“Well? What is she like?”

“I don’t-..I’m not really sure-..”

“She had better not be like the last girl I had, always giving me cheek. Is she as strong-willed as the last one?”

“I’m sorry, Miss, I’m not sure what she’s like, I was only able to catch a quick glimpse of her during her interview..”

Evelyn huffed and pushed the other girl’s hands away to finish unraveling her hair herself. The young mistress was seated at her vanity table, looking irritably at her own reflection in the mirror. Ever since she’d dismissed her last lady’s maid, she’d had to recruit one of the kitchen girls to help her undress every night and get ready for bed. They were clumsy and nervous around her and annoyed her to no end with their course hands and poor conversation. Mother had finally found a suitable replacement and Evelyn was impatient to put her to work.

“Go and fetch her, will you. She might as well start tonight and finish helping me undress. Tell her to bring another candle; it’s dreadfully dark in here. After that you may go back down to the kitchen and finish…whatever it was you were doing.”

With an uneasy curtsey, the kitchen girl scurried out of the room to find the new maid. Evelyn watched her go with a stony expression, her face framed by the soft blonde curls she had just freed from their pins. She ran her slender fingers through her hair, admiring her reflection for a moment. She had just turned twenty-two and already had a dozen admirers asking her to dance at parties. So far she hadn’t been particularly interested in any of the young men, but she did like the attention they gave her. She would let them spin her around on the ballroom floor, put their large hands on her waist, babble on about this and that. She would listen half-heartedly at first, but after a while her eyes would wander to some other girl’s figure to admire the cut of her dress or the style of her hair, her smile, her eyes, the delicate curve of her neck…

Her hand drifted lazily to her own neck as she thought about this, her fingers slowly caressing the bright gold chain around her throat. After a moment she became conscious of herself and blinked, surprised at how flushed her face had become. She was suddenly impatient to see her new maid. Her fingers drummed distractedly on the vanity table as she scowled at the door, wondering what was taking her so long.

Lenora fidgeted nervously in the parlor of her new employer. Everything had gone according to plan, her forged letters of recommendation were reviewed but under very little scrutiny and no one had recognized her face. She rose from the chaise they asked her to wait on and looked about the room. The room itself was fairly large and ostentatiously decorated. There were two gilded mirrors between floor to ceiling bookcases, littered with books from mystery to botany. A few bric-a-brac was spread throughout, some were made of bronze, others brass or wood, but none were made of silver or gold, much to Lenora's disappointment. She frowned, wondering where everything of value was. Patience, Lenora, in due time. You have acquired the job, the rest will fall into place nicely, she thought to herself.

She heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs, so she flitted back to her place on the chaise, smoothing her dress as she sat back down. "It's time to begin your duties, girl," a flustered maid told her. "Here," she continued handing her a golden candle holder, a red tapered candle already lit, "take this to the mistress. Your first task is to help Mistress prepare for bed. Don't talk back, be gentle, and for goodness sake, be quick!" she pushed her towards the stairs. "It is the first door on the left, make sure you curtsey and address her as 'Mistress'. Keep your eyes down and your opinions to yourself, you hear?" Lenora's yellow flecked blue eyes widened a bit. Perfect, she thought at the idea of all these rules she must follow to do her duty. It was only for a time, however, and didn't worry too much.

"Yes madame," she addressed the kitchen maid.

"Oh, psh, you needn't waste those titles on me," she said in her lowly accent. "Use those up with the Mistress." And with that she turned tail and whisked back to the kitchen. She walked up the stairs slowly, the oak planks creaking with her weight, and knocked on the first door on the left.

Evelyn was running a jewel-encrusted comb through her hair when she heard the knock on her bedroom door. Finally, she thought irritably to herself, setting the comb down delicately amongst her other fine things. She took a moment to check her reflection in the mirror, smoothing the golden curls into place. At last she called in a calm, commanding tone, “Come in.”

