I lay still in the bed eyes scanning the darkness that is my room, now fixed in the moving curtains by the open window. It is not long and the clock by the withdrawing room resounded signaling the time of the day.
It is only in the dead silence did its sounds reached my room barely significant over the crickets joyous band.
Dong!
I shifted in my bed.
Outside, the sky is still in the presence of every color. The cold wind picks up tugging at the curtains, creating a screeching sound.
The sound syncs with the fast beating of my heart dancing a gallop to a ball I have never been before.
Dong! Dong!
I let a yawn escape my mouth freely and stretch every muscle in my body under the only warm source present in the room. My eldest sister Helen will go berserk if she had seen me stretching my unmen- well, legs even inside my room and in this hour of the day. I then rolled out of the bed with a 'thud' enough to wake up all my senses and quickly get dress as the clock struck the last warning to 4 a.m.
I need to be outside now. As I tugged the laces on my waist in the front of the small mirror my eyes fixed to the newspaper pasted in the wall and I turned smiling while drawing my knife.
"On guard!"
I cried at the dark silhouette holding a sword. It is a clipping showing the now grand duke of Hesse being defeated by a young man in a friendly duel of swords. Though Sir Louis IV's sullen face covered almost the entire page I can figure the retreating back of a dignified worthy to be respected man behind him.
"On guard!"
I cried one more time pointing to Mr. Van Woolf. A screeching sound came through the thin wall from the other room before an incessant knocking came cutting my silliness.
"I apologize Helen. You can sleep back now."
The knocking automatically stops. With one last lingering look to my epitome of strength and greatness that no aristocrats can pull, I exited the room. The cold temperature assaulted me and I sense something different will happen today.
Every day will always be a different day besides the redundancy of the life in the farm. Pray, no cousin will arrived today and I'll forget harnessing my rusty knife.
___
The heat of the midday sun pricks my skin as I unlatched Bastille from the wagon carrying logs. It is my last delivery for the day. By now the fog clears and the dusty street became alive again as wagons pass carrying products to sell outside Basildon.
"Estelle!" A passing buckboard with a beaming young Miss Marcie caught my eye and I called back receiving disapproving look from the passersby in return.
"We will be going to see the king and queen I will see you to-morrow!"
She curtsied despite the moving wagon. I chuckle curtsying back, the wagon no longer in sight now replaced with an expensive looking coach.
The Thomas' were a family of well-known traders in the whole Essex County. They had extended their business in the heart of England but they always find their way back here as our family's closest neighbor.
Bastille suddenly whined and my head whipped in curiosity to the jumpy bay
"Will Mr. Clarke be here to-morrow?"
The throaty inquiring voice came from Genevieve appearing from the back of the house maintaining a good distance away from the edgy horse as I calmed it.
"I'm afraid he can't be here till next fortnight."
From the side of my eye I can see Miss Peary's nose flared not because of what I said, but in distaste of my clothes. I discreetly assess myself.
The white and dark blue long sleeves originally cut out from one of my mother's ball gown with corset still intact and laces tightly knotted in the back, is now accentuated with scraps of woods and; father's abandoned old washed trouser that I safely tucked in my worn out working boots earlier is now showing one of my mismatched socks.
The sudden wind blows my untamed hair eventually covered my face before I heard Mrs. Peary's cry.
"Come to the house quick! You're drawing too much attention Estelle."
Mrs. Peary quickly holds my arm tightly not wanting me to escape again like yesterday and the days before that. I huffed inwardly in annoyance and snorted unladylike that earns me a strangled cough from Genevieve tailing us inside the house. She must be curious to what her crazy mother is going to do with me. Mrs. Peary is a good tailor but blackmailing me on burning my working clothes if I will not surrender to her wicked ways doesn't sets well with me thus I always avoided her in any ways possible.
"You look awful for a girl. You will not find any suitors if you will continue to wear those."
She started to untangle the knots on my hair. Huzzah! I didn't' know Mrs. Peary is a hair doer too.
"Uhm- madam, I have no pence with me and I do- aw!" I winced at the sudden tugging and gulped meeting Mrs. Peary's eyes in the mirror before continuing to her task in hand. I scowled at my reflection criticizing my skin that is slightly tan with the frequent meeting of the sun. Pray tell how many hours will I spent outdoors to burn my skin to black.
More tugging and hissing follows and I feel like Marcie's ragged doll enduring my handler's not so careful hands. I almost decided to rest my case if I hadn't seen the fabric Genevieve is dancing with enjoying my distress. On the bed beside her is a pile of different gowns in all colors and designs.
"Mrs. Peary you really don't need to do this."
"Nonsense child I've been making dresses for many years now. It will be a dent to my name if I let you roam around the neighborhood wearing that horrible piece of clothes Its inappropriate to be called a clothing and I suggest you to get rid of that immediately. Your cousin Albert will like you more if you act and look like a proper lady closest to his heart. Aren't your land entailed? You should think about it."
I stiffened. As stubborn as I am Mrs. Peary's words holds a truth on it. I finally keep my thoughts to myself and let the skillful hands do it's tricked to my bland features throughout the remaining course. If lucky Mrs. Peary well let me go back home in my working clothes.
----
A/N
Hello readers (if there's any) this is my attempt to write a Victorian Era story. Its only the pilot chapter but I'll update soon. How about cast some votes? sounds good, right. Anyways one vote will suffice... Good day!
