Post by aelfwynn on Mar 27, 2006 10:25:30 GMT -5
Kerry is just an ordinary kitchenmaid, who comes to work in a rather strange house. At first, everything seems normal, but she starts to have strange dreams, and these dreams change her life. This is sort of a ghost /past life story. With Arthurian legends thrown in.
Chapter One. Tintagel.
Kerry reached up and pulled on the great iron chain, smoothing her skirts with her other hand. She clutched to her letter of recommondation as if it was the only thing between her and poverty. Her meagre belongings lay in a bag at her feet, and her best hat was on her head. After a few long moments, the door opened, and an elderly face in a black suit looked down on her.
"Yes?"
"Please, sir, my name's Kerry...I'm the new kitchen maid?" She smiled nervously, and the butler raised a slight, ivory eyebrow.
"Your papers?" He asked, tiredly, and held out his hand. Kerry quickly handed over her reference.
"Very well." The butler sighed. "Go around to the kitchens. Mrs Cummings will see you." He handed her her reference back, and pointed the way to the kitchens. Kerry walked quickly to the kitchens, to see a plump little lady sweltering over a burning hot stove.
"Joanna, more rosemary, there's a dear. Oh for heaven's sakes, girl, leave that window open. It's hot enough in here to fry the devil's backside off." Kerry suppressed a little giggle, and Mrs Cumming's turned round. "And who might you be?"
"Please, ma'am, I'm the new kitchen maid. The butler sent me around to see you."
"Oh, he did, did he?" She wiped two large, floury hands on her apron, and regarded Kerry carefully. "And I suppose he didn't show you a room, did he?" Kerry shook her head. "Huh. Didn't think so. Pompous old twit. Well, let's have a look at you." Kerry stood forward, and Mrs Cummings ran a beady black eye over her, appraising her as if she were a shoulder of pork, or a newborn lamb. "Well, you look presentable enough. Let's see your hands." Kerry held out her hands, which Mrs Cummings swamped in her own, turning them over and inspecting the palms. "No stranger to work, I see. Good. All right then. What's your name, dear?"
"Kerry, ma'am."
"Oh, enough of that 'ma'am' nonsense. I'm Suzy in the kitchen, unless we're in front of the master, and then it's Mrs Cummings. Got that?" She grinned at Kerry, and let her hands drop.
"Yes ma-Suzy."
"That's a girl. Joanna, love, show Kerry her room, and help her get changed. Then both of you come down here as swift as may be. The master's got guests tonight, and I'll need every pair of hands I can get."
"Yes, Suzy!" Joanna stepped forward and smiled at Kerry. She was about Kerry's age, with mousy hair tied up into a scraggly bun. "Come on, you'll be sleeping with me. I'll take that, don't worry." She reached down and took hold of Kerry's small package. As Joanna took Kerry up the back stairs of the house, and through the servant's passages, she explained a little about the house, and its owner, Sir Michael. "Sir Michael doesn't like a lot of noise, so be careful when you do come upstairs. Remember, you're a kitchen girl, and we're the lowest of the low - even the girl who changes the chamberpot in the morning is higher than us." She grinned at Kerry. "Which means we can get away with anything. Just stick to the passageways between our room and the kitchen, and no harm will come to you. Here we are." The girls room was right at the top of the house. A single bed lay in one corner, a nightshirt draped across it, and a chair stood on the other side of the small, squat room, the black and white uniform of the 19th century housemaid folded on its seat. Kerry walked in and looked out of the single dirty window.
"It's so high," she whispered.
"Yes...that's one of the reasons the Master called this place 'Tintagel'," Joanna replied. "Come on, let's get you changed. Get that dress off first of all." Kerry quickly shed her heavy dress, standing shivering in her corset and smock. Although it was summer, it was still cold in the tiny room. "Oh, it heats up well enough during the day." Joanna motioned for Kerry to turn around and began unlacing her corset. "In summer, at any rate. But in winter it gets much worse than this. Done." Kerry turned around, now dressed only in her smock. She was a pretty lass, barely 16, with long brown hair that curled ever so slightly. Joanna handed her her uniform and laced her into it. holding her cap with one hand, Kerry tucked her hair into it. Joanna looked at her appreciatively and smiled. "Very good. Now come on, or Suzy will have us scrubbing out the chicken coop!"
The two girls raced as quickly as they dared back down to the kitchen. Suzy raised an eyebrow as they came in, giggling.
"All right, that's enough girls."
"Sorry, Suzy!" They echoed in unison.
"Hmm. Kerry, help Joanna peel the potatoes, will you?"
"Yes, Suzy." The two girls walked over to the sink. Kerry;s heart sank when she saw the pile of potatoes in one corner, but the two girls set up a quiet chatter, and worked diligently.
Chapter Two
The beginning of the dream
Suzy kept a close eye on the two girls as they worked hard into the afternoon. Soon, they heard carriages arriving and pulling away, and voices as the butler met the guests and took them to the drawing room. Kerry wiped her brow with her sleeve, and the smell of cooking meats filled the kitchen. Suzy was humming, and kerry recognised the tune, and lifted her voice quietly, singing the words. She had a sweet voice, quiet and clear, and Suzy smiled.
"Good voice, Kerry."
"Oh, thank you." Kerry smiled and blushed.
"Oh, don't stop!" Joanna looked at Kerry pleadingly.
"Well...I only know one more," she said, shyly.
"Go on then." Suzy grinned at the two girls. "These old ears don't hear much music anymore. Not since..." She broke off and looked at Joanna.
"Not since what?" Kerry asked, intrigued.
"Oh,please sing!" Joanna begged.
