Dressing Delilah

Chapter 1 <3

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Chapter 1. 

The room was dark and cold as Rosa slid into the unwelcoming bed. Lady Maxine had made her rearrange her hair over and over for pure enjoyment, and then once done made Rosa remake her bed twice. “Brush it more!” “make it better!” she yelled at Rosa until her hands nearly fell off. 

“What happened to keep you gone so late?” Elsie whispered from the other bed. 

“You know Lady Maxine, why do you even ask?” Elsie gave a little chuckle and sighed. “Lady Viola made me keep her door open, she said that she was expecting a visitor!” said Elsie and Rosa erupted into giggles just as the door opened and Mrs. Herring came in. “Quite down girls, you’ll wake up the whole corridor!” and the slammed the door behind her as if she wouldn’t make a sound. 

Elsie climbed up on Rosa’s bed and got under the blanket. 

“Do you think that we will ever get out of here?” she whispered. 

Rosa smiled and replied: “yes, and we will go live in that London they all talk about, and make our seasons, then marry fine young men who gift us with roses and chocolate.”

“What i would give for chocolate now,” sighed Elsie. 

“Oh yes, rooms full of chocolate and sweets, and then when we will get old we will sit on big cosy armchairs and knit clothes for our twenty grandchildren, that's the life we will have,” Rosa yawned. 

“Maybe you Rosie, but not me. Your smart and pretty, and create the most delightful clothes, Lady Beth said she will help you become famous, but nothing for me.” 

“But you will come with me and together we will...change the....world...” and with that Rosa fell asleep and Elsie tip-toed back to her own bed feeling lousier then ever. 

Two hours before the sun rose, the bell sounded for the staff to wake and prepare for morning duties. Rosa was not summoned until Lady Maxine or Lady Beth called for her to help dress, so she offered to help in the kitchen preparing for breakfast. 

“No, no dear, no help is needed here,” said Madame Monte. 

“We are almost finished!” shouted Madame Moore, taking out some bread from the oven. Madame Monte and Madame Moore were as some say ‘partners in crime’, known by the house as M and M. They were the two cooks, big ladies with puffy red faces and loud voices, always shouting orders and commands. Although they seemed like two tough ladies, some saw the warm heart in them. 

“You can make your own breakfast, if you have nothing to do that is,” said Madame Moore, joyful as always. As she started to make her breakfast Harry, the footman, walked in behind her. 

“Harry thank god your here, go serve this food to his lordship please!” Madame Monte exclaimed. At the sound of his voice, Rosa blushed and dropped her plates making a loud and unpleasant sound. 

“Rosa Hazel! Get out of my kitchen, your making a right mess of it,” Madame Monte roared.

“I’ll make it dear, you go sit down,” said Madame Moore gently.

“Rosa, I trust you had a good sleep? Lady Maxine didn’t keep you up to long did she?” Always so regal and formal Harry was, Rosa thought as she muttered an apology and ran out of the kitchen. 

At the table downstairs she put down her bread and concentrated on her dress. Lady Beth sneaked some fabrics for her and she was fashioning a tea dress for her as practice with the needle. Lady Beth would be in very big trouble if his Lordship found out, but on other occasions he hadn’t noticed. 

Rosa Louise Hazel had wanted to be a dressmaker all her life. Growing up she lived around the corner from a shop selling evening gowns and wedding dresses, and every morning she would gaze up and think what a pleasure it would be to touch one, to wear one. She then came to work at the Spence house as a housemaid, but her dreams lived on and one day she vowed she would be the most famous dressmaker in the world and move to Paris or London. In the house if ever anything needed fixing or blemishing, it would be given to her. 

“What you making today Rosa?” said Mrs. Herring. Mrs. Herring was the house keeper, second in command to Mr. Grimworth, the butler. Mr. Grimworth called all the shots, but Mrs. Herring had a good deal of input in the situation. 

“I am styling a dress for Lady Beth, the fabric is beautiful with roses, so I am making the design simple as it really speaks for itself. Some black lining and lace at the bottom and collar with a little frill and some bows to tie it up. The black will go well with the rose colouring, two layers will do the trick.” Mrs. Herring stood back, admiring her work. 

“Luck to you, Lady Beth can be quite picky when it comes to what she wears!” 

At that moment Harry came and sat at the table with some bread and butter. 

“Looks great Rosa! Is it for Lady Beth?” he asked enthusiastically.

“Yes, she bought me the fabrics.” 

“Thank god for Lady Beth, she saves this house she does. Really anchors down the others.” Elsie says as she walked into the room. 

“Lady Viola was a nightmare, in a fowl mood. She was sobbing when I knocked at the door. I like it better when she sobs, when she is angry its just scary.” Elsie exclaims. 

Elsie is also a housemaid. She skips around the house, her strong red hair swaying. Elsie is a pretty girl, she has soft blue eyes and a happy smile most of the time. Rosa wished every day she looked like Elsie. Instead she was blessed with golden brown hair and dark brown eyes, most thought her nose was sweet and her soft skin alluring, but she loathed them. Rosa’s temperament was different to Elsie’s though. When Rosa was calm and patient Elsie changes like the wind, and one does not want to be around her when she is not happy. Right now she looked ready to kill, her little pixie nose pointing up with disgust. 

“I’m sure its because her little ‘visit’ did not go as planned, in fact, I'm sure it went much worse.” Rosa had known Elsie ever since she was a little girl, and she knew this was the start of a big rant. The bell went off and Rosa was summoned out to attend to Lady Beth, just in time, she thought. 

The house was a big one, six bedrooms, upstairs and downstairs. His Lordship, The Earl, was very dull but handsome, and didn’t speak to his girls much at all. Lord William Spence locked himself in his study or library every day, and only really spoke to important people there. The study was strictly out of bounds for all family and staff apart from the butler, Mr. Grimworth. 

Lady Martha Spence, the countess, is an overweight woman who liked to sit in her armchair as if it were a throne and growl at all. She also had some beauty among her fowl expression, but one would have to look very closely. 

The oldest son, Oscar Spence is often traveling, so nobody heard much of him until his rare visits. He is an alluring man and all the ladies he comes with fall at his feet as if he has a spell on them. 

Lady Viola is very delightful to the eyes as well. She has blonde hair and deep blue eyes many find charming. Many men find her bewitching, and she likes to play with them under her finger wickedly. 

Lady Maxine is also blonde haired, but it is cut very short and pokes out in odd places. She sticks to her books, but this introverted person is not kind or caring, but monstrous and evil, as she would do anything to ruin her sisters. 

Just like the Cinderella story. Lady Beth is the goddess. She is against upstairs downstairs rules, and is continuously helping the staff, smuggling food and thing they would need to get out of there. Her natural beauty is more welcoming then the others, and her kind heart is one to be noticed by many fanciers.

Thank goodness I have Lady Beth today, thought Rosa as she waltzed into her bedroom.-