The House On the Hill

Chapter 2: Oxford

                                                                                Chapter 2

                                                     Burnley, England  September 1, 1887

I had just finished cleaning out my first room of the day, when I heard someone running down the hallway.

"Addy, Addy, Addy!!"

Oh no. The use of my pet name meant only one thing: Georgie.

"Addy!!!"

My best friend since age 3 nearly knocked me over as she slid to a stop right in front me. Her face lit up with excitement and her orange curls flung out in all directions from the already messy bun they had been tamed to as she nearly shouted, "Addy, I have the greatest news man has ever known!!!"

Now, with Georgie, that could either mean that a time-traveling device has been invented or she found a farthing in the room of a negligent guest. But, whatever the news may be, I was not about to get a lecture from Bess, the "Housekeeping Specialist", about shouting in the hallway and disturbing the guests.

"Georgie, wait! Hold on!" I plead as I dragged her into the room I had just finished scrubbing down so we would be out of earshot of the guests still snoozing at 8 in the morning. "Georgie, you know Bess would have our heads if she heard we were waking the guests."

"Who cares about Bess? I have great news!!" Georgie nearly screamed while she hopped in place, barely containing her excitement. "Grant came back today!!"

Now I felt like jumping up and down! Grant was another old friend who also worked for "The Crooked Billet Inn". But, he was much higher up on the ladder then household maid. Grant worked as "Head of Economics", basically he was in charge of money. He had been down in Abingdon for a relative's wedding and Abingdon was about 10 miles out of Oxford, home of the famous university! I have always wanted to go to college ever since I knew what it was. But, college was normally a male-only subject and with my mother working at a pub and father a librarian, the cost of college was a big obstacle also. But, I never quite gave up on it and when Grant told me he was going to Abingdon, I practically begged him to check out Oxford. He did so and would have so much to tell me!! The only issue was, I had about four more hours until I break for noon meal. But, if I had to wait, I would. Georgie was still very excited by the time Bess finished chewing us out for "neglecting our work and the interest of the guests" for "nothing other than a silly fantasy". But, even that didn't dampen my spirits and by noon, I had cleaned my morning quota and was on my way to the servant kitchens when I saw Grant! I tracked him down by his hay-colored hair and begged him to tell me all about Oxford.

"But Adelina!" he gasped. "Aren't you supposed to be cleaning the rooms and  'upholding the backbone of this inn'?"  He said, quoting Bess, ocean eyes sparkling with humor.

I smiled and played along."Why Mr. Nettles, I do believe you would be correct under normal circumstances but, you see, it is noon and therefore I have a brief break for noon meal before it is back to the old broom."

"Ah, quite right, indeed you do." He smiled. "Well, in that case, let me join you for noon meal and I shall spin you many a story about good ol' Oxford."

And indeed he did, much to my delight. Grant told me all about the wise professors, marble halls, and towering bookcases in the library that stretch as far as the eye can see. My head was almost spinning with descriptions of the classrooms, dorms, dining hall, the labs and everything else. The already growing hunger for education I had accustomed was now a desperate need! But, the need would have to wait for tuition fee and right now I had my afternoon quota to fill. On about my 3rd room, I heard the thumping of Georgie running down the hall, again.

"Oh Addy!" she exclaimed. "I have the most wonderful news!!"

Twice in one day? What on earth could this be about this time?

"You will absolutely lo-" she started to explain.

"Well, well, well." came a voice from the end of the hallway. A voice we were all too familiar with. Georgie and I looked at each other with the same thought in our heads: Bess.

"If it isn't Miss Georgina Hull?" Bess sneered as she turned into the hallway, casting a eerie shadow that blocked all light. "Oh, and is that Miss Kent with you as well?"

"Yes ma'm" we both answered.

"Well, what in God's name is the reason that you both are not working?" Bess shouted.

"Well, actuall-" Georgie started to explain.

"NO!" screamed Bess. "There is no reason that you should not be cleaning rooms! You two are maids and maids are the backbone of the inn. Without maids, there would no clean rooms." she said, her voice turning toward a sickly sweet tone. "Without clean rooms there would be no guests and what is an inn without guests." she hissed from between her teeth, daring us to answer the question. "I am sick and tired of you two abandoning your work for your little gossip sessions!! Now, the next time I catch you two together without a broom in your hands, there will be terminating consequences!! UNDERSTAND?" she said with a glare in her eye that would have frightened a bear.

"Yes ma'm" we both whimpered since we knew that "terminating consequences" meant the end of our jobs.

"Now, back to work!" she instructed and marched off to yell at some poor other maid that wasn't working up to her standards.

"Whew, that was close." said Georgie, her forest green eyes lost no excitement though and we both went back to work until 6 for our evening meal. When evening meal was over, Georgie was back at my side with all the excitement she had been consumed with before we were yelled at by Bess.

"Addy, you will not believe what I learned today!" she squealed. "I was talking to Mary today and she said that her cousin from a whee little town called Clitheroe told her that there were some houses down there that are in need of the careful touch of a maid. Now Clitheroe is not that far away from Oxford, probably about 10 miles, and we both hate these awful jobs so....."

"Are you suggesting that we both uproot to a town called Clitheroe, that we do not even know exists, leave behind Grant and everyone, to get jobs, not too different from these, all at the promise of easier access to Oxford?" I asked. The idea seemed crazy. I long for Oxford yes but, this seemed a little rash.

"Oh come on Addy!" Georgie pleaded. "It doesn't have to be permanent and Grant would write. Don't you want to go to Oxford anymore?"

"Well, I do but-"

"Well then, this is the perfect opportunity!" she exclaimed. I sighed because when Georgie gets her mind set on something, there is no convincing her otherwise. "Well," I thought, "How bad can it be?"

"I guess we can see how it goes." I finally forced out. Georgie squealed and hugged me with all her might. As she flounced off to give Grant the wonderful news, and plan out her "I Quit" speech to Bess, every bit of her seemed to be glowing right down to the mask of freckles on her face. 

"I hope this ends well." I thought to myself though, I couldn't but be a little excited." Next stop, Clitheroe."