"All right!" Kerry laughed. "But I haven't sung it for years, so don;t expect it to be much good!"
((More coming, haven't finished this chapter yet. ))
Chapter One. Tintagel.
Kerry reached up and pulled on the great iron chain, smoothing her skirts with her other hand. She clutched to her letter of recommondation as if it was the only thing between her and poverty. Her meagre belongings lay in a bag at her feet, and her best hat was on her head. After a few long moments, the door opened, and an elderly face in a black suit looked down on her.
"Yes?"
"Please, sir, my name's Kerry...I'm the new kitchen maid?" She smiled nervously, and the butler raised a slight, ivory eyebrow.
"Your papers?" He asked, tiredly, and held out his hand. Kerry quickly handed over her reference.
"Very well." The butler sighed. "Go around to the kitchens. Mrs Cummings will see you." He handed her her reference back, and pointed the way to the kitchens. Kerry walked quickly to the kitchens, to see a plump little lady sweltering over a burning hot stove.
"Joanna, more rosemary, there's a dear. Oh for heaven's sakes, girl, leave that window open. It's hot enough in here to fry the devil's backside off." Kerry suppressed a little giggle, and Mrs Cumming's turned round. "And who might you be?"
"Please, ma'am, I'm the new kitchen maid. The butler sent me around to see you."
"Oh, he did, did he?" She wiped two large, floury hands on her apron, and regarded Kerry carefully. "And I suppose he didn't show you a room, did he?" Kerry shook her head. "Huh. Didn't think so. Pompous old twit. Well, let's have a look at you." Kerry stood forward, and Mrs Cummings ran a beady black eye over her, appraising her as if she were a shoulder of pork, or a newborn lamb. "Well, you look presentable enough. Let's see your hands." Kerry held out her hands, which Mrs Cummings swamped in her own, turning them over and inspecting the palms. "No stranger to work, I see. Good. All right then. What's your name, dear?"
"Kerry, ma'am."
"Oh, enough of that 'ma'am' nonsense. I'm Suzy in the kitchen, unless we're in front of the master, and then it's Mrs Cummings. Got that?" She grinned at Kerry, and let her hands drop.
"Yes ma-Suzy."
"That's a girl. Joanna, love, show Kerry her room, and help her get changed. Then both of you come down here as swift as may be. The master's got guests tonight, and I'll need every pair of hands I can get."
"Yes, Suzy!" Joanna stepped forward and smiled at Kerry. She was about Kerry's age, with mousy hair tied up into a scraggly bun. "Come on, you'll be sleeping with me. I'll take that, don't worry." She reached down and took hold of Kerry's small package. As Joanna took Kerry up the back stairs of the house, and through the servant's passages, she explained a little about the house, and its owner, Sir Michael. "Sir Michael doesn't like a lot of noise, so be careful when you do come upstairs. Remember, you're a kitchen girl, and we're the lowest of the low - even the girl who changes the chamberpot in the morning is higher than us." She grinned at Kerry. "Which means we can get away with anything. Just stick to the passageways between our room and the kitchen, and no harm will come to you. Here we are." The girls room was right at the top of the house. A single bed lay in one corner, a nightshirt draped across it, and a chair stood on the other side of the small, squat room, the black and white uniform of the 19th century housemaid folded on its seat. Kerry walked in and looked out of the single dirty window.
"It's so high," she whispered.
"Yes...that's one of the reasons the Master called this place 'Tintagel'," Joanna replied. "Come on, let's get you changed. Get that dress off first of all." Kerry quickly shed her heavy dress, standing shivering in her corset and smock. Although it was summer, it was still cold in the tiny room. "Oh, it heats up well enough during the day." Joanna motioned for Kerry to turn around and began unlacing her corset. "In summer, at any rate. But in winter it gets much worse than this. Done." Kerry turned around, now dressed only in her smock. She was a pretty lass, barely 16, with long brown hair that curled ever so slightly. Joanna handed her her uniform and laced her into it. holding her cap with one hand, Kerry tucked her hair into it. Joanna looked at her appreciatively and smiled. "Very good. Now come on, or Suzy will have us scrubbing out the chicken coop!"
The two girls raced as quickly as they dared back down to the kitchen. Suzy raised an eyebrow as they came in, giggling.
"All right, that's enough girls."
"Sorry, Suzy!" They echoed in unison.
"Hmm. Kerry, help Joanna peel the potatoes, will you?"
"Yes, Suzy." The two girls walked over to the sink. Kerry;s heart sank when she saw the pile of potatoes in one corner, but the two girls set up a quiet chatter, and worked diligently.
Chapter Two
The beginning of the dream
Suzy kept a close eye on the two girls as they worked hard into the afternoon. Soon, they heard carriages arriving and pulling away, and voices as the butler met the guests and took them to the drawing room. Kerry wiped her brow with her sleeve, and the smell of cooking meats filled the kitchen. Suzy was humming, and kerry recognised the tune, and lifted her voice quietly, singing the words. She had a sweet voice, quiet and clear, and Suzy smiled.
"Good voice, Kerry."
"Oh, thank you." Kerry smiled and blushed.
"Oh, don't stop!" Joanna looked at Kerry pleadingly.
"Well...I only know one more," she said, shyly.
"Go on then." Suzy grinned at the two girls. "These old ears don't hear much music anymore. Not since..." She broke off and looked at Joanna.
"Not since what?" Kerry asked, intrigued.
"Oh,please sing!" Joanna begged.
"All right!" Kerry laughed. "But I haven't sung it for years, so don;t expect it to be much good!"
((More coming, haven't finished this chapter yet. ))