Story: Veronica and Aunt Miranda. Chapter 4.

by Jackie J

Miranda, having indulged her niece to play maid, was initially quite uncomfortable with the arrangement, but seeing her niece demeaning herself like she had, especially after the episode with the indenture, the mocked disdain she had previously shown to try and dissuade her niece had become quite natural. With Lucy having taught Ronnie the etiquette of silver service it was quite entertaining and amusing to have her humbled niece meekly serve table to her guests. With Ronnie’s appearance and developed mannerisms no one was ever considering her to be other than the maid she was. Strangely and increasingly so even Miranda herself was seeing less of her niece in the attentive and naturally subservient maid Ronnie.

Back at Latchwood Lord and Lady Singleton were quite surprised that their daughter had not returned sooner from her extended stay with her aunt in the north. It was mid-September and still with no word from their precious princess or indeed Elizabeth’s sister concerning her return back home. They were becoming increasingly concerned about her welfare.  Over dinner the subject of their daughter was discussed again.

“I am sorry David but if that little minx thinks that by not getting in touch she can stay longer with her aunt she is very much mistaken. Over four months now and only two letters from her  - one when she arrived at Miranda’s and one two months ago. I think we should travel up there ourselves and bring her back.”


David sighed before taking a sip of wine.

“Elizabeth dear have you not noticed how calm things have been at Latchwood since Veronica went to stay with her aunt? We had a saying in the army: let sleeping dogs lay. If Veronica is happy why not let her stay there for a little longer? That last letter, what did Veronica say?  I am learning so much and could not be happier."
David could see that Elizabeth was anxious to have her little treasure back in the nest and smiled.

“Look I cannot travel up there myself but if you are insistent why don’t you write to Miranda and tell her you are coming to stay with her for a few days or so and then bring Veronica back with you?”

It was approaching October with Ronnie seemingly oblivious to thoughts of a return to her privileged existence at Latchwood. She had evolved into, even by the most critical of observations, a perfect housemaid and seemed content with what most would consider a miserable lot. 

Sat at the desk in her study reading the letter Miranda had received from her sister, she considered two options: send Ronnie back to Latchwood immediately or, Miranda chuckled, let Elizabeth see what her precious princess had wanted to become, what she had become -  a common housemaid having signed her own indenture. 

Miranda’s sister was due to arrive at Lowercroft on Wednesday and wishing to spend as little time as necessary in the north had already booked her return journey to Latchwood. She would exchange pleasantries with her sister, politely explain she could not stay long and make her return journey south with her daughter.

Mrs Robinson had told her maids that an important guest would be arriving the following day and that they were to prepare the main guest suite for her arrival.  It was not the first time that Lucy and Ronnie had prepared the rooms for important visitors and with freshly laundered linen to the bed and flowers picked from the garden displayed in vases Lucy and Ronnie giggled wondering who this special guest could be. Not that is was any concern of theirs.

Elizabeth had expected her daughter to be on the steps of Lowercroft to meet her when she arrived, having not seen her for many months, but it was her sister Miranda who greeted her and ushered her into the main reception room. Elizabeth could not acknowledge it of course but she was quite impressed with the cleanliness of the hall. Obviously her sister had made a special effort before her visit. She probably had her servants on their hands and knees scrubbing the gleaming tiles of the hallway to such a glistening sheen.

Sat in the comfort of the well-appointed reception room Elizabeth was anxious to see her daughter.

“I thought that Veronica would have been on the steps to meet me when I arrived Miranda. Where is she?”

Miranda smiled.

“She will be joining us shortly. Let’s take tea, shall we?”

Miranda pulled the call cord and Lucy soon entered the room and curtsied.

“Mistress?”

“Serve tea, Lucy.”

Another curtsy and Lucy was gone to prepare tea for the Mistress and her guest.

Tea served Elizabeth sat speechless having now read the letter of application from her daughter to become a maid at Lowercroft. She listened in a mixture of disbelieve and horror whilst her sister explained how she had initially tried to dissuade but then reluctantly indulged Veronica in her desire to be a maid, hoping that a month’s trial of such nonsense would bring her to her senses.  Miranda having explained how Veronica had relished and continued being a maid in her auntie’s home took a sip of her tea.

Elizabeth stood from her chair and paced the room.

“What... How could you? You have had my daughter for your maid all this time?! Relished it ?! Rubbish! The poor girl must be distraught! You must have forced her to do this... My poor little girl a maid? It can’t be so!”

Miranda smirked.

“Sit down why don’t you. No one forced her, Elizabeth. She wanted to be a maid. I just never believed that she would last a month, never mind much longer and, whilst perhaps of little conciliation for you, I doubt you would find a more conscientious and willing maid anywhere."  

Elizabeth scowled at her sister.

“Stop it! Stop it, my daughter is not a maid!”

Miranda removed the indenture documents from a file and handed them to Elizabeth.

