The Bainbridge Estate

Chapter IV

At the first light of dawn trickling hesitantly into my room through the window glass, I found myself unable to breathe. I gasped for air, unable to see through the smoke that submerged my room in a gray haze. I leapt from the bed and stumbled blindly for the door, smashing my knee into the vanity. I cried out and used my hands to feel along the wall until I reached the door, a goosefeather pillow suffocating my throat. Shallow, stale, poisoned air was the only thing that may have been lucky to slip into my lungs and even then, I could not process it fast enough.

I flung myself into the hallway and nearly collapsed at the identical fog polluting the hallways. I covered my struggling lips with my hands and barreled back in to my bedroom, my hip colliding with the sofa. I fell over in anguish, suffocating in smoke that uncurled from the direction of the fireplace, spoiling my lungs and stealing my life.

Crying out, I rose to my feet once more, staggering towards the windows. My toes followed the rug, untouched by the smoke and my left hand reached out in front of me, desperate for the window. My elbow bent violently and my hands grappled for the window, my vision narrowing to a small pinpoint.

The glass panes I hurled open and the tempestuous smoke flooded out of the house and into the wind, carrying it far away from my home. I leaned over the windowsill, wheezing for clean air, my fingers curling over the exterior brick. Nothing I inhaled could cleanse my lungs fast enough. I remained blind through the black blossoms in my eyes and I fell to the floor, my chest heaving rapidly. I barely heard the bedroom door open and Anne speak.

“What on this good earth moves you to be so--” But instead of finishing her chastisement, she gasped and hurried to my side. “Mistress!” she exclaimed, aghast, setting the candle down next to the pair of us. “What happened to you!” Her hands found my head and lifted it up as I strained to see her severe face amidst the darkness.

“Th-there was sm-smoke,” I struggled, hardly breathing steadily.

“Smoke! My lady, there is no fire going,” she explained. Her spindly fingers combed my wavy hair back and her arms were surprisingly strong as she aided me to sit up.

“Then, please, by all means, explain to me why I was choking on smoke in the early morning,” I uncurled despairingly in my attenuated strength.

Anne’s mouth opened and closed several times. “I’m afraid I lack an answer for you, miss. Are you feeling any better?”

“I shall get better throughout the morning, thank you,” I said, gifting her with a grateful smile. “Though I doubt I shall be able to sleep again.”

She reached her hand out, the white sleeves of her nightgown tattered and sallow. “Come, then. If we cannot rest, let’s not allow ourselves to trifle and instead, let us regain our strength in the kitchen before cleaning.”

I breathed deeply, my vision finally clearing. My housemaid in London had always kept the house atrociously clean, barking angry curses at any speck of dust that dared to fall on the silver candlesticks. Here at Bainbridge, everything was left in disarray, which, as unconventional as it was, left me feeling peaceful. Under the circumstance, however, cleaning seemed like the finest idea. If I could not sort out my mind and the outlandish scares, at least I could clean up my family’s home.

I received her hand and stood to my feet, my knees trembling like a foal’s. “Where’s Henry?” I thought it quite impossible for him to sleep so heavy to not hear my cries.

Anne inhaled a lamentable sigh and her chest heaved dolefully as we tottered to the door. “Henry, visits a friend every month. The pair of them grew up with each other and though his companion does not live near here, Henry makes it a point to pursue his friendship.”