If only…

"O'Brien, tonight I shall wear my red dress. We expect Sir Richard Carlisle for dinner, we should all make a good impression on him"

"Very well m'lady, I'll fetch it for you by dressing time".

O'Brien loved that dress. To say it more precisely she loved it on Cora. The colour perfectly matched with her dark hair and the low neck of the dress left her collarbones bare and so desirable. But Sarah had to stop distracting herself from her job, she had so much things to do on this afternoon and she knew very well how her thoughts can lead her mind fly away from the reality (which made her rather slow during the work).

"That would be all m'lady?"

"Yes, thank you O'Brien. Oh no wait a second. I thought I might put a red rose in my hair, what do you think?"

What did she think?She couldn't imagine anything more beautiful than that. Now she knew for sure that she won't be able to put her thoughts together again during this day.

"I think that will be very nice indeed m'lady. I will ask for the flower from the gardener right before the dinner to have it fresh."

"Thank you dear O'Brien, you are really a treasure."

Sarah left Her Ladyship's room and cursed herself for having those thoughts again about the countess. But she couldn't help them.

A cigarette with Thomas will help.

The afternoon flew away very fast for the people working downstairs. There always seemed to be much more work than time.

Sarah finished with her needlework and then she suddenly remembered about the flower. The dressing gong will call the ladiesmaid in half an hour to help her mistresses to dress. Sarah went out to the garden. The last rays of the sun were still warm, very warm indeed. She felt dizzy for a second. She couldn't tell if it was the sudden warmth what made her feel uncomfortable in her black dress or the thought of the Countess with the flower in her hair caused this feeling of faint.

C'mon O'Brien put yourself together.

She didn't have to search long for the gardener. He was working in the rose garden.

"Good evening miss, can I help you?"

"I'd like you to pick the most beautiful piece for me. It'll be for Her Ladyship."

"All right miss, I choose one for ya'. How about this one?"

Sarah wasn't pleased at all. She rather looked around and she picked herself the most beautiful flower.

"This will be quite perfect, thank you." Ah, SHE is perfect.

Shortly gave the sign by the gong and Sarah was ready to go upstairs. She carried the red dress on her arm.

She knocked on the door and entered. Lady Cora was still sitting on the bed with a book in her hand.

"Is it that late already?It seems I've left my sense of time."

"Shall we start m'lady?"

"Yes, I shouldn't be late, should I?" – said Lady Cora with the adorable smile which always made Sarah's heart beat faster.

Sir Richard Carlise was an important guest of the house, Sarah knew it well. They all knew it downstairs that he may be the future husband of Lady Mary.

"I would like to go and check Lady Mary before I go downstairs, can you help me to be ready fast, dear O'Brien?"

Sarah certainly could, but she felt sorry that she couldn't enjoy every moment of dressing her mistress in this hurry.

"I'm almost ready m'lady" –she said and put the black pearl around Lady Cora's neck.

"Thank you O'Brien, only the gloves are left now."

Lady Cora stoop up from the table and she looked in her red dress just as O'Brien imagined some hours ago.

"Wait a second m'lady, we shouldn't forget the flower."

Sarah took out the rose carefully from her pocket and she turned to her mistress.

She tried to put the flower in Cora's hair but as the countess was not sitting anymore it seemed to be hard to do it. Sarah made a step forward, incredibly close to her lady. She felt Cora's warm breath on her cheek and she felt she has to do it now. Now or never. However it seemed to be the most silly and dangerous thing what a servant ever can do to her mistress, she approached Cora's lips with hers, when…

When O'Brien opened her eyes for that annoying noise of the morning bell. For a second she was not sure where she was, she had to look around. She closed her eyes with the hope she can finish her dream, at least the kiss. But she was too far already. Too far from her dream and too far from Her Ladyship. It wasn't the first occasion that she dreamed about the countess, but this time it felt so real.

Sarah woke up with the feeling of a bittersweet disappointment. She desperately wanted to dream it again, dream it further but she also had the strange feeling, that uncertain but strong feeling that it was not only her who had a dream that night…