Old Secrets, New Discoveries

Chapter Three

Another chapter...please tell me what you think of it :) and my writing...I like constructive critisism a great deal.

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Chapter Three

Rachel forced herself out of bed early the next morning, hurrying to dress and run downstairs. Hannah, the housekeeper, would need her help preparing breakfast. She crept carefully from her room, peaking both ways and moving slowly so as not to wake anyone, but when she reached the stairs she released caution and flew down them. At the bottom was a sharp corner, one she had been running around for every day of her life. It came as a shock to her when as she blew around the corner, she collided with another human rather than the force of her body throwing the kitchen door open for her.

“Oof!” the other person fell backwards into the kitchen with a painful grunt, Rachel landing on top of him.

“I’m so sorry!” she gasped, scrambling up. The person under her threw her off and stood to his feet, glaring at her furiously.

“What are you trying to do, break my neck!? Isn’t it enough that I’m stuck in this hole of a place, without you trying to kill me!?”

Rachel stared into the blazing blue eyes with shock, “Peter, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you, and I was coming down to make breakfast,” she informed him when she found her tongue, “and please,” she added as an afterthought, “don’t shout so loud, you’ll wake the whole house. Everyone was awake until late last night.” He continued to glare at her, and Rachel cringed away, suddenly frightened by the cold, dark look he gave her.

“I’ll bet your mother wouldn’t be pleased with you for attempting to murder her guest,” Peter told her, narrowing his eyes.

Rachel was astonished, how could be so rude? “I slipped. I never expected you to be there and could not see you as I rounded the corner! I did nothing wrong, and you’re not hurt!”

Peter completely ignored her outburst, and stormed from the kitchen. A moment later, Rachel heard the front door slam behind him as he exited the house, and shaking her head she turned to the task at hand. This going to be a long month, if Sir Charles and Lady Eleanor decided to remain the full time. She doubted she had the patience to put up with an arrogant fool like Peter for a whole entire month, but he was an invited guest and would have to be endured. It would make it a whole lot easier if he would quit treating her like trash. This was her territory after all, he was in her home.

Rachel made an uncommon amount of noise that morning as she cooked the biscuits and eggs, clattering a few more pans and clanking a few more plates than normal. Her frustration showed clearly, and when elderly Hannah joined her in the preparations, she knew better than to speak to the girl. To talk to Rachel now would be asking for trouble- possibly in the form of going deaf.

When breakfast was served around the table that morning, Peter found Rachel to be rather clumsy. At least two glasses of water slipped from her fingers, spilling over him. Oh, and an egg just happened to slip off of the platter while she was passing it over him to her mother. Furious, wet, and covered in yoke, he quietly excused himself and left the room. Not however without first giving Rachel a look that warned her of future dangers.

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Peter was furious when he marched from the dining room of his hostess that morning, and had not cooled down since then. Storming through the village streets was not helping his mood much, and the boy was completely unwilling to return to the house. His only other options were the woods and fields the hemmed the village, and as he was not feeling adventurous he chose the fields.