Boston, March 13, 1916.
There was a knock on the sitting room door, and one of the maids popped her head around. "Miss Eliza?" She asked.
Eliza glanced up from her needlepoint, as did all the other girls in the room.
"Yes?" She asked.
"The headmistress would like to see you." The maid replied.
"Okay I shall go right there." Eliza said, and the maid curtsied and then left the room.
"I wonder what she's done now." Katy said loudly. "Probably something bad like stealing-some people don't know that certain things-like stealing, like lying-are wrong!"
Eliza gritted her teeth. Most of the time things were bearable as the girls basically ignored her and Annabelle, but sometimes she couldn't help but open her big mouth. Holding her head high she left the room and made her way to the headmistress's study.
"You wanted to see me Ma'am?" Eliza asked.
"Yes, yes. Sit down child, I am afraid I've got bad news for you." The Headmistress replied.
Feeling sick Eliza sat down quickly, and then seeing the headmistress's look of disapproval fixed her skirts properly and folded her hands on her knees like she had been taught.
"It seems your guardian's wife has died in childbirth." The headmistress said.
"Childbirth?" Eliza echoed puzzled.
"You didn't know she was expecting?" The headmistress said, and Eliza shook her head.
"Well I suppose you wouldn't, you're not really family per se are you?" The headmistress mused. "Nonetheless I am sure you're very upset and-"
"I am not upset at all. She was a horrid, horrid woman. She did not like me, and I did not like her. She did not even let me join in the Christmas dinner-even though Cal pleaded. I don't care that she is dead! In fact I am glad!" Eliza exploded.
The headmistress pursed her lips with distaste and glared at the child who was red in the face, and looking every bit the third class girl she was. "Well!" She managed to say. "I must say I am not surprised at your behavior. I think you're very ungrateful, and I think perhaps you need some more lessons in etiquette- don't you know you don't interrupt an adult? Let alone yell at one."
Eliza didn't reply, and the headmistress sighed. "You may leave now."
Eliza left without speaking. She didn't feel any sadness over the death of Cal's wife, but she did feel sorry for him. He'd now lost two women he'd loved! It didn't seem very fair. Back in the sitting room it was obvious that the girls had been discussing Eliza because as soon as she walked in they all turned curious eyes to her.
"Did you get told off?" Jennifer demanded.
Eliza frowned. "Not at all, although it would please you." She said.
"I know girls!" Katy said with a smirk. "I bet she got told that just because in her old family they only bathed once a year she has to do more than that here. Just because her Mama was a dirty whore-"
Before anyone even realised what was happening Eliza had flown across the room at Katy, and scratched her down the face. Katy screamed, and tried to hit her back, but Eliza had her pinned down on the floor, and none of the other girls had moved.
"Take it back! Say my mother was not a dirty whore!" Eliza said angrily.
"I wont!" Katy yelled. "It's the truth!"
Eliza's hands tightened around Katy's throat, and the other girl began to turn blue until Eliza suddenly felt herself being bodily lifted up.
"What on earth was going on here?" The teacher hissed. "What were you doing to her?"
"She was picking on my mother. She called her a dirty whore!" Eliza said angrily.
"A what?" The teacher said. "I'm sure that kind of language was acceptable in your home, but not here, and not in the homes of these girls."
"I didn't say it-Katy did!" Eliza protested.
Katy hadn't spoken yet-she was staring at the blood from her cheek which was on her hands now, in shock.
"She's right. Katy said it!" Annabelle hurried to say.
"I don't want to hear any more. I am disgusted that you think the way to solve things is with violence. You are not a lady at all." The teacher replied. "Now I want you to apoligise to Katy-"
"NEVER!" Eliza yelled. "I am not saying sorry to her when she said something so bad about my mother!"
"Then you will be punished. I think the headmistress will be more than glad to keep you locked up in your room for a few days, and hopefully when you get out you will have learnt that the girls here are of a class where they don't swear, and they don't fight!" The teacher said. "And no doubt a letter will be sent to your guardian."
