Midweek Tease ~ 7 February 2018: The Locket

Welcome to Midweek Tease. As always we give a big thank you to Angelica Dawson who organizes the Tease each week.

This week my offering carries on the scene from last week. Sorcha is introduced to her living quarters and other maids. Enjoy. Then please click the links to read the other teases. Remember, all comments are gratefully accepted.

Sorcha ate the sandwich and drank her drink gratefully and quickly, almost greedily, for she didn't realize just how in need of sustainance she was. She hadn't had anything to eat for hours. When the cook looked over and saw her empty plate she laughed.

“Well, that seemed to go down well, didn't it. Now don't you worry about washing your plate. You'll get plenty of washing up once you actually start work.”

“Thank you. I suppose I'd better get some rest now. Could you tell me where to go.”

Mrs O'Dowd called over in the direction of the scullery. “Beth, Fran, leave that and come here. I have a job for you.”

Amidst moans and groans, the two scullery maids ambled over. Both girls looked in their latter teens. The cook introduced Sorcha to them and said, “An extra bed has been put in your room. Sorcha is to sleep there, so please take her there now, then come back to finish your work. She'll need to rest after her journey before starting work tomorrow. And Sorcha, you will find your uniform on the bed.”

“Yes cook.”

Sorcha picked up her bag and followed the two girls back out of the kitchen, round to the back of the building to a small, sparse room under some stairs, next to a broom cupboard.

“I'm sorry about the size of the room,” Fran said as she led her inside. “And it looks even smaller now there's a third bed in it.” Fran was small, skinny and had whisps of dark hair escaping from underneath her white cap. She spoke with a cockney accent.

Beth on the other hand was plump and had blond hair. Her accent was more northern; Sorcha recognized it from when she first arrived in England. “Looks like your bed needs to be made up. I'll help you. Anything to avoid the scullery.”

“Oh, thank you,” Sorcha said. “And don't worry about the size of the room. I'm used to small, overcrowded rooms back in Ireland.”