Story: Veronica and Aunt Miranda. Chapter 7.

by Jackie J

Before leaving, Jekaterina turned in the doorway of Ronnie’s quarters and smiled back into the bewildered eyes of the dishevelled maid, who laid on her bunk, toying with the new adornment, and chuckled.

"When I have had time to endear myself to Lady Singleton, which trust me I certainly will, I will help her to forget the daughter who chose to become a maid," she said. "Enjoy your new life, girl. I know I will enjoy mine. Goodbye."

Still somewhat disorientated and weak from the calming potion that Betsy had administered to her, Ronnie watched the door close behind the elegant Miss in the swirl and rustle of her beautiful dress and the scent of perfume. The girl who was to take her life. Having tried to raise herself from her bunk again, only to dizzily flop back down onto her bunk, Ronnie laid on her back with her thoughts staring up at the bare ceiling of her confinement, Jane’s words fresh in her mind.

Jane looked lovely in that beautiful dress, had a perfect poise and spoke so eloquently. She will make a good companion for Lady Singleton, yes Lady Singleton, like my aunt Miranda is now my Mistress and myself  a mere maid, I should no longer consider myself her daughter. Jane is her daughter now.



She had wanted to be Jane, she had wanted to be a maid. Her Aunt, now her Mistress, had facilitated that and she was now nothing but a maid. It was initially to be for the summer and no one would know but now... Seven months she had been in service at Lowercroft and during that time not only had she acquired the skills of an accomplished domestic but the pretty, slim and articulate young Miss that she used to be was barely recognisable. Veronica Singleton had been devoured by Ronnie mind, body and soul. Her chubby figure, her plain looks and servile demeanor, even the way she now spoke, she truly had become the common housemaid of her desires.

Miranda was surprised that Veronica’s mother had practically disowned her daughter but was happy for Jane, or Jekaterina as it turned out. She had given good service at Lowercroft and Miranda was confident she would make the most of the opportunity given to her by her sister. Miranda chuckled: with Elizabeth’s blessing Veronica was to remain her indentured maid until she came to her senses and renounced her ridiculous life choice.

Miranda had no inclination to seek such a renunciation from her niece. Why would she? Ronnie had become a perfect maid. On the contrary, she would rely on the good services of her housekeeper to ensure that over time the remaining faint traces of Ronnie's privileged past were driven from her. Until her self-sought subjugation was complete and the doorway leading back to the privileged life once enjoyed by  Miss Veronica Singleton, was closed, locked and bolted, sealing maid Ronnie into her chosen life of servitude.

Miranda smiled when her maid served dinner that evening noticing that she wore Jane’s old collar of indenture. No doubt this was a parting gift from the girl who was to take Ronnie's place at the side of her mother at Latchwood, a fitting confirmation of their reversed roles.

Under the instruction of her Mistress Mrs Robinson adopted a much stricter regime for maid Ronnie, ensuring she had little time to dwell on the ramifications of what had transpired during Lady Singleton's visit to Lowercroft.

Months passed and Ronnie slipped further and further into the persona of her desires. The coarseness of her tongue and common restricted vocabulary along with her servile demeanour were becoming deeply ingrained, while her duties and routines at Lowercroft were now an accepted way of life. By the time the first anniversary of her entry into service at Lowercroft came and passed without note there was little if anything left of the sophisticated young Miss Veronica Singleton within Lowercroft’s mousey maid.

If the once pretty Miss Veronica Singleton had wantonly spiralled down the social scale, in equal measure, Jane, Miss Jekaterina Dolgorukov, had been true to the words she had sarcastically whispered into the ear of the girl she was to replace at the side of Lady Singleton. Endeared is probably not a strong enough description of how she had so successfully woven herself into the very fabric of the Singleton household. She had become the perfect daughter Lady Singleton never had.

Lord Singleton, David to the cuckoo in the nest, took some convincing that his daughter had chosen the path she had but Elizabeth was adamant that Veronica was to remain with her sister and there would be no more talk of the matter. There was no sulking or petulance about the opulent manor from the young lady that had returned to Latchwood with Elizabeth. Veronica had been awkward, moody and resistant when asked to accompany her mother to social gatherings, not so Miss Jekaterina Dolgorukov she was the perfect companion and introduced to be the ward of Lord and Lady Singleton was readily accepted within Elizabeth’s social circle. At the insistence of Elizabeth and through his connections within government, David investigated Jekaterina’s heritage and she truly was from noble stock, not royalty but a descendent of a noble line. Knowing more of her mother's past, Jekaterina felt more deserving of her new privileged existence and encouraged by Elizabeth seamlessly coalesced into her new life. 

