America the Unknown (United States of America #3)

Entry #8

I thought I was prepared for this, but then I found out that I was not. When I found and read the entries of this diary after becoming the next head-maid of Miss Emily Frederica Jones, I never thought what would truly await me as I achieved this title.

Before I became the head-maid, I had heard rumors that Miss Emily had several children, but not once did I see any children running amok. Later I heard that all of them had perished, either from disease or because no one knew what happened to them, but the end result was always the same. They would die, and leave Miss Emily hating herself. In fact, I had also heard that she had attempted to end her life several times.

I could not hold it against Miss Emily. Losing a child was a horrible thing, but losing several? That is something I do not wish to experience, but I believe that Miss Emily is a strong woman, even if she seems to have forgotten her lost children.

And when I became the head-maid and found this diary, I realized that the rumors I had been hearing were true.

And now that responsibility had fallen onto me.

Now, here I am, writing to you about the final two times that Miss Emily had children who perished, until the last child's twin sister lived. She was a very beautiful child, and truly was her mother's daughter, but that is not what I am going to be taking to you about in this entry.

It had been less than ten years since Mr. Hawkins, the head butler before me, passed away, and I had taken up the position to be the head-maid in 1597 after I completed my training. During those last few years, it had been a pleasure serving Miss Emily, who was nothing like many of the rich families I had seen back in England. However, I was surprised when I found out that she was actually a woman, disguising herself as a boy to protect herself from her caretaker and the other male countries.

Like all those who work here and those who worked before me, I agreed to keep the secret, knowing what Mr Arthur might do if he realized that his ward was really a woman. It did not take a genius to realize that.

And it frightened me.

Thankfully, he left us alone for long periods of time, only visiting when he felt he needed to. I always hated those times, for it was proof that Mr Arthur did not really care for Miss Emily, and if he did he would have treated her kinder and would not be gone for so long. I understand how you feel about him now Mr. Hawkins, especially after what happened to poor Miss Lily.

It gave me another reason to hate Mr Arthur, knowing that he was Miss Lily's father, and he was not here to comfort Miss Emily during those difficult times.

But then the French attempted to colonize once more in 1604, on an island near the landmass next to Canada. I learned through Miss Emily that Canada was her brother, someone she had not seen since they had been separated decades ago after the disappearance of their mother.

Despite the woman being an Indian, I wanted to know the woman who gave birth to such a lovely young woman, and what life before European colonization was like.

It was a pity that many other Europeans could not look past their own pride.

Anyway, during the time that the French arrived to settle, Miss Emily had become pregnant once again.

I was truly happy for her despite the shock and concern I felt, especially after I looked through the entries of this diary. Suddenly I wondered if this new child would make it, for Miss Lily had been a healthy baby, but that did not prevent her disappearance and presumed death, nor did it excuse the deaths of Mr Etu and Mr Sol, who at first appeared healthy, only to die shortly after they were born.