Her room was one of the finer ones in the entire household, apart from her mother and father’s chambers. It was large, with four enormous windows overlooking the courtyard. On one end of the room sat a massive four-poster bed piled high with silk sheets and feathery pillows. Near the bed, a large marble fireplace crackled and hissed, sending shadows dancing all around the room. Nearly every surface, from the vanity to the bedside table, was filled with gold and silver trinkets, bits of jewelry, precious stone and ivory carvings. They glittered in the firelight like so many winking eyes.

Evelyn turned in her chair so she could look at the girl as she came in. She wasn’t sure why she was so eager to finally see her. Undoubtedly this new maid would be just as bad as the ones before her and she would have to dismiss her for one thing or another. But the thought of having to endure the kitchen girl’s clumsy fingers on her dress or hair was enough to make her hope that this girl would satisfy her standards.

“Good, you brought a candle. Come closer so I can see your face.”

The young mistress slowly crossed her legs and beckoned the other girl forward with a careless flick of her hand.

“What’s your name, girl.”

A few moments passed before Lenora heard a voice from within tell her to come in. She did as she was asked. After all, she had to play the part of maid if she wanted to keep the position long enough to attain her ultimate goal. She turned the knob a bit apprehensively. The kitchen maid's perturbed behavior just a little while before made Lenora assume that her new mistress was a bit of a fusser.

The room was even more extravagant than the parlor. There were baubles made of precious metals littered all about the room, glinting in the light of the fire. The fireplace itself was a colossal and elaborate piece of marble stonework, it made her wonder how on earth they managed to place it in this bedroom. Her mouth hung open in awe of all the things she could stick in her pocket. Inside she beamed thinking of how she could sell them and get new things to decorate her big, flamboyant mansion.

Lenora did as her new mistress asked and moved a few steps closer into the light. She immediately noticed that the woman was definitely a bit pretentious, which required a bit of patience. The glint of gold and silver in the corner of her eye called to her like sirens, singing a song that said it would be worth it to deal with a high and mighty lady of the house.

"Lenora Dalton, at your disposal, miss," she replied in her sweetest and most innocent tone. The mistress was indeed beautiful, although it was difficult to see all of her features in the dim light of the fire. She took a breath, bracing herself for the list of things the lady would no doubt find wrong with her.

The lady’s eyes swept over the other girl as she stepped into the room, taking in every detail of her appearance. The candle in the girl’s hand illuminated her features, allowing Evelyn to see her face very clearly in the flickering light. The girl was certainly lovely. Lovely enough to make Evelyn suddenly conscious of her own appearance - her undone hair and bare feet. She raised her chin a little in defiance as if to say that these things did not lessen her authority at the moment. She silently wished she had remained fully dressed for her first impression. It was a silly wish though; the girl would soon become accustomed to seeing her in a state of undress quite frequently.

Evelyn listened as the new maid made her introduction, the corner of her lip quirking into a slight smirk. “Lenora.” She said the name slowly and thoughtfully, as if it pleased her. “Lenora Dalton at my disposal. I’ve disposed several girls before you, you know. I hope you prove to be more competent than they were.”

She stood up to move closer to her, gradually circling around her once, still examining her with that penetrating stare. “You’re very pretty,” she said softly, stopping in front of her at last. She reached out to touch her dark hair, slowly curling her finger around one of the locks. She held a faint smile, though her eyes were cold as steel as she studied the girl’s features. “But perhaps not very bright? It is customary to curtsy when you address your mistress.” She pulled her hand away abruptly and motioned at her. “Go on then,” she said, a touch of cruelty in her smile, “curtsy to me. Better late than never.”

Even barefoot, she stood several inches taller than her new maid. Another thing she approved of. She liked the idea of the girl having to tilt her chin up just slightly to look her in the eye. “And now come help me finish undressing. It’s so late already and I’m exhausted. I’ve stayed up later then usual having to wait for you.” Evelyn moved to stand in front of a full-length mirror in the corner of her enormous room. She lifted her arms and stared expectantly at Lenora’s figure in the mirror. “Come on, I won’t invite you twice.”

