The Master's Rose

The Locked Room

I found my way down the stairs to the first level easily enough with the layout of the manor not being exactly imaginative. When I reached the landing, Geramy was bringing my things in from the road.

“I can manage those. Thank you, Sir. I’ve been more trouble than I’m worth, apparently. Just please show me where I can sleep for the night?”

Geramy offered me a kind smile. "It’s no trouble at all, Miss Gracey. I’m glad you’re here. Whether the master admits it or not, he needs help. Your application was more than promising. Please, allow me to do my job."

I didn’t want to be offensive, but having him carry all my things seemed wrong. The man could have been my grandfather.

“How about you carry the big one, and I’ll take the rest. Please? I’ve always carried my own weight, Mr. Sharpe.” I explained.

He conceded. “Very well. Please, call me Geramy.” He handed the larger bag to me, sparing me from having to bend down to pick it up, and raised an eyebrow as he shouldered the second bag and carried my nearly forgotten sword. “Did your brother leave this behind in his haste?” he asked.

With a small mischievous smile, I answered, “Uh, no actually, that is mine.”

He gave a knowing nod. “For the bandits?”

“Right,” I answered.

“I shall have it cleaned for you.” We began walking. “Not typical accessories for a woman. You must have a very protective brother.”

“And father.” I smiled at the thought of them both, then sighed. “I’m afraid, Geramy, that nothing about me is typical.”

Geramy led me into a small hall that ran behind the walls of the main floor. Servant’s quarters likely. We came out of the other end of the hall into a room that sat behind the main entrance and had a view of the back garden.”

“The master asked for this room to be prepared for his new apprentice. It’s a nice room, and seeing as he hasn’t said you couldn’t use it, I see no reason not to let you. I hope you enjoy it.” Geramy set my bag down just inside the door and stood aside to let me through. “I’ll return the sword to you once it’s cleaned. Get a good night’s rest, Miss Gracey. There are sure to be challenging days ahead.” He gave me a short bow and turned to leave, then stopped and said over his shoulder, “You’ll find that most things in the house are quite…traditional. We could do with some progression here. I think you belong here.”

I smiled in response. He was quickly becoming my favorite person here, not that the list of options was terribly long. He gave a short nod and left me to my devices.

I dropped my bag with a thud and deep sigh. The room was nice, larger than my one at home and most definitely larger than the dorms at Academy, with its most attractive feature being a separate private bathroom. There was a large four-poster bed in the center of the back wall across from the door. To the right of the bed was a door leading to a dressing room that ran the full length of the room with a standing full-length mirror, a dressing screen, space for hanging things, cabinets, and shelves for shoes. The wall that held the entrance to the room also held the door to the private bathroom, which held several modern advancements; likely Geramy’s doing. There was a plumbed bathtub and water closet. The school also had these advances, and I’d missed them when I went back home. I was pleased to see them here.

That wall also held a large sturdy desk which I planned to make full use of, and the wall to the left of the room was entirely made of glass. There was a beautiful view of the back garden. It was far closer to what I’d expect from an Alchemist. There were a great many varieties of plants, even in just the little bit that I could see from the window. It seemed to twist and turn and the pleasant sound of calm water could be heard if