Story: Memories (chapter 3)

Authors: Jdwheels

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Chapter 3

Title: Chapter 3 - Who are you?

[Author's notes: Coldness is not a state of the weather.]

Chapter Three: Who are you?

The sun was streaming in through the balcony windows in all of its radiant glory the next morning. The warm light lightly fell on to the sleeping Susan, gently heralding the start of a brand new day. As inviting and as soft as any angels touch, the light awoke the sleeping girl with a gentle reminder of the day.

She yawned and stretched her small frame, kicking off sleep’s heavy mantle for yet another day. She blinked, for a fraction of a second as her surroundings were not clear to her. After a minute or so she realized where she was. She sat up in the softness of the humongous bed to just reassuring herself that she was where she was none though less.

The smiling face of the red headed servant girl poked around the door as it opened. When the girl saw Susan was somewhat sitting up, she shrunk back so only half of her face could be seen around the portal.

" Are you awake, Miss Susan? " Asked the girl, very timidly, her voice hardly over a loud whisper.

" I am, Alice. " She nodded, looking at the girls expression and her heart beating a little faster. " Don’t worry, I am awake."

" You are, Miss. Susan? " Said the girl, now her voice registering almost a tone of great relief, upon the brown haired girl’s cheerful reply. " I just did not want to call you just yet, if you were still asleep." Alice said, then added. " I was instructed not to wake you if you were not awake, by Mr. Smyth."

" Well, I was awake." Susan giggled, as she propped herself up better in the softness of the bed.

The young servant girl nodded, as she came closer to her employer’s new daughter with almost a reverent posture.

" I was sent up here to check up on you by your mother too, but not to wake you as was asked of me, for it is still quite early in the morning." Explained the girl, almost rattling it off in a fashion that would befit a slave’s way of thought.

" You don’t have to worry, Alice. I would not be mad even if you had woken me up. " reassured Susan in a positive tone of voice.

" Sure? " Asked the red head, almost disbelieving the words.

" Yes!" Restated the girl, and putting a strong accentuation on the single syllabled word- to accent her word, a huge smile came over Susan’s face." I don’t mind one little bit, come on in then."

The girl seemed to relax in front of Susan’s eyes. The stiffness of Alice’s posture and body lines seemed to melt into softness and became almost loose, and a broad smile came to paint the young girls strong but willowy features. That smile, made the girl look so pretty.

" I shall run and get you a dress to wear, until your mother comes up, if your uncomfortable in your bedclothes around me." Alice said in a soft tone.

"No, you don’t have to.." Began the brown haired girl, as she wondered about the girl’s words. " I shall get my dress ‘n’ wash up before coming down stairs."

The girl shook her head at Susan, which the girl in the bed was confused at.

"With all due respect, I have forgot to explain myself to you, Miss Susan..." Said Alice, stammering once again. " Your mother has some dresses that you are to try on, and I shall go and fetch them right away, that was the orders I have."

" Dresses?" Asked the girl, eyes wide open.

" Many dresses!" Alice said, whirling around so fast that she seemed to float.

Before Susan could even ask some more about the clothes Alice had eluded to, the red headed servant was out of the room before she even had a chance to ask. With a sigh of wonderment at the very quick girl’s exit, Susan could do nothing more but to get up and use the wash basin on the dresser to clean her self up.

The red headed girl flew back in, carrying a huge armful of boxes, followed closely behind by Mrs. Smyth. She looked at her adopted daughter and smiles sweetly, To Susan, she had never seen a smile like what was on the woman’s face in the couple days that she has known her.

The tall woman moved over to where the girl had taken a seat upon the bed, while the young servant girl set the boxes on the bed.

"Since we are going to have some people over to meet you later today, you need something to wear."

" I have clothes ma’am." Replied Susan to the non-question.

The woman glared at the girl, almost as if she could not believe Susan had just said what she had just said.

" Those things are a just a fright to see, and you don’t have to wear such things ever again, now that you are a Smyth!" Huffed the woman with a defiant and sweeping gesture of her arm." I have these dresses that are made from the finest cloth that you can buy in the county.... I am sure in looking at you, most of these dresses will fit you nicely."

Susan felt a little twitch of sadness flow through her chest. The two dresses that she had brought with her, had been made by her mother, over the course of the last few months that she had been alive. She had watched as each and every stitch that her mother put in, and she knew each one had been made with love, tenderness and more love, not to mention she had purposely made a few bigger so she could grow into them as well. Mrs. Smyth had no idea of that fact, and she thought the woman would never understand that.