"But what of Veronica?" was the question, although now very seldom asked around Latchwood and by friends. Elizabeth had not contradicted and was somewhat amused by Jekaterina’s accepted response. Jekaterina had met Veronica at Elizabeth’s sister's and Veronica had admired Jekaterina’s life there so much so that she had wished to adopt it and it was agreed that they would switch. Veronica taking up Jekaterina’s life with Elizabeth’s Sister Miranda in the north and Jekaterina returning to Latchwood with Elizabeth, an accommodation agreed by all concerned. Wouldn't anyone seeing the beautiful young lady, a constant companion to Lady Singleton, also enjoy a similar lifestyle in the north that Veronica obviously now enjoyed? It was inconveivable to imagine that the young lady in question used to be a mere housemaid! 

Another year, then two passed and the engagement of Jekaterina to William, Lord Cornwall’s son, was the talk of the county and beyond. Miranda paused and then chuckled as she saw the engagement announcement in the Times newspaper. Willy the chinless wonder - that is how Veronica had so disparagingly referred  to Lord Cornwall’s son when her mother had tried to broker a union between them some years previous to her new existence. Veronica had publicly humiliated William when he asked for her hand. The shame of being told he was not worthy of her in front of all attending the autumn ball had stuck with him but now he was to marry the beautiful Jekaterina and a wedding date had been set.

Miranda attended the wedding, a magnificent affair, with Jekaterina looking resplendent in her flowing white gown and on her return to Lowercroft Miranda pondered Jekaterina’s request. Miranda’s sister Elizabeth had given up on ever seeing the return of her daughter, having reconciled that Veronica by her own volition was now nothing more than a common housemaid. Elizabeth had made it clear in a letter to her sister some six months before the wedding that the indentured maid at Lowercroft was no longer of any concern to her and that the maid Ronnie girl was hers to do with as she pleased.

It would be fitting in many ways and Jekaterina had been quite persuasive, humourlessly referring to the maid as a wedding gift for her husband. It was understandable: Jekaterina wouldn’t want any loose ends and with Ronnie in the service of her household she could ensure that the truth concerning the privileged daughter of Lady Singleton remained buried at her country estate never to see the light of day. It was doubtful that the chubby subservient cropped-haired Ronnie that Veronica now was would be recognised, even by those who had known her well, to be anything other than the plain maid she had become. William had told his bride of the cruelness he had experienced at the hands of the spoiled Veronica Singleton and Jekaterina was determined to right the wrong. And what better way than to have the conceited little Miss put to work scrubbing the floors of their luxurious mansion to be the maid of the man she had spurned?

There was some reluctance on the part of Miranda signing over the indenture of her maid but it was for the best and it was a grinning Jekaterina who replaced Ronnie’s collar with one of her own. Ronnie felt the fingers of her new Mistress under her chin which raised her head to look into the gloating eyes of Jekaterina.

The pretty thing with a porcelain complexion and bright eyes that had sat all demure with her long blonde hair cascading over her delicate shoulders in her beautiful dresses and jewellery watching her at her work those years ago on her visits to her aunts at Lowercroft was now hers, her indentured maid and what a sight she looked. Her toil at Lowercroft had taken its toll. She looked much older than her years with her dark short cropped hair, rosy cheeks, ruddy complexion and a puffy face dotted with spots. Her weak defeated eyes and her weathered hands held across the apron. She looked shorter than Jekaterina recalled, no doubt due to her fully figure. Swathed in her plain black dress, was this really the once pampered little princess of Jekaterina’s adopted parents, Lord and Lady Singleton?

Jekaterina smirked. 

“You are mine now, girl. You will find my housekeeper, Mrs Ryder, to be firm but fair. Work hard and you will be treated well. Fail in your duties and you will be punished severely. Do you understand?

Ronnie lowered her eyes and bobbed a shallow curtsy, letting Jekaterina’s fingers slide from beneath her chin.

“Yes, Mistress.”

With the maid dismissed to continue her duties Jekaterina sat with Miranda and smiled.

“Thank you for this gift, Miranda. William will be pleased with the surprise I have for him when he returns from Belgium. I have uniforms for her back at my estate. Please find her something to wear for the journey down to Kingsley and I will take her back in the morning.”

Sat in the old ill-fitting clothes she had been given to wear in the cramped third-class accommodation, amongst travellers of similar status for the train journey south, Ronnie considered her fate.

The Auntie-Niece relationship was long over and by virtue of her indenture, she had been for some time viewed no more than a possession by Mrs Shipley. A possession to do with has she pleased. Ronnie had been gifted, her Indenture transferred to the beautiful and recently married Jekaterina. The maid and the life she led that Veronica Singleton had so admired, the maid she wished to become, was now her Mistress. A Mistress whose collar of ownership now hung loose around her neck. 

The life of leisure and privilege that she had forsaken was now well established to be hers. Veronica had taken Jane’s life and it was only right that Jane had taken hers. Ronnie, toying with her collar, squirmed in her seat at the prospect that she was to be the former maid of Lowercroft’s maid and wiping the condensation from the widow smiled out at the passing countryside wondering what uniform her new Mistress had ready and waiting for her.

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