TimeKeeper

Chapter Two

“Hello. My name is Elizabeth.” She smiled and curtsied, and I returned the smile as I shook her hand.

George Stratford came up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder.

“This is Miss Mae. She’ll be staying with us for a bit.” He said, and Elizabeth’s smile grew even more.

“Finally I get a girl to talk to!” She said, sounding very excited. “Apart from Mariah, my sister. She’s not much fun though- she doesn’t care about marriage or men. Please say that you do!”

Well, I was interested in guys, but the only one I cared about was James, who was far, far away.  But I nodded and smiled in reply to Elizabeth, whose face lit up like she had won the lottery. I began to wonder what she meant, and what exactly I was I for.

She took my wrist and dragged me up the stairs, grinning all the way.

An hour and a half, three different men, six different dresses and seven different hairstyles later, we were both called for lunch. That girl sure did like to talk. It was fun, and for a moment it was like being with my best friend Lucy at home. We sat on her large bed and talked, and she seemed nice. Chatty, and quite vain, but bubbly, excited and funny. I liked her.

Lunch was bread, freshly made and still warm, with soft cheese and butter. It was delicious. Everyone was sat at the dining table, apart from Mariah, who I was told would probably be back just before dinner. Elspeth Stratford, George’s wife, sat beside him at the table.

She was sat very tightly, with her hair scraped back into a small bun.  There were wrinkles across her forehead, and even though she was very beautiful, her eyes were like ice. Cold, unfeeling.

She had been staring at me all through the meal, almost studying me. I made sure I ate the exact same way as the others, and kept my manners, but I saw her wrinkle her pale nose at me disapprovingly.

“Mr Stratford, Who was the bread made by? It’s delicious!” I said after having finished my meal, breaking the silence.

“Our wonderful cook, Melissa, Miss Mae.” George said smiling, and he took another slice of bread.

“Now, George dear, don’t thank the servants. It’s what they are paid for.” Elspeth, George’s wife, criticised. I frowned, thinking how morally unfair and cruel her comment was. The cook, or Melissa, was a person and deserved to be credited for her work. Elspeth Stratford wasn’t like her husband or her daughter at all.

No one said anything else during lunch, and I decided to go outside for a walk. The house had seemed very loud with two more people in, and I wanted the quiet. I walked through the gardens.

The gardens were very quiet. There was quite a breeze, and all the plants were swaying and bending in it. My cheeks were icy cold, and I could feel the blood rushing to them, trying to make them warmer. The wind swept under my skirts and made my legs feel very cold as I walked.

At the edge of the gardens, there was a wood. The trees  got thicker the further in you went, masses of green and brown, moss and ferns growing everywhere out of the rich brown soil. There were small blue flowers growing at the base of the trees, bursts of colour against the brown soil. You could hear the rustle of the leaves at the top of the trees as the wind rushed by.

Then a whizzing sound and an arrow struck the tree beside me with a heavy thump. I jumped in shock, and saw Mariah with a bow about a while away through the trees, aiming at me.

“You shouldn’t be here.” She said bluntly. Her eyes were cold and irritated, warning me not to retaliate.

“I… Sorry.” I stuttered, not knowing quite what to say.