Chapter 8 - Diana
It had been decided that the newlyweds would stay in the main house until the baby was born. Jonathan and Sidi agreed and soon got into an everyday routine. While he worked she explored the house. Never had she been inside a house so big. Courtney gave her license to examine every room and claim what she liked for the rooms she and Jonathan shared and for the baby as well. Sidi found the old nursery. She discovered a beautiful old cradle that Courtney insisted she use. It was gorgeous.
"All my children used it. Even Jonathan! You must keep up the tradition."
(Even Jonathan. Even Jonathan she thought. How strange. Why would he not use it?)
She opened box after box of baby clothes. Beautiful clothes. Clothes for infants rarely went out of style. She had just about brought them all downstairs.
"You forgot one miss."
The maid carried a box in that Sidi had just taken to the new nursery off the suites she and Jonathan shared.
"Would you like me to cover this Miss?" In her hands was the cloth that had covered the cradle.
"Oh, yes thank you. I'm sorry I didn't hear you come in. I don't think I know you."
The girl smiled. " I just got 'ere miss. I thought Mrs. Sparrow would want you to 'ave some help liftin'. Me name's Diana.
"Thank You Diana."
"Its no trouble Miss." She carried in more the boxes in and sat them down. Sidi stroked the layette smoothing the satin blanket and matching pillows. . They must have been Jonathan's. I will get a set made just like that. She thought. She picked up a silver spoon (this had to have belonged to Jonatha too. Why was this maid bringing all the boxes back up here?)
"Yes Miss. It was." The girl touched her arm.
Sidi stiffened , caught her breath and turned to face the woman her face darkening. (A ghost) . "Don' you worry miss" Diana said mistaking Sidi's sudden mood change. "You can 'ave other babies 'an 'e loves you so much."
Sidi found it hard to breathe "Other babies? Her voice leaked out in a whisper. Her hands clutched her abdomen.
"Yes Miss. Don' you be worryin' now. You just get better an let Mr. Jonathan take care of you."
(Ghosts lie they always lie).
She stared at the woman, her body and voice frozen mouth wide as if the words would come out if she kept it open long enough.
(What does she want?)
"Miss?"
"I need to sit down Diana." The maid led her to her room and helped her into a chair and brought a cup of tea.
"Thank You" her shaking hands accepted the cup.
"It's no trouble Miss." Diana smiled
"Anna, how did you die?" she was fighting to sound casual.
"It was pneumonia Miss" Diana said touched that Sidi would ask about her death.
"You were the governess?"
"Oh no Miss. I am the nursery maid." "Oh I see" Sidi said. "Did you work with all the children?"
"Yes Miss."
"Even Jonathan?"
Diana stoked Sidi's hair. "Your husband was a beautiful child miss an Mr. Sparrow grew to love 'im as a father should."
"Whose child is Jonathan Diana?"
"Ohhh I'm surely not one to carry tales Miss." Her eyes widened and she started to whisper. "Stories are she were a fancy lady."
"Fancy lady?" her head started to hurt.
"ohh yeah one of them painted ones from the 'otels . But it ain't true. Weren't nothin' fancy 'bout that one God as my witness. Mr. Sparrow. 'e 'as a likin' for the ones from the streets. She giggled. A shillin', a back alley an maybe a bottle o wine if she's good!" "prolly took 'er to one of them 'otels wantin' all.. If ye askin me I think she was just one of 'em pub 'ores thinking she's findin' a good thing if you know what I mean Miss. Mr. Sparrow knoin 'ow to please a woman an being an 'andsome generous man 'an all"
It seemed to Sidi that this nursery maid was a bit too possessive and had too much information James Sparrow's sexual performance.
"Yes I see. Does Jonathan know this?"
"Oh yes Miss. Everyone knows. She came round yellin' up Mr. Sparrow 'bout it. She tol' everyone ood listen. He tol' 'er to go way and take 'er little bastard with her 'e did. Well, Mrs Sparrow would 'ave none of it. She wanted that baby. Even if 'e didn't. It were 'er 'usbands child. An a beautiful boy 'e was. Mrs. Sparrow paid 'er what she wanted an brought Mr. Jonathan 'ome. Mr. Sparrow 'e weren't 'appy but like always Mrs. Sparrow got 'er way sure enough. Bless 'er 'art."
Is that all Miss?"
"Diana why did you tell me not to worry and I could have more babies?"
Diana touched her shoulder. "Oh Miss." The pity in her eyes slowly turned to horror. "Oh No Miss!" she gasped. "Oh Miss!" she agonized and disappeared.
Diana was a lovely girl. Sidi didn't know what she needed of her yet but was sure she had no reason to deceive her.
( You can have more babies.)
Sidi climbed into her bed. (Ghosts lie they always lie.. ) and cried herself to sleep.
When she opened her eyes the room was black. A fire crackled and someone had put a tray near her bed. Courtney. Only Courtney would remember to bring strong black coffee instead of tea. She loved her mother-in-law. She was so tired and achy from the crying.
She laid back into the stack of pillows and could barely hear voices from downstairs. Jonathan and his brothers were having a late dinner. They were arguing again. She crawled out of bed and crept down the stairs to investigate. Arguing wasn't really an adequate word to describe the disagreements they had. Pub brawls would better convey it.
NEXT - A bad copy of the buttocks of an ass.
