Chapter Four: An Unlikely Meeting
My eyes popped open and I struggled for breath as a scream got caught in my throat. My hands distinctly went to my neck, as I realized that it had just been a dream and I was okay. My body was moist with perspiration and the remnant of that horrid dream still clung to my thoughts. My heart thumped so loud and hard I was sure it was going to burst out of my chest. I turned to my right hoping to see my husband so that he would comfort me, but, to my surprise, I found emptiness. His side of the bed was neatly made up and I was left all alone to deal with the unpleasantness of my nightmare.
Shivering from fright, I trudged into the bathroom and turned on the hot water in my huge marble tub. It looked, and probably was, brand new. I was silly for thinking that this had been Randolph's childhood room made over into our lovely suite. I would scold myself later for being so stupid and naive. Right now, all I wanted to do was take a nice relaxing bath and forget about that dreadful dream. The sound of water rushing into the bath tub relaxed me as I searched for some scented bath oils. After some serious searching, I found some honey scented oil hidden behind the lilac. I would have to remember to throw out everything in this suite that was lilac scented. I scrunched my nose up at the thought of Lillian's love of lilac. This room would absolutely not have that scent! I poured some of the oil into the tub and the sweet smell of honey engulfed the whole bathroom. I put my soft golden locks up in a clip and dipped my toes into the tub full of steamy hot water and sighed happily. I could already feel the tension slipping from my muscles as I submerged into the tub giggling at such pleasure a hot bath could give me. The hot water felt so good on my skin and I was so relaxed. My eyes kept closing and I could feel myself slowly falling into a deep sleep.
The shutting of my bedroom door awoke me with a startle and I jerked my arms over the side of the tub splashing water all over the floor. Then a smirk came to my lips as I thought about Randolph and how I could tease him so badly if he were to walk in here. The bathroom door opened and, instead of her husband, a tiny dark-haired woman walked into the room. The first thing I noticed about her was her beautiful onyx eyes and her soft face. They were so dark and enchanting that I almost forgot that I was in a bathtub naked. I quickly covered my naked breasts as the woman who couldn't be much older than me gasped, dropped her crisp clean towels, and turned her face from me.
"I'm very sorry ma'am," the chambermaid apologized, "Mrs. Cutler sent my up here to fetch you, and I had some towels to put up, so I ... I thought that you had already gone downstairs."
I didn't utter a word to the raven-haired woman. I simply nodded and waited for her to pick up her towels, put them in the proper place, and then leave shutting the bathroom door softly. Once again, alone, I ascended from the tub and wrapped a robe around my naked body. A grimace formed on my lips as I smelled the lilac from the robe overpowering the honey scent. I quickly rushed out of the bathroom and to my vanity table so that I could smell some perfume to drown out that horrid smell.
I sat down and began to brush my long hair until it glistened. Then I began to apply my make-up with great care. Everything had to be perfect today, for I was going to finally meet Mr. Bill Cutler, Randolph's father. It was after I had made sure I looked wonderful that I noticed the maid still standing by the bedroom doors watching me.
"What do you want?" I asked not attempting to hide the fact that I was annoyed at her.
"I was sent here to give you a message from Mrs. Cutler." the maid said while her onyx eyes filled with fire. She was obviously offended by my tone of voice.
"And what would that message be?" my voice calmed and more patient now. After all, I couldn't have the maids hating me along with Randolph's mother.
"You are to be downstairs in the dining room at one exactly to greet guests and have lunch with her and Mr. Cutler." the maid said dutifully.
"Yeah, yeah." I muttered now not interested at all with anything she had to say, "Tell her I'll be down in a little while."
"But, ma'am, with all due respect," the maid said with laughs in her eyes, "do you know what time it is?"
I gasped as I looked at the clock, "Twelve forty five! I'll never be ready in time!"
I jumped up and rushed to my closet. I practically threw five outfits on my bed within ten seconds. I rushed over there and moaned at what I had chosen. Two of the outfits were winter wear, and one was a ball gown, while the other was a sun dress.
"Perfect!" I cried out and picked up the sun-dress. It was three different shades of pink and three different shades of orange. The floral dress was not too fancy and not too casual at the same time.
"Ma'am," the maid called me as she held up a pair of strappy orangish- pink sandals with a one-inch heel.
I smiled gratefully at her and quickly slipped into the satiny sun- dress. It looked wonderful with the shoes and I had to admit that I looked absolutely radiant! "This is perfect!" I cried out satisfied with the look.
"That dress and those shoes go together like two peas in a pod!" the maid exclaimed and smiled softly at her attempt to make a joke.
I ignored the humour in her voice and began to leave the suite and said, "You can clean that up before I get back."
She didn't even move an inch as I began to walk away. I walked through the suite doors and to the door that lead to the main hallway, but I turned around to find the maid in the bedroom's doors watching me.
"By the way," I began, "What's your name?"
"Sally Jean, Sally Jean Longchamp." The maid said proudly as she stood there her onyx eyes gleaming.