"My Daddy will sue you!" Katy said. "I am going to tell him what the little gutter rat did to me!"
The teacher looked flustered. "Now Katy I am sure the headmistress will see to it-"
"Look what the little orphan did to my cheek!" Katy screamed. "I'll be scarred for life!"
Annabelle snorted, and Katy glared at her. "What's so funny fatty?" She demanded.
"This is enough. Eliza-we shall go to the headmistress. The rest of you I want to see those needlepoint's done when I get back or else I might punish you too!" The teacher said, having had enough of the bickering.
"But I don't need to be punished! I bet they expel the little lying orphan- " Katy began to moan, but the teacher's look stopped her.
Back in the headmistress's office for the second time in only a few minutes Eliza listened soberly as the teacher explained what had happened. Astonishingly she told the story the way Eliza and Annabelle had told it (she was no stranger to Katy's smart mouth, and she was also a little fond of the young Swedish girl who had not caused any trouble in the time she had been there!), and the headmistress listened thoughtfully.
"It seems clear to me that you were provoked however I still need to punish you for fighting. A lady doesn't do that kind of thing, and whilst you are at this school you will conduct yourself as a lady-even if it is hard for you to do so-at all times. I will send you to bed now, and you may not leave your room for two days. I consider this punishment very lenient and of course I will be writing to your guardian to inform him of this incident. Although it seems a shame to put an added burden on him at this awful time in his life! And I hope you learn your lesson because next time I shall be stricter!" The headmistress said.
"What about Katy?" Eliza demanded. "Is she to be punished too?"
"Never mind about her." The headmistress replied. "Now-I think you should go to your room."
In her room Eliza sat dejectedly on her bed. Was life ever going to get better for her? And what would Cal say when he got the letter from the headmistress? Would he be angry at her for not behaving herself? She buried her face in her pillow and cried. Why had life been so cruel to her, taking her parents away, taking most of her memory away also?
There was a knock on the sitting room door, and one of the maids popped her head around. "Miss Eliza?" She asked.
Eliza glanced up from her needlepoint, as did all the other girls in the room.
"Yes?" She asked.
"The headmistress would like to see you." The maid replied.
"Okay I shall go right there." Eliza said, and the maid curtsied and then left the room.
"I wonder what she's done now." Katy said loudly. "Probably something bad like stealing-some people don't know that certain things-like stealing, like lying-are wrong!"
Eliza gritted her teeth. Most of the time things were bearable as the girls basically ignored her and Annabelle, but sometimes she couldn't help but open her big mouth. Holding her head high she left the room and made her way to the headmistress's study.
"You wanted to see me Ma'am?" Eliza asked.
"Yes, yes. Sit down child, I am afraid I've got bad news for you." The Headmistress replied.
Feeling sick Eliza sat down quickly, and then seeing the headmistress's look of disapproval fixed her skirts properly and folded her hands on her knees like she had been taught.
"It seems your guardian's wife has died in childbirth." The headmistress said.
"Childbirth?" Eliza echoed puzzled.
"You didn't know she was expecting?" The headmistress said, and Eliza shook her head.
"Well I suppose you wouldn't, you're not really family per se are you?" The headmistress mused. "Nonetheless I am sure you're very upset and-"
"I am not upset at all. She was a horrid, horrid woman. She did not like me, and I did not like her. She did not even let me join in the Christmas dinner-even though Cal pleaded. I don't care that she is dead! In fact I am glad!" Eliza exploded.
The headmistress pursed her lips with distaste and glared at the child who was red in the face, and looking every bit the third class girl she was. "Well!" She managed to say. "I must say I am not surprised at your behavior. I think you're very ungrateful, and I think perhaps you need some more lessons in etiquette- don't you know you don't interrupt an adult? Let alone yell at one."
Eliza didn't reply, and the headmistress sighed. "You may leave now."
