by Holly Law
A girl Elisha and Eldwin’s age opened the door. She was a pretty, brunette girl with a slight figure and a pale blue dress that spoke of her wealth. “Yes?” the girl asked them, looking down her nose at them.
“Lady Lenora is expecting us,” Elisha told the girl.
“What’s your name?” the girl asked unbelieving.
“Elisha and this is my brother Eldwin.”
“Let me go get Lady Lenora,” the girl said aloofly and closed the door.
“That’s encouraging,” her brother noted glumly. “Maybe her ladyship changed her mind.”
“I hope not,” Elisha fretted. They both stood there waiting for several minutes and had almost given up hope when the door opened again. Lenora smiled at them from the other side of the door.
“Forgive my delay, Elisha,” Lady Lenora apologized demurely. “Helena is easily distracted and only just got around to telling me you were waiting outside my door. Please come in.”
They both walked into the house and Eldwin looked as amazed as Elisha had felt the first time she stepped into the entry. “Please take off your shoes,” Lady Lenora told her. “It is the custom of Melink to remove shoes in a house.” Elisha and Eldwin both removed their shoes and put them on a small shelf Lenora gestured to. All the other shoes there were very fine. Theirs in comparison were very old and falling apart. Lady Lenora’s glance was disapproving.
“I’ll lead you to your room first, Elisha,” Lady Lenora told her. “Please follow me.” Lady Lenora led her up a flight of stairs and down a short hallway. Lady Lenora unlocked the door with a small key and pushed it open. “I trust it will be to your liking. It’s a bit small, but it should do.”
Elisha stepped inside and was stunned by what she saw. There was a small bed against one wall with a thick quilt on top and fluffy pillows at the head. There was a small dresser against one wall and a closet set into the other. A rug, nearly as fine as the one in the entrance, covered the wooden floor to help fight off some of the chill. There was a work desk against one wall that had a blotter, a set of pens, and an inkwell.
Lady Lenora walked over to a small chest at the end of the bed. “This has been provided for you to store any parts or machines you are working on. There are several small bags of parts in there for you already. You may add your own there if you wish.” The chest was opened and Elisha and Eldwin instantly went to it curious. Inside there were bags of parts. Some of the obscure odds and ends Elisha could never find were contained within those bags. “It’s not much but it’s a start. I am in contact with some in Melink who are acquiring more parts for you.”
“This is plenty,” Elisha said at once. “I haven’t even been able to find some of these parts before. It will make fixing machines much easier.”
“I am glad it meets with your approval. If you will follow me, I will show you where Eldwin will be staying.”
They walked back down the stairs and down yet another set of stairs into the basement. The basement was not as well kept and was clearly an area most people would not see. It was where the kitchen and store rooms were. The kitchen was the main room and there were several tight little staircases leading up to the rest of the house from there. Lady Lenora opened a room for him.
“It isn’t much, Eldwin,” Lady Lenora told him. “But it is the best we have for you. This is a finishing school for women and we cannot have you living on the main floor.”
The room beyond was much less impressive than Elisha’s. It was a simple, undecorated room. There was a small cot in the corner and a small wardrobe. There was only the smallest of windows to let light in and a small oil lantern for the night.
“You won’t be spending much time in here anyway,” Lady Lenora said, sounding only slightly apologetic. “I will probably be keeping you very busy, but your pay will be fair.”
“What exactly do you need me to do, lady?” Eldwin asked warily. His displeasure at his accommodations was clear.
“Anything that needs doing,” Lenora told him. “Carrying coal or wood. Bringing water up for the baths. Helping to keep the upstairs clean. Minor repairs, if you have any of your sister’s ability.”
“Some, not as much,” Eldwin confessed.
“Hmmm, then if you stumble across anything within your means to fix within the house I will pay you a bonus for your efforts,” Lenora told him, looking at him speculatively. “Some of the servants will be down in a bit to familiarize you with your duties. Elisha, please follow me back upstairs. We need to begin the effort to make you better situated here at the school.”