Lenora stood uneasily as her new mistress circled her in scrutiny. Lady Evelyn's voice was smooth as silk, pleasing to the ear. Her creamy blue eyes pierced through Lenora's defenses, adding to her discomfort. "Thank you, my lady. I'm glad my appearance is to your liking," she replied her voice shaking somewhat. Evelyn's touch made her flinch a bit, more of surprise than apprehension.

Lenora scowled at the mistress's snub about her intelligence, but did as she was told. She curtseyed low, her hooded eyes looking up at the other woman in rebellion. "May it please you, my lady," she said rather sarcastically. She didn't care if pleased her or not. Lenora was not accustomed to being treated in such a way, which was perhaps why she had chosen the profession of 'acquisitions'. It was a way to stick it to authority, something she had a hard time getting along with. Evelyn demanded that she help her get ready for bed. She did so with a slight twinge of disdain. Although it had only been mere moments since they had met, Lenora already thought of Lady Evelyn with contempt.

Spoiled brat, she thought to herself. As she helped the woman get undressed, she contemplated on the look on her face when she found out all her precious things were in Lenora's pocket. She fought the urge to laugh, instead she focused on making sure she didn't accidentally pull her mistress's hair. That was another urge she was having a bit of trouble resisting. However, her goal was still at the forefront, and she was willing to do whatever it took to make herself "indispensable."

Evelyn caught the rebellious look in Lenora’s eyes as the girl reluctantly obliged her by dipping into a low curtsey. Her own eyes were alight with mischief as she stared steadily back at her.

"May it please you, my lady.”

The hint of sarcasm in Lenora’s tone only made the mistress smirk again, her eyebrows raised in amusement. For all her complaints against her old maid’s willfulness, Evelyn secretly preferred a girl with some spirit. It made things more interesting.

“Better. You’ll remember next time, I’m sure.”

She knew she was only fanning the flames but the look of disdain in the other girl’s expression made the temptation irresistible. She always did this – poked and prodded at the new ones, looking for a reaction. A small part of her knew she was only making things harder for herself by aggravating her soon-to-be companion. Being alone for long stretched of time should have made her eager to make a friend out of this new girl. At least, as far as their different social stations would allow. Apart from the occasional party, Evelyn spent most of her days cooped up in her parents’ empty, extravagant house. She felt bored and restless most of the time, always looking for some sort of mischief to get into. And now she was taking out her restless on this hapless young woman.

“You’ll be staying in a room above mine,” she was telling Lenora as the maid helped her undress. She sighed appreciatively as the corset around her waist became slack, and then began again in a curt, commanding tone. “There’s a bell in your room that I will ring when I need you. In addition to attending to me personally, your responsibilities include keeping my room in order. Tending to the fireplace and such. Can you handle that?” She watched Lenora’s expression in the mirror, looking curious and a touch possessive. “Have you had many mistresses before me?”

At last, Evelyn stepped out of her dress and shivered in the cool air. It was early February and despite the hearty fire in the fireplace, the room was still dreadfully chill.

“F-Fetch my night gown, it’s there on the chair,” she shuddered, folding her arms over her bare chest and nodding toward the lacy white gown.

Lenora smiled at Evelyn sweetly at her prediction of Lenora's future behavior. Inside however, she wanted to yank a large bit of hair out of her head. She didn't however, and instead swallowed her pride. If Evelyn wanted to have a battle of wills, Lenora knew she could hold her own, even if she didn't win the fight would last a while. It was difficult to tell if her mistress was always like that or if she was just having a go at her new play thing. That's what any new maid would be to her, a play thing. Something to entertain her in her dull days at home, lounging about being fed grapes and fanned by ostrich feather fans.

