Post by narumei on Mar 12, 2008 3:20:44 GMT -5
Chapter 2
A Copper Red Gleam
At 9:35 that morning, Lady Maxine herself approached the mansion, sitting atop a brilliant white carriage driven by two white mares and two footmen in white, two-tailed coats. Abigail laughed heartily from the branch she was sitting on at the expense it must have been to bring such a carriage for someone who wasn’t even there. The carriage pulled up to the house, kicking up a cloud of pale dust. Abigail watched from her hiding spot as the dust settled and one of the footmen jumped off his ledge to open the door. The open door blocked her view of the lady and she craned her neck to see. A white gloved hand reached out and took the man’s, and Abigail saw a white hat emerge from the compartment. She craned her neck still further as she desperately tried to see the woman who, if Abigail failed, would dictate her life and confiscate her freedom for years. She reached out a hand to the branch above so that she could lean still further. Almost hanging from the tree now, Abigail finally saw Lady Maxine. She was wearing an incredibly frilly dress of pale green with white gloves, hat and slippers. The tiny bit of hair that was hanging from her hat gleamed a bright copper red in the sunlight. Abigail saw her mouth moving and strained her ears to hear more. All of a sudden her foot slipped of the lower branch and she was hanging precariously from the tree. She glanced to her left at the window as she struggled to formulate a plan. She had originally come through the upstairs drawing room window and simply crawled along the branch, but now she was higher than the window having climbed up at the trunk. She heard a faint whistling coming from the open drawing room window and she kicked her legs trying to turn so that she could see. Her hands were sweating with anxiety and she could feel herself slipping. She whispered harshly in the direction of the window.
“Hey, who is it? Help me for crying out loud!” she said frantically. She heard the whistling abruptly stop and the footsteps cease. Then she heard steady footsteps rushing quickly towards the window.
“Abby?! Good heavens!” she breathed a long sigh of relief that it was her brother and not someone else, but she started to slip more.
“Yes, me, now help me down!” She said, still as quietly but urgently as possible.
“How in blazes did you get out there?” he asked her, his hands leaning on the window sill. Abigail relaxed her muscles enough so that she wasn’t struggling anymore but merely hanging there, then she faced forwards and said lightly,
“I came through the window, and climbed up.” She finished, he looked at her, one eyebrow raised.
“But, why are you there?” He asked her, as if he saw girls hanging from trees everyday of the week.
“To get away from Lady Maxine, you dolt! Now help me, I’m stuck” she admitted feebly. He grinned at her and leant out to grab her,
“You’ll have to hang on with only one hand so that I can hold your other one” he said.
“Easier said than done, Nat. But I’ll try.” Slowly, so slowly, she lifted one hand from the branch and reached for her brother. When she grabbed his hand he opened his mouth to convey more instructions, but her other hand slipped and she fell. She let out a tiny scream as she started to fall, and her stomach felt like it had flown off somewhere. She squeezed her eyes shut, unwilling to witness her own death when the falling sensation abruptly stopped. She glanced up and saw Nat holding on to her hand with both his own and straining to lift her.
“Abby, I need your other hand, QUICK!” He added hastily as he felt her slipping again. She reached for his other hand but seeing that he couldn’t let go of her left hand, she grabbed his wrist instead. “Now, pull yourself up with your arms. Don’t walk up the wall or it will push you out. Just pull.” She pulled. The fear of dropping was like coffee, sending waves of energy through her until she had at last slid through the window and collapsed on top of Nat on the drawing room floor. She rolled off him and lay panting on the floor; she could hear him panting next to her.
“Oh, Nat, I’m so sorry. Are you hurt at all?”
“No...I’m...fine” he managed between gasps of air. “How...about...you?” he asked
“Oh,” She started, getting up slowly, “I’m fine,” then she jumped, “fit as a fiddle” she grinned down at him. He grinned back.
“Well don’t just stand there grinning like a fool, help me up.” She laughed as she reached for his hand. They both stopped halfway as they heard running feet approaching the door.