Elisha looked at her brother a bit ruefully. It was abundantly clear which of them would get preferential treatment, and Eldwin was not on the winning side. Elisha followed Lenora up the stairs. She was led back into her room. A woman was there waiting for them, another servant had just shown the woman in.
“Elisha, this is the local seamstress I’ve hired to make you some new dresses,” Lenora informed her and Elisha looked at her confused. “Your clothing will make it just a tad obvious to the other girls here that you are significantly below their station. I do not want them teasing your for such a thing. This will help make things better. And I did promise you clothing as part of your pay.”
“Please strip for me,” the seamstress told her, looking at Elisha unimpressed. Elisha felt uncomfortable stripping before the two of them, but did so without argument. Lenora’s face went very pale as she looked at her, but said nothing. The seamstress didn’t look much better. The seamstress measured her silently, jotting down her findings. “You can get dressed again.”
Elisha dressed in a hurry. “Do you have ideas on what to make her?” Lenora inquired.
“Yes, and some modifications that will need to be made initially,” the seamstress said looking at Elisha a bit uneasily.
“Do as you must,” Lenora said simply, and the seamstress curtsied and left. Lenora looked at Elisha then. “What caused all those marks on you?”
“Marks?”
“Yes, the bruises, your scars,” Lenora said gently.
Elisha shrugged. “Madam Qwilfree, the woman who runs the orphanage. Some of the other orphans there, too. It’s not the nicest of places.”
“Well, we should be able to do something to help them heal a bit better. Some very therapeutic baths, I would think. Lotions and the sort. We’ll have to see if we can undo the damage.”
“I don’t mind the scars. I rarely even see them.”
“Still, they are unsightly and should be tended to. For now, a normal bath with a thorough scrubbing should do,” Lenora said, looking at her. “There is a bathroom through there. A servant is already in there drawing the bath for you and will help you how she can.”
Lenora left her and Elisha entered the bathroom cautiously. She had never been inside one before. There the floors were made of stone tiles in a black and white pattern. There was a small seat in the corner that she assumed was one of the toilets she had heard of. The bathtub itself was against the back wall. It was made of white porcelain and rested on clawed feet. Steaming water was piped into it from faucets on the wall. A servant stood next to it, testing the temperature of the water.
The servant looked at the door when she entered. The servant visibly cringed looking at her. Elisha felt confused. “The water is ready,” the servant said coolly. “In with you.” Elisha stripped awkwardly and climbed into the bath tub. The water was hotter than she would have liked but it was comfortable. “There is soap and shampoo for you there.”
Elisha looked at the bars and bottles confused. “Soap? Shampoo?” Elisha asked uncertainly.
“Haven’t you ever had a bath before?” the servant said critically.
“Madam Qwilfree threw water on us once a year,” Elisha volunteered.
“How disgusting,” the servant sneered. “No wonder you reek so badly. It would seem I must help you. At least you will be a little less disgusting by the end.”
Elisha found her first true bath to be unpleasant. The ser
vant was very rough with her, scrubbing her skin until it was red. Having her hair washed was equally as unpleasant, her hair was frequently pulled in the process, leaving Elisha near tears. Elisha was relieved when the servant left her to get dressed by herself. Elisha pulled on the white night gown feeling raw and sore. She walked into her bedroom and found her bed turned down and a light dinner waiting for her.
Elisha was very hungry by then and devoured the food. If Lenora had been able to see her, Elisha was certain the lady would have been appalled by her lack of manners. The food was a simple soup that Elisha slurped down and sponged up with a piece of soft bread.
Elisha finished the food and was still unhappy afterwards. The treatment she had received from the servant had been beyond rude and Elisha didn’t feel she had done anything to deserve it. Some part of her wanted to forget the deal she had made with Lenora and leave. She had no doubt she would be able to establish a business fixing machines eventually. She knew the risks to begin with and what to avoid in the future. Lenora had also tipped her off to some of her value. Yet she had agreed to serve Lenora.
