A New Dawn

Chapter one - a new start

England, Somerset 1656

As I tidied my hair into my bonnet I let out a sigh up at the crack of dawn I have just been accepted to work at lord taits house the day before just 15 years old I left my mother's loving home I was brought up to be good and to work hard which helped me secure my position here my mother was the main person in my life I came to admire, my father died in a farming accident when I was 10 so she relies on me to help with bringing the money in I secured a lose bit of caramel brown hair in my cap I looked back at my pale youthful reflection with bright rosy cheeks and emerald green eyes with a small slim figure I let out another sigh "right" I said to myself "I can do this " I secured the apron to my Brown coloured dress my mother sew for me I opened the door to my attic room and stepped into the hallway I walked down towards the kitchen where the head maid was to get orders for the day she was a plumb sort of women with big rosy cheeks and with a cheerfully personality I grew to like her from the start "there you are daisy my love eat this quick and get started on the carpets then after that come back to me here and I will give you, your next task" she placed a bowl of porridge and a roll in front of me I ate quickly and started on my work by sunrise my fingers were raw red from all the cleaning I went to refill my bucket outside when the master of the household came walking across the court yard where I was filling my bucket I curtsied to him he stopped "you be the new maid?" "yes my lord I am I arrived just yesterday" he looked at me studying my face I felt a little uneasy that he was looking closely at me my heartbeat raised a little he released my gaze "you may get back to work" he ordered with a uninterested tone he left me standing there in a daze what was that about I wondered I shook my head and headed back in the house to the kitchen.

I collapsed on my bed after my first day "phew I am exhausted" I took off my dress and laid it straight for the next morning I dressed into my night gown I sat down in front of the mirror and brushed my long caramel brown curls I stared in the mirror I never classed myself as a beauty but my mother always said I had a pretty face any mother would be proud of true I had the rosy cheeks but my face was too plain and pale I sighed sundly missing home I got up and went to bed sleep taking over as I my head hit the pillow. I woke the next day same as yesterday at dawn it was still dark I lite my candle and washed my face and dressed quickly I raced down to the kitchen where Alice the head maid was in a panicked mood "aaa Daisy good timing I need you in the kitchen today we are preparing for a big banquet the masters son is returning from school and I need you in the kitchen" " yes mam" I spent most of the morning cutting vegetables and preparing the meat for the head chief I didn't stop working all morning and I was rushed off my feet by lunch time I also had missed breakfast I was hungry then Alice called "here daisy have something for all your hard work" she sat me down and placed a plate of cold meat, cheese and bread I gave her a warm smile "thank you mam" I was touched by her kindness " please call me Alice dear" she chuckled and left me to eat I ate in silence then a girl not much older then me by a year came over "hi my name is kaya " " hello my name is Daisy " I gave her a warm smile which she returned "your new right " " er yes I arrived 2 days ago" "good I need a new lackey " she gave me a wink hinting she was joking "stick with me and you'll survive this place Alice is a softie you've done right and got friendly with her stay away from the master tho mind I hear he isn't a nice man but thank god I haven't met him yet he usually spends his time in his study his son is always at school rarely visits home " "who is his son no one has about him " I asked out of curiosity she thought for a moment "well I can't tell you much as I've never seen him before and I've been here 6 months before you " just then Alice the head maid called over "right girls back to work" kaya got up and went back to helping the head chief while I peeled potatoes for the rest of the afternoon,after that was done me and kaya started laying the tables in the grand dinning room It was a big room with lots of paintings and a big grand fire place which was filled with freash logs the table covered in a red cloth with silver plates and coblets we finished quickly we went back to the kitchen to put away the spare plates and cutlery "right girls" Alice said cheerfully "I need you to help serve the food the master asked for you specially daisy and seeing as you to became good friends kaya can help as well" she gave a warm smile and went to check when dinner should be served with the master,

we were sent to clean the lords sons room ready for his arrivel late that afternoon we tidyed the bed and cleaned the curtains with kaya the work was easy but still tireing, my arms were aching by the end we went back to the kitchen to get ready to start serving the dinner
Alice met us at the door "here girls take this to the dinning room quick" she handed us two trays we took them to the dinning room we entered the room where the table was full of people dressed in the most beautiful clothes the women in beautiful silk gowns their hair beautifully combed the men also in finery I couldn't help but stare, kaya nudged me to pay attention I composed myself and started serving the meals to the guests I hadn't noticed that the whole evening the lords son was watching me,
With the banquet ended me and kaya retired to my room as soon as we were in my room kaya turned to me "the lord tait's son was looking at you all evening while u served" she teased with a smile "really i had not of noticed" shocked as I was I couldnt believe what kaya was telling me I hadn't noticed he was let alone even know who the lords son is "oui he was looking at you with a interested expression" "that's total nonesense kaya he proberly just surprised there is a new maid" kaya shrugged "oui maybe" we both got ready for bed kaya decided to stay with me tonight we talked about home and where we grew up kaya was from France and she grew up in a little village called dinea and was sent over by her father to make money for her mother's medical bills we fell asleep after talking for what seemed ages

