1912, Lincolnshire, England
Nestled in the grassy Lincolnshire countryside sat a sturdy stone home that was rather large in scale. The well-built structure made up the country house of the aristocratic Coyne family, which consisted of the Right Honourable Percy Coyne, the Earl of Spalding, and his kindhearted wife, Lady Laura, Countess of Spalding. Together they had produced two children, fraternal twins Declan and Fiona. The high ranking aristocrats had inherited the notorious Blackstrom Manor through typical ancestral means; Lord Spalding had been the single heir of his parents and inherited the manor over twenty five years ago. Sir Declan, the Lord's eighteen year old son, would soon inherit Blackstrom Manor from his father and become the reigning Lord of the household. The handsome and charming Declan Coyne had wooed and recently became engaged to one Holly Sinclair, daughter to Mary Kate Sinclair, a lower ranking noble. Declan and Holly were madly in love, and the household was merely waiting for the news of Holly's impregnation. It was bound to happen soon and many were making bets regarding the matter, even some of the household staff wagered that Holly would become pregnant before the wedding, but others steadfastly believed that the pair were waiting until their wedding night to copulate, as required by proper society.
Lady Fiona had not been pleased at the news of the engagement and it seemed things were continually getting worse for her. She had no potential suitors and no interest in marrying, which was unusual for someone her age. Then there was the matter of her lady's maid quitting on her. Her personal maid had managed to find love even though she hadn't, and now Lady Fiona was desperately seeking a new maid. For now she was sharing a maid with Holly, a nice girl named Sarah, but Lady Fiona desired her own maid and she was anxiously awaiting the butler, Thomas, to come to her with his interview candidates. He'd told her he was doing a round of interviews and would send the best to her personally to decide on.
Imogen Moreno was a lower middle class individual. She hadn't worked a day in her life, but when her father took ill, she had to begin searching for work. The ad in the paper for a lady's maid intrigued her, and so she inquired into the position immediately. She didn't have experience but she was intelligent and quick on her feet. She had no doubt that she'd learn quickly if given the chance.
That day she stood in front of the butler of Blackstrom Manor, the formal leader of the household staff, and she was dressed in her finest white dress, her hair pinned up. She spoke honestly about her life and experience, begging to be given a chance at the job. The tender butler, Thomas, agreed to let her speak with Lady Fiona, but he assured her that the final decision was the Lady's, not his. Nervously she followed him to the library, where she would be meeting her (possible) future employer. Trying to remain calm and collected, Imogen chose to stand even when offered a seat.
"Lady Fiona, this is Imogen Moreno. She's about your age and rather bright. She hasn't got any experience, but she proves to be passionate and states that she'll work hard for you." She thought she saw a twinkle in Thomas' eye when he said this, but Imogen said nothing, merely giving the Lady an anxious smile.
Fiona regarded Thomas. "Thank you, Thomas. I'll talk with her and get back to you with my decision." She said, dismissing him. He gave a slight bow before vacating the room, leaving Fiona and Imogen alone. Lady Fiona glanced up at the standing girl from her place on the small couch. "Please, sit." She could hardly argue when given an order, so Imogen dutifully took a seat next to Fiona, not quite meeting her eyes. "Tell me about yourself, then." The aristocrat prompted. The younger girl felt her cheeks pinken as she began to speak, her voice shaking a bit as she did so.
"Like he said, I'm Imogen...haven't worked a day in my life, but I need work. My dad's taken ill and it's really serious. I've got to come up with the money to take care of the medical expenses, not to mention to eat and such, since he can't work anymore." She explained clearly, her voice strengthening as she went on.
Fiona curtly nodded. "You'll be happy to know that we take care of your room and board, so that shouldn't be an issue. All your money can go toward your father and whatever else you may want or need." She paused, noticing that a particular member of Imogen's family had been unaccounted for during this interview. "And your mother?" She asked.
"My parents are...divorced." It was still a bit unusual at the time for couples to be divorced, but Fiona didn't really think anything of it. She thought, if anything, divorce was a good thing. It gave people the chance to escape the huge mistake they'd made. She wasn't much of a romantic in that sense.
"I see. How old are you, Imogen?" The Lady's tone softened, became friendlier.
This caught Imogen off guard. "S-seventeen." She stammered finally, like she had stage fright. Fiona's hand rested on her shoulder and she moved away from the unexpected contact.
"Sorry," Lady Fiona apologized, noticing Imogen's reaction to the touch. "That's great, really. I'm eighteen, my last maid was ancient. She was...boring. You seem, I don't know, more interesting at least. My age, too, we could almost be friends." She smiled brightly. Imogen returned the smile, her heart beating faster. Did this mean she was getting the job? She gazed at Fiona, as if waiting for an answer and the noble laughed. "Of course I'll give you a go, Imogen! I'd be delighted. Can't be too hard, I'm not real fussy or anything and they can train you." She announced. "I'll ring for Thomas and they'll get you acquainted, show you your quarters. I expect to see you later this evening, round time for bed."
Lady Fiona stood up and went toward the door, where they had a bell set up. She rang the bell and it would go to the downstairs, alerting the servants that someone in the family needed something. As Fiona turned back around and began to approach her again, Imogen noticed how breathtakingly beautiful the other girl was. Her dark curls hung loose at her shoulders, small freckles dotting her unusually shaped nose, her bright blue eyes the colour of lake water, and she wore a well made dress that clung nicely to her curved body. Imogen wished desperately that she'd been born into a different life, that she could look and dress like Fiona, that she could live her life only worrying about small things instead of wondering where her next meal would come from. She sighed, but tried to look happy when Lady Fiona sat back down. No, she was definitely happy, it was great she found work and everyone wanted to work in a house like this, but Imogen did sometimes get a little down about her lot in life.
"I think this is going to be wonderful, don't you?" Lady Fiona broke the silence that had settled between them. Imogen nodded vigorously, and they began chatting idly as they waited for Thomas to arrive. A few minutes passed and the gentleman had come, asking Imogen to accompany him on a tour of the manor, which would eventually lead them to the quarters, so that she could eat before the nightly duties began. The girls exchanged goodbyes and Imogen followed Thomas, eager to begin her new job. At least now she knew her father would be taken care of.