As Evelyn explained her duties, Lenora simply "Yes ma'am'd" her, trying to avoid rolling her eyes at the thought of this harpy ringing the bell at all hours of the night so that her maid could reach for the comb on her dresser, instead of walking the few feet of space between her dresser and the bed. When it came time to talk about her previous employers, Lenora began to stammer. She had had many mistresses before, but they weren't her employers. Lenora preferred the company of women to that of men. Men were dull, only talking about business and politics, two topics that were of no importance to her.

"No ma'am, not that many." she said simply, color rising in her cheeks. She didn't know what Evelyn would say about her preference. She thought it best to keep that bit of knowledge to herself, at least for now. When it came time to get the mistress's night gown, Lenora debated on whether she was going to hand it over quickly, or take her sweet time getting it. On the one hand, she would be showing Evelyn that she wasn't a pushover. It would be quite fun to see her suffer, albeit briefly. There was the risk of angering her, however. If she handed it to her quickly, she would prove useful instead of a dim maid that could be disposed of quickly. She looked at all the goodies strewn about the room and decided on the latter. She even stood there for a few extra moments to see if she needed any help putting the night gown on. It was a miracle the woman could walk to the other side of the room on her own. "Will that be all, my lady?" she said, her eyes gazing at Evelyn in a bit of defiance.

Evelyn raised her eyebrows curiously as Lenora brushed off her question about her previous mistresses. To her surprise, the girl began to color slightly, just a light rosy dusting across her cheeks that was admittedly very attractive. The older girl stared at her with half-lidded eyes, wondering what she was thinking of that had made her so flustered. No matter, she was sure she would pry into that out sooner or later.

She was grateful to Lenora for being quick about getting her nightgown, although she didn’t show it. She simply raised her arms above her head to indicate that the servant girl should slip it on over her head for her.

”Will that be all, my lady?”

Evelyn smoothed the nightgown down over her curves, looking at herself in the mirror for a moment before answering.

“Hm.. Yes, I suppose that’s all,” she replied off-handedly. “You’re dismissed.” But she glanced at Lenora’s reflection suddenly and turned around to address her again. “Before you leave my presence you should curtsy of course. And you must kiss my hand, and bid me goodnight.”

She raised her arm to offer the back of her hand, waiting expectantly. Something about the defiant look in the other girl’s eyes made her gleeful.

“I know we’re not exactly equals Lenora,” the look she gave her was just as challenging, her lip curled into a slightly mocking smile, “but I hope we’ll become friends, as far as our stations will allow.” She swept her gaze over her appraisingly and added, “ Listen for the bell, in case I should need you sometime in the night. You may go.”

Lenora helped her new mistress with her nightgown, her hands brushing her skin just a bit. Lenora flushed, cursing the flow of blood when she was embarrassed. She had to admit that Evelyn was very attractive, the fact that she was a brat was almost irrelevant. Lenora had dealt with her types before, but with Evelyn, she rather enjoyed it. She would never admit it, but Lenora liked her spirit.

As she was about to walk away, Evelyn turned her steel blue gaze towards her, reminding her to curtsy. When her mistress extended her hand to be kissed, Lenora couldn't help but arch her eyebrow. She cannot possibly be serious, she thought. Who did she think she was, the Pope? She did as she was asked, however. The feeling of Evelyn's skin against her gave her a bit of static shock. A tiny arc of electricity flashed in the dim light of the bedroom. Lenora's soft lips pressed against the back of Evelyn's palm, her eyes gazing at her audaciously.

"Good night, mistress," she said as she was bid. Her tone in this case wasn't defiance, it was more obedient and it surprised Lenora. She couldn't help but smirk at Evelyn's comment about station. Lenora's profession actually had her living quite comfortably, and if she were to judge, she could say the both of them could be equals. This wasn't the first time she had posed as someone's maid or scullery girl. This was how she had acquired so much money at such a young age. Still, if they were basing their equality on bloodline, Lenora had come from a lowly farm on the outskirts of the city.

