Chapter 5 - Mistress seeks forgiveness

Lora watched the lady of the house as she walked through the garden and left out the moon gate. She looked like something out of a fairy-tale or the love interest in a Victorian novel. Lora sighed, she would never look like that, never carry herself with such elegance and never deserve to be this lady's friend.

She walked over to the bookshelf and put the book back in place, before drawing the curtains in front of the window to allow herself some darkness as she went to bed.

Lora wasn't allowed to sleep for long, however. Merely a couple of hours later the first maid poked her head inside. Lora opened her eyes slightly to get a look at the intruder – a young girl, who couldn't be more than 15 years old, with short golden hair.

The girl stepped thrifty through the room, pulled the curtains aside, opened the wardrobe and pulled a few outfits out, lay the clothes on the table at the end of the bed. She then proceeded to move a few things around the room before she began to unpack Lora's bag.

With a jaw and an exaggerated stretch, Lora sat up and opened her eyes.

"Good morning miss," the girl said to make her presence known. "My name is Nelly. Is there anything I can do for you?" The girl continued her work before Lora could say anything.

"I don't think so," Lora said, a bit unsure of what she could possibly want the girl to do for her.

"Might I suggest breakfast?" the girl proposed, "I can bring some to you, or you can take it in the dining room."

Lora swung her legs over the side of the bed to stretch them, "yes, alright, if you can just lead me to the dining room that would be fine." Lora got out of bed, walked over to her bag beside Nelly and pulled out a pair of jeans and a white blouse.

Nelly looked her up and down as she got dressed, but said nothing, though Lora could feel her confusion or possibly disapproval emit from her.

Lora walked over and out the door, and the girl followed her, leading her through the now brightly lit hallways to the dining room.

As she stepped inside, Lora took a deep breath in, and she was wise to do so, as right there sitting at the dining table was the lady of the house. Lora swallowed the lump in her throat before she sat down a few seats away from the lady.

Should she break the ice, was she the one who was supposed to say the first words, or should she simply leave her alone?

"My name is Lora," she said without thinking and a big pretentious smile on her face. She was completely overdoing it.

The lady turned her head towards Lora with ice in her eyes. "And my name is Jenny," she said. Jenny looked as if she was trying to remain calm and either swallow her own pride or remain above her husband's actions by pretending to be as kind as she could be. "But please, call me Mrs Huxley," she added.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mrs Huxley," Lora kept talking without thinking much about what she said, just trying to improvise her through this conversation. "I love your home, thank you so much for letting me stay here, it is better than anywhere I have ever lived before."

Jenny stared her down without letting her expression tell Lora anything about what she was thinking or feeling. "You are not staying here because I allow you to. You are here because my husband wants you. Because he desires you." The last words were said rapidly, as Jenny cut off every word in a sharp tone. "I have nothing to say to you being here, miss Lora, I can do nothing against it. I cannot throw you out, and I cannot tell you to leave my dining room, my living room, or my garden for that matter." Jenny stood up. "There is no space that is mine anymore. You have taken it all." Jenny finally broke eye contact with Lora, allowing Lora to breathe, which she had entirely forgotten until then.

"Mrs Huxley, I'm so… sorry," Lora began her apology, but Jenny closed her eyes and cut her off.

"You dare come into my house," Jenny said in a cold tone, "you sleep with my husband." She took a breath. "You invade my space." Another breath, "and then you dare ask me for forgiveness. Did I get that right?"

Lora looked down at the ground, "I take no pleasure in deceiving or hurting you Mrs Huxley."

"You are not the one that has hurt me, only wronged me," Jenny said, "but I promise you, that if you do anything to further entrap my husband in your snare, I will come for you."

Lora held her breath as Jenny spoke, but looked up quickly as she thought she found an escape, "so you mean that you are not out for revenge against me,"

Jenny narrowed her eyes, "at the moment, only my husband has truly hurt me." Jenny grabbed for Lora's arm and held it in a tight grip. "And I trust that you don't dare inform him of my feelings on the matter."

"Of course, not Mrs," Lora smiled vaguely. She couldn't believe that it was true. The lady of the house could possibly, maybe, perhaps, come to trust her if she continued this path. All she had to do was keep something a few things a secret from Mr Huxley. And Lora had some ideas about how she could avoid even talking to him, all she had to do was keep him distracted.