My eyes popped open and I struggled for breath as a scream got caught in my throat. My hands distinctly went to my neck, as I realized that it had just been a dream and I was okay. My body was moist with perspiration and the remnant of that horrid dream still clung to my thoughts. My heart thumped so loud and hard I was sure it was going to burst out of my chest. I turned to my right hoping to see my husband so that he would comfort me, but, to my surprise, I found emptiness. His side of the bed was neatly made up and I was left all alone to deal with the unpleasantness of my nightmare.
Shivering from fright, I trudged into the bathroom and turned on the hot water in my huge marble tub. It looked, and probably was, brand new. I was silly for thinking that this had been Randolph's childhood room made over into our lovely suite. I would scold myself later for being so stupid and naive. Right now, all I wanted to do was take a nice relaxing bath and forget about that dreadful dream. The sound of water rushing into the bath tub relaxed me as I searched for some scented bath oils. After some serious searching, I found some honey scented oil hidden behind the lilac. I would have to remember to throw out everything in this suite that was lilac scented. I scrunched my nose up at the thought of Lillian's love of lilac. This room would absolutely not have that scent! I poured some of the oil into the tub and the sweet smell of honey engulfed the whole bathroom. I put my soft golden locks up in a clip and dipped my toes into the tub full of steamy hot water and sighed happily. I could already feel the tension slipping from my muscles as I submerged into the tub giggling at such pleasure a hot bath could give me. The hot water felt so good on my skin and I was so relaxed. My eyes kept closing and I could feel myself slowly falling into a deep sleep.
The shutting of my bedroom door awoke me with a startle and I jerked my arms over the side of the tub splashing water all over the floor. Then a smirk came to my lips as I thought about Randolph and how I could tease him so badly if he were to walk in here. The bathroom door opened and, instead of her husband, a tiny dark-haired woman walked into the room. The first thing I noticed about her was her beautiful onyx eyes and her soft face. They were so dark and enchanting that I almost forgot that I was in a bathtub naked. I quickly covered my naked breasts as the woman who couldn't be much older than me gasped, dropped her crisp clean towels, and turned her face from me.
"I'm very sorry ma'am," the chambermaid apologized, "Mrs. Cutler sent my up here to fetch you, and I had some towels to put up, so I ... I thought that you had already gone downstairs."
I didn't utter a word to the raven-haired woman. I simply nodded and waited for her to pick up her towels, put them in the proper place, and then leave shutting the bathroom door softly. Once again, alone, I ascended from the tub and wrapped a robe around my naked body. A grimace formed on my lips as I smelled the lilac from the robe overpowering the honey scent. I quickly rushed out of the bathroom and to my vanity table so that I could smell some perfume to drown out that horrid smell.
I sat down and began to brush my long hair until it glistened. Then I began to apply my make-up with great care. Everything had to be perfect today, for I was going to finally meet Mr. Bill Cutler, Randolph's father. It was after I had made sure I looked wonderful that I noticed the maid still standing by the bedroom doors watching me.
"What do you want?" I asked not attempting to hide the fact that I was annoyed at her.
"I was sent here to give you a message from Mrs. Cutler." the maid said while her onyx eyes filled with fire. She was obviously offended by my tone of voice.
"And what would that message be?" my voice calmed and more patient now. After all, I couldn't have the maids hating me along with Randolph's mother.
"You are to be downstairs in the dining room at one exactly to greet guests and have lunch with her and Mr. Cutler." the maid said dutifully.
"Yeah, yeah." I muttered now not interested at all with anything she had to say, "Tell her I'll be down in a little while."
"But, ma'am, with all due respect," the maid said with laughs in her eyes, "do you know what time it is?"
I gasped as I looked at the clock, "Twelve forty five! I'll never be ready in time!"
I jumped up and rushed to my closet. I practically threw five outfits on my bed within ten seconds. I rushed over there and moaned at what I had chosen. Two of the outfits were winter wear, and one was a ball gown, while the other was a sun dress.
"Perfect!" I cried out and picked up the sun-dress. It was three different shades of pink and three different shades of orange. The floral dress was not too fancy and not too casual at the same time.
"Ma'am," the maid called me as she held up a pair of strappy orangish- pink sandals with a one-inch heel.
I smiled gratefully at her and quickly slipped into the satiny sun- dress. It looked wonderful with the shoes and I had to admit that I looked absolutely radiant! "This is perfect!" I cried out satisfied with the look.
"That dress and those shoes go together like two peas in a pod!" the maid exclaimed and smiled softly at her attempt to make a joke.
I ignored the humour in her voice and began to leave the suite and said, "You can clean that up before I get back."
She didn't even move an inch as I began to walk away. I walked through the suite doors and to the door that lead to the main hallway, but I turned around to find the maid in the bedroom's doors watching me.
"By the way," I began, "What's your name?"
"Sally Jean, Sally Jean Longchamp." The maid said proudly as she stood there her onyx eyes gleaming.