The prospect of becoming friends with Evelyn was appealing, but getting too close to her would muddle her thinking. She couldn't let something like emotional attachment get in the way of her real goal. "Good night, my lady," Lenora said with an almost impetuous tone and gave her another small curtsy before quietly closing the door behind her.

Lenora's bedroom was small, but homely. There was a small bed in the far left corner, a dresser, and a dressing table complete with mirror. Lenora could see the small bell hanging just above her bed. She allowed a small groan escape as she wiped her hand across her face in exasperation. "She is going to be the death of me," she muttered as she flopped on her bed and quickly dozed off, clothes and all.

Evelyn didn’t miss the girl’s arched eyebrow at her request for a kiss. She bit her lip to prevent herself from grinning. It was just too much fun to make these sorts of flippant demands and watch the conflicted emotions flicker across her maid’s face. She knew she was being difficult and that Lenora probably had a few choice words for her already. But she also knew the girl would bend over backwards to make her happy, because she wanted to keep her job. Evelyn enjoyed pushing her to her limits. And she was only just getting started…

The spark of static electricity as their hands came together made her hand twitch, just as Lenora took hold of it. Look at that, a literal spark, she thought to herself with amusement. If she was honest, it had made her heart skip a beat and she was suddenly hyper aware of the girls warm fingers around her own, her soft lips on the smooth skin of her hand and, most of all, her two green eyes staring boldly up at her, taunting her even, as if the girl could care less about Evelyn’s station over her. The mistress blinked at that, silently thankful that the room was probably too dark for Lenora to see just the faintest color in her cheeks. She pulled her hand away and cleared her throat, a little ruffled by the audacity of such a lecherous look.

“You may go,” she repeated, turning back toward her vanity mirror and running hand through her hair. She watched Lenora from the corner of her eyes as the girl slipped out of the room and closed the door quietly behind her.

Now that she was alone again, her room seemed darker and colder than ever. She sighed and climbed into her enormous bed and drew the feathery blankets and pillows around her. She stared up at the ceiling. Somewhere above her, Lenora was probably entering her room and getting ready for bed herself. Evelyn wondered what her life had been like before she’d come to the house. She wondered again why the girl had blushed when she mentioned her previous mistresses. In fact, all she could think about was her new maid. She tossed and turned a few times in her bed feeling wide awake. She stroked the spot on her hand where Lenora had kissed it and the looked at the clock. Only a few hours had passed since she’d sent her away. It was the wee hours of the morning.

On a sudden impulse, Evelyn reached for the string that would ring the bell in Lenora’s room. She gave it a few quick tugs and then waited impatiently.

Lenora awoke with a start at the sound of the ringing bell, making her to fall out of the tiny bed with a large thud. "Ow," she groaned sleepily. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling for a moment, swearing that she had most likely broken something with the fall. "What in blazes could this cherry want at the wee hours of the bloody morning?" she cursed, throwing etiquette straight out the window.

She examined the room for a clock, but found none. "Of course, the last maid probably threw it at her head," she said, rubbing her bum where it had hit the hardwood floor. She walked slowly over to the mirror to fix her maid's bonnet and smooth her skirt. She really wanted to make her new mistress wait a bit, so that she could change into her night gown and make her feel terrible for waking her, but Lenora was anxious to see what the Dickens she wanted.

She wiped a bit of spit that had crept onto her cheek as she slept. "Oh, that's very attractive." She didn't even know why she cared, she thought as she rubbed her eyes with clenched fists. She scurried quickly to the door and hurried down the stairs, careful that her heeled boots didn't make too much noise on the already loudly creaking stairs. She rapped on the door once and opened the door to her mistress's bedroom, curtsying as she walked in. "At your service, milady," she said, but what she was really thinking would surely send her packing.

Evelyn could hear Lenora’s padded footsteps on the carpet as she hurried down the hall and stopped to knock once on her door before entering. The young mistress watched her enter and curtsy from her bed, not bothering to sit up when she spoke to her.