With a sigh, Elisha opened the chest full of machine pieces and small machines. To distract her mind, she started fixing them. She found the simple activity relaxing and calming.
Chapter 5
Lenora was up before any of the girls the following morning. She frequently rose earlier than all the others in the school. She mentally went over all the details of her room before she sat down at her desk to write the Prince a letter updating him on the status of certain things.
One of Lenora’s many responsibilities was to keep a running catalog on every machine they found and its purpose and condition. She had found several more machines the previous day and was attaching an updated list for the Prince. He always wanted to know what was accurately at his fingertips.
Lenora also informed him of every bit of local gossip he would find interesting. The Prince was not overly concerned with local politics. He viewed them as a temporary thing, but he still found them amusing. He found the petty maneuverings of the small town nobility and gentry to be entertaining. Their efforts really achieved nothing, but they could have played their games all day.
Lenora also used her position to discreetly inform the Prince of the different girls he would find amusing. Few knew of her capacity in that way, even in Melink. She knew which girls were foolish enough to go along with him and yet intelligent enough to pique his interest. She knew his particular tastes and who would be attractive to him and who he would find repulsive.
In her communication she left out one critical fact—Elisha. Lenora did not have it in her to expose the girl to the Prince just yet. She judged Elisha to be of a fragile disposition and feared the Prince would be too overwhelming to her. The girl had many needs that had to be met first before being thrown before the Prince. Lenora needed her trust. Lenora needed to make sure that the girl was firmly in her care and that she would not leave at the first sign of difficulty. Ever since she had discovered Elisha, Lenora had been asking probing questions of many in the city. It turned out many had known of the girl, but had never paid her much regard. They had always assumed her to be up to no good and beneath notice.
Lenora had taken the opinions of others at face value until the girl had set foot in her house the night before. She had quickly observed how awkward and out of place Elisha was. Elisha had almost shied away from the finery around her and for awhile, Lenora had feared she would run. The scars and bruises that had covered Elisha had been a testament to her rough life. Elisha’s inclination to shrug off such wounds made that all the more obvious. Lenora could not turn the fragile girl over to the Prince just yet, not in her current state—even if that meant defying the Prince’s wishes.
Lenora finished her letter and sent it out with a servant. She then went to check on her most recent charge. She went to the kitchen and retrieved Elisha’s breakfast tray. She carefully brought it up the stairs. She knocked softly at Elisha’s door and received no reply. Lenora cautiously pushed open the door and peered inside. Lenora smiled, amused at what she saw.
Elisha’s bed was turned down for the night, but Elisha was not in it. Instead, Elisha was slumped over at her desk, machine parts spread out before her. She had fallen asleep working on the broken machines. Lenora placed the breakfast tray on the table and quietly crossed to Elisha. She knelt down beside the girl and noted how peaceful she was in her sleep. She gently touched Elisha’s hand.
“Elisha,” Lenora called softly. “It’s morning.”
Elisha slowly opened her eyes. At first, there was confusion in those eyes then recognition and, finally, embarrassment. Elisha sat up, blinking into the dim light. The girl looked very tired and Lenora could only wonder how late she had been up working on the machines.
“I brought you breakfast,” Lenora informed her.
“Breakfast?” Elisha asked sleepily.
“It’s on the table,” Lenora replied. Elisha looked towards the table and her eyes brightened when she saw the tray full of food. “How late were you up working, Elisha?”
“I don’t know,” Elisha said with a yawn. “Later, I suppose.”
“Why did you work so late? It is not my intention to work you so hard.”
“It was better than thinking,” Elisha said as she stood and stretched. Lenora looked at Elisha critically as she did so. The girl was far too skinny for her own good. She hoped she would be able to fatten her up a bit.
