Prison Games

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

But for the first time, Sophia wanted to feel close to Him. She wanted to believe He was real and could help her. There was no one else now. She had never felt so alone. The lowest time in her life had been losing Gran and Papa...until now. How she longed for that faith-that belief in a Being who would love you no matter what that seemed to come so easy to Gran. Where did that faith come from? Did God pick and choose who received it?

With a sigh, Sophia leaned back against the wall. What did it matter? She didn't have it. Sophia tried again to recall Gran's words but could not. Her second dream was a different matter. 

She remembered it all too well. It was because of the "black princess" that Sophia was here. How could Tess have done such a thing? As long as Sophia could remember, Tess seemed to hate her. Tess was capable of cruelty, but to this degree? How could she have told such a lie?

The fact Lord and Lady Wilson would allow such disaster to befall Sophia caused the worst pain of all. They must have known she would never have betrayed their trust. But they had to believe their own flesh and blood over a maid...didn't they? Still, they knew what Tess was like. They should have believed Sophia when she told them she had not taken the necklace. It was obvious to everyone that Tess was jealous of Sophia's relationship with Lord and Lady Wilson. Couldn't they see it, too?

Sophia remembered the day Papa had secured a position at the Brick House for her. Oh, the excitement his news brought. Brick House was the name given to Lord and Lady Wilson's manor. It was huge and covered in red brick, thus the name. It seemed a palace with many large windows and beautiful lawns.

Papa, their head gardener, took great pride in his job. He made sure the grounds and gardens were at their best. He even had a staff of six men working under him. There was looking pride in that, too. Papa was a hard worker. He worked as if Lord Wilson was over his shoulder, though he never did. Papa had proven himself to be an honest man. When Lord Wilson approached him about Sophia working in the house, it only took Papa's word for Sophia to get hired.

Yes, she had been excited, but frightened, too. To work at Brick House was an honor in itself. Employment was so rare for the Irish, and being Sophia's first job made it very special. She couldn't believe she would be making money of her very own...a farthing a week! Dreams of all the grand things her earnings would buy consumed her. She would buy linen and a new bonnet for Gran. Papa could get a new plow along with a pipe. Oh, the wealth they would have.

"Sophia," Papa started, "Lord Wilson's daughter is home from school, and he wants you to be her maid. You're both the same age. Won't that be a fine thing?" Sophia had never really had a best friend, except for Gran. Did she count? Well, now she would have someone her own age to share secrets with, to run and skip with. Gran wasn't very good at that part. "Papa," Sophia asked, "what's a maid?"

"That's a girl who helps a lady get dressed and fix her hair and such." "You mean that poor girl has no arms of her own to dress herself?" Sophia's eyes nearly bugged out.

Both Papa and Gran broke into laughter. "No, no, my Sophia," Papa continued, "it's just that ladies don't work anymore than they have to, so they hire people to do their work for them."

"But Papa," Sophia went on, "since when is getting dressed work?" "Well, Sophia, there is truth in that, all right."

There was a lot to do to get ready. Gran went about scrubbing Sophia's best dress. She only had two, so it was a mystery to her how Gran could figure out which one was the better. They were both worn, but Gran would say, "We may be poor, Sophia Elizabeth, but we are clean." So after her dress was scrubbed, Sophia was scrubbed.

Fear tugged at her heart along with the excitement. "Gran," she whispered, "what if I don't do things right? Where do I go once I get to the Brick House?" Gran looked at her granddaughter with great tenderness. "I know ya be afraid, Sophia dear, but don't e'er let fear keep ya back from where God wants ya to go. Just trust." A sigh of frustration escaped. As much as she loved Gran, it was hard to get a real answer from her. She always gave those tricky answers that Sophia tried to figure out but seldom did. "Gran, I need a good answer! I don't know what you mean."

Gran merely smiled and gave her a hug. "Simply, Sophia, there be no need to worry about where God is taking ya, as long as ya trust in Him."

Gran was wonderful, but at times she was no help at all. Sophia wondered then if all old people talked like that. Was it because they knew they would be dying soon and needed to talk about God a lot so they could get to heaven? She didn't like to think about Gran "going to dust," as the old ones called it. Sophia made her decision. She may be frightened a little, but no one would know. She would hold her head up and be brave...or at least try.

Early the next day she went to work with Papa. It was the first time she was allowed to go to the Brick House. It had always been a distant thing of beauty. Coming closer to it took Sophia's breath away. Grand was not the word for it. She could not imagine the money a person would need to live in such a place. She'd always thought it looked like a castle, so it only made sense her new, soon-to-be best friend must be a princess!

When Papa stopped right before entering, Sophia knew more instructions were coming. "Remember, Katic dear, to curtsey like Gran showed you, and be ever mindful of your manners. Oh, and don't forget to always say 'sir' and..."

"Papa," Sophia whispered, "I know, I know. You told me over and over last "All right, Sophia girl, I guess you're ready. Now don't forget to smile."