“Nathaniel? Nathaniel are you alright?” Abigail could almost feel the blood leaving her toes as her body completely drained of red at her mother’s voice. Nathaniel launched himself at the door, looking much like a cat pouncing on a bird, and turned the lock. Half a second later they could hear the doorhandle being shaken. “Nathaniel? The door won’t open, what’s the matter? Why did you lock it?”
“Oh sorry Mama, I was reading...” he searched for an excuse, “I must have dosed off.”
“But why did you lock the door?” she asked, still shaking the handle.
“You know how I hate being disturbed Mama, I didn’t want any interruptions.” He left it at that, leading Abigail to the desk and pushing her under it. She finally snapped back to reality as she was halfway under.
“Nat! What in God’s name are you doing?” She asked, appalled.
“Just stay there and shut up” he said sternly. He walked over to the door and unlocked it, while saying, “Mama! For Heaven’s Sake, you don’t need to keep doing that. It won’t open unless it’s unlocked. Just wait.” When it opened, Victoria immediately entered the room, looking around her thoroughly. Seeing no books piled on the reading desk, or near any of the chairs, she turned to Nathaniel suspiciously,
“If you were reading,” she enquired turning again to the room, “where are all the books?” He sighed and said,
“I know how you feel about mess, that’s why it took me so long to unlock the door” Both he and Abigail raised their eyebrows at this quick and brilliant lie. Victoria turned back to Nathaniel just as he finished recomposing his regular face.
“Well, that’s all fine. Have you seen Abigail anywhere?” She asked. Abigail froze in her hiding spot under the desk. Nathaniel shook his head roughly. “Well, Lady Maxine is here and we haven’t seen Abigail almost all day. Do you know where she could have gone?” Again, Nathaniel shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. Victoria looked at Nathaniel curiously. “Well, ok, sorry for having disturbed you.” And with that, she left, closing the door behind her. Nathaniel waited, hardly moving, hardly breathing until he heard the sound of Victoria walking down the stairs. Then he went to the desk and grabbed Abigail by her shirt front, for she was wearing more boys’ clothes. He dragged her out of under the desk and pulled her up, very roughly, she thought.
“Abigail, you cannot keep doing this. You know that one way or another you will have to go,” Abigail gasped at his indifference on the matter. “Just go put on a dress and go downstairs.” Abigail had lost the support of her father, her mother and all the servants in the house-hold, but she knew she could rely on Nathaniel. Nathaniel wouldn’t let her get sent away and she knew that he would hide her or argue with his parents to make them let her stay. But she was wrong. Very wrong. Nathaniel, although heartbroken at sending his own sister away, agreed with his parents that it was for the best, and he voiced that opinion to her.
“What?” she asked, her voice just below a whisper.
“Abby, you knew this would happen. Go, put on something nice and meet Lady Maxine.” Abigail was so dumbfounded that she didn’t fight back. She went straight to her room where Amelia was waiting.
“Oh, thank the Good Lord you’ve arrived! Where on earth have you been?” She asked Abigail. When Abigail gave no reply, but simply dropped onto the chair by the window, Amelia rushed over.
“Miss Abby? Oh, Lord, this is the last thing we need. Miss Abby, come to your senses, child!” Abigail raised glowing eyes to meet Amelia’s and said quietly,
“Do not call me “Miss Abby” anymore.” She said, “My name is Abigail. Call me Miss Abigail or nothing.” Amelia’s reaction to the words was the same as Abigail’s father. She stared in open-mouthed shock at Abigail.
“But, we’ve always called you “Miss Abby”.” Amelia protested. Abigail merely sighed and went to the closet.
“I told Mama that I would wear the green dress today. The one with the gold. Could you please help me with my hair?” Abigail asked in monotone. Amelia, surprised and a little scared by Abigail’s change of heart, was quick to obey. She opened the drawers to get the black powder and the brushes. Abigail, seeing her said,
“No. No powder, I don’t know why my hair is like this, but I’m not covering it up for Lady Maxine.”