Out of one of the boxes piled high on the bed, the woman pulled out a dusty blue dress that was accented with a large bow sash, and handed it to the girl.

"Try this one on, Susan..." She said, holding the garment out. " I really think that this one would look so darling on you."

With the feeling of great apprehension, she reluctantly took the garment from her new mother and shucked off her nightgown to try the dress. The woman handed her some undergarments, avoiding letting Susan grab her own ones she had layed

Susan soon was standing in the middle of the room, decked out in the dress, while the woman eyed her up and down. Under the lady’s rating gaze, the brown haired girl felt very uneasy and awkward. The woman spun her around quite a few times, checking how very inch of Susan tended to fit into the dress.

In the fine garment, Susan felt like that it was just not her, but someone else that just looked like her. The dress was every little girls dream, but for the young brown haired girl, she felt that this garment was not her. It was like she was some sort of doll, a doll that the woman was dressing her up like. She glanced over to where one of her own dresses had been laying, and saw that Alice had already moved it.

Walking around the girl a few more times, Mrs. Smyth looked her daughter up and down very methodically.

" This looks so wonderful on you." She said, nodding in agreement with herself. " I think that this looks better on you than any of your old ones. It’s so bright and cheery, It brings out the color in your cheeks child."

" Thank you, Ma’am..er...Mother." Susan replied, her speech stammering with emotions. " This is a very beautiful dress, an’ I like it really good ...."

" When you pay for the best, it is always a amazing sight to see." She stated boldly, giving nobody in particular a small nod of her head. " I think that you should were this one today, this does bring out your natural beauty." She paused " And we want you to make a good first impression, now don’t we?"

Susan agreed with a noiseless nod of the head, much to her displeasure of what the woman had said. The woman then just quickly bustled herself out of the room, leaving the two young girls in silence.

The red headed servant girl busied herself putting the rest of the new clothes in to the armoire, while Susan finished washing up.

" You know.." Started Alice, meekly, as she moved near the young girl. " Mrs. Smyth just wanted you to have the finest of things that she could ..." She paused " That’s all. She went to the orphanage and had hoped to adopt a girl, so she had some made for someone around your age."

" I know , Alice." Susan replied, knowing that in some strange way, the girl had sort of knew that she was troubled by the woman’s words.

" If it helps... you look pretty in that dress..." Said Alice, smiling, her eyes locking with Susan’s.

" Thank you, Alice." The girl said back.

Susan turned, and saw Alice take her bag of older clothes from under the bed, and carefully fold them up, and place them on the shelf in the closet, after inserting them back into the bag. The red head turned, giving her a questioning look of acceptance of where she was storing the bag.

Susan Nodded her head, seeing that the girl was trying to show that she was respecting her. The girl made sure the bag was placed well back on the shelf. She cambered off of the chair and smiled at her employer’s daughter. Nothing was said between the two, as Alice busied herself making up the bed... but Susan felt a connection with the girl... one she could not place a finger on.

******

 

Susan was led downstairs by Alice awhile later, and was led to the den to wait until breakfast was ready for the entire Smyth family. The young brown haired girl was unsure of why she was taken there, but thanked Alice for doing so.

Susan looked around at this new room with awe, just like she had when she had first arrived at the mansion The room had a large brick fireplace that was the centerpiece. Off to one side was a huge oak built desk, with three other large armchairs positioned strategically around the room to catch every ray of the sun that would come through the huge bay window that overlooked the front yard of the place. The room walls were lined with bookcases, crammed so full of every type of book one could ever have wanted or imagined having..

The girl marveled at the sight of the full shelves. Never had she seen so many books in one place before this. Big, small, hard cover, leather bound... it seemed that there could have been every book in the world stuffed into this room with every imaginable topic anyone would ever want to know about.

Susan just walked along the bookshelves, reading some of the titles on each spine, some of which the words made no sense to her- yet intrigued her with a fascination that made her want to read them so she could end up understanding the large words of the titles meant. The distinct heavy and very spice smell of pipe smoke had already came to her nose the moment she had came in, and that was telling the young girl that this was probably the place that Mr. Smyth would spent a lot of time in.

A large leather bound book that set on the desk near the window attracted the young girl’s eye with its glossiness and overly large gold print on it. This very huge book stood out on the neat top, it almost had this attention grabbing stately way about it. This leather bound collection of printed words seemed to want nothing but respect, as even the light from outside seemed to shin on it for that singular purpose.

