A Lady in training
One of the floorboards creaked.
She was barefoot and she was tiptoeing, trying her best not to make a noise. But of course, despite her efforts, she had managed to step on the one floorboard that creaked.
She froze and listened for any sound coming from the sleeping area at the back of the room. She knew by experience that both Mother Francis and Benedicta, the young novice nun, were light sleepers and she didn't want to risk waking them. All nuns slept with one eye open and there were always at least one creaking floorboard in every room. It never failed; it was like, a law of nature or something. She dared another step and then another one. She was close, so close. The window was only a few steps away, and beyond it… freedom…
As she pushed herself through the window, she wondered briefly what her father would think if he ever found out that his daughter had made a habit out of sneaking out late at night. Escaping through windows and climbing walls were not exactly the kind of skills you'd expect a young girl to learn from spending time in a convent.
She had been doing it for such a long time now that she didn't even feel guilty about it anymore. Six years…. That's how long she had been staying at St. Claire's… that's how long it had been since her mother had passed away. Six long years of prayers, etiquette lessons and needlework. Not that she was ungrateful. Her father's concern for her well being was touching, and she did appreciate it. She knew education, such as learning to read and write, was a rare privilege for a girl. Still, she was more than eager to leave this part of her life behind and return home.
In fact, this very night marked the end of one chapter, and the beginning of another. It was finally happening. She was going home. Her father had kept his promise. On the morning of her fourteenth birthday, there had been a carriage waiting for her and the abbess had granted not one, not two but three of the Sisters of St. Claire's to accompany her. And if that wasn't enough a whole stab of her father's personal guards were waiting for them by the outskirts of Sherwood to ensure them a safe passage through the forest.
This layover, this small town of Winton, was their first of two stops before reaching Nottingham. In less than 48 hours she'd be reunited with her father. So much had changed since her last visit. She was a woman now or a lady in training at least…. And with that came responsibilities and obligations. Still she couldn't help but fell glad to be heading home!
But first, one last window to climb, one last carefree escapade, one last nightly run through the fields. It was time to focus on the task at hand. The distance from the window to the ground was approximately two meters. The girl landed on her feet like cat and bounded off into the shadows, like a puppy.
Outside the night air was pleasantly cool, the sort of air that made you breathe deeply because the temperature was so comfortable. "One last taste of freedom," the girl thought to as she disappeared into the darkness of the night.