Amelia started to protest but another penetrating look from Abigail’s eyes stopped her. Amelia helped Abigail into the dress and did up the corset at the back. Abigail hated corsets because she knew she had no use for them. She was completely flat-chested and skinny, but her mother said that they gave her “shape”. Abigail rolled her eyes at the memory. Amelia looked at her in alarm, awaiting a tantrum or a fight. When none seemed forthcoming she resumed tying the many strings and fastening the clips. When the dress was on properly and Amelia was satisfied with the result, she got Abigail to sit in front of the mirror so that she could do her hair. A gentle knock at the door caused them both to look up. The door swung open and her father entered.
“Oh, there you are Abby- I mean, Abigail-we were wondering where you went.” He said questioningly.
“If you must know, Father, I was temporarily busy with some personal matters. But they are seen too now.” She said. He blinked her and realised that she hadn’t really answered his question, if question it was, at all.
“Oh, well Maxine is here, so when you’re ready?” He said it in both questioningly and matter-of-factly. His question, though unspoken, clearly asked whether or not she would put up a fuss, and the other meaning clearly told her that if she knew what was good for her, she would take this stoically. Although it was difficult, Abigail refrained from rolling her eyes at him. She glanced up with difficulty, due to the amount of curling wands that Amelia had put in her hair, and smiled at her father.
“I’m sorry, but I’ll be a tad late. Could you please send the Lady my apologies and tell her that I shall be only a few moments longer.” John looked pleased and started for the door, “and also,” she couldn’t help adding, “please give my compliments to Lady Maxine on her magnificent white carriage and superb mares? Thank you”. He father gaped at her,
“However did you know what she came in?” He asked but was promptly shooed out of the room by Amelia, who was desperately trying to get Abigail’s hair to curl just right. He left, and closed the door quietly behind him.
“Amelia, I’m afraid I haven’t packed anything. I was quite upset last night, and as you know, I didn’t get up until but a few hours ago.” Amelia smiled at her and said,
“Not too worry, Miss Abigail, I’ll have things packed while you meet the Lady.” Although Abigail had wanted her brilliant red streak to be showing, she could see Amelia’s masked attempts to hide it beneath her other curls. Amelia, worried about time, settled with leaving most of Abigail’s hair down, especially around her face, and simply pinning up two long strands of hair from just above her ears to the back, to keep her hair from flying everywhere. It wasn’t perfect, but it still looked very beautiful. Abigail put on a very simple gold chain with a cross around her neck and wore a jewelled jade bracelet. She stood in front of the huge dressing mirror by the window and surveyed the results of her hasty attempt at looking like a lady, but her gaze kept wondering towards the window. She looked outside and to her, it was freedom. The ability to run around, ride horses any way she wanted and to swim in the creek was all freedom to her. She looked back at the mirror. She did look beautiful. Being so young, Abigail didn’t need makeup to cover anything up and she certainly didn’t need anything to draw attention to her face, her eyes were enough for that. She looked herself up and down and sighed inwardly.
So this is what it’s going to be like. She thought uncomfortably, wiggling slightly to make the dress more comfortable. At another knock at the door she turned around to see Nathaniel entering her room.
“Abby, I’m sorry about what I said, but I meant it. You have to grow up.” Abigail sighed again and looked her brother straight in the face, eyes conveying fury that she wouldn’t let her voice do.
“As I have told Father, and Amelia, I will tell you. You are no longer to call me Abby. Just because you are my brother, doesn’t mean that I will allow you to address me that informally. Father is permitted to call me Abigail, but you are only permitted to call me Miss Abigail.” Abigail turned away when Nathaniel reacted in the same way. She was getting so tired of this. Was she really so immature that such an adult request would shock them all?
“But, we’ve always called you Abby!” He proclaimed, louder than Amelia had.
“Master Nathaniel, you heard your sister. She doesn’t want to be addressed that way any more.” She shook her head at him exasperatedly as though she hadn’t said the same thing only half an hour before. Nathaniel looked startled at the impertinence, but didn’t say anything.
