Sara's new life was as interesting as it was satisfying. That is to say, not at all. Her duties were long and tiresome and very complicated and boring. The same thing happened EVERY day with no surprises and Sara's clever little head grew tired and annoyed.
Every morning she would get up at six, dress in a hideous maid uniform and tidy and dust the day nursery. She would eat her own breakfast; usually bread and milk, bread and butter and one egg on Sundays and set out clothes for the children. She would then wake the girls. Nine-year-old Georgiana dressed herself, needing only a hand with her boots and buttons, seven-year-old Maria needed a little help, but not much and four-year-old Charlotte needed to be dressed completely.
At exactly eight o' clock, May would come in and make up the fire and watch the children while Sara went downstairs to help Mrs McGregory bring up the breakfast from the kitchen. In one corner of the day nursery was a small table where the children ate. Sara had to make sure they had whatever they wanted and after breakfast would ring the bell to bring May up again to take away the plates.
After breakfast Prudence would take Charlotte away to her mother and Sara would teach Georgiana and Maria. Charlotte returned at lunchtime, along with May and the food. After lunch they would play together, go for a walk, have a nap and then go to afternoon tea with their parents. Charlotte missed out on the tea, as she had her bath now. She ate a light supper – usually a bowl of broth and a piece of bread – and went to bed. Georgiana and Maria would finish the work that they had not completed during their lessons, eat their light evening meal and then take a bath and go to bed. Then Sara would tidy the nurseries, eat supper and sleep herself.
This mayn't have been so bad if it wasn't for the Master. He had told her to call him Thomas, but she couldn't. She kept clinging to her hope that she could stay respectable, but it was useless. She was hopelessly in love. Every time he passed her in the hall her heart raced. When they were alone he would kiss her and she would kiss him back and it was like no one else mattered. Once, they had been kissing and he had run his hand down her front and fondled her budding breasts. She had gone bright red and had kissed him again, so that he would stop. She was frightened of what might happen.
Prudence knew what was going on. Or, at least, she knew Sara was in love with the Master. She promised not to tell the Mistress, but Sara was terrified that the two would bicker, and Prudence would tell her. And Prudence had told her that Oliver was madly in love with her. Sara had been shocked and embarrassed and tried to avoid Oliver. Once he had grabbed her and kissed her hard, but she had pulled away. The fire and passion that she felt for the Master wasn't there with Oliver, and probably never would be. She was so confused.
Then, about three months after she had first come to the Whitlings', everything changed…
The Mistress and Prudence were going to Bristol for three days, and John the carriage driver had gone to Bath, to visit his dying mother. Sara and the Master were alone in the house. Sara could hardly remember what happened that night.
But she definitely remember waking up pregnant…