*This is set in Paris in the 19th century.*
I dusted off the last tea cup and sighed as I gazed longingly out the window at the breathtaking view of the Eifel Tower. I was finally done. For today at least. Tomorrow there would be a whole new list of work to do.
The door opened and Henry, my employer, appeared. He was tall with dark hair; one that most called handsome. I had never viewed him that way, however.
“Excuse me sir,” I said, making a move for the door.
“No, it’s alright. I’ve been searching for you. Your cleaning for the day is done, correct?”
“Yes sir.”
“Then please follow me.” I nodded, and he led me to an unknown room. “You see, for a poor girl, you look respectable, and I’ve been admiring you for a while.” He paused to unlock the door. “So I wanted you to give me a bit of an… adventure.”
I realized then what he wanted me to do. “Henry, I can’t,” I pleaded. “I—I’m only 15. You’re married, and have a child. I can’t do—”
“Yes,” he inturrupted. “You will do it, because if you don’t, you will no longer have a job. Do you understand?”
I nodded, too frightened to speak.
Then he looked into my eyes and all my problems disappeared. I stopped denying my attraction and forgot that I was a young girl with no money, no hope, and no life. I fell into him completely.
He left later that night, presumably to be with his wife, Margaret, and I laid there, thinking. Never had a man been so scary, yet so appealing.
The next week was uneventful, and I rarely saw Henry. He was always with Margaret, and when he wasn’t, he ignored me. It hurt me that he did this, but I knew from the beginning that it wasn’t going to happen again, so I did my best to forget.
About two weeks later, I was rinsing dishes in the kitchen when Margaret stormed in. “I know what happened between you and Henry. Stay away from my husband. Do you understand? Stay away!” She left in a tornado of fury, slamming the door behind her.
My hands were shaking, and I had to set down the plate I was holding before I dropped it. I ran crying into the bathroom, and looking in the mirror, I wondered what I would look like if I had a husband to protect. I was sure I probably wouldn’t look any different than I did now, unless I was pregnant. I imagined myself with child and was hit with a thought that had never crossed my mind before. Strange. All it took was one mental image to turn my head completely upside down.
Like a little girl, I ran to my mother, my mind racing the whole time. She took me into the house and confirmed my suspicion. I was pregnant. It was Henry’s baby, of course; I had never been with another man. She comforted me, and cried with me, but the best thing she did for me was give me the advice I needed.
“Tell him.”
So I went back to Henry’s house and found him in his office.
“Beth?”
“I need to talk to you in private.”
“All right.” He closed the door and motioned for me to sit down.
“I’m sorry about Margaret. She was really upset,” he began.
“No, that’s not what I wanted to speak with you about. Well, it is, but it isn’t.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
I played with a strand of my hair, stalling.
“Are you going to tell me or not?”
I stood up and walked around the desk, then lifted his hand and rested it on my stomach. “I’m pregnant. And it’s your baby.”
His eyes widened with horror and he jerked away from me. “That’s not possible!”
“But it is.” I whispered.
“No! You’re a liar!” He thundered.
I shook my head.
“I don’t let liars work for me.” His tone of voice became graver.
I understood what he meant and gasped. “No!”
His eyes became the color of rain darkened stone. “You have until tomorrow to move out of the maid’s quarters.”
I wiped a tear from my eye and fled the room.
Later that evening, while I was stowing my few belongings into a tattered old potato sack that I snatched from the garbage. Margaret strolled into the room, followed by Henry.
“Beth, Henry has something he wants to say.” Her voice was no longer frigid, which puzzled me.
Like a boy being forced by his mother he muttered, “I apologize. You caught me by surprise.”
My brow wrinkled in confusion. Margaret was making Henry apologize? I thought she hated me.
“You can stay here, but Margaret and I want you to be our nanny. That way you can also take care of your baby when it comes.”
Why was Henry being so understanding? Just 3 hours ago, he wanted to toss me out onto the street.
Margaret waved him out of the room, and then turned to me and explained. “I made him let you stay. You’re so young, and from what the cook told me, he forced you. The least he can do is give you a job and a place to stay. Besides, you’ll need someone to teach you how to care for a baby, and it might as well be me.”
By now, I was so amazed, I was speechless. But I still managed to choke out, “Thank you so much.”
She smiled. “You’re welcome.”
My spirits lifted as I pondered my new situation. I had a home, a semi-permanent job, and maybe even a friend. Life was bearable. Good, even.
“And Beth?”
“Yes ma’am?”
“Move into the spare room beside the nursery. It’s much more convenient that way.” Then she winked and added, “It’s also more comfortable.”
Yes, life was definitely good.
Plot: The plot is good, but I feel like we could use a bit more. I'm guessing there will be more posts of this? ^-^ I hope so. I'd love to see how everything works out and get a better feel of the plot.
Hi! This was very short but I enjoyed the concept of it. I have a few suggestions however:
Gender:
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