pulled myself out of the blankets and padded toward the door. I was surprised to see Leo. The small boy smiled shyly and held out a tray with breakfast food and hot drinks. “May I come in?” “Of course!” I gestured him in, and he wobbled to the small table in the room. The tray was clearly heavy and way too oversized for his small arms. “I thought you might be hungry, so I went in the kitchen and fixed this up for you,” he scrunched his nose a bit. “I didn’t know if you liked tea or coffee, so I brought both.” That was thoughtful of the little man. He was already dressed and ready for the day. I eyed him silently, taking him in. It occurred to me I didn’t even know what kind of work he did for Alexander. “What exactly do you do here?” I asked while taking the teapot from the tray and pouring some into a cup. I would pour some