LADY ANN'S FOLLY: Chapter Seven - Part Four

Nellie really didn’t like this situation.

She’d heard stories of the odd things the quality got up to and her mam had warned her to be very careful around them. Too much money and too much free time. That was what her mam had always said, shaking her head ruefully. You be careful o’those folk Nellie dear. They’ve been the ruin of many a poor girl in your position.

It was very hard, not least because she couldn’t rightly go against her instructions. Although her mam had been filled with warnings, her dad had always settled on a more conservative tack.

Odd they may be, he’d said. But you still got to do what they say if you don’t want to be out on your ear.

And Nellie didn’t want that. She really didn’t.

So she followed Lady Harriet’s instructions and dressed in the fine undergarments. That was an odd experience because though she’d helped others on with such clothes, doing it herself was hard to do. Everything was backwards from the inside out.

Hattie had her back to Nellie and the maid took the measure of her a little jealously, wishing she was as pretty, or as rich. She didn’t have any such qualities. But wishing was a waste of time. She knew her lot in life and didn’t challenge it. That was a waste of energy.

They finished putting on the underwear then Hattie handed Nellie the dress she’d been wearing. “Here you are.”

“Oh no miss,” replied Nellie. “I couldn’t possibly. What if the Earl came in? Oh no miss. It wouldn’t be right.”

“Do as you’re told girl,” snapped Hattie irritably. “Trust me. This is for your own good. You’ll thank me for it in a minute.”

Nellie took the dress against her better judgement and started to put it on. Hattie picked up the maid’s long black dress with its white collar and cuffs and examined it. It had a full white apron to go with it but without that it didn’t seem so much like a maid’s uniform. It was just a plain black dress. She had some reservations still but she shook her head and climbed into it, pulling it up onto her shoulders and doing up the buttons at the front. It was too tight round the bosom and a little loose at the middle but she was able to squeeze into it without too much trouble.

She’d expected to feel more excited and happy to be going through with this adventure, but instead most of her spirit was focused on a scratching and insistent anxiety.

Feeling almost sick with it, she reached for the white maid’s apron draped over the chaise longue and held it up, turning it so that the back was facing her.

She was a beautiful well-spoken woman, but with the apron in place and the white cap added after, she would look just like a common lady’s maid. Using the pendant would seal the deal but those changes would be objectively cosmetic.

Still, she’d made her decision and she wasn’t going to back out now.

Without any further delay she slipped the apron loop over her head and tied it up round the back.

Nellie was still struggling to put on her new dress.

Hattie picked up the maid’s cap and looked at it, seeing immediately how it needed to be attached. This time she didn’t allow herself a moment’s hesitation. She put it straight on pinning it into place on top of her head.

Now she really did look like a maid.

In the mirror, quite a disconcerting image looked back at her: that of a very pretty domestic servant.

She thought about her sister and her probably fate, trapped as a peasant labourer, and knew she should turn back, but she just couldn’t. It was like she was compelled to go on; to risk everything.

It was okay. It wouldn’t be a long change. There wouldn’t be enough time for her to become affected by her new shell. It would be perfectly alright.

She turned to Nellie. Still the imbecile hadn’t managed to finish getting dressed. “Oh do hurry up,” said Hattie, stepping to help her, working on the toggles and tying the stays while Nellie stood still and upright, but doing that made Hattie pause and the blood slow in her veins.

The two of them had every appearance of a lady being helped to dress by her maid. It made her realise how horribly badly this could all go if her plans went awry. Imagine having to spend the rest of her days doing such mundane and servile tasks with no choice in the matter!

Again she shook her head, dismissing those thoughts, angry with herself for questioning her plan.

She picked up the pendant in its boxed and again cracked open the lid, showing it to Nellie who was staring down at her new outfit incredulously.

“Here,” said Hattie, taking the pendant out and laying down the box. She felt an odd tightening of the muscles in her hand and arm but nothing more and that faded quite quickly. She looked down at the trinket in her open palm, the circling gold round the dark, carven stone. “Take my hand so that the pendant is touching both of us at the same time.

Nellie eyed the pendant then Hattie herself, thinking about the lady’s description of what would happen if she did. She didn’t believe it but Hattie clearly did and that made her edge toward belief herself.

Both women looked at one another nervously.

The Nellie took Hattie’s hand, trapping the enchanted item between them as a shudder ran through both their bodies.