Incidents that Occur
She sits and she waits silently, lurking in the shadows to see if her mistress returns home safely. Since the incident she has not spoken directly to her mistress. She does not plan to any time soon.
She cringes as she adjusts her position, the newly closed wound on her stomach aching and stretching, threatening to rip right back open. Although it has been almost two weeks she refuses to look her mistress in the eyes. Perhaps she should just leave, but she knows that she won't. Jenny Flint was a girl who classed herself as many things, but up until recently stupid was not one of them.
The problem was that Jenny found herself in an impossible and ridiculous situation. What her heart told her was right, her head told her was wrong. Propriety was not Jenny's strong point, but nevertheless she should have been more careful. A lot more careful then to fall in love with her female employer.
So when she had tried to kiss her at first it had seemed like a wonderful idea. She thought that she had seen the coveted and fleeting looks that Madame had sent her. Only when she thought that Jenny could not see.
However, Madame had not reacted in the way that Jenny had thought she would. Things had gone rather wrong and the results were her waking up with a jagged line across her abdomen. She has no idea of what had actually happened, but she is still surprised that she had not found herself out on her ear.
She refuses to talk to her mistress or even look at her directly. She takes orders and finds that Vastra keeps trying to start conversations. Yet Jenny continues to punish the pair of them by refusing to answer. It is a punishment because it causes her newfound pain. She figures that with the way she is, she deserves to be in the most unendurable agony.
In a way the pain makes it easier. If she suffers in this life the God may forgive her sins.
Yet she is still stood leaning against the wooden panelling of the wall, at three something in the morning, waiting for her mistress to walk through the door.
The second her mistress walks safely through the door, Jenny will go to bed. Until then she must remain a silent senital, watching, and unknown to her mistress. If she gives in to her exhaustion and goes to bed before then she knows that she will have nightmares. Dreams that torment her so very much - many nights she wakes curled into a helpless ball, sweating and wailing with anguish. So she must wait.
As the grandfather clock in the hall strikes four in the morning, she hears a thud and then a weak knock, so weak that if Jenny had not been listening for it, she never would have heard it. She takes a deep breath and cautiously opens the front door.
Huddled against the cold on the top step is Madame Vastra, the object if Jenny's affections and her employer. Vastra is bleeding profusely from a cut above her jugular. The numbing cold doesn't seem to be having an effect on the amount of blood escaping the wound. Her katana is clutched tightly to her chest, her other arm hanging limply and uselessly by her side.
Jenny somehow manages to lift her mistress so that she is resting on a pile of pillows and cushions in front of the smouldering hearth. She pokes and prods at the fire, expertly drawing out sparks. Within moments the fire is blazing merrily and Jenny is boiling water for tea and so that she can clean her Mistress's wounds.
She fetches sterilised bandages and gauze, antiseptic and some blood to revive her mistress and return some of her strength. As her mistress comes to she is mumbling to herself. Jenny begins to tend gently to Vastra's wounds and as her mistress becomes fully conscious she sharply tries to pull away. However, when she finds that she is too weak she settles for snarling like a caged animal and trying to jolt her arm away. Still Jenny does not give up, but she finds that she still can't look her mistress in the eye, fearful of the disdain she will find there.
Without looking up she murmurs "Ma'am' you must let me tend your wounds. You're bleeding much more then I would like."
Vastra still struggles but gives up, simply replying "Well hurry up then. We have much to discuss."
Still avoiding eye contact Jenny settles for the simple reply that is expected for one of her station, with a curt nod she replies "yes Ma'am".
There is something in Vastra's manner that makes Jenny uncomfortable and she in apprehensive in the worst way about the talk that is to come. Is she about to be dismissed for insubordinate behaviour, she wonders.
When she has finished dressing the wounds she helps Vastra up and hands her a fire warmed blanket. As Vastra settles back in the chair closest to the fire Jenny turns her back. If Vastra sends her away she does not know what she would do. She hears Vastra whisper her name. She doesn't sound angry or even irritated, to Jenny it simply sounds as though she feels nothing and that in many ways is even worse. Steeling herself against all the different possible outcomes, Jenny blankly turns to face Vastra.
At the lack of expression on Jenny's face Vastra looks hurt, like she has been hoping for something entirely different.
"Jenny I wish to talk to you about your state of employment."
"Okay Ma'am" Jenny breathes.
"First of all, I wish to say that no matter of the outcome of this conversation I will think very highly of you. Secondly I wish to ask, how long have you been in my employment?"
"Almost four years to the day Ma'am." Jenny replies with what is supposed to resemble almost casual indifference.
"I think in those four years we have become very close. At times it seems as though we were not employer and maid at all. I find it hard to describe in ape terms exactly what it is that we have become. Then there was that incident almost two weeks ago. Something came over me, something that told me to escape. I had no chance to change my actions. You ended up being injured. My dear, I have never before felt so guilty."
"I don't understand Ma'am. What I did was wrong. I'm sure to go to 'ell for it. I deserved it."
"Jenny, I understand that you have been having feelings for me that do not correlate to those of a normal worker to their employer or even to a friend. They are feelings that you feel are wrong and yet your human God must have made you this way."
"It still ain't right. I'll burn in 'ell because I'm this way!"
"At this precise moment in time that is of little or no consequence. You are still alive and I intend to keep you that way for several decades more. You are still a child, even by ape standards, so you will be safe and content for the rest of your life."
"I can't stay a maid forever Ma'am."
"That is not what I am suggesting at all. If you will listen to my proposal we shall see what we can do for each other. Another thing, Jenny you can not live out the rest of your years here if you intend to never keep eye contact with me or have a complete conversation."
"Yes Ma'am."
"Jenny, stop it. Anyway, I have done some research into what happened the other night. I have found that you apes show your affection for one another by kissing. We Silurians used to have a similar method but I needed to make sure. Why didn't you tell me Jenny?"
Jenny looks away embarrassed and stammers out "I was embarrassed, it's wrong. It ain't supposed to happen. 'specially for your female employer who 'appens to be a differen' species."
"Well if you had, you would have discovered that your feelings were reciprocated. But now you have wasted two weeks. You can not stay employed as my maid if things are to progress further. The options are either that you become my housekeeper to stop any suspicions from arising or that you leave completely."
"Well you see Ma'am it all depends on what you mean by 'progress further'. D'you mean you want me to well y'no?"
"Naturally, unless you would rather leave."
"Of course not. I just ain't used to the idea is all."
"Jenny I think that to get used to the idea you have to experience it as a whole."
"What D'you mean?"
Vastra gets up and walks towards Jenny, watching her intently. Jenny just stands there and gapes. As Vastra comes within reaching distance and grabs, gently yet firmly for Jenny's shoulders. She pulls her nearer. Nearer then Jenny had ever been to her before. Purposefully, Vastra leans in towards Jenny, leaving some room between them, so that Jenny has to make the decision. Jenny's breathe hitches in her throat and she leans forward to make their lips meet in a gentle, forceful, teasing, lingering and meaningful first actual kiss in which both participants actively take part.
To say that it was the beginning of something new would be incorrect. But to say that the incident that had started the chain of events was the beginning of something beautiful and unique would be the most correct statement many people ever made.