The Unknown

Chapter Eleven

"Child! 'Oi! Anyone 'ome?" Liz's fingers snap in front of my face. I feel my fingers loosen on the stick of the broom I'm holding. "Goodness child, you really need to focus! Did you 'ear a word I said?" 

I shake my head no which receives a sigh, "Go on upstairs and get misses ready for the night. It's get'ing late for 'er and she 'as a big day tomorrow. If you 'urry up, you can get to bed early yourself."

"Big day?"

"The monthly lunch? Or 'ave you forgo'en? Tomorrow is the monthly family lunch. Misses will be there, Ophelia 'erself will show, and even Alexander will join. We all 'ave to get a good sleep for tomorrow. You never know what these family lunches can bring." She shakes her head and mumbles to herself as she walks out of the ballroom. I take my broom and head to the kitchen. 

The last family lunch there was caused Ophelia and Victoria the worst argument of both of their lives, something about Victoria going to London or France. Almost every one of these lunches was a huge feast that involved a lot of preparing in the morning for Liz and I. We usually worked ourselves to the point of exhaustion with nothing left over for us in return. But they seemed like they would be fun for the family. 

I look down the left to see my father at the head of the table. His head is rocked back, his laugh filling the room. My mother beams at the right hand of him, something she must have said. His laugh was something else, causing other people to want to join in. I look down the table at each person, most of them I didn't recognize. They seemed important and business-like, but they all smiled at my father who was enjoying himself in the highest degree. I look down at my plate full of my favorite foods; turkey, carrots, potatoes, and apple pie. Not sure how the apple pie fit into the dream, but it was there and I'm not complaining. Another laugh joined my father's and I look up to see who's laugh it was, and that's when our eyes met. It was Alexander, he sat across from me. And when he laughed, he was looking directly at me. It wasn't loud or annoying, it was more of a chuckle. It was the kind of laugh that only happened on accident, a giddy laugh. I smiled at him and he smiled at me, and I could have stayed there forever with the way his eyes shone when he saw me, almost like he was proud of me.

"Come on, again? Really Mae, you need to get a handle on this day dreaming." Victoria grabs my sleeve and drags me into her room. 

"Yeah, I've gathered that," I muttered.

"What's that?" 

"Nothing." 

"Good. Can you grab my night clothes? There in my drawer." She sits at her bureau and begins to let her hair down. I grab her nightclothes without making a sound. When I turn around, I find Victoria staring at herself in the mirror and crying. I don't move a muscle, I don't think I even breathed. She was so quiet yet she looked so different, young and afraid. I didn't know what to do.

"Ma'am...are...are you okay?" I take a tentative step towards her and then decide to wait for her orders.

"What's it look like? No! No I'm not okay!" Her head falls into her hands and she covers her face, "He left me today." Her quiet sniffles fill the air. My brain reels thinking about who she possibly could be talking about. Did Alexander leave? He couldn't have, he wouldn't have left without hearing back from me? But that's highly illogical to think, surely he wouldn't wait for me.

"Who?"

"The man you saw the other day. He refuses to come back. He says he can't handle me." This time, I walk over without hesitation and begin to rub her back. Much to my surprise she leans her head into my stomach and cries.

"It's okay ma'am. It may be for the best."

"Oh I know. But...but it still...it still hurts." She leans back upright and begins to fan her face. Her eyes had turned an aquamarine but she still looked beautiful. If only I looked like that when I cried. "I'm sorry you had to see that Mae. Thank you. You can go now." She stands up and ushers me back the way I came. Gently the door is closed in my face and I turn to walk down the stairs but stop. That was the first time Victoria has ever called me by my real name.