The Master's Rose

To Be Expected

No amount of calm breathing, in through my nose and out through my mouth, could calm my nerves. As the estate came into view, I finally snapped and snatched the sick maid’s bag, digging through it for the ginger candies.

“Hey!” She protested.

My sharp glare shut her up as I found my prize, wincing as I clumsily shoved three of them into my mouth, causing my tongue to burn.

“Will, let’s give the nice lady her bag back, please?” Dary said as he coaxed it from my hands.

“Just turn around, Daryll, this is pointless!” I cried as I swallowed the candy practically whole. I shook my hands out in front of me, desperate for something to do with the pent-up nervous energy.

“You’re being very unlady-like, I hope you realize.” He teased in an effort to reason with me. The maid and I both snorted. The only thing, it seemed, we agreed on was the absolute ridiculousness of his statement.

“Will!” He said more seriously, “You’re in a panic over the mere idea of a man you have never met! Could you perhaps, for me, pull yourself together, woman! This is very much out of character!”

I groaned. “You’re right.” I conceded. I spent the next twenty minutes putting considerably more effort into exuding the confidence I’d carried so easily at school. The only thing for certain was that this man was not going to be happy. It was up to me to prove myself. I couldn’t just run away when things were getting real, and I couldn’t count on my brother’s reputation and my father’s name forever.

The estate was magnificent in an intrusive sort of way. The outside was all polished white stone with elegantly curving stairs leading up to the door. The front lawn was terraced without much personality, which surprised me, given the master’s work. Most of the windows were darkened with nothing more than the ripple of a curtain in one of them, suggesting there was any life inside at all. This building was easily as big as the factory at the end of our street, with a singular tower on the north end reaching higher than the factory’s smoke stacks.

As the carriage stopped on the brick path before the stairs, a fresh wave of panic hit me, but I forced it down immediately. Two men waited on the stairs. One was older than my father, with perfect posture and neatly combed white hair. If not for the master’s fame, this man could easily be mistaken for him. The master clearly expected the very best from those employed by him.

The other man had to be the master. He had short dark hair, dark eyes and a dark goatee. He wore a long embroidered coat, a symbol of his station, and held an air of well-earned arrogance. There was only enough time for one deep breath before my brother swung the door open and stepped out before me. I was forced to follow. Daryll bowed graciously before the master.

“Good evening, Master Grisham. I’m deeply sorry for the delay. We ran into some bandits on the road.” Without waiting for a response, Daryll turned and began unloading my things from the back of the carriage.

“Think nothing of it, young Will. It is unfortunately an expected risk. I trust your maids made it through the ordeal in good order?”

Here it was; the moment of truth. Dary looked up as he placed my last bag on the ground. It’s possible I should have allowed Dary to answer, but there was no sense in delaying the inevitable.

“The maid,” I stepped up, “survived. My brother Daryl and our hired guards were quite brave.” I gave a short curtsey before introducing myself formally. “Willhamina Gracey. It’s an honor, Master Grisham. I do so appreciate the opportunity you’ve afforded me.”

Master Grisham’s eyes narrowed considerably as they darted between me and my brother. “Willhamina.” He echoed with far less graciousness in his voice than there was a moment ago.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Master,” He corrected me. “Your recommendation letter had the name Will on it. I was under the impression your brother was the Will mentioned.”

“Did it?” I said in mock surprise. “I’m terribly sorry for the confusion, see I attended Academy for seven years, and in that time even the headmaster began to refer to me by my nickname. How careless. I assure you, though, I’m far more than capable.”

“Capable?” he demanded. “So then do you have at least a few medals of completion under your belt? Or rather, skirt?” he asked. Rude words. Polite tone.

I seethed quietly. “No, Sir,”

“Master.”

“No, Master Grisham, I do not.” I corrected myself.

“Did the familiarity with your headmaster not grant enough of his faith to earn one?”

He was nearly shouting now. Suddenly the sound of wheels on brick echoed through the air and I spun around. Master Grisham and I wore matching expressions of horror as Daryl wore a guilty expression from the driver’s seat as he and the rest of our party tore down the path as quickly as the horses could take them.

Master Grisham threw his hands into the air and spun toward the house. “Geramy!” he shouted. The two men met each other at the bottom step, heads bowed and whispering as I stared hopelessly and angrily after the receding carriage. It was then that I noticed a folded sheet of paper tucked into the handle of my largest bag.

Forgive me. I love you.

“I’m half surprised you don’t see fit to chase after him!” Master Grisham accused.

I scoffed. “So am I.”

He snatched the paper from my hand.

“Excuse me!” I protested.

He tossed the paper back at me with an undignified snort. “Well, at least you weren’t entirely complicit in this deception.” I rolled my eyes as he exchanged a look with his head of estate.

“Well, Will,” he said my nickname with a bitter tone. “If I had more time I’d send you away immediately, but as it is I barely had the time to hire you. You’ll forgive me if I don’t trust you have what it takes to work for someone like me. Not as an apprentice anyway. I probably have room on my staff with the servants if you want to work while you wait for a carriage home.” He turned his back on me.

“I am NOT a servant!” I shouted at his back. He spun around in shock at my tone and I responded by stepping right up to him. I was angry. I wasn’t going to back down. He didn’t have to accept me. I’d already known that wasn’t a possibility, but I would not be a servant for anyone.

“The only reason I don’t have medals of completion is because I carry my dignity in my shirt rather than my pants, and as I’m sure you’re aware, just because the kingdom chooses to ignore women does not mean we’re useless! I am capable!”

His eyes widened in shock for only a moment. “Well, clearly you haven’t earned a medal of completion in manners!”

I glared at him. “I’m not a servant, and I’m not leaving. Have me arrested, or make use of me in a way that matters.”

“I don’t have the time to babysit you as you stumble your way around a laboratory,” He sneered.

“I know how to use a lab.” I gritted out as I crossed my arms.

He huffed out a deep breath, clearly as finished with this conversation as I was. “If you insist on staying, then you can be the babysitter.”

“Please tell me you don’t have spawn?” I laughed at the idea of Master Grisham having children. Who would even want to get close enough?

“Not a child.” He rolled his eyes. “Follow me. Geramy, the bags.”

I had to sprint to keep up with his long strides. I couldn’t even spare the time to take in the sight of the large manor’s interior. We reached the second floor landing, turned to the right and went down a long, depressingly dark hallway before coming to a stop at a heavy oak door. He turned suddenly to face me.

“This is your task.” He laid a pointing finger against the door. “If you can learn to tame what’s inside, I’ll consider you worthy of learning from me, but you should know. No one has succeeded. I don’t suspect you will either.”

He left me there, gaping after him. There was a small window cut into the door, not even big enough to put an arm through. I peeked in. It was a bedroom. There was no light inside, and it was difficult to see much in the dimming light of the evening. The only source of light was the darkened window at the end of the long hall and a few gas lamps dotted along the way. I had no choice but to find someone to tell me which room to sleep in for the night and figure out my situation in the morning.