It had been decided that the newlyweds would stay in the main house until the baby was born. Jonathan and Sidi agreed and soon got into an everyday routine. While he worked she explored the house. Never had she been inside a house so big. Courtney gave her license to examine every room and claim what she liked for the rooms she and Jonathan shared and for the baby as well. Sidi found the old nursery. She discovered a beautiful old cradle that Courtney insisted she use. It was gorgeous.
"All my children used it. Even Jonathan! You must keep up the tradition."
(Even Jonathan. Even Jonathan she thought. How strange. Why would he not use it?)
She opened box after box of baby clothes. Beautiful clothes. Clothes for infants rarely went out of style. She had just about brought them all downstairs.
"You forgot one miss."
The maid carried a box in that Sidi had just taken to the new nursery off the suites she and Jonathan shared.
"Would you like me to cover this Miss?" In her hands was the cloth that had covered the cradle.
"Oh, yes thank you. I'm sorry I didn't hear you come in. I don't think I know you."
The girl smiled. " I just got 'ere miss. I thought Mrs. Sparrow would want you to 'ave some help liftin'. Me name's Diana.
"Thank You Diana."
"Its no trouble Miss." She carried in more the boxes in and sat them down. Sidi stroked the layette smoothing the satin blanket and matching pillows. . They must have been Jonathan's. I will get a set made just like that. She thought. She picked up a silver spoon (this had to have belonged to Jonatha too. Why was this maid bringing all the boxes back up here?)
"Yes Miss. It was." The girl touched her arm.
Sidi stiffened , caught her breath and turned to face the woman her face darkening. (A ghost) . "Don' you worry miss" Diana said mistaking Sidi's sudden mood change. "You can 'ave other babies 'an 'e loves you so much."
Sidi found it hard to breathe "Other babies? Her voice leaked out in a whisper. Her hands clutched her abdomen.
"Yes Miss. Don' you be worryin' now. You just get better an let Mr. Jonathan take care of you."
(Ghosts lie they always lie).
She stared at the woman, her body and voice frozen mouth wide as if the words would come out if she kept it open long enough.
(What does she want?)
"Miss?"
"I need to sit down Diana." The maid led her to her room and helped her into a chair and brought a cup of tea.
"Thank You" her shaking hands accepted the cup.
"It's no trouble Miss." Diana smiled
"Anna, how did you die?" she was fighting to sound casual.
"It was pneumonia Miss" Diana said touched that Sidi would ask about her death.
"You were the governess?"
"Oh no Miss. I am the nursery maid." "Oh I see" Sidi said. "Did you work with all the children?"
"Yes Miss."
"Even Jonathan?"
Diana stoked Sidi's hair. "Your husband was a beautiful child miss an Mr. Sparrow grew to love 'im as a father should."
"Whose child is Jonathan Diana?"
"Ohhh I'm surely not one to carry tales Miss." Her eyes widened and she started to whisper. "Stories are she were a fancy lady."
"Fancy lady?" her head started to hurt.
"ohh yeah one of them painted ones from the 'otels . But it ain't true. Weren't nothin' fancy 'bout that one God as my witness. Mr. Sparrow. 'e 'as a likin' for the ones from the streets. She giggled. A shillin', a back alley an maybe a bottle o wine if she's good!" "prolly took 'er to one of them 'otels wantin' all.. If ye askin me I think she was just one of 'em pub 'ores thinking she's findin' a good thing if you know what I mean Miss. Mr. Sparrow knoin 'ow to please a woman an being an 'andsome generous man 'an all"
It seemed to Sidi that this nursery maid was a bit too possessive and had too much information James Sparrow's sexual performance.
"Yes I see. Does Jonathan know this?"
"Oh yes Miss. Everyone knows. She came round yellin' up Mr. Sparrow 'bout it. She tol' everyone ood listen. He tol' 'er to go way and take 'er little bastard with her 'e did. Well, Mrs Sparrow would 'ave none of it. She wanted that baby. Even if 'e didn't. It were 'er 'usbands child. An a beautiful boy 'e was. Mrs. Sparrow paid 'er what she wanted an brought Mr. Jonathan 'ome. Mr. Sparrow 'e weren't 'appy but like always Mrs. Sparrow got 'er way sure enough. Bless 'er 'art."
Is that all Miss?"
"Diana why did you tell me not to worry and I could have more babies?"
Diana touched her shoulder. "Oh Miss." The pity in her eyes slowly turned to horror. "Oh No Miss!" she gasped. "Oh Miss!" she agonized and disappeared.
Diana was a lovely girl. Sidi didn't know what she needed of her yet but was sure she had no reason to deceive her.
( You can have more babies.)
Sidi climbed into her bed. (Ghosts lie they always lie.. ) and cried herself to sleep.
When she opened her eyes the room was black. A fire crackled and someone had put a tray near her bed. Courtney. Only Courtney would remember to bring strong black coffee instead of tea. She loved her mother-in-law. She was so tired and achy from the crying.
She laid back into the stack of pillows and could barely hear voices from downstairs. Jonathan and his brothers were having a late dinner. They were arguing again. She crawled out of bed and crept down the stairs to investigate. Arguing wasn't really an adequate word to describe the disagreements they had. Pub brawls would better convey it.
NEXT - A bad copy of the buttocks of an ass.