“Oh good, you remembered this time. To curtsy, I mean,” she drawled lazily. The covers were drawn up close to her chin and her head was cushioned in a valley of soft pillows. Her hair lay tumbled about her face like a halo of gold. She looked perfectly at ease.

“Were you sleeping well? I hope the room is comfortable?” she asked casually, as if she had woken up the girl in the middle of the night and sent her scurrying to her side just to ask this simple question. Evelyn beckoned her closer with a wave of her hand. “I’m glad you were so quick. The room is frightfully cold and I can’t sleep.” She pouted and pointed to the fireplace. “It’s gone down to just the embers. Can you stoke it a little for me?”

She watched her, suddenly feeling more and more sleepy. Somehow having another person in her presence made her feel more relaxed. After a moment of watching her maid, she said, “Lenora? Come here.” She pulled back the covers next to her. “The bed is so cold with just me in it. Lay down next to me until I fall asleep.” Despite the drowsiness in her voice, it was still a command. She looked at her expectantly, snuggling further into her pillows and crooking her finger at her.

Lenora tried hard not to roll her eyes by repeating her mantra over and over in her head. It's only temporary, among a few other choice words towards her "mistress." Her little room was nothing compared to the one she currently owned but under the circumstances, "It is quite comfortable, my lady. Thank you," you evil minx, she finished her sentence silently. She strolled leisurely over to the fire, grabbing the poker a bit harshly. She stoked the fire and stood beside it expectantly. It was obvious that that couldn't possibly be all she wanted.

It turned out that Lenora was right. Her delicate frame stood frozen on the spot. Didn't she have a stuffed toy or a pillow to use? She walked over apprehensively, sitting at the edge of the bed for a moment, taking off her apron and boots. It would have been more comfortable if she had stripped down to her chemise, but decided against it. Her small bare feet slid beneath the soft sheets, infinitely more comfortable than the scratchy wool blanket in her tiny room upstairs. Still sitting up she looked over to her mistress who was looking drowsier by the second. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to snuggle up next to her, but she didn't want certain feelings getting in the way.

"Lady, is this proper?" She asked curiously as she slid down the bed. The pillows beneath her head were close to divine and Lenora couldn't help letting a sigh of comfort escape. "Oh my," she murmured as her head sank farther into them. She was still rigid of course, her body completely aware of Evelyn's proximity. There was something appealing in the whole situation that the little thief wanted to take full advantage of, but alas, there was still some honor among thieves. Even thieves with the predisposition of falling in love with ladies of a certain caliber. Evelyn matched that description to the letter, and she still believed that under different circumstances Lenora would have siezed this opportunity.

Despite feeling comfortably drowsy, Evelyn was still alert enough to notice Lenora stiffen at her request to climb into her bed. She couldn’t help but smirk a little at that, wondering if she would try to make up some excuse to go back to her own room. But to her delight, the girl moved reluctantly toward the bed and began taking off her shoes. Evelyn watched her with heavy eyelids, looking pleased at her obedience.

"Lady, is this proper?"

The mistress laughed as she slid over just a bit to make room for her. The mattress sunk a little with the girl’s added weight. “I don’t care if it is or isn’t,” she said indifferently, “It’s not like anybody will know anyways. Unless you tell them. But you won’t.” She said this with cool, calm authority as if she thought Lenora was incapable of disobeying her. She was lying on her side now, her icy blue eyes looking content and curious at the same time. When Lenora sighed at the softness of the pillows, she laughed again and quirked an eyebrow.

