Born to be a slave.

26

Days went by slowly and started to get boring. I spent my time cleaning his room and reading. There was nothing else to do. No food deliveries for Edmund, nor sorting out his clothes. He have taken almost all of them. In my free time I tried to concentrate on studies. With absence of my Master I have got much more time for it. Luckily no other staff bother me or pay much attention, what I do. Over the years, they have accepted me in a way, they are not my friends or anything, just their attitude is more indifferent, like I am not here among them. In reality I am invisible, indeed. I can't take part in any other house work duties, except those, which Edmund have entrusted me, but it is not a lot. 

At first I was little bit afraid to be left alone here in this house. The main reason was Adele. She have not hurt me or done to me anything else, but I could always feel her hatred. I thought she will unleash it upon me after Edmund left, but nothing of that sort came. I am trying to not get in her way, in case I provoke Adele. I am sure, she would like to put me in place, if given a chance. 

Lately Adele have been looking unwell... sick.... In the house ,she is not so active anymore in her duties, frequent coughs fill the hallways, wherever she is heading. For last two days I have not seen her at all.  

Lunch time is coming near and I am going to kitchen in hopes to find something to eat. My favorite is pheasant chartreuse. At rare occasions I have had it and it became my favorite kind of meal. I was hoping, that today they will be making it. 

***

Somehow I had chosen a different route to servants quarters and now I have to go long way to get there. I have not been much in this section of the house. It is where servants live - their personal rooms. No one is in sight at this time of day. At the far end I see a lady in plain white dress. She is leaving. 

The sun is casting bright light through honeycomb shaped windowpanes on wooden floor beneath, which is squeaking in places under my weight. The air is warm and one tired enough would be prone to drop against the opposite wall, just to bask in pleasantly warm light. 

The last door was opened and I heard coughing coming from it. I was curious. Knowing I will get in trouble, I tried to push my form farther away, but a person in the room seemed to get worse, to the point of almost choking.

I stood in a doorway and there I saw Adele, sleeping in her bed, looking very pale and weak.

Her trembling hand was reaching after a glass of water near a bed. To me she looked like a ghost.

 In small steps I run towards her and helped her get a hold of a water she needed so much. Droplets run down her chin in streams. Adele seemed to be too occupied with getting liquid down her throat, than about her already wet dress on her chest. A glass was empty in mere seconds and with the same shaking hand she put it back down.

"What.. are you....'cough' 'cough' doing here, slave?" Her voice was filled with resentment and slight displeasure, probably seeing me here in her own room. 

I have never heard her say my name. Like everyone else in my previous life, I was called by who I was, not by a name given me.

"I was walking by and saw you....."

"Don't you know, you can't stick your nose in private life of others? My Lordship should have taught you at least that much... 'cough'...." 

I saw a blood on her handkerchief, which Adele was holding tight in her hand. She was sick indeed.... very sick. How can a simple cough cause a throat to bleed? There was something else, but I had no knowledge of what it might be, what sickness have affected her or how serious it was.

"I am sorry, Mrs."

I was almost ready to leave, when she continued to talk. To me? To herself? I couldn't tell, as her sight was looking into nothingness in front of her.

"I don't know, why my Lordship bothered to take you home, a slave....'cough' weak, dirty and .... I never liked you, not even after these years you spent in this household. It is such a shame Lord have put so much in you..... All that good food, clothes, haha, he even decided to educate you.... For what? For you to understand how miserable your life is? 'cough' You live better than us - regular people, who have freedom and rights. You don't deserve it, none of things Edmund gives you. ............. My boy..... He have grown so big. I will never forget that smile he had, right after he was born, that innocent baby face. He had such short childhood. If he would be my child, I would have given him more, than his own mother. Will I see him again? Probably not.... not in this lifetime anymore....'cough' 'cough' 'cough'. You..... Slave..... You better take good care of him.. or I will haunt you in your dreams, slave.... ."

With that said, she became silent, only heavy breathing came from her evenly rising chest. I knew it is a time for me to leave. 

Her words hurt, like every time she or somebody else chose to trow these nasty thoughts about me, about who I am by class, rather than seeing me as an individual, a person. Adele seems to be very fond of Edmund, which surprised me. I thought she is cold and strict and loves no one. I was wrong. I know nothing of these people, they hide behind their outer shell, which have been set by society most of the time and smother their true feelings under a thick blanket of fake facade. Just like Edmund. I have seen glimpses of his  true emotions, which are always quickly pushed aside with his stoic looking face. 

A face which he have chosen to show the world.