I hobbled up the spiral staircase, following Miss Impeccable (as I had officially titled the maid) up to my new room. It wasn’t easy getting up the stairs with crutches, though, and it was a good 5 minutes before I had reached the second floor.
“This way, Miss Cora Lynn.”
“You can call me Cora.”
The maid’s expression didn’t change. In fact, she didn’t even care to acknowledge she’d heard me. I did a sickly sweet smile and cocked my head.
“YOU. Can. Call. Me. CORA.”
The Miss Impeccable raised an eyebrow without even looking at me.
“THIS way, Miss CORA.”
A smug expression crossed my face as I followed the maid to my bedroom. Once again, if you would dare to call it that.
The walls were a pale silvery pink color, elegant white crown molding along the ceiling and the same along the perimeter of the floor. A bed with a beautifully craved white headboard and footboard was positioned between two floor-to-ceiling windows on the wall opposite the door. On the bed was a clean, puffy pink comforter and almost a gazillion fluffy pillows in pink and silver shades. A large, heavy looking white chest was at the foot of the bed, an intricately engraved silver lock on the front and a pink cushion lining the top. A pink area rug the same shade as the walls covered most of the mahogany wooded floor, and a wispy, fairy like silver chandelier hung gracefully from the middle of the ceiling. Pink curtains adorned the windows, with thin silver shears hiding behind them, and a white wardrobe was positioned on the wall to the left of the bed. A small vanity rested against the right wall, with a small stool topped with poofy pink cushion underneath it. Overall, the room reeked of a cherry blossom scent mingled with expensive cleaning products, and the smell of fresh paint lingered on my nostrils. I could not bear this horridly primp room.
Especially since I hated the color pink with a passion.
“And your study, Miss Cora L- Ahem, Miss Cora.”
I shamelessly stuck out my tongue, not caring whether Miss Impeccable saw me or not, followed her to the left of the room through another door.
The door led to another room, smaller than the other, with on wall lined in books sitting on a white bookshelf. On the right wall sat a quaint white desk and white chair, thank God with no pink cushion on it. On the left wall was a, yes, pink easy chair and a small white side table. A little round window was right above the writing desk, through which piercing winter moonshine shone through the frosted pane.
“Miss Lillian adored reading classics. That chair was shipped from London for her especially.”
Lillian. My cousin. So this was her room.
“I shall leave you to unpack your things, Miss Cora; Mrs. Cook should be up shortly to bid you goodnight.”
I silently nodded and Miss Impeccable primly exited the ferociously pink room, setting down my duffle on her way out.
I mutely unpacked my meager assortment of clothing, hanging my shirts in the wardrobe and putting my jeans in the drawers. After I had unpacked my clothes and put them in their new places, I slipped out my journal I’d placed underneath my clothes at the bottom of the bag. I stood up and searched for a good hiding place to keep it, eventually deciding on slipping it in between a volume of Jane Eyre and Mark Twain.
A few minutes later, after I had thoroughly explored my new dwelling, my Aunt Bethany came up to my room.
“Hello dear, do you prefer visitors to knock on your door before entering? Lillian never did enforce a rule of such a kind herself.”
Actually, yes. I like some privacy as does any human being. And Lillian was actually sick most of the time so it’s not like she could really enforce any privacy rule against you and Uncle Todd.
“Actually, if you don’t mind…”
“Oh!... No… not at all dear…”
I bit the inside of my cheek. Aunt Bethany could be so pitiful sometimes.
“Well, I hope you like this room, dear. It was your own dear cousin’s, you know. We had it remodeled for you and all freshened up.”
Gee thanks. Betchya’ knew how much I love pink, Aunty.
“Thanks Aunt Bethany…”
My Aunt nodded; her every move seemed nervous, as if something or someone was right behind her, ready to pounce on her at any time. She got on my nerves.
“Well dear, your bed is right there, and we wake up every morning at 8 am sharp; your uncle doesn’t tolerate sleeping in. Get up and get things done, he always says. I agree you know. You can’t get anywhere in life being lazy dear. Bedtime is at 9 pm sharp every night, Lillian never had many boys take her places so she never needed a set curfew. I don’t believe you’ve ever had a boyfriend either, Cora Lynn? Ah yes dear I suppose there’s no need for a set curfew now then either, is there? You will be tutored every day Monday through Friday from 9 am sharp to 4 pm sharp, breakfast is at 8:30 sharp every morning, we really do not appreciate anyone being late to breakfast, as the food gets cold, and lunch is at 12:30 pm sharp. Uncle Todd believes in waiting a full 4 hours between eating meals, we really don’t like snacking in between, either, and dinner is at 6 pm sharp every evening, dear. On Saturdays you shall be free to do activities with friends from 10 am sharp to 5 pm sharp, and Saturday evenings we usually tend to stay home and do something quiet such as reading or painting. Sunday afternoons and evenings we generally go to a concert or symphony in town, or a opera, sometimes your Uncle Todd has business parties. On Tuesdays you shall have painting lessons from 11 am sharp to 12 pm sharp and on Thursdays piano lessons from 1 pm sharp to 2 pm sharp. Well dear, I presume you are thoroughly exhausted so I shall see you bright and early tomorrow morning and we shall go shopping for some new clothing for you, dear. Goodnight dear!”
I stood in a mute daze the entire time my aunt rambled about times, the only thing I caught being that I’ve never had a boyfriend (which is sadly true) and I was going to have a tutor. Not to mention my aunt and uncle always did things very sharply.
I put on my pajamas, still in a daze, and silently climbed under my covers, my nostrils filling with a sickly sweet and fake scent of cherry blossoms and upholstery freshener. I’m not sure how long I laid awake missing my family and Jayson, but I know eventually I fell asleep, because to wake up, one must first fall asleep, and I know that I woke up to see sunlight pouring through my window and voices downstairs.
I fell trying to get out of bed, forgetting I was still using the assistance of crutches, and hobbled slowly down the stairs. Upon reaching the bottom, I made my way to the dining room and stopped in the doorway.
“CORA LYNN! WHY, YOU AREN’T DRESSED YET!”
I stared blankly at my aunt as she rose in shock from the table, linen napkin sliding from her lap.
“Uh, sorry…? I always eat breakfast in my pajamas at home-“
“Young lady, this IS your home now. And we get dressed before coming down to breakfast.”
I swore at her under my breath; she acted like wearing pajamas was just as bad as being naked. I put on a fake smile and calmly sat down at the table.
“Well, aunty, I shall certainly remember that in the future. But right now, it is 8:30 am sharp, and we just can’t have breakfast getting cold, now can we?”