The Haunted Pages

Chapter 6-2

She smiled much more broadly, and a tiny electric shock ran through Daniel"s tummy. He quickly looked away, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable.

“I"m pleased to meet you, Master Daniel.” Her voice, as warm and as welcoming as the chocolate that Martha now set down before him, perhaps meant to put him at his ease, but Daniel remained in turmoil, his heart racing, his head pounding. The girl began to gather her mane of hair, pulling it back from her face. Daniel couldn"t take his eyes from her as she quickly took a small, elastic band and tied her hair into a ponytail. An uncontrollable feeling of weakness washed over him as he watched her. When she spoke again, her words were cool and mellow, floating to him as soft as down. Were her lips as soft? “My name is Maria,” she said with no accent, her English sounding perfect. Just like her.

Daniel closed his eyes. Maria. "The most beautiful sound I ever heard …" The words of one of Dad"s favourite songs came to him from somewhere far away. So apt. So true. Daniel was spellbound, but anxious in case she noticed his awkwardness, he turned his attention to taking a chair from the corner. He sat down and stared into his hot chocolate, aware of her eyes boring into him, studying him. He didn"t care. She seemed so self-assured, so confident. Surely he was in the presence of the most sophisticated woman ever!

The most beautiful sound I ever heard …He kept gazing down at his cup, pressing his hands around it, too nervous to look up. The two women went into little gasps of laughter. They sensed his awkwardness, played on it, making a fool out of him. His cheeks burned, their giggles like slaps across his face. He wanted to shout, tell them to stop. Wasn"t he the master now?

“Now, Master Daniel,” said Martha, coming around the table to sit next to him. She put a hand over one of his, patting away all his rising anger. “Why do you honor us with you presence?”

“Is it just for the opportunity to sample Frau Martha"s excellent chocolate?” asked Maria, coming over to sit on the other side of him, very close. He could smell her perfume. His heartbeat hammered in his ears, a beautiful warmth spreading through him. To be so close to these two women. Martha, so kind, so caring, and Maria, so sweet. He lifted his eyes, stared into those vast, oval pools of sheer loveliness. She leaned closer, lowering her voice, “Or is it something more private? You wish me to go?”

Daniel snapped his head up sharply, “No,” he blurted, perhaps a little too urgently because both women laughed again. The feeling returned, of them laughing at him, a little boy, way out of his depth. He groaned inwardly and glanced away. “It"s nothing, nothing like that.” Martha squeezed his hand and he turned to look at her.

Martha pursed her lips, “Master Daniel, don"t be angry. We are only having a little joke. We apologize.”

“Yes,” said Maria, leaning towards him and placing her hand on his other arm. “We apologize.” Daniel gaped at her fingers, unable to speak, flushed and flustered, the hammering of his heart increasing again.

“Is it about the fireplace?” asked Martha. “In your room? You wish it to be lit? You are cold, yes?”

Daniel shook his head quickly, “No, it"s not that. But …” He searched for the right words. The heady mix of the two women, their close proximity, their strange manner, the smell of Maria"s perfume, all too much. He wriggled in his chair, the heat in the room unbearable. He couldn"t think straight, and he blurted out, “Dogs!”

“Dogs?” Martha"s grip tightened.

“Yes. Yes, dogs. I heard it, you see, so I have to ask you if you keep dogs here. Or pigs, perhaps, some sort of animal that grunts or growls.”

“We have no dogs. And pigs?” Martha looked at Maria and shrugged her shoulders. “No, we have no pigs. Many years ago we kept horses here, to pull a little, er, what is it you call it. A cart, to pull a cart? But not for many years now. Why do ask this?”

Daniel looked at them, slowly turning his gaze from one to the other. “Because I heard something last night.”

Martha frowned, “What sort of something?”

“An animal. It woke me up.”

“An animal, in your room?” Maria laughed, holding a hand up to her mouth in mock horror. Daniel saw Martha shoot a sudden, sharp look towards the younger woman.

“What kind of animal?” Martha"s voice was no longer playful. It had a sudden, serious edge to it. Maria grew serious too, taking her hand away from Daniel and sitting back, arms folded.