“Was there something to avoid thinking about?” Lenora inquired, not truly paying attention. Her mind and eyes had wandered over to the small machines that were whirling around on Elisha’s desk. There was a small disk hovering on the desk polishing the surface. There was another machine rolling around behind it trying to polish the other machine. It was an amusing display.
“Whether or not I wanted to stay here,” Elisha confessed as she started to eat. Lenora looked at her sharply. Elisha was staring at her plate and not looking at Lenora at all.
“I trust you decided to stay,” Lenora said after a moment. At her words, she saw Elisha close in on herself. That reaction filled Lenora with dread. The Prince would not be happy if Elisha decided not to cooperate. She could only imagine what that would mean for the orphan. “What has caused this indecision?”
“I…I don’t think I belong here,” Elisha said after a few moments.
“Why?”
“I’m no fine lady,” Elisha said, still staring at her plate and chewing her food quickly, as though afraid it would disappear.
“No, I never thought you were,” Lenora said slowly. “I did not hire you for your ranking, Elisha. I know very well that you are not the normal…caliber of woman to be admitted into a school like this. I am also aware that you have abilities that would have eventually allowed you to make such a profit that you would have benefitted from the sort of instruction found here. Please, do not make yourself uneasy. You are more than welcome here. It will be rough at first, but things will improve. At least give it a try.”
“Why are you so willing to help me?” Elisha looked at her confused, her eyes still uncertain.
“Because your ability is so rare and I see the value in what you can do. I don’t think you understand that you are destined for greatness. I see nothing wrong with aiding you on your way. Give this place a try. You’ll gain some level of comfort before the week is out, I’m sure of it.”
“I’ll try,” Elisha told her.
“Good. Now, I have to say these two little machines are amusing,” Lenora said smiling at the two little machines.
Elisha grinned then. “Yes, that was why I fixed them first. I wondered what would happen if they were both operating at the same time. I made the mistake of fixing the metal polisher first. It kept trying to polish the wood polisher as I worked on it. It took me a minute to find the button to turn it off.”
“Button?” Lenora asked.
“Yes, most have buttons. They can be difficult to find though.
Most are pretty worn.” Elisha went to the desk and picked up the metal polisher. It tried to get away from her. She flipped it over and pointed to a small round decorative spot. “Press there.” Cautiously, Lenora pressed the button. Its slight hum stopped and the machine became still. That it was so simple amazed her.
“I have heard of certain abilities activating and deactivating machines, but never a button,” Lenora marveled at it. In all her years, she had never learned that valuable fact.
“You only need to activate it when they’re repaired from a very bad state or a new machine.”
“New machine? Have you made your own?”
“Once,” Elisha confessed. “When I was bored and wanted to avoid Madam Qwilfree.”
“Did it work?”
“Yes, but another girl at the orphanage broke it. The pieces were too squished to reassemble.”
“I’m surprised you managed that,” Lenora confessed. “But I’m also impressed you managed to fix two machines already.”
“Oh, actually there are four,” Elisha said and opened a drawer in the desk. A small time piece was placed in her hand. It was an elegant little piece. The edges were etched with an intricate pattern and there was a clip that indicated it could be worn. She hadn’t seen such a piece in a long, long time.
“This is amazing,” Lenora said marveling at it. “I haven’t seen a working piece like this in a long time. You have paid your way with this one piece alone.”
“I thought it was interesting,” Elisha agreed modestly. “There was this one as well. But it doesn’t seem to hold any real purpose.”
Lenora looked interested as Elisha pulled a second machine out of the desk. She gasped when she saw it. Lenora had never thought she would see such a piece again. Lenora held out her hand and took the machine from the girl. In her hand was a glowing metal rose. Tears came to her eyes as she saw it. She twisted her hand slightly, and as she had anticipated the rose slowly bloomed before her eyes. When she twisted it back the other way it folded back into a bud.