The Moon's Curse

Chapter 3 - A Bashful Meeting

SWINDON, MARCH 11th, 1872

Despite my nightly affairs, if I may call them so, I awaken with the sunrise. As I open the shutters, there is only a thin red line covering the edge of the sky, which is how I know I must be incredibly early. The chilly air makes me shiver and I quickly close the window, watching the sky from the safe, warm haven of my room.

I don’t wait for maids to come, because most of them are probably not even up on their feet yet. But that is alright, I can dress myself on my own too. The corset will be the trickiest part, but nothing I can’t manage.

A few exhausting minutes later, I am already sitting in front of my dressing table, combing my hair. I am always told that I shouldn’t be looking into mirrors too much, because it was considered vain and repelling. In my opinion, it was a bit silly. How else is one supposed to know their own face? And how else would I be combing my hair now?

I know I probably shouldn’t, but I let my hair fall freely down my back. I am too hungry to try and put it into a respectable shape. I quietly leave my room, heading towards the kitchen.

I breathe in the sweet scent that is coming from the flower room, suddenly freezing as I spot the door that leads to the vestibule. The dream comes rushing back all at once and I grab the nearest console table, leaning myself on it. I shake my head at myself. What is wrong with me? It was just a bloody dream!

I flinch at the ugly word in my mind, realizing that I am acting like a fool. I am panicking because of a nightmare that wasn’t even real, and I am cursing. My aunt wouldn’t be proud of me.

I glance at the door again and take a deep breath, before straightening up again. I continue my way with newfound determination. I am the second lady of the house, I can’t be scared of such nonsense as a bad dream is.

To my surprise, I find myself alone in the kitchen. That is odd. Usually there is at least one maid already up and about, rushing to begin her daily tasks. It might have something to do with the fact that my aunt is still away. Everybody knows that I would never command someone what they must do.

I find some leftover bread and cheese in the pastry, along with some eggs. I know my aunt would be sniffing at sight of me behind the stove, baking my own eggs, but she is not here, is she? My smile fades as I realize what I have just been thinking about. I am an awful and ungrateful niece!

My aunt was a merchant, who sold wool and linen all over England. That is why she was often away. She was usually gone for about a week or two, but never longer than that. She never told me how much money she made with her business, but I suppose it was enough for us to live a comfortable life. And enough for her to never have to marry a man and depend solely on his wealth.

When she was away, our maids were my only company. In fact, they were like my second family. Whenever my aunt was away, I let them call me by my first name, because I was much younger than most of them. Some were around my age, but still, they were all older.

Whenever Mrs. Spinster wasn’t around, they would teach me how to cook my own food, how to dress myself without any help and even how to braid my hair. I was utterly useless, so I never learned how to take care of my own hair, but at least the other lessons paid off.

As I am sitting by the counter, where the maids usually eat, I look through the window. The sun is finally starting to rise. Its beams seem to be caressing my face with their warmth, making me close my eyes.

I don’t know why, but the first thing I see in my mind is Ezra’s face. His handsome features, his dark, burning eyes … I hope I will ever see him smile. A beautiful man like him must be irresistible when he smiles.

I open my eyes in horror as I realize what I am thinking about. Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no. I have sworn that I wouldn’t think of him in that way. What would my aunt say? She spent all her time trying to get it into my head, that boys aren’t worth my thoughts, and I always believed her and obeyed her. No, I agreed with her, so there is no reason for me to have a change of heart now.

But how could I not agree with her? I have never met a boy that would be worth losing my thoughts over him. I have been to London twice, I have met many respectable gentlemen, who would make a wonderful match for me, but none of them made me feel anything similar. So, why him? Why now? What is it about him that I can’t get out of my head?

I suddenly flinch in surprise, letting out a small shriek as I notice one of the younger maids leaning against the doorframe, watching me with a knowing smile on her face. “Felicity, you have scared the life out of me,” I tell her solemnly, shaking my head in disbelief.

Her smile grows even wider as he strides towards me, leaning her elbows on the counter, so she is still facing me. “Good morning to you as well, milady,” she greets me in a light-hearted way, before responding to my statement. “You know, darling girl, considering how deeply occupied you were with your thoughts, I can’t think of a way of entering the room that wouldn’t scare you. Knocking would be too loud. Announcing myself, again, too loud. Anything would be too loud in the state you were in.”