I have been here just a week and mine and kaya's friendship grew stronger she was funny making sarcastic comments about the lord and mistress of the house and Elizabeth their stuck up daughter we didn't know anything about the lords son but we could imagen he was stuck up like his sister
one day I was walking down the hall from collecting the laundry from the rooms when sundly he was walking down the same hall as me I stopped short staring at him he had golden hair full of curls with bright blue eyes he was also slim builed yet somehow toned he had a hint of a dark skin tone I bowed to him still holding the laundry basket he looked up at me I realised I was stareing I blushed and looked down he stopped in frount of me "good day fair maiden" " good day sir" I replied most politely yet my voice was shaky "pray tell be your name" he asked he looked at me with a strange expresion I felt my heart quicken "my name be Daisy sir" blushing a little "a lovely name for a lovely face" he smiled at me "thank you sir" I blushed scarlet I bowed, he bowed back when he left I hurried to the laundry room to finish the washing my heart pounding my hands shaking I couldn't concentrate was that lord taits son? I thought to myself he was handsome and very polite nothing all like his sister who I met a few days later while cleaning the floors she came walking past with her friends "you missed a spot" she pointed out glareing at me "I shall do it again my lady" I bowed to her she turned to her friends "good thing the dirty jobs are left to servents" she laughed and walked off with her two friends behind I stood there gob smacked at how rude she was I stormed into mine and kayas room that evening after the days work kaya moved in with me a few days of knowing each other " I have never met anyone so rude in my life " I angrily told her "well that's Elizabeth for you" she shrugged "if your below her she will mock you when I first arrived she made fun out of my French accent" kaya sighed brushing her hair I sat down on my bed and took my bonnet off and released my hair from the pins it flowed down to the end of my back my fingers through my hair "come sit" kaya the seat she was just in I got up and did what she said she started brushing my hair and started to sing a French song her mother use to sing while brushing her hair it soothed me soon I felt sleepy kaya helped me into my night gown I got into bed and fell asleep
I woke on a cold winter Sunday I groaned church today I reluctantly got out of my warm bed and dressed in my best dress for the church service kaya did my hair for me and I did hers we both walked down the pathway to the village church the survice lasted all morning when it finnally finished my back was aching still for so long "that was a long service" I yawned as me and kaya walked out of the church "oui daisy it was" kaya agreed also yawning "but religion is very important in out lives we have to repesect it"kaya yawned again "I know" I yawned again also we walked back to the mansion quietly and went to get changed and enjoyed our afternoon off by reading and walking through the gardens we chatted endlessly I enjoyed kayas company we became firm friends work was a little easier with her help but still tireing my hands are red raw by the end of the day but I was happy with my work but I did miss my mother
A month after I arrived at lord taits mansion I heard from my mother she sent a letter hoping I am eating right and working hard that she also missed having me around the house the letter caused a pain in my chest I missed home so much the smell of my mother's cooking and the Sumner days when I was a child running through the fields I put the letter in a box and placed it under my bed and rushed back to work. It had been a weeks since I first saw lord taits son I didn't even know his name I couldn't stop thinking about him hoping I would see him again but I was kept busy with alot of work wasn't till a few days after reseivin my letter from my mother I was by myself out in the yard doing the laundry when he came walking past I got up instantly and bowed to him "goodmorrow my lady" "goodmorrow sir" I tried to keep my voice from breaking how can he have this hold on me when I've only met him once and of a Nobel line he looked at me for a second "I've never seen you before" "I am new sir I was employed just over a month" "well I best not keep you from your duty good day my lady" I bowed "good day sir " with that he left me alone in the yard my heart pounding why am I feeling like this surly this is forbidon for me to love this man who is the son of a Nobel man lord tait but yet my heart beats fast when he comes near or comes through my thoughts I quickly composed myself and got back to work I couldn't allow myself such feelings I will I have to forget about him I must as soon as I was relieved from my work I went straight to my room to avoid any way to cross paths with him again I laid on my bed feeling a fool why did this have to happen falling in love with a Nobel mans son why did this happen to me just then kaya walked in "daisy what is the matter" I took a deep breath "nothing I just miss home " I forced a smile kaya looked at me for a minuet then went over to her bed got dressed and fell sleep I just laid there not knowing what will become of me now I awoke from kaya shaking me "wake up its time to get to work and your still in your clothes get washed quick" she left me to get ready I washed the sleep from my face and tidyed my hair as I was rushing to my first job of cleaning the fire places that morning I ran into the lords son "I am so sorry sir" I hurried out the words bowing and apologising cheeks burning scarlet of embaressment "its ok my lady you did no harm " he smiled to reassure me "all the same sir I apologise I wasn't looking where I was going" my cheeks burning more scarlet my heart racing as he held my shoulders heat coming through my dress of his touch electrisity courseing thought my body he dropped his hands releasing me "I have to go sir" I bowed and quickly left tears started to form in my eyes while he stared at me leaving I tried to keep busy by concentrating on my work but unfortunatly the work only kept my hands busy my mind wondered on what the masters son was doing and what is his name ? I didn't find that out for a few more days when I was bashing the dirt out of the carpets when I head lord tait shout to his son "Christopher you have sword practise" "yes father I am on my way" I saw from a far him walking across he saw me I looked away and carried on beating the carpet hiding the fact my cheeks going red again kaya also me more closely since that day she found me in our room near to tears when I bumped into christoper tait she stay with me helping me with my work I was touched by her pure kindness but 't let her find out I was in love with the lords son Christopher I would keep it a secret in my heart forever my hidden shame a servent girl in love with a nobel man