“Well, I’m glad you’ve grown up, Miss Abigail.” He said, and to add even more sarcasm, he bowed low to the ground. Abigail turned her head, refusing to be upset by him.
“Ah, you don’t worry about him, Miss Abigail. He’ll come ‘round. You’ll see.” Amelia said happily. Of course, Amelia didn’t know how much Nathaniel had hurt her by asking her to leave.
“Oh, yes, I’m sure it will, Amelia. Well, there’s no sense in delaying the inevitable, I suppose I’ll go down now.” Amelia smiled and started cleaning up the room. As Abigail left, she saw Amelia struggle with a suitcase from the top of the cupboard. She smiled to herself and walked down the passage to the stairs. Hearing voices she abruptly stopped.
“Yes, she’s quite wild. Always acting like a boy and imagining things.” She heard her mother clearly say with a quiet sniff.
“Yes, well we’re used to dealing with such children. It will be no problem for us.” Said the high prissy voice of Lady Maxine. Abigail scowled at the voice, hating its owner to the very core.
“But, not to doubt your experience, Maxine,” said her father, “but are you quite sure you can handle it. She certainly can’t stay here, but I do fear that she is extremely wild. She’s arrogant and conceited, she always wears boys clothing, never does her hair nicely. I don’t know what to do with her.” At this point, Abigail decided that she had heard enough. She stood tall, straightening her back and, with perfect posture, glided gracefully down the stairs to meet her new care-taker. Abigail’s eyes were cold and unfeeling, with trace amounts of despair that lingered from the night before. Her mother had started to say something when she saw Abigail enter the room, but stopped dead, staring at her. Abigail hands were folded together in front of her while she walked, but her head was held high with pride and a grace she had never before tried to adopt. Lady Maxine raised her head from the cup of tea and looked Abigail over carefully. Her face was straight, not showing any emotion and Abigail couldn’t help but admire the way she hid her feelings. Abigail’s experienced eyes, however, could see that Lady Maxine was expecting the worst, and upon seeing Abigail in her dress with beautifully styled hair, she smiled warmly up at her. She stood and extended a thin, slightly aged hand to her.
cont to chapter 2 end
A Copper Red Gleam
At 9:35 that morning, Lady Maxine herself approached the mansion, sitting atop a brilliant white carriage driven by two white mares and two footmen in white, two-tailed coats. Abigail laughed heartily from the branch she was sitting on at the expense it must have been to bring such a carriage for someone who wasn’t even there. The carriage pulled up to the house, kicking up a cloud of pale dust. Abigail watched from her hiding spot as the dust settled and one of the footmen jumped off his ledge to open the door. The open door blocked her view of the lady and she craned her neck to see. A white gloved hand reached out and took the man’s, and Abigail saw a white hat emerge from the compartment. She craned her neck still further as she desperately tried to see the woman who, if Abigail failed, would dictate her life and confiscate her freedom for years. She reached out a hand to the branch above so that she could lean still further. Almost hanging from the tree now, Abigail finally saw Lady Maxine. She was wearing an incredibly frilly dress of pale green with white gloves, hat and slippers. The tiny bit of hair that was hanging from her hat gleamed a bright copper red in the sunlight. Abigail saw her mouth moving and strained her ears to hear more. All of a sudden her foot slipped of the lower branch and she was hanging precariously from the tree. She glanced to her left at the window as she struggled to formulate a plan. She had originally come through the upstairs drawing room window and simply crawled along the branch, but now she was higher than the window having climbed up at the trunk. She heard a faint whistling coming from the open drawing room window and she kicked her legs trying to turn so that she could see. Her hands were sweating with anxiety and she could feel herself slipping. She whispered harshly in the direction of the window.
“Hey, who is it? Help me for crying out loud!” she said frantically. She heard the whistling abruptly stop and the footsteps cease. Then she heard steady footsteps rushing quickly towards the window.
“Abby?! Good heavens!” she breathed a long sigh of relief that it was her brother and not someone else, but she started to slip more.
“Yes, me, now help me down!” She said, still as quietly but urgently as possible.