The gold lettering on the book front seemed to be very well worn, but not completely rubbed off of the leather cover. She squinted at the lettering to see what the title might tell her about it, but it was hard to read. She gently lifted the cover with her fingers with great care, to try and angle it into the stream of light coming from outside, so she could read the faded lettering better.

A small statue boy, looking around ten years old or so, suddenly appeared in front of the girl from out of nowhere. The lad’s deep set eyes glared out from under the brim of his cloth cap and long bangs of dark hair that poked from under his head covering. The smaller youth’s face was blank, devoid of any sort of friendliness and his cold eyes stared down the girl with a unblinking sternness. Even the way he was dressed was cold and impersonal, wool trousers, linen shirt and blazer matching the cap, which was a dark blue black drab mix of the two colors.

The young boy paused for a moment, his stony steely gaze locked with the girl’s, making her very uneasy with the youth., Yet Susan never blinked, or took one step back at any time. The two just stood motionless for many seconds.

" Do you expect to come in here and just make yourself at home here??" The lad suddenly said crossly, startling the young girl with his volcanic hate filled anger that flashed in his cold dark orbs. "Just going to make yourself at home, hummm??"

" W... What??" Stammered the girl, not knowing who this young lad was, or why he was now yelling at her so. She took a deep breath and tried to speak politely. " What are you talking about there..."

The boy suddenly leaned over and slammed his small fist onto the cover of the book, catching Susan’s fingers hard in the process between the book’s cover and the pages inside. Susan yelped in pain, and freed her hand with a instinctive jerk of her arm and took a step away from both the book and the boy.

She just stared at the boy for long moments, trying to figure the reason why this obviously cold lad had attacked her.

" What are you doing?? " She said, partially yelling, angry at the strange lads outburst at her, along with the throbbing pain in her fingers " Why did you do this? I want an answer right...".

" Gold digger!!" Spat the lad with venomous anger, snatching up the book from the desktop in a defiant sweep of his small hand. " This is not yours, nor will it ever shall it be yours! Nothing here will ever be yours, Gold digger!!" He snuffed a condescending snort through his small nose, as he locked his gaze once again with the girl’s. " Your just a low farm girl, aren’t you? Act like one, not like us !! "

With that, the boy left the room as abruptly as he had appeared, storming out with loud footsteps that defied his size. He stomped out, with the book from the desk pinned tightly under one of his arms. The lad never turned back, and disappeared into the main area of the house almost as quickly as she had appeared.

Susan took a seat on a armchair near the desk, shock painting her face. She was so surprised at the lad, and wondered what brought this little pip of a boy to literally explode at her like that. For all she knew, that snarling hate fueled lad could have been her new brother. Something made her suspect that it was the lad called Ambrose... but even if it was- why was he so mad at someone who just came here.

The girl shook her head, not having a clue to any of it. She quietly sat in one of the armchairs, to muddle over everything in her mind.. and hoped that the lad would not come back in any time soon.

After awhile, Patrick the butler came in to the den. He stood straight, like a cuff that had too much starch, his eyes falling on the Susan where she sat. The distinguished looking man bowed lowly, and then returned upright to his stiff stance.

" Miss Susan..." He began, his speech spoken with such refinement. " Follow me to the dinning room, breakfast is to be served forthwith for the family!" He paused to turn gracefully on his heels, and to walk catlike out of the room.

Susan did not say a thing, but just did what she was told and followed the tall man out of the den. She was glad that the man was leading, with this large of a house, there would have been a very good chance she could get lost within its confines. Walking very close to the man in front, she made sure that she was right with Patrick..

In the dining room, Mr and Mrs. Smyth sat at the large table that was adorned with fancy plates. Mr Smyth was reading something at the head of the table, while he sipping on some coffee brought to him by a small slender Negro girl. Mrs. Smyth was across the table on the right of the man, having a cup of tea while vigorously writing something on a sheet of paper.

The woman looked up at her husband.

" John.. " She called out over the table. " Did I not send Patrick to bring Susan for breakfast from the den?"

" You did dear... " He said, not glancing away from the paper. " You did that, not any longer than five minutes ago." He sighed, knowing his wife’s lack of patience. " Be patient, my love... She will be here soon."

" It was still five minutes ago.." She snuffed. John Smyth grinned at his wife, making sure she did not see his reaction from behind the paper.