“More comfortable than the bed upstairs I take it?” She thought that there was something rather adorable in the way the girl settled into the bed, as if the poor thing had never experienced anything like it. She probably hasn’t. It should have been an obvious thought, but Evelyn was so used to these comforts that she had a hard time imagining having to go without them. “Exquisitely soft, aren’t they?” she murmured, stroking the surface of the Lenora’s pillow with her hand and brushing the other girl’s hair ever so slightly with her fingertips in the process. She nestled herself closer to her maid, very much aware and amused at how stiffly the younger girl lay next to her. She let her knee “accidently” brush her thigh as she inched closer still, until her head came to rest on the same pillow. “The silk is from China and feathers from India,” she whispered, close enough that her breath could tickle Lenora’s ear. “What do you think? Are they to your liking?” There was something slightly mocking in her tone, though it was soft and smooth.

Evelyn drew the covers higher above both of them and snuggled closer to Lenora until her body was flush with hers. “This is much more comfortable,” she sighed, closing her eyes. The ends of her hair were touching the other girl’s cheek. “I’m much warmer now.” Her voice was steadily getting drowsier and distant. “You had better not…not kick…in your sleep or I’ll push…push you out of the bed…” She yawned and mumbled something that sounded vaguely like “And don’t leave,” before her breathing became regular and even and her expression soft and peaceful.

Lenora suppressed a smile at Evelyn's implication that she would never disobey her. Only because I want anything worth gold, she thought. In the same breadth, the little thief couldn't help but think whether her mistress planned to make a habit of this. Lenora could feign impropriety, but that would only work a time or two at most. Spooning with the young mistress of the house every night would be a grievous inconvenience to her ultimate plan of robbing her blind.

The gears grinding in her mind came to a halt, "Yes, much. The wool blanket is much too itchy," she complained. The maid couldn't see Evelyn much, she was still stiff and uncomfortable beside her. She wasn't uncomfortable at their closeness, or at the feel of Evelyn's fingers playing with her hair, but at the fact that she was enjoying it. They were exquisite, and Lenora made a mental note to steal them from one of the many bedrooms in the house for her own. "Yes, my lady. They're very…very…comfortable," she muttered, sleep was overcoming her despite her trying to fight it. She felt her mistress inch closer, but the maid was too tired to scoot farther away from her. Her body had ceased to be rigid, giving in to the comfort of both the bed and the beautiful woman beside her.

Lenora opened her eyes slightly, looking over at her bedmate. She was fast asleep, her chest rising and falling rhythmically. She took the liberty of brushing hair out of Evelyn's face. "I think I like you better when you're asleep," she said softly. She laughed breathlessly. "Oh, what have I gotten myself into? And what am I to do with you?" It wasn't long before Lenora fell asleep, dreaming of a bed just like this, Evelyn calling her with her finger. This couldn't end well, but at the moment it didn't seem to be a problem for her.

Evelyn had given Lenora a drowsy warning about kicking in her sleep, but in fact she was the one who tended to shift around at night. By the time the sun rose the next morning, she had slung one leg over Lenora’s waist and draped an arm over the top of her chest as if she were cuddling up to an enormous pillow. Her face was pressed into her maid’s shoulder and she nuzzled into her unconsciously as she gradually began to wake up.

“Mm.. hungry..” she mumbled. A ray of light peeked through one of the large window curtains and fell across the bed. She blinked at the brightness and rubbed her eyes. When she opened them again, she became aware of the girl lying next to her. She had quite forgotten last night until that moment. A slow smirk broke over her face as she recalled the way Lenora had stiffly climbed into her bed at her request. She had been so delightfully obedient last night.

With her arm and leg still wrapped around her, Evelyn studied the girl’s features in the soft, morning glow. She thought Lenora must have still been asleep but she wasn’t entirely sure. The mistress secretly marveled at how pretty she was and couldn’t help but feel a little possessive. She reached up to stroke the hair around her face and then tucked it carefully behind her ear. Last night she had dreamt that Lenora had made a similar gesture and had whispered sweet words to her. She knew it had to have been a dream – she had been too demanding and spoiled to have earned anything but contempt from the girl. She was surprised that she could admit this to herself; she had never felt guilty about it before. Why should I? I’m the mistress. She’s my servant. Evelyn pursed her lips in irritation. She didn’t like feeling guilty. It made her restless. She stared down at Lenora’s peaceful face for a moment and then poked her cheek with her finger non-too gently.