Daniel looked from one woman to the other. All the lightness had gone from them, and they seemed rigid, almost angry. He took a breath, determined to carry on, “I don"t know what kind of animal, but the noises sounded like grunts. That"s why I asked about pigs. But, it wasn"t a pig, it was … well, I can"t be sure, but it sounded so much bigger. Growling too, lots of growling. That"s what I was doing in my room when you came in. The noise seemed to be coming from the chimney.”

wasn"tbigger.Martha"s frown grew deeper. “We have no animals,” she said evenly, picking up Daniel"s cup – which was still half full – and crossing over to the sink. “You must have been dreaming.”

Daniel looked at her back, then to Maria. The girl looked away, her self-confidence gone, as if afraid, afraid to show any emotion.

“I definitely heard something.”

something.“Was machts du hier?”

Was machts du hier?Daniel twisted round and the room took on an even more intense chill as Herr Müller strode in, face harsh, voice a rumble of gathering anger. “Master Daniel, you should not be here, not in the servants" quarters. It is not right. Please, leave now.”

Martha had stopped washing the cup, but remained with her back to Daniel, as if afraid to face the manservant. Maria averted her gaze, strangely quiet. The atmosphere crackled with an electric like tension. Daniel sat bolt upright, his hands slipping from the mug to grip the edge of the table. He did not know which way to turn. Müller coughed hoarsely, seizing Daniel"s attention. “Please,” the manservant repeated, sounding more insistent. “Go to the study. Your father is there, waiting for you.” Daniel didn"t need any further encouragement. He pushed back the chair and fled the room at a run, taking the stairs two at a time, anxious to put as much distance as he could between himself and that kitchen.

He burst into the study, breathing hard to find Dad sitting at the large writing desk, reading some papers. He turned, the smile freezing on his face as he sensed Daniel"s mood. He frowned. “What"s up?”

Daniel flopped down in the chair opposite. “I was talking …” He took a few breaths. Dad waited patiently. “…to the girls, servants I mean – Martha and Maria. Dad, that Müller fella, he came in and he was so angry telling me to leave, that I shouldn"t be there, in the kitchen. Dad, he"s really scary.”

soNodding, Dad put his papers carefully away in the top drawer of the desk. He locked it and put the key inside his breast pocket. Daniel wondered about that, but the moment passed as Dad stood up and stretched. “I know. Did you see the way he squared up against Grüber?” He peered at his watch. “Look, the thing in the kitchen, that was probably him not wanting you to cross any lines.”

“Cross any lines? What lines?”

“You know, master and servant stuff. I don"t know, but there"s bound to be some form of protocol we"re supposed to follow. No doubt we"ll get used to it, but them, the servants, they"ve been here for years – they all have.”

“Even Maria?”

Dad raised an eyebrow. “Like her, do you?”

“Dad!” Daniel hated the way his Dad made fun of him in that way, as if fancying a girl was such a big joke. What was so wrong with it anyway, adults had to be so flaming sarcastic? Just because they"d forgotten what it felt like.

Dad!“Hey, Dan, there"s nothing wrong with liking girls, you know. Besides, you spend far too much time on your own.”

“What does that mean?”

“Precisely what I say – you should meet someone, Dan. You"re fifteen. When I was your age, I used to—”

“You sound like an old wrinkly, Dad. When I was your age? Perhaps you"re the one who spends too much time on their own.”

When I was your age“Dan, all I"m saying is, she"s a very lovely young girl. A little old for you, perhaps, but nothing wrong with being friendly, is there?”

Daniel scowled. “You know how pathetic you sound, Dad?”

“Sorry.” Dad winked, then came around the desk and ruffled Daniel"s hair. who pulled away, annoyed. “I won"t mention it again,” Dad said. “But no, I don"t think she"s been here that long. A year maybe. I"m still reading up on the house, the staff, how it"s run.” Another glance at his watch. “Time"s moving. Mr. Spencer is coming here this evening; he"ll probably fill me in on all the details. It would be good if you could sit in, too.”

“Oh God, do I have to?”

“Yeah. You do.”

Daniel slumped back in his seat and folded his arms, sighing loudly. What a great way to spend an evening, he thought gruffly, listening to that weedy little man rattling on about the house and all it has to offer!. He closed his eyes in despair, wishing the morning would come.

What a great way to spend an eveninglistening to that weedy little man rattling on about the house and all it has to offer!