“How in blazes did you get out there?” he asked her, his hands leaning on the window sill. Abigail relaxed her muscles enough so that she wasn’t struggling anymore but merely hanging there, then she faced forwards and said lightly,
“I came through the window, and climbed up.” She finished, he looked at her, one eyebrow raised.
“But, why are you there?” He asked her, as if he saw girls hanging from trees everyday of the week.
“To get away from Lady Maxine, you dolt! Now help me, I’m stuck” she admitted feebly. He grinned at her and leant out to grab her,
“You’ll have to hang on with only one hand so that I can hold your other one” he said.
“Easier said than done, Nat. But I’ll try.” Slowly, so slowly, she lifted one hand from the branch and reached for her brother. When she grabbed his hand he opened his mouth to convey more instructions, but her other hand slipped and she fell. She let out a tiny scream as she started to fall, and her stomach felt like it had flown off somewhere. She squeezed her eyes shut, unwilling to witness her own death when the falling sensation abruptly stopped. She glanced up and saw Nat holding on to her hand with both his own and straining to lift her.
“Abby, I need your other hand, QUICK!” He added hastily as he felt her slipping again. She reached for his other hand but seeing that he couldn’t let go of her left hand, she grabbed his wrist instead. “Now, pull yourself up with your arms. Don’t walk up the wall or it will push you out. Just pull.” She pulled. The fear of dropping was like coffee, sending waves of energy through her until she had at last slid through the window and collapsed on top of Nat on the drawing room floor. She rolled off him and lay panting on the floor; she could hear him panting next to her.
“Oh, Nat, I’m so sorry. Are you hurt at all?”
“No...I’m...fine” he managed between gasps of air. “How...about...you?” he asked
“Oh,” She started, getting up slowly, “I’m fine,” then she jumped, “fit as a fiddle” she grinned down at him. He grinned back.
“Well don’t just stand there grinning like a fool, help me up.” She laughed as she reached for his hand. They both stopped halfway as they heard running feet approaching the door.
“Nathaniel? Nathaniel are you alright?” Abigail could almost feel the blood leaving her toes as her body completely drained of red at her mother’s voice. Nathaniel launched himself at the door, looking much like a cat pouncing on a bird, and turned the lock. Half a second later they could hear the doorhandle being shaken. “Nathaniel? The door won’t open, what’s the matter? Why did you lock it?”
“Oh sorry Mama, I was reading...” he searched for an excuse, “I must have dosed off.”
“But why did you lock the door?” she asked, still shaking the handle.
“You know how I hate being disturbed Mama, I didn’t want any interruptions.” He left it at that, leading Abigail to the desk and pushing her under it. She finally snapped back to reality as she was halfway under.
“Nat! What in God’s name are you doing?” She asked, appalled.
“Just stay there and shut up” he said sternly. He walked over to the door and unlocked it, while saying, “Mama! For Heaven’s Sake, you don’t need to keep doing that. It won’t open unless it’s unlocked. Just wait.” When it opened, Victoria immediately entered the room, looking around her thoroughly. Seeing no books piled on the reading desk, or near any of the chairs, she turned to Nathaniel suspiciously,
“If you were reading,” she enquired turning again to the room, “where are all the books?” He sighed and said,
“I know how you feel about mess, that’s why it took me so long to unlock the door” Both he and Abigail raised their eyebrows at this quick and brilliant lie. Victoria turned back to Nathaniel just as he finished recomposing his regular face.
“Well, that’s all fine. Have you seen Abigail anywhere?” She asked. Abigail froze in her hiding spot under the desk. Nathaniel shook his head roughly. “Well, Lady Maxine is here and we haven’t seen Abigail almost all day. Do you know where she could have gone?” Again, Nathaniel shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. Victoria looked at Nathaniel curiously. “Well, ok, sorry for having disturbed you.” And with that, she left, closing the door behind her. Nathaniel waited, hardly moving, hardly breathing until he heard the sound of Victoria walking down the stairs. Then he went to the desk and grabbed Abigail by her shirt front, for she was wearing more boys’ clothes. He dragged her out of under the desk and pulled her up, very roughly, she thought.