“Wake up,” she hissed softly in her ear. “I’ll not have my maid sleeping in.” Her lips were closed to Lenora’s ear as she spoke. She let them brush her skin as she whispered, “Go down to the kitchen and fetch my breakfast.”

Lenora had awoken the minute light began to stream through the plush curtains of her mistress's bedroom. Evelyn's arm and leg were slung over her, restricting her movement. She didn't move however, she wanted to savor the moments before she had to tend to her duties, which would no doubt be soon enough. Lenora didn't flinch at the affections from her current bedmate, she simply ignored them although it had been a long time since she had woken up beside anyone.

She felt the sharp poke of a finger in her cheek. "Bloody Christ!" She exclaimed, forgetting where she was. "There is a polite way to wake people up, you know," she rubbed her cheek, almost seething. She put on her boots and straightened her hair before making her way to the door. Lenora didn't curtsey. She simply walked out of the room down to the kitchen, her steps a little harder down the stairs than she intended. No, they were very much intended. She wanted to wring her neck, but instead she opted for deep breathing to calm her down.

Down in the kitchen, everyone was scurrying about, rushing to please the princess of the house. "Good morning, girl," the kitchen girl from the day before greeted her. "Pleasant night with the mistress?" She tittered. Lenora wasn't used to being the butt of a joke, but she ignored it for now. "Is she always like that?" It was a fair question, with an unexpected reaction. The cook and kitchen girls guffawed. Was she missing something? "Yes, she is always like that," the cook explained, "but you didn't hear anything from us. Breakfast is nearly ready, but you have time to wash your face," she winked at her. The potential of having allies was a good thing to have, so she smiled in return.

Face washed and hair straightened, Lenora took the food tray upstairs. "Here's your breakfast," she said rather brusquely. She knew she would pay for that, but she didn't care. She was insufferable and needed a lesson. Lenora wanted to be the one to give it to her. "Anything else, my lady?" My lady came out extremely sarcastic and dripped with disdain, Lenora's face unreadable.

Evelyn had difficulty suppressing her grin as Lenora swore and leapt out of the bed. It wasn’t a malicious grin – much more childlike, as if she knew she had done something she shouldn’t have but was getting away with it anyway. She bit her lip and sat up, watching Lenora tug her boots on, her eyes no longer sleepy but bright with mischief.

"There is a polite way to wake people up, you know."

“You can tell me all about it after you bring me my breakfast,” Evelyn cooed sweetly, leaning against the cushioned headboard. She quirked an eyebrow as Lenora stomped out of the room without even curtsying. How fun it is to get under her skin, she thought gleefully. She wondered just how far she could push her until she snapped…

Evelyn was still lounging in her enormous bed when Lenora reappeared with her breakfast tray. She smiled at her and motioned for her to put it on the bedside table. The young mistress sighed at her maid’s curt tone, pretending to look hurt.

“For goodness sake, are you still upset about that?” she asked, as if it were already tiresome. “Come here.” She moved to sit on the edge of the bed and patted the mattress. “Sit down.” Evelyn reached for a piece of buttered toast and a knife. She dipped the blade into the small jar of jelly and spread it slowly over the surface of the bread. “You’re hungry too aren’t you? Here, have a bite.” She held it out like a peace offering. “Feel better?”

“I should punish you for forgetting to curtsy again. Twice,” she told her, though her tone was light and she was giving her a rather coy smile. “But I’m in a good mood.” She picked up a few grapes and pressed them past her lips one by one. “In a good mood and desiring a morning bath. Go back down to the kitchen and tell them to boil some water. You can bring the buckets up to the tub in the bathroom.” She picked up the butter knife she had used earlier and licked it clean. “It’s a fairly large tub. Twenty buckets or so should fill it. You’d better get to it.”