"Come in," Mr. Eugene said and I put down the tea in the room while the master was going through his books trying to pick one to read.

"Yes sir," I said pouring out the tea.

"This tea is cold! Take it back immediately," Mr. Eugene shouted at me.

"Uh ye, ye, yes sir" I stuttered.

"Give me the tea," the master asked and I took it up for him to taste it and when his mouth touched the liquid he finished it.

"Warm, not cold, still an unpleasant thing," the master put down the china cup.

"Away with it, I shall be eating in the dining room tonight," the master wore a thick burgundy winter robe tied around his waist.

"You shall what?" Mr. Eugene questioned him.

"Oh have you gone deaf in your old age Eugene?"

"Of course I have not we just had no idea, we have not prepared, we did not..."

"Enough Eugene, go tell Mrs. Hall that Miss Stewart shall be serving my dinner."

"The new maid but that is above her..."

"Station?" The master interrupted Eugene.

"I um her training sir," Mr. Eugene changed his words.

"Then train her, how hard can it be to put food in front of me and set up a place for one?"

"Sir..."

"Measure your next words carefully Eugene," the master warned Mr. Eugene who very displeased with the master's orders disdained me with his eyes while responding.

"Yes Mr. Howard."

"Great, you can both go, I have chosen a book," he opened it and sat down by the fireplace while Mr. Eugene and I both wondered why the master would have requested me to continue to serve him in a proper dining room setting.

The Howard household was a great displeasure, with the constant doubt cast over me by the staff. First there was Gertie who at every movement of mine compared how Becca did everything better than I could ever do. Then Mr. Eugene as much told me every day I was daft and now the master thought I was some girl who'd bring in lads for my amusement if left alone in his house. Maybe Daniel was right, I'd be better off looking for service elsewhere but the physical work was so very easy it was a shame to pass it up without giving time for things to settle, for them to change their minds about me at last.

Well there was Mrs. Hall, she treated me kindly, maybe because of her connection with my aunt or maybe she instinctively knew who I was, either way it was good enough. She had not been feeling well when she went to her room earlier and Mr. Eugene had taken care of the master already; then Gertie put three courses to be served and went to wash the pots and pans.

"I wonder what's got to him, dining in the dining room," Gertie asked my way never expecting me to say anything back as if I were a puppet. "He's probably forgotten what it looks like."

"Yes I dare say he's been quite agitated these past days, what could have possibly happened that we did not see?" Mrs. Hall noticed it but quickly found her way out of the room.

"He is obviously not himself, asking for this one to serve him dinner, a maid! A maid serving Mr. Howard his dinner!" He exclaimed, "have you got nothing to say for yourself Miss Stewart?"

"Oh Cat's got her tongue Mr. Eugene and won't be returning it anytime soon, don't bother with this one she's no Becca," Gertie rolled her eyes.

"No indeed she is not for Becca would not be standing around, what are you waiting for? A candle signal to take the food to the master, a letter? Or do you wish a repeat of the cold tea?" Mr. Eugene asked and I shook my head.

"No Mr. Eugene forgive me."

"Who cares what she does? Let her do as she wishes then the master will fire her surely," Gertie said and I picked up the first course.

"Fine then we will leave you to handle the rest of the night on your own, Gertie and I need our rest."

"Yes we do and make sure you wash everything till it's new, I already had the trouble of making all of this you do the rest."

"And if I were you I would do everything the master says unless you want to be gone by tomorrow, he has been specially decided today, there is no room for errors tonight," Mr. Eugene gave instructions.

"Yes Mr. Eugene," I stood still waiting for them to finish the conversation.

"And what are you still standing here for, go serve him before the food gets cold!" Gertie shouted at me for being polite.

"Yes goodnight Gertie and Mr. Eugene," I hurried off with the bowl of soup for the master.

The master poured his own wine and when I placed his food he looked up at me and said "well how hard was that? Too above your station?"

"No sir."

"Right."

"You go out during the day?"

"Yes sir."

"Why? The weather is so dull."

"Yes sir," I responded and he said no more as everything went as planned.

The master got through half of each course and even managed to not look at me as if I were loathsome like the other times.

Then I brought out the China and placed it on the table before washing them and while I scrubbed them clean one of them that I was sure to be firmly on top of the table in the midnight silence of a house asleep smashed into a million pieces behind me.

"Ohh!" I jumped up with one of the pots in hand when the breaking was followed by a big woosh! The back door was thrown open with a strong wind so carefully stepping towards the door to close it with the pot in my hand ready to defend myself I finally locked it feeling safe again.

"Not haunted, not haunted," I repeated to myself though my heart galloped with fear from the wind howling noises in the house while I was the only one awake. I spent the whole night picking every little piece from the floor for no one to step on top of though when the sun came up I would have to explain to Mrs. Hall how I had broken one of the china bowls for soup.

Grey and early the morning after, there was a small commotion in the house, and Mr. Eugene came into the kitchen higgledy-piggledy faced.

"What is it Mr. Eugene you look white as a ghost?" Mrs. Hall stopped looking at a recipe Gertie was showing to her.

"It's the master, he will be going out," Mr. Eugene replied.

"Out?"

"Yes out."

"Well, then go dress him," Mrs. Hall told him.

"Right yes." He turned and went upstairs to dress the master but the dazed look on Mrs. Hall and Gertie's face continued as if the master had not seen the light of day for years.

"He will be going out," Mrs. Hall said to Gertie.

"Well the world might end tonight, I better enjoy it," Gertie snickered and Mrs. Hall shook her head.

"Mrs. Hall may I talk to you whenever you may have time please?"

"Yes of course, walk with me I need you to clean out Mr. Howard's room now that he's finally left it." Mrs. Hall went on her way and I behind her, after she explained the things I was to do she let me talk.

"So what did you want to say Miss Alice?"

"Mrs. Hall I... Last night."

"Yes."

"While I cleaned a pot I am very sorry to say that the soup bowl on the table somehow..."

"Oh no did you let it break?" Mrs. Hall asked concerned.

"Yes, forgive me I shall be more careful."

"Did you hurt yourself?"

"No Mrs. Hall."

"Good then all is alright, a few china plates will not be the end of the world, God knows how many have broken throughout the years."

Mrs. Hall talked calmly and I relaxed my tense stomach sucked in afraid of the story moving forward to the master whom I still feared the most. The master did not talk to any of his staff, did not receive any visits nor greeted anyone, the only time he made the effort to talk was to correct someone and I did not wish to get pulled by the ear like a child by him since Gertie and Mr. Eugene did the job so well.

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No part, character, names, plot, setting, conflict or resolution, point of view, theme or symbolism of this story may be replicated.

Copyright: All Rights Reserved to A. Sena Gomes.