“Abigail, you cannot keep doing this. You know that one way or another you will have to go,” Abigail gasped at his indifference on the matter. “Just go put on a dress and go downstairs.” Abigail had lost the support of her father, her mother and all the servants in the house-hold, but she knew she could rely on Nathaniel. Nathaniel wouldn’t let her get sent away and she knew that he would hide her or argue with his parents to make them let her stay. But she was wrong. Very wrong. Nathaniel, although heartbroken at sending his own sister away, agreed with his parents that it was for the best, and he voiced that opinion to her.
“What?” she asked, her voice just below a whisper.
“Abby, you knew this would happen. Go, put on something nice and meet Lady Maxine.” Abigail was so dumbfounded that she didn’t fight back. She went straight to her room where Amelia was waiting.
“Oh, thank the Good Lord you’ve arrived! Where on earth have you been?” She asked Abigail. When Abigail gave no reply, but simply dropped onto the chair by the window, Amelia rushed over.
“Miss Abby? Oh, Lord, this is the last thing we need. Miss Abby, come to your senses, child!” Abigail raised glowing eyes to meet Amelia’s and said quietly,
“Do not call me “Miss Abby” anymore.” She said, “My name is Abigail. Call me Miss Abigail or nothing.” Amelia’s reaction to the words was the same as Abigail’s father. She stared in open-mouthed shock at Abigail.
“But, we’ve always called you “Miss Abby”.” Amelia protested. Abigail merely sighed and went to the closet.
“I told Mama that I would wear the green dress today. The one with the gold. Could you please help me with my hair?” Abigail asked in monotone. Amelia, surprised and a little scared by Abigail’s change of heart, was quick to obey. She opened the drawers to get the black powder and the brushes. Abigail, seeing her said,
“No. No powder, I don’t know why my hair is like this, but I’m not covering it up for Lady Maxine.”
Amelia started to protest but another penetrating look from Abigail’s eyes stopped her. Amelia helped Abigail into the dress and did up the corset at the back. Abigail hated corsets because she knew she had no use for them. She was completely flat-chested and skinny, but her mother said that they gave her “shape”. Abigail rolled her eyes at the memory. Amelia looked at her in alarm, awaiting a tantrum or a fight. When none seemed forthcoming she resumed tying the many strings and fastening the clips. When the dress was on properly and Amelia was satisfied with the result, she got Abigail to sit in front of the mirror so that she could do her hair. A gentle knock at the door caused them both to look up. The door swung open and her father entered.
“Oh, there you are Abby- I mean, Abigail-we were wondering where you went.” He said questioningly.
“If you must know, Father, I was temporarily busy with some personal matters. But they are seen too now.” She said. He blinked her and realised that she hadn’t really answered his question, if question it was, at all.
“Oh, well Maxine is here, so when you’re ready?” He said it in both questioningly and matter-of-factly. His question, though unspoken, clearly asked whether or not she would put up a fuss, and the other meaning clearly told her that if she knew what was good for her, she would take this stoically. Although it was difficult, Abigail refrained from rolling her eyes at him. She glanced up with difficulty, due to the amount of curling wands that Amelia had put in her hair, and smiled at her father.
“I’m sorry, but I’ll be a tad late. Could you please send the Lady my apologies and tell her that I shall be only a few moments longer.” John looked pleased and started for the door, “and also,” she couldn’t help adding, “please give my compliments to Lady Maxine on her magnificent white carriage and superb mares? Thank you”. He father gaped at her,
“However did you know what she came in?” He asked but was promptly shooed out of the room by Amelia, who was desperately trying to get Abigail’s hair to curl just right. He left, and closed the door quietly behind him.
