Thanks for the bone/b person who's read and reviewed my fic. So sad....oh well.
Chapter 2
After breakfast the next morning, Adele was left to her own devices. Her aunt informed her that she would be making social calls and insinuated rather heavily that Adele was not invited. Adele was told not to leave the house but that she should find some way to entertain herself until dinner time.
With a sigh, Adele headed upstairs and opened one of the many books she had brought with her. The pages were dog earred and the story was so familiar to her that she could almost recite it with her eyes closed. Still, she did not have the courage to venture into her aunt's study knowing that one of the servants might find her there and chide her for being out of her confined quarters. She'd had enough of people ordering her around to last a life time.
After finishing the first chapter, Adele shoved the book aside. It was much too nice a day to spend indoors. The trees and flowers were blooming outside creating a gentle perfume that seemed to carry through the air. The whole world seemed to be in full bloom, trying to get the very most out of these last few days of summer.
Adele sat on her bed on her knees, elbows on the window sill and observed the world, or what she could see of it, from her perch. All she could see was her aunt's small garden of lillies and carnations and into the yards of two of their neighbors. Nothing seemed to be going on there either, except one of the maids next door washing clothes and singing rather off key.
'I never thought the city could be so boring.' Adele thought as she fell on her bed dramatically. However, she had no nanny to see the dramatics and rush to her side to pamper her. With that thought, Adele smiled. If she had no nanny, who was going to make sure she didn't leave? Her aunt wouldn't finish her social engagements until well past five and it was only eleven o'clock. There was a whole city out there that awaited, and Adele wasn't about to sit by herself all day knowing that no one could stop her.
Excitedly, she pulled on her shoes and checked herself once in the mirror before sneaking out of the front door ever so silently. She had of course managed to filch a key from the maid's keyring when the cook was looking in the other direction.
Once outside, Adele breathed in deeply. She had been to other cities before; Berlin, Munich, Paris, London, but they all seemed somewhat different from New York. Right away she could see New York was something special, with people of every shades and shouting in all kinds of languages and accents. It was an odd sight for her to see indeed, ladies passing by while urchins begged for them to purchase just one flower.
The girl stood there for a minute before deciding she wanted to go find the newest dress shop that was supposed to be all the rage now. She had heard of it back home and the dresses in it were supposed to be absolutely beautiful. She wanted to see for herself. Then perhaps she'd grab something to eat from one of the vendors and then sneak back inside in time for a short nap before dinner. It would be perfect.
Adele asked directions to the dress shop from a fine looking gentleman who was out with his wife and daughter. She smiled at him meekly and headed in the direction. No sooner had she turned the corner then had someone run right at her, knocking her down. She couldn't see who the culprit was, but she was sure that there were papers flying in every direction.
"Pardon me, miss." a voice came through the deluge of papers. "I didn't mean to knock you right ovah. Me and my friends was just messin' around. Heah, lemme help you up."
A dirty hand stained with print was thrust at her. Reluctantly, she took it and let its owner pull her back up into a standing position so she could survey the damages. Altogether she was fine, except some dirt on her clothes and a cut on her knee that had torn through her stockings.
The voice continued after he surveyed her knee. "Awww, no. Miss I'se real sorry about dat. You want me to help you take care of it?"
"No thank you." Adele said rather curtly, too curtly for her own pleasure. It was just with such a dirty hand, she wasn't sure how dirty this boy might be. And who knows how he'd help her take care of it in the first place.
After brushing off the lap of her skirt, she looked up into the eyes of the owner of the hand. He was just a boy, her own age probably. He had the deepest set brown eyes that reminded her of a puppy dog and curly brown hair. But it was his skin that strangely attracted her to him. She had never seen anything like it before. He wasn't as black as the porters had been yesterday, but he wasn't quite the color of Adele either. She found the color beautiful and decided it reminded her of cafe au lait.
He stood there with his hat off collecting his papers, making sure Adele was okay before he was on his way. The truth was, the boy didn't mind running into such a pretty girl. 'This is the closet I'll ever be to having a girl as wonderful as her.' he thought woefully.
"Sorry for being so curt." Adele said, trying her best to speak without a German accent, which she was often quite good at. "I was just surprised. My name's Adele."
She thrust her hand forward with her introduction, not quite sure why she was introducing herself to this strange peasant boy. Perhaps it was the way he was looking at her or perhaps she just needed some element of adventure or maybe just some sort of companion.
"Mush." he answered, not quite sure what to do with the hand that had been thrust at him. He looked over at his clumsy friend Skittery who made a kissing face, insinuating that he was supposed to kiss her hand, not just stare at it.
Mush smiled at him and pressed his lips to her soft white hand before letting it go.
"I uh....I live in the big white house round the corner." She told him, again unsure what she was saying or where this would lead. "My aunt's the lady of the house and she says she needs someone to deliver our newspapers, once in the morning, once in the afternoon. Think you can handle it? We do tip well."
Mush grinned at Skittery, his partner in crime. He had never had someone proposition him with an offer like that and he knew he'd be a fool if he didn't take up the gorgeous young thing on the offer.
"Surely." he answered. "I'll get to your house first thing after the papers are distributed. It was nice meetin' you Miss Adele."
"You too." she smiled and started on her way again to the dress shop. Perhaps New York wasn't so bad after all.