Eliza left without speaking. She didn't feel any sadness over the death of Cal's wife, but she did feel sorry for him. He'd now lost two women he'd loved! It didn't seem very fair. Back in the sitting room it was obvious that the girls had been discussing Eliza because as soon as she walked in they all turned curious eyes to her.
"Did you get told off?" Jennifer demanded.
Eliza frowned. "Not at all, although it would please you." She said.
"I know girls!" Katy said with a smirk. "I bet she got told that just because in her old family they only bathed once a year she has to do more than that here. Just because her Mama was a dirty whore-"
Before anyone even realised what was happening Eliza had flown across the room at Katy, and scratched her down the face. Katy screamed, and tried to hit her back, but Eliza had her pinned down on the floor, and none of the other girls had moved.
"Take it back! Say my mother was not a dirty whore!" Eliza said angrily.
"I wont!" Katy yelled. "It's the truth!"
Eliza's hands tightened around Katy's throat, and the other girl began to turn blue until Eliza suddenly felt herself being bodily lifted up.
"What on earth was going on here?" The teacher hissed. "What were you doing to her?"
"She was picking on my mother. She called her a dirty whore!" Eliza said angrily.
"A what?" The teacher said. "I'm sure that kind of language was acceptable in your home, but not here, and not in the homes of these girls."
"I didn't say it-Katy did!" Eliza protested.
Katy hadn't spoken yet-she was staring at the blood from her cheek which was on her hands now, in shock.
"She's right. Katy said it!" Annabelle hurried to say.
"I don't want to hear any more. I am disgusted that you think the way to solve things is with violence. You are not a lady at all." The teacher replied. "Now I want you to apoligise to Katy-"
"NEVER!" Eliza yelled. "I am not saying sorry to her when she said something so bad about my mother!"
"Then you will be punished. I think the headmistress will be more than glad to keep you locked up in your room for a few days, and hopefully when you get out you will have learnt that the girls here are of a class where they don't swear, and they don't fight!" The teacher said. "And no doubt a letter will be sent to your guardian."
"My Daddy will sue you!" Katy said. "I am going to tell him what the little gutter rat did to me!"
The teacher looked flustered. "Now Katy I am sure the headmistress will see to it-"
"Look what the little orphan did to my cheek!" Katy screamed. "I'll be scarred for life!"
Annabelle snorted, and Katy glared at her. "What's so funny fatty?" She demanded.
"This is enough. Eliza-we shall go to the headmistress. The rest of you I want to see those needlepoint's done when I get back or else I might punish you too!" The teacher said, having had enough of the bickering.
"But I don't need to be punished! I bet they expel the little lying orphan- " Katy began to moan, but the teacher's look stopped her.
Back in the headmistress's office for the second time in only a few minutes Eliza listened soberly as the teacher explained what had happened. Astonishingly she told the story the way Eliza and Annabelle had told it (she was no stranger to Katy's smart mouth, and she was also a little fond of the young Swedish girl who had not caused any trouble in the time she had been there!), and the headmistress listened thoughtfully.
"It seems clear to me that you were provoked however I still need to punish you for fighting. A lady doesn't do that kind of thing, and whilst you are at this school you will conduct yourself as a lady-even if it is hard for you to do so-at all times. I will send you to bed now, and you may not leave your room for two days. I consider this punishment very lenient and of course I will be writing to your guardian to inform him of this incident. Although it seems a shame to put an added burden on him at this awful time in his life! And I hope you learn your lesson because next time I shall be stricter!" The headmistress said.
"What about Katy?" Eliza demanded. "Is she to be punished too?"
"Never mind about her." The headmistress replied. "Now-I think you should go to your room."
In her room Eliza sat dejectedly on her bed. Was life ever going to get better for her? And what would Cal say when he got the letter from the headmistress? Would he be angry at her for not behaving herself? She buried her face in her pillow and cried. Why had life been so cruel to her, taking her parents away, taking most of her memory away also?