Read Online Nothing But Time by Angeline Fortin - Free Book Online
Authors: Angeline Fortin
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scattering of giggles around her and prompting a glare from that old bat Hendricks from her place at the front of the line.
The women stifled their laughter and stood at attention as the earl greeted the butler, Geoffrey, and Hendricks who in turn took him away down the line introducing the senior staff. Though it seemed that she meant to come all the way to the end, Harrowby soon waved her off claiming fatigue, etc. stating that he would meet the rest of them in the days to come.
With that, he strode briskly off down the hall leaving them all behind to stare after him. Each and every set of female eyes watched him go and, Kate would wager, some of the male eyes as well because there was no denying the earl’s general appeal.
When he was gone, the air went out of the staff and they all collapsed into whispers about Harrowby, most of the younger girls giggling amongst themselves. Hendricks sailed toward them and caught Kate painfully by the ear and dragged her off to scrub the servants ’ l avatory as punishment for her rabble rousing, as the housekeeper put it.
At least it was a Saturday night and, after that disgusting duty, Kate was able to line up with the others for her bi-weekly bath.
That was an experience Kate didn’t think she’d ever get used to.
The sharing of bathwater was almost as bad as not bathing at all. The water was tepid and the soap harsh and all Kate could think about while she scrubbed was that there had to be some alternative to this lackadaisical approach to personal hygiene. She certainly couldn’t imagine only bathing twice a week for the remainder of her life.
At least she was finally clean er if not truly clean and in bed for the night earlier than usual. The other gir ls snored softly around her, but Kate couldn’t sleep even knowing that the next day would send more labors her way. For half the day, at least. The staff had the morning and early afternoon off on Sundays , presumably to attend church and visit their families . Like all the other women, Kate was looking forward to it, wondering if the day would w h iz z by like all the others or if the free time would be as long as her nights.
Evenings here were long for her. At home, she’d usually curl up with a book and a glass of wine to unwind after a long day ’ s work or watch TV though she hadn’t been as obsessed with that since moving to England. She’d just been unable so far to get used to the new shows and missed her favorites back home.
However, there was no time for unwinding here. They worked, they ate and they slept before they got up to do it all again. Some of the other maids could fall asleep in moments and Kate envied them that ability as she lay awake staring at the ceiling .
Thinking of that huge library she had dusted on the first floor, Kate flung back the covers and pulled on the warm velvet dressing gown David had provided for her . Stuffing her feet into matching slippers that were finer than those most of the maids owned , she slipped silently out the door and into the darkness. M oonlight lit the halls, s treaming in the long windows and casting long rectangular patches against the carpets but it was enough for Kate to make her way by as she descended four floors to the first where the library was located. It had taken her most of the week to learn to call it the first floor, when to her it was the second. The first was on the ground level where she came from.
Shaking her head at all the differences between now and then, America and England, Kate felt her way down the dark hall to the library. There were candles and a box of long matches there and even an oil lamp also on the desk if she remembered correctly .
The library door opened with barely a creak and Kate entered , turning to where she had seen the lamp earlier. A drawer in a nearby table held matches and Kate struck one . Holding it up, s he lifted the dome on the lamp and set the wick ablaze
The women stifled their laughter and stood at attention as the earl greeted the butler, Geoffrey, and Hendricks who in turn took him away down the line introducing the senior staff. Though it seemed that she meant to come all the way to the end, Harrowby soon waved her off claiming fatigue, etc. stating that he would meet the rest of them in the days to come.
With that, he strode briskly off down the hall leaving them all behind to stare after him. Each and every set of female eyes watched him go and, Kate would wager, some of the male eyes as well because there was no denying the earl’s general appeal.
When he was gone, the air went out of the staff and they all collapsed into whispers about Harrowby, most of the younger girls giggling amongst themselves. Hendricks sailed toward them and caught Kate painfully by the ear and dragged her off to scrub the servants ’ l avatory as punishment for her rabble rousing, as the housekeeper put it.
At least it was a Saturday night and, after that disgusting duty, Kate was able to line up with the others for her bi-weekly bath.
That was an experience Kate didn’t think she’d ever get used to.
The sharing of bathwater was almost as bad as not bathing at all. The water was tepid and the soap harsh and all Kate could think about while she scrubbed was that there had to be some alternative to this lackadaisical approach to personal hygiene. She certainly couldn’t imagine only bathing twice a week for the remainder of her life.
At least she was finally clean er if not truly clean and in bed for the night earlier than usual. The other gir ls snored softly around her, but Kate couldn’t sleep even knowing that the next day would send more labors her way. For half the day, at least. The staff had the morning and early afternoon off on Sundays , presumably to attend church and visit their families . Like all the other women, Kate was looking forward to it, wondering if the day would w h iz z by like all the others or if the free time would be as long as her nights.
Evenings here were long for her. At home, she’d usually curl up with a book and a glass of wine to unwind after a long day ’ s work or watch TV though she hadn’t been as obsessed with that since moving to England. She’d just been unable so far to get used to the new shows and missed her favorites back home.
However, there was no time for unwinding here. They worked, they ate and they slept before they got up to do it all again. Some of the other maids could fall asleep in moments and Kate envied them that ability as she lay awake staring at the ceiling .
Thinking of that huge library she had dusted on the first floor, Kate flung back the covers and pulled on the warm velvet dressing gown David had provided for her . Stuffing her feet into matching slippers that were finer than those most of the maids owned , she slipped silently out the door and into the darkness. M oonlight lit the halls, s treaming in the long windows and casting long rectangular patches against the carpets but it was enough for Kate to make her way by as she descended four floors to the first where the library was located. It had taken her most of the week to learn to call it the first floor, when to her it was the second. The first was on the ground level where she came from.
Shaking her head at all the differences between now and then, America and England, Kate felt her way down the dark hall to the library. There were candles and a box of long matches there and even an oil lamp also on the desk if she remembered correctly .
The library door opened with barely a creak and Kate entered , turning to where she had seen the lamp earlier. A drawer in a nearby table held matches and Kate struck one . Holding it up, s he lifted the dome on the lamp and set the wick ablaze
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