Know Who to Count On

Chapter 7: How Much is a Life Worth?

The rest of Melody's day went by in a blur. She heard all the staff talking about the cute lunch date Alexis and Jennifer had gone on, including those who were insinuating what they might have done alone in the garden. Things quieted down for a bit when he and Veronica left, but the rumor mill began anew after they returned. Melody rolled her eyes at it all, feeling oddly frustrated by seeing her sisters romanced by a handsome semi-foreign noble, any one of them about to go off and start their 'happily ever after' away from this family. Melody hated days like this one where she started questioning her place in life. It often happened after she re-lived an unpleasant memory. There was always a brief period of feeling extra humbled or grateful for what she had in life; however this seemed to often be followed by a period of disgruntlement. As if being knocked down too far triggered some survival instinct to rise up in response.

This usually only made her more annoyed with herself. What good did it do her to think she deserved something better? She'd thought about running away in the past but she knew she would be easy prey to some sharp eyed man on the street. She'd be pegged as naive, vulnerable, impressionable and weak. At least here she knew who to avoid and who she could trust, even if that number was unhealthily small. No, it was better here where she knew how to survive. The chances of her meeting someone who would actually help her, rather than take advantage of her, was infinitesimally small.

As always, she came back to the conclusion that leaving was stupid. It was possible that worse fates awaited her out there. This inevitably brought her to some sort of middle ground of acceptance and annoyance. Acceptance with her lot in life and annoyance that this was, yet again, the conclusion. She was just starting to enter this phase when she went to bed, choosing not to read but rather to stare aimlessly at her window and the stars beyond until she finally fell asleep.

The next day dawned, much to Melody's despair. She had not slept well and already felt like today was going to be a dismal one. She got herself together and reported downstairs, jumping in to help the kitchen staff prepare breakfast. This wasn't something all the maids did, but she didn't have a lot else to do this early so she usually chipped in. As the last plate left to feed noble mouths, Melody heard the housekeeper calling out to her. It was sometimes hard to tell with Mrs. Stonewright, but she almost sounded more annoyed than usual.

"Yes, Ma'am?" she responded as she approached, patting her hands on her apron to remove the last of the dampness.

Mrs. Stonewright almost growled. "I don't think Janet is coming to work today. She was acting strange last night as she left, babbling on about better opportunities elsewhere." The woman sighed. "I fear she had a run in with Jonathan or something similar. She didn't seem like anything had happened to her, but perhaps it came close enough that she decided to leave while she still had the chance." Melody nodded. It was a story she knew all too well and while it did chip away at something in her to see people leave her behind, she was also glad that they would be safe.

"You need me to help with the noble's wing or Lady Lane?" she asked, knowing Sarah couldn't do it all. They could probably pull Cassie to help with a room or two, but Melody was there and able-bodied. Even if it meant putting her in the path of her family, they had to on occasions like this. They didn't have much choice.

"Unfortunately," Mrs. Stonewright agreed. "Go help Sarah with the noble's wing. The two of you can probably knock it out while everyone is at breakfast. I'll take Cassie to Lady Lane and see what we can do there. That stupid ball is tonight where our guest of honor will announce who he's marrying. Most of the guests for that have only just arrived in the last day or two so hopefully they haven't made too much of a mess yet. Go on. Sarah's already there."

Melody nodded and made her way to the second floor. Rather than look for Sarah and find out what she'd already done, Melody figured it would be easier to just grab a cart and start working her way down the hallway. If she considered the area she was at near the stairwell and linen closet the 'end' of the corridor, she chose to start at the halfway point. The rooms near the end weren't occupied yet and shouldn't need any cleaning. Hopefully she'd run into Sarah at some point in the process, so the other girl would know she wasn't alone.