“Really? Then perhaps you should read this. You are familiar with such agreements, are you not?”

Elizabeth slumped down in her chair seeing the signature at the foot of the agreement, like the one on the initial application, both in her daughter’s hand. Elizabeth’s own maids at Latchwood were indentured and she knew exactly what the documents were and what they implied for the signatory.

“Oh no Miranda! What have you done to her? Why would she sign such a document? An indenture for goodness sake!”

Miranda smiled seeing her sister’s realisation that her little princess of a daughter had truly committed herself to be a maid.

“I was not comfortable with it but this is what she wanted. Don’t worry, Elizabeth. I am sure we can come to some arrangement concerning the transfer of the indenture.”

Elizabeth sat shaking her head staring at the document.

“I must see her. I can’t believe this, my daughter an indentured maid? Why would she do this? What possessed her to be so stupid, so foolish?”

Miranda took the indenture documents from her sister placing them back into the file.

“Like I said I am sure we can come to an arrangement with this but on one condition that you do not make a scene or judge your daughter. Her name here is Ronnie I thought it better to have a more common name than Veronica for a housemaid.”

“I will have my housekeeper present your daughter but you will say nothing or I may choose to enforce the indenture. I am sure you will understand that it will be best for all concerned that your mother and daughter relationship is not exposed. So whilst you are here at Lowercroft, if you wish your daughter returned to you, you will accept and treat Ronnie for what she is, what she wished to be, a common housemaid. The sacrifices Veronica has made are no less understandable to me than they are to you but to my amazement Ronnie has become the perfect maid willing and competent whether scrubbing the floors, cleaning and polishing or serving table. Allow her to display her skills unfettered then you can make your judgement but not until."  

An accord was reached between the two sisters. Elizabeth would extend her stay at Lowercroft from the three days intended to two weeks. Elizabeth would say nothing to her daughter treating her for the maid she had chosen to be. In that time she could judge for herself the true willingness and competence of her daughter in the demeaning role of a common housemaid. In return the indenture would be released by Miranda.

Two tugs on the call cord and Mrs Robison entered the room.

“Mistress?”

Miranda smiled.

“Send Ronnie up to clear the tea things will you? And she can refresh the pot.”

Mrs Robinson left and after a short delay a knock on the door was followed by the entrance of maid Ronnie.

Elizabeth stared in disbelieve at her daughter.  Was that her daughter? Her smooth porcelain-like complexion, petite figure, her beautiful long blonde silky hair and the confident head held high, poise of a elegant lady all gone. The apron-wearing uniformed maid who entered and curtsied to her Mistress looked quite chubby, a mop cap pulled over obviously cropped and dyed hair, a ruddy complexion, her weathered skin not having had the benefit and protection of a parasol outdoors. And to complete the image of desecration and ruination of her beautiful daughter the lowered gaze and acquired demeanour and deportment of deference the posture of subservience.

Elizabeth wanted to run to her, hug her but knew she couldn’t and looked straight through her daughter without a hint of recognition. She must treat this girl no different to her own maids if she was to obtain a release from the indenture that her sister held.

Elizabeth had half expected her daughter to burst into tears, fall at her feet begging her to take her away, rescue her from the clutches of her wicked auntie who had subjugated her forcing her to be a maid, take her back to the comfortable life she enjoyed at Latchwood.  If there had been any coercion it was not evident.

The evening prior to the arrival of her mother Mrs Shipley had informed Ronnie that Lady Singleton, her mother, would be visiting to see her sister, that she must remember that she was just a maid at Lowercroft. Whilst Mrs Shipley’s sister was her mother she must not be embarrassed, there could be no familiarity and that Lady Singleton would expect to be treated no differently and be offered the same deference as any other important guest to Lowercroft. 

Having entered the room and curtsied Ronnie, aware her mother was sat with her sister, withheld her emotions, the urge to run to her and hug her. She knew she couldn’t. She must treat this elegant lady no different to other important guests to Lowercroft she was just a maid and knew her place and began to clear away the teacups.

Ronnie had expected her mother to scream blue murder at her for becoming her auntie’s maid and was confused she hadn’t. Her mother treated her maids at Latchwood like dirt, despising their coarseness and humiliating them at every opportunity. Surely, she wouldn’t treat her own daughter that way?

Elizabeth watched Ronnie competently gather the tea cups and having placed them on the large silver tray, having hardly raised a rattle with the saucers, step back and curtsy to her Mistress before leaving the room without a second look towards her.  Was that really her pretty princess?

After Ronnie had left Miranda smiled at her sister.

“Well Elizabeth?”

Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders

“Miranda, can you please explain to me why you have allowed her to demean herself like this? She is your niece for goodness sake! Her beautiful hair, it is cut like a boy's and dyed black! She had beautiful blonde hair. Her figure, she was so petite. The uniform, the way she stands looking so humble. I hardly recognised her when she walked into the room. She looks; she looks like... She looks like a common maid!"

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