Chapter 2
After breakfast the next morning, Adele was left to her own devices. Her aunt informed her that she would be making social calls and insinuated rather heavily that Adele was not invited. Adele was told not to leave the house but that she should find some way to entertain herself until dinner time.
With a sigh, Adele headed upstairs and opened one of the many books she had brought with her. The pages were dog earred and the story was so familiar to her that she could almost recite it with her eyes closed. Still, she did not have the courage to venture into her aunt's study knowing that one of the servants might find her there and chide her for being out of her confined quarters. She'd had enough of people ordering her around to last a life time.
After finishing the first chapter, Adele shoved the book aside. It was much too nice a day to spend indoors. The trees and flowers were blooming outside creating a gentle perfume that seemed to carry through the air. The whole world seemed to be in full bloom, trying to get the very most out of these last few days of summer.
Adele sat on her bed on her knees, elbows on the window sill and observed the world, or what she could see of it, from her perch. All she could see was her aunt's small garden of lillies and carnations and into the yards of two of their neighbors. Nothing seemed to be going on there either, except one of the maids next door washing clothes and singing rather off key.
'I never thought the city could be so boring.' Adele thought as she fell on her bed dramatically. However, she had no nanny to see the dramatics and rush to her side to pamper her. With that thought, Adele smiled. If she had no nanny, who was going to make sure she didn't leave? Her aunt wouldn't finish her social engagements until well past five and it was only eleven o'clock. There was a whole city out there that awaited, and Adele wasn't about to sit by herself all day knowing that no one could stop her.
Excitedly, she pulled on her shoes and checked herself once in the mirror before sneaking out of the front door ever so silently. She had of course managed to filch a key from the maid's keyring when the cook was looking in the other direction.
Once outside, Adele breathed in deeply. She had been to other cities before; Berlin, Munich, Paris, London, but they all seemed somewhat different from New York. Right away she could see New York was something special, with people of every shades and shouting in all kinds of languages and accents. It was an odd sight for her to see indeed, ladies passing by while urchins begged for them to purchase just one flower.
The girl stood there for a minute before deciding she wanted to go find the newest dress shop that was supposed to be all the rage now. She had heard of it back home and the dresses in it were supposed to be absolutely beautiful. She wanted to see for herself. Then perhaps she'd grab something to eat from one of the vendors and then sneak back inside in time for a short nap before dinner. It would be perfect.
Adele asked directions to the dress shop from a fine looking gentleman who was out with his wife and daughter. She smiled at him meekly and headed in the direction. No sooner had she turned the corner then had someone run right at her, knocking her down. She couldn't see who the culprit was, but she was sure that there were papers flying in every direction.
"Pardon me, miss." a voice came through the deluge of papers. "I didn't mean to knock you right ovah. Me and my friends was just messin' around. Heah, lemme help you up."
A dirty hand stained with print was thrust at her. Reluctantly, she took it and let its owner pull her back up into a standing position so she could survey the damages. Altogether she was fine, except some dirt on her clothes and a cut on her knee that had torn through her stockings.
The voice continued after he surveyed her knee. "Awww, no. Miss I'se real sorry about dat. You want me to help you take care of it?"
"No thank you." Adele said rather curtly, too curtly for her own pleasure. It was just with such a dirty hand, she wasn't sure how dirty this boy might be. And who knows how he'd help her take care of it in the first place.
After brushing off the lap of her skirt, she looked up into the eyes of the owner of the hand. He was just a boy, her own age probably. He had the deepest set brown eyes that reminded her of a puppy dog and curly brown hair. But it was his skin that strangely attracted her to him. She had never seen anything like it before. He wasn't as black as the porters had been yesterday, but he wasn't quite the color of Adele either. She found the color beautiful and decided it reminded her of cafe au lait.
He stood there with his hat off collecting his papers, making sure Adele was okay before he was on his way. The truth was, the boy didn't mind running into such a pretty girl. 'This is the closet I'll ever be to having a girl as wonderful as her.' he thought woefully.
"Sorry for being so curt." Adele said, trying her best to speak without a German accent, which she was often quite good at. "I was just surprised. My name's Adele."
She thrust her hand forward with her introduction, not quite sure why she was introducing herself to this strange peasant boy. Perhaps it was the way he was looking at her or perhaps she just needed some element of adventure or maybe just some sort of companion.
"Mush." he answered, not quite sure what to do with the hand that had been thrust at him. He looked over at his clumsy friend Skittery who made a kissing face, insinuating that he was supposed to kiss her hand, not just stare at it.
Mush smiled at him and pressed his lips to her soft white hand before letting it go.
"I uh....I live in the big white house round the corner." She told him, again unsure what she was saying or where this would lead. "My aunt's the lady of the house and she says she needs someone to deliver our newspapers, once in the morning, once in the afternoon. Think you can handle it? We do tip well."
Mush grinned at Skittery, his partner in crime. He had never had someone proposition him with an offer like that and he knew he'd be a fool if he didn't take up the gorgeous young thing on the offer.
"Surely." he answered. "I'll get to your house first thing after the papers are distributed. It was nice meetin' you Miss Adele."
"You too." she smiled and started on her way again to the dress shop. Perhaps New York wasn't so bad after all.