Susan appeared in the dinning room, led in by the tall and very fast walking butler. Mrs. Smyth looked up from her writing.

" Susan..." She stated, motioning to a chair near her. " Have a seat right there, beside me."

" Yes, um." Susan replied, as she moved to the chair. Patrick pulled out the chair for the girl, at which she looked at the man with a quizzed look, but sat down anyway.

As different servants raced around the room, putting out the morning fare for the Smyth’s family, Susan looked around, dizzy with everything. The smells of the many type of food wafted to her, from cooked ham to hot fried potatoes it was a very large meal layed out for her new family. Never in her life had she ever seen so much on one table, except when the nuns back at the orphanage cooked for all of them.

As The girl waited, she suddenly felt her breath get caught in her throat, and she had to try and not fall off of her chair in the process. Through a set of sliding doors at the far end, which closed off the dinning room from the rest of the house, entered the strange small young boy that had accosted her in the den awhile back, his deep set eyes still snowing any real sign of emotions in them

Susan let her breath out softly, realized that her thoughts a while ago had been so very right.. This small yet very spiteful youngster was apparently the son of her new parents, and this insolent youth was now going to be her brother. She found herself really not wanting to be her new brother

Mrs. Smyth sat straight up in her chair, when she noticed the small statured lad had entered the room.

" Ah, Susan.. " Began the lady, as she got the girl’s attention on to herself. "This is your new brother, Ambrose."

" Uh... " Hesitated the girl for a few seconds of trying to find the right words to say without having to telling what had happened between the boy and herself. " We have met briefly, but have not been’ introduced’ yet."

" Yeah.. " Drawled the lad, staring down his new sister with the same cold, unfeeling look that he had given her the last time they had met. " I did not introduce myself right, Mother. I should have been more.." He said, pausing for a moment, in a faked way to collect the right word. He smirked devilishly at the girl, as his choice of words finally came to him. " The word is .. polite."

" That was just a oversight on your part, darling." Calmly stated the lady, as the young lad took a seat on the other side of his mother. " Your breakfast will be coming right up."

Susan went back to here meal, but she could not stop keeping a eye on the young lad. Ambrose too, seemed to stare right back at his new sister- his dark eyes never once showing any friendliness, from under the long bangs that half curtained his eyes. Both young people never blinked or turned away for long moments at a time, but locked stares- one in anger, the other in resistance of the first one.

It seemed that both strong wills had already started to collide in the silence of the mealtime, but totally unknowing to the adults in the room. Each one of the children seemed not to be liking the other.

With the meal done, Susan sat patiently, waiting for her new parents to excuse her from the table. Mr. And Mrs. Smyth seem to not notice her being done, but kept on talking to one another over coffee. The girl, tired of the lad’s wicked stare, just wanted to go may by to explore around the estate before all of these people her mother had said were coming, descended on her new home. She felt uncomfortable, knowing that this was happening, and she felt no closer to being settled here yet either.

She cleared her throat softly, to get her parents attention. This did not work the first time, She tried a second time. She did get their attention. Mrs. Smyth looked at the girl, puzzled at all the fuss.

" Ma’am... " Susan said, politely in a sort of demure tone. " May I be excused?"

" I guess you may..." Nodded the lady, adding commandingly. "Stay near the house if you go out. The guests that are coming to see you will beginning to arrive in a little over a hour or so."

" Yes, Ma’am... I will do that!" Susan replied as she scooted out of the room as fast as possible.

At the speedy exit of the girl, Mr. Smyth chucked under his breath at the spirit of Susan’s quick departure.

" The girl’s got energy..." He mused.

" I think a whole lot more!" Mrs. Smyth just sighed, and seemed to wonder what had gotten in to the child so suddenly. She quickly just passed it off as the craziness of the young, and returned to writing on the paper..

Susan soon found herself walking in the front yard of her new home, under the soft warm mantle of the morning sun. Even with the warmth that bathed her, Susan’s mind seemed to be bouncing everywhere with emotions and thoughts. She seemed to be just out of sorts, and her eyes were showing that.

She sighed, and looked over at her new home. She felt like she did not belong in this life of such privilege, but she now was a part of it none the less. The fact that her new ‘brother’ was less than thrilled with her being their, made her feel out of place even more.

" I am not sure of anything..." She said to herself, eyeing the large house.

It was clear... she was like a fish out of water, but fish die from it. She was just going to have to muddle her way into her new life.

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