Story: Maid Jenny and Her Mistress. Chapter 3.

by Jackie J

The same clock that had offered its lulling rhythmic ticking rattled into life. The hand of a disoriented Lucy pawed forlornly to seek the silence of the bells ringing. She stretched and pulled herself onto the pillar, her bleary eyes seeing the time to be five thirty!

The wash basin offered some further awakening and, staring at the shears and comb, Lucy scraped back her hair into the tightest bun before concealing it under her cap. She put on clean underwear, drew up her coarse stockings to the broad garter straps and then pulled on her clumpy shoes before tightening the laces. The lace apron gave some feminine definition to her shapeless heavy woollen dress and she was ready.

Menus were pinned by the rota sheet and Lucy got busy with her Mistress's poached eggs and toast whilst brewing a pot of tea, an early morning routine that would be repeated each day.

Her Mistress's tray prepared and noting the time was six fifteen Lucy made her way up to the  bedroom to serve breakfast. The irony of this task was not lost on Lucy. The very same breakfast served at the very same time to when she herself would awake to her maid Jenny serving her. How different she felt now!

Two knocks on the bedroom door and a call to enter followed from within.

Lucy curtsied and presented the tray to her mistress who was wearing a beautiful nightdress and a peignoir.

“Your Breakfast, Mistress.”

Story: Maid Jenny and Her Mistress. Chapter 2.

by Jackie J

Why was she feeling so nervous? This was her own home for goodness sake! This was her good friend Marianne and the girl stood so elegantly dressed at the threshold was her maid Jenny? But it wasn’t really, was it? The lady leading her to the door was Mrs Sunderland and that girl staring down on her from the top of the steps was Mrs Lancaster’s cousin. This wasn’t her house anymore. She was to be the maid at Long Lawns.

Marianne embraced Jenny and both turned to watch Lucy stumble up the steps in her uniform.

Marianne smiled.

“This is Lucy. Jenny, she is to be your maid at Long Lawns.”

Jenny hid her nervousness well. Her mentor, Marianne, had drummed into her during the first three weeks of her training that Mrs Lancaster, her Mistress, had left for foreign travel and the girl she would be returning with would be Lucy, her maid. But seeing her Mistress wearing a maid’s uniform, looking so plain and meek, was hard to comprehend. Still, Jenny managed to follow the instructions Marianne had given her for the arrival of her maid and her rehearsed words flowed with perfect diction.

Story: Maid Jenny and Her Mistress. Chapter 1.

by Jackie J

Chapter 1

Returning to Long Lawns Lucinda was fuming and threw down her purse onto the sofa.

“Jenny, Jenny, Jenny! Where are you, girl?”

Turning to her friend Marianne, who had accompanied Lucinda to the garden party held at Lady Southwards, she continued to voice her contempt for the hostess, a contempt that she had voiced during their carriage journey back to Long Lawns.

“That woman Marianne! The way she arrogantly proclaims her birth right and privilege it is a wonder there is no a revolution. ... Did you hear her? 

“I can tell someone’s class from a hundred paces, a leopard cannot change its spots and those of a low class can never be accepted into the higher echelons of society!”

Jenny scurried into the parlour and curtsied.

“Miss.”