“Amelia, I’m afraid I haven’t packed anything. I was quite upset last night, and as you know, I didn’t get up until but a few hours ago.” Amelia smiled at her and said,
“Not too worry, Miss Abigail, I’ll have things packed while you meet the Lady.” Although Abigail had wanted her brilliant red streak to be showing, she could see Amelia’s masked attempts to hide it beneath her other curls. Amelia, worried about time, settled with leaving most of Abigail’s hair down, especially around her face, and simply pinning up two long strands of hair from just above her ears to the back, to keep her hair from flying everywhere. It wasn’t perfect, but it still looked very beautiful. Abigail put on a very simple gold chain with a cross around her neck and wore a jewelled jade bracelet. She stood in front of the huge dressing mirror by the window and surveyed the results of her hasty attempt at looking like a lady, but her gaze kept wondering towards the window. She looked outside and to her, it was freedom. The ability to run around, ride horses any way she wanted and to swim in the creek was all freedom to her. She looked back at the mirror. She did look beautiful. Being so young, Abigail didn’t need makeup to cover anything up and she certainly didn’t need anything to draw attention to her face, her eyes were enough for that. She looked herself up and down and sighed inwardly.
So this is what it’s going to be like. She thought uncomfortably, wiggling slightly to make the dress more comfortable. At another knock at the door she turned around to see Nathaniel entering her room.
“Abby, I’m sorry about what I said, but I meant it. You have to grow up.” Abigail sighed again and looked her brother straight in the face, eyes conveying fury that she wouldn’t let her voice do.
“As I have told Father, and Amelia, I will tell you. You are no longer to call me Abby. Just because you are my brother, doesn’t mean that I will allow you to address me that informally. Father is permitted to call me Abigail, but you are only permitted to call me Miss Abigail.” Abigail turned away when Nathaniel reacted in the same way. She was getting so tired of this. Was she really so immature that such an adult request would shock them all?
“But, we’ve always called you Abby!” He proclaimed, louder than Amelia had.
“Master Nathaniel, you heard your sister. She doesn’t want to be addressed that way any more.” She shook her head at him exasperatedly as though she hadn’t said the same thing only half an hour before. Nathaniel looked startled at the impertinence, but didn’t say anything.
“Well, I’m glad you’ve grown up, Miss Abigail.” He said, and to add even more sarcasm, he bowed low to the ground. Abigail turned her head, refusing to be upset by him.
“Ah, you don’t worry about him, Miss Abigail. He’ll come ‘round. You’ll see.” Amelia said happily. Of course, Amelia didn’t know how much Nathaniel had hurt her by asking her to leave.
“Oh, yes, I’m sure it will, Amelia. Well, there’s no sense in delaying the inevitable, I suppose I’ll go down now.” Amelia smiled and started cleaning up the room. As Abigail left, she saw Amelia struggle with a suitcase from the top of the cupboard. She smiled to herself and walked down the passage to the stairs. Hearing voices she abruptly stopped.
“Yes, she’s quite wild. Always acting like a boy and imagining things.” She heard her mother clearly say with a quiet sniff.
“Yes, well we’re used to dealing with such children. It will be no problem for us.” Said the high prissy voice of Lady Maxine. Abigail scowled at the voice, hating its owner to the very core.
“But, not to doubt your experience, Maxine,” said her father, “but are you quite sure you can handle it. She certainly can’t stay here, but I do fear that she is extremely wild. She’s arrogant and conceited, she always wears boys clothing, never does her hair nicely. I don’t know what to do with her.” At this point, Abigail decided that she had heard enough. She stood tall, straightening her back and, with perfect posture, glided gracefully down the stairs to meet her new care-taker. Abigail’s eyes were cold and unfeeling, with trace amounts of despair that lingered from the night before. Her mother had started to say something when she saw Abigail enter the room, but stopped dead, staring at her. Abigail hands were folded together in front of her while she walked, but her head was held high with pride and a grace she had never before tried to adopt. Lady Maxine raised her head from the cup of tea and looked Abigail over carefully. Her face was straight, not showing any emotion and Abigail couldn’t help but admire the way she hid her feelings. Abigail’s experienced eyes, however, could see that Lady Maxine was expecting the worst, and upon seeing Abigail in her dress with beautifully styled hair, she smiled warmly up at her. She stood and extended a thin, slightly aged hand to her.
cont to chapter 2 end