1 Chapter 1. Chance meetings

The rustling of skirts over the wooden boards of the staircase was the only sound to break the stillness of the morning. Maria carefully made her way down to the ground floor, avoiding the steps she knew creaked. The lady would not be pleased to be woken up at this hour. The narrow staircase lay in almost pitch darkness, but Maria's eyes had long since gotten used to seeing in dim light. She reached the small landing connecting the kitchen to the back door and took a moment to adjust her dress.

Her work dress, a simple and unadorned black piece of sturdy cotton, hugged her slender form. She lifted an apron off a hook on the wall and slipped it over. It was greyed with many years of dust, soot and grime collected in it, so that the once white colour now almost matched her black dress. Heaving a sigh, Maria set about to her morning duties.

Clean out the fireplace and set a new fire, start up the oven to set the water to boil, bring in the milk and the morning paper… Her morning routine was so familiar to her after three years in this place she could have done them in her sleep. It was not particularly hard labour, and she knew she was lucky for the position she held. With a shudder she remembered the working women she had seen just the other day, as they came out from the washeries at their shift's end. Those women always looked so… wild… haggard. And almost brutish with the muscles their hard work put on their once feminine bodies. Maria had hastily made her way home, trying not to think about how, a few years back, she herself had almost taken up work in one of those washeries.

Shaking the feeling of uneasiness, Maria finished off the last of her heavier duties and changed her apron to a white, clean one. Tucking in some loose strands of golden hair underneath her work cap, she set the table in the small breakfast room. Just as she was setting out the sliced cucumber and lemon, a tingle of a bell sounded from the kitchen. The lady was up, and she would need her maid. Maria checked her reflection in the mirror of the room, slightly adjusting her skirts, and made her way up the servant's staircase.

Her ladyship miss Annabelle Josephine Arundell sat up in her four- poster bed when Maria entered. Her long mahogany hair fell in curls around her pretty, heart shaped face. Big, blue eyes rimmed by dark eyelashes looked sleepily around the room, and her rose coloured lips opened in a yawn, showing pearly white teeth. Maria set about to prepare the ladyship's toilet with the hot water she had brought from the kitchen. She kept quiet, awaiting any additional orders from miss Annabelle. None came, and Maria breathed a sigh of relief. She must be in a good mood today. In silence, the two women went about the morning ritual, getting Annabelle washed and dressed. It was not until Maria was almost done with the Lady's hair that Annabelle finally spoke.

"The weather seems pleasant today…" She had an airy way of speaking, amplified by her breathy voice. "I think I might walk to the gardens today. You will accompany me after breakfast." It was an order, but it was spoken as a statement of fact. Maria did not even need to assent.

The day was indeed fine, and when the two women eventually found their way outside, they found that quite a few individuals had set out to make the most of this unusual break in the gloomy fall weather. Annabelle in her walking suit strolled a few steps ahead of Maria, who pulled her shawl tighter over her shoulders to keep most of the cold out. She had not yet money for a new coat, and her thin summer jacket barely kept the wind at bay. Annabelle, in contrast, wore a fur lined coat in a soft crème colour of the latest fashion. She had received it as an early Christmas gift from her uncle, who was a childless bachelor and had adopted his niece in all but legal manners.

It was his house that they lived in. A comfortable three storey mansion of which only a fraction was used in everyday life. Annabelle's uncle had a country estate to look after as well, and he was rarely in town. He had promised his niece to return before the holiday season, to bring her more gifts as well as some much-needed company.

It wasn't unheard of for a young lady to live with only her maid as a chaperone, but two women living alone for any longer periods of time was not advised. However, Maria need not concern herself with issues of propriety. She was a maid, and so she was invisible to the part of society which cared for such things as decorum and modesty. Just like she was right now invisible as she walked behind Lady Annabelle who greeted acquaintances as she strolled through the botanical gardens.

"I need to sit down for a moment. The greenhouse is still open." Annabelle walked towards the glass building without awaiting any kind of response from her maid. Inside, that air was a bit warmer, and quite humid. Maria sighed at the thought of the terrible way her hair would curl up. They were almost alone inside, the only other people being an elderly couple looking at some deep green plants hanging from the ceiling. Annabelle sat down on one of the cast iron benches that lined the walls but did not invite Maria to sit with her. Maria took that as a sign she should stand around and be "available". So she did. She brushed her fingers along some of the leaves of a plant crawling over a pillar, marvelling over the thing's tenacity and drive to seek the light. She glanced back towards her mistress, to make sure she was not wanted for anything.

The mistress Annabelle was no longer alone.

Maria could not see the mans face, for he had his back turned towards her, but his silhouette was tall and proud, accentuated by his long coat. His hat was in his hand, revealing a head of black curls. He was speaking to Annabelle in such a low voice that Maria could not make out the words, but judging from her mistress' delighted expression the man was probably complimenting her. Another suitor… Maria kept a respectful distance, although she didn't take her eyes off the pair. Eventually, the man gave a bow and turned to leave. Maria now got a glimpse of his face, and she understood why Annabelle had seemed so happy to talk to this man.

He was exceedingly handsome in that kind of rough way that can only be achieved by a life lived in great parts in the outdoors. His cheekbones were strongly masculine and his jaw a square shape. It would have looked brutish on any other man, but the impression was softened by his friendly eyes which held such mirth that one couldn't help but smile. The locks of his hair framed his features in an altogether pleasant manner, and Maria found herself staring. She blushed and hoped he had not seen her as she stood off to the side. He didn't pause as he strode out of the greenhouse, so she assumed she was safe. She hustled up to her mistress, who, without being asked started to talk.

"The lord Craven, what a handsome man he is…" Her already breathy voice seemed almost a whisper. "I was to have met him at that ball a few weeks ago, but he was called away. He was most anxious to make my acquaintance!" She seemed very pleased, and Maria chose not to remind her that her uncle had already a suitor in mind for her. Annabelle seemed to forget that little fact more often than not. Life was not a novel, and even the mistress Annabelle with all her money would marry as her uncle saw fit.

And for Maria, well, she would be lucky if she could keep her placement as a maid. Maybe eventually move up to a housekeeping position at a larger estate. Marriage for her would mean giving up her independence, small as it was.

And she had no plans of ever doing that.