I sigh as I watch her mischievous expression. Felicity was something one would call their closest confidant. She is a couple of years older than I am and she has been looking out for me ever since she came to serve us. I could share everything with her, and I knew she would never judge me.

“So? Who were you thinking about?” she suddenly brings me out of my thoughts. I stare at her with my eyes wide open. Oh, no, how did she figure this out so quickly? I cross my arms against my chest in a stubborn manner.

“What could possibly make you think that it was a who? What if I was simply thinking about Phantom?” I challenge her, placing my hands on my hips. She chuckles again, shaking her head at me.

“My dear lady, don’t you think I can tell the difference on a girl’s face when she is thinking about a man or when she is thinking about a horse? I know horses are lovely creatures, but still … No horse can make you look like that,” she says, mimicking my supposed facial expression as she was watching me.

I gasp in shock, crossing my arms against my chest again. “I do not make myself look so ridiculous, there is no way!” I fight her, but she simply smiles again, before gesturing towards my plate.

“Eat your eggs, or they are going to be cold … If they aren’t already,” she remarks as she straightens up. I know what she is implying, and I will not let her have it! But she already strides past me into the pantry, probably to get some food for herself as well. I breathe out, trying to relax my tense muscles. I don’t know what is happening to me, but I hate when Felicity knows about it before I do.

Today I luckily don’t have any lessons to attend. It is something one would call a free day. I choose to spend it with the maids, hoping that Mrs. Spinster won’t be around too much, so they will be able to teach me some new things again.

By the time the other maids start to come into the kitchen, Felicity already kneads the dough for bread and fires up the stove. She seems to be in a bit of a rush, so I don’t bother her much. However, she still has time to tease me about my daydreaming.

“Please, Sophie, I am dying to hear who finally managed to sneak themselves into that little heart of yours,” she speaks as she pokes into the logs with an iron tong, twisting and turning the branches underneath them. Finally, they flame up properly, making her back away from the stove and hang the iron tool back onto its place.

She turns around with a questioning expression on her face, still waiting for my answer. I don’t know whether I should be offended, that she just called my heart little or if I should first keep denying that there is anyone I was thinking about.

In the end, I sigh, finally opening my mouth to tell her about Ezra. But in that moment, I hear footsteps coming towards us and I send Felicity a meaningful look, trying to express that this will have to wait for later. Frustrated, because she sensed I was about to speak up, she throws her cloth onto the counter, before going to check the dough.

We don’t get much privacy throughout the day, so we can’t talk about my little secret. By noon, the kitchen is in fact so full and loud, that we can barely speak at all. Mrs. Spinster soon comes rushing into it, making Felicity push my head down, so she can’t see me behind the counter.

“Where is the young lady?” she wants to know, but the maids all shrug, pretending that I am not hiding amongst them. I soon hear Mrs. Spinster leaving with a frustrated sigh, but I don’t get up just yet.

Felicity doesn’t think it is wise either because she sends me a warning look and shakes her head slightly. I don’t know how much time passes, but I am not bored. I watch Felicity’s steady hands cut cheese in rapid motion, as she is preparing a meal for the workers on the field.

By the time she finishes, the kitchen is already loud again, and she motions for me to get up. “Get on your feet, I think the old hag won’t come looking for you in here again,” she remarks, making one of the nearby maids overhear her. She gasps, covering her mouth with her hand in disbelief.

“Felicity!” she scolds her. “She could be right outside, listening to what is happening in here!” she continues, looking over her shoulder as if Mrs. Spinster was standing behind her. I don’t think that I have mentioned this before, but the other maids weren’t particularly fond of her.

My friend shakes her head at the cowardly woman. “Don’t be ridiculous, she is long gone. She might be the head maid, but she still has more than enough work to do around the house, so don’t worry. She doesn’t have the time to loiter around the kitchen all day. And you know how precious time is to her,” she retorts with a frown on her face. She then turns to me. “Come, Sophie, help me get the baskets.”

I receive her instructions with a short nod, but on the inside, I am incredibly nervous. I follow her into the pantry, knowing that she won’t let me out of there until I give her a name.

But to my surprise, she truly only wants my help with the baskets. I am sort of relieved that she doesn’t pressure me into speaking. I am again not sure whether I should tell her about Ezra or not.

I find myself mentally scolding my thoughts for referring to him by his name. For the last time, I am supposed to call him Mr. Davenport!

“Why do you look so angry?” Felicity’s voice suddenly startles me, making me jump in surprise. She suppresses a smile as she stares at me, shaking her head. “What is it with you today?”

“Nothing, I am merely … Thinking. And I am completely fine,” I respond to both her questions at once, before returning to the simple task I was given, mixing semolina and eggs for the dumplings. The cook likes to put them into the chicken broth.

As the two maids that are waiting for us to finish preparing the baskets finally leave, Felicity nearly drags me into the pantry again. She closes the door behind us and pulls us towards the far end of the shelves, so our voices wouldn’t travel back to the kitchen.

I swallow nervously, as she places her hands firmly on my shoulders and looks at me sternly. “Now, tell me all about him,” she demands.

I feel a rush of blood to my cheeks as she approaches the topic so forwardly. I begin to stutter some excuses, but she isn’t buying them. As I finally realize I have no other choice but to tell her, I take a deep breath, then spill everything.

By the time I finish, she already puts her hands back down. She is now watching me with a mixture of disbelief and worry. She crosses her arms against her chest, then puts them down again. She is making me so nervous, that I am tempted to put my hands on her shoulders now.

“Oh, blazes Sophie, I thought you would speak of a noble man, not our new field worker!” she finally squeals, covering her mouth and directing her gaze towards the door as she realizes she might have been a bit too loud. We both listen intently for a moment, but nothing seems to have changed in the kitchen. It is still as loud as it was before. “Your aunt would have your head, if she found out,” she tells me a bit more quietly, and even more seriously.

“I know, I know, but I can’t help it, he keeps barging into my mind. You don’t know how incredibly frustrating that is!” I respond in a hushed tone, making her breathe out slowly. Suddenly, her face brightens up and a sly smirk takes over her lips.

“I would never suggest this, if your aunt were here, but hear me out,” she begins, making me listen to her plan for a few moments. I don’t know what gets into me, but as the maids come back from the fields, I actually find myself leaving for the stables.

As I am riding away from the house, I find myself thinking how crazy this is. But Felicity has always had crazy ideas, there is nothing new in that. Long story short, she suggested that I seduce the new worker and let myself share a little excitement with him. She told me it would help me forget about him before my aunt gets back, and that I wouldn’t be nervous around him any longer. She explained that this is how she helped herself when she fancied one of the stable boys last summer.

Her plan was to get me to work quickly, so I found myself riding to the fields again. But this time, I dismounted the horse just before the workers could spot me and slowly approached them by foot. Phantom wasn’t exactly thrilled about it, but he still walked by my side patiently, even though my tempo was far too slow for him.

The closer I get, the more I can feel my chest fluttering. I don’t know how, but I can already spot him in the distance, preparing the grounds for sowing along with other workers. As I near them, most of them greet me, while others are too occupied with their work. Ezra is amongst them.

I slow down even more, waving at everyone who greets me, while my gaze keeps jumping towards the one person, I want to look at me. But he doesn’t. He doesn’t even notice me! How am I supposed to share a little excitement with him, if he doesn’t even look at me?

I just mean to mount Phantom and gallop away when he finally lifts his head to wipe the sweat off his forehead. Our gazes clash with the intensity that I cannot describe. I don’t back down and he doesn’t either.

I slowly lift my foot towards the saddle, elegantly mounting Phantom while still keeping my eyes locked with Ezra’s. My heart is thumping against my chest as if it is trying to escape me, and my cheeks are heating up. But I hold my gaze on him just a little longer, looking away only as I make Phantom move forward.

My hands are trembling as I hold the reins, and my face is now burning with embarrassment, but the meeting still feels like a victory. I managed to get his attention and keep it on me for as long as I wanted it. I smile to myself bashfully. Strike while the iron is hot.