The Servant Girl and The Sea Prince

Chapter Seven: MELINDA

Today was Lord David's long-awaited eighteenth birthday, and the Count and Countess of Huntington were throwing a lavish ball and banquet in their son's honor at the Manor. Parties and balls might be a lot of fun for the attendees, but most servants dreaded such occasions, because it meant more work for them.

At least the extra Kallian penny she will be paid per hour will help Melinda to save up to commission new shoes from Mr. Williamson, the shoemaker in town. The household was a bit short-staffed on account of Nellie and Mr. Hawkins, two kitchen servants, running away together and eloping last week. As a cleaning maid, it was not normally Melinda's job to handle food, but both she and Josephine, the other cleaning maid, had to assist Mrs. O'Malley, the head cook, and the rest of the kitchen staff in the cooking and serving of the decadent, multi-course meal that followed the formal ball.

22-year-old Josephine was the closest thing Melinda had to a friend. The older maid, who had dark olive skin and brown eyes, was very reserved, tending to keep to herself when she wasn't working, but her interactions with Melinda were pleasant enough. Since they were assigned to clean different parts of the house, they didn't often work side by side.

The kitchen in Huntington Manor was relatively big, with a flagstone floor and simple plaster walls. The centerpiece of the hot, steamy room was a large open hearth, fueled by wood. Heavy cast iron pots, pans, and kettles hung from iron hooks over the fire. There was a brick oven built into the wall, and a long wooden table provided ample space for preparing food.

The first course of Lord David's birthday dinner was turtle soup, a dish which Melinda, who adored sea turtles, personally hated the idea of. Her and Josephine efficiently heated pre-made soup tureens and polished serving spoons.

Melinda, Josephine, and a couple other servants entered the dining room to serve the soup. The spacious dining hall had a high ceiling, and the walls were blanketed with colorful tapestries depicting mythological figures, including mermaids.

Being in the same room as so many well-dressed aristocrats made Melinda feel anxious. Even though it was Lord David's birthday, Lord Robert, the Count of Huntington himself was seated at the head of the table, as always. The Count was a plump, middle-aged man with a mustache. Next to him was his wife, Lady Rosemary, the Countess of Huntington, a raven-haired beauty who was twelve years younger than him. The Countess wore a lovely violet silk gown with lace-trimmed, three-quarter-length sleeves. On her long neck was a flashy diamond necklace that Melinda knew must be worth a fortune.

When she ladled steaming turtle soup into a fine china bowl in front of Lord David, the birthday boy leered creepily at Melinda, and then quickly winked at her. She found his flirtatious behavior most unsettling.

The second course was salmon with a creamy sauce. Although Melinda wasn't strictly a vegetarian, she hadn't eaten seafood, except for the occasional clam or oyster, in years, as it seemed liked eating a mermaid's distant relative to her. Being rescued from drowning in the Western Ocean by Poseidon only made her even more disturbed by the sight of the smelly, rotting corpse of a majestic creature of his realm.

"Are you all right, Melinda...?" Josephine asked. The usually reticent maid had apparently picked up on her co-worker's discomfort.

"Yes, I'm fine..." sighed Melinda.

The main course was roasted peacock, which was served with ruby red wine. Melinda and Josephine were supposed to pour the wine, while other servants placed the peacock on the center of the dining table.

Melinda had been trying her best to take the constant pinch of her uncomfortably tight shoes in stride, but the pain had finally grown unbearable. With every awkward step, she felt like she was walking on sharp knives. Hang in there, Melinda, she told herself. Dinner's almost over...

Using every ounce of her willpower, she filled one elegant crystal goblet with red wine after another. She was prematurely relieved when she only had four glasses left to fill: the Duchess of Orange's, Lord David's, the Count's, and the Countess's.

Lillian, the Duchess of Orange was the fifth highest-ranking noblewoman in the entire kingdom of Kallia. She outranked the Count and Countess of Huntington, who were merely the tenth highest-ranking Kallian noble family. Her gown was made of expensive ivory silk taffeta, and had extremely wide panniers and an elaborate stomacher. Melinda couldn't help but wonder how the Duchess managed to fit through doorways in such an unbelievably broad skirt.

Her feet continuing to severely ache, Melinda began pouring wine into the Duchess's goblet. The disdainful expression on the woman's haughty face worsened Melinda's anxiety. Before she knew it, Melinda had spilled the bright red liquid all over the Duchess of Orange's fancy, light-colored gown. Droplets of blood red wine also fell on her stylish white wig.

The whole dining room held its breath for a moment. The silence was broken by the soft plop of the goblet landing on the carpet. Melinda's heartbeat quickened, and her mind raced, imagining the dire consequences of her clumsiness.

"Look at what you've done! You clumsy oaf!" bellowed the Duchess of Orange. Gasps and murmurs rippled through the guests. The Count of Huntington's face reddened with a mixture of anger and humiliation.

"Melinda Sanderson!" scolded the Countess. "What have you done...? You've ruined the Duchess's gown! Does a dirty orphan like you have any idea how much a dress like that costs...!? Consider this your final warning, Melinda. One more misstep, and you will be thrown out on the street. Do I make myself crystal clear...?". The Countess paused for a brief moment, and her face softened ever so slightly. "I hope you appreciate my generosity, young lady...in being willing to give you one more chance. Most of your betters would fire you on the spot...after an incident like this..."

Melinda nodded, with tears in her green eyes. "Yes, ma'am...".

At least the weather is better tonight..., thought Melinda. She realized that it was probably tempting fate to sneak out of Huntington Manor at midnight, once everyone else was in bed, after the Countess's downright terrifying threat, but she was still determined to see Poseidon again.

She removed her cramped shoes, and stepped out onto the sandy beach barefoot. I might be too late..., Melinda surmised. After all, her first encounter with the handsome merman had taken place earlier at night.

Melinda was just about ready to give up and go back to the Manor when an all-too-familiar face and muscular torso popped out of the dark seawater. The glowing stars and waning crescent moon gave enough light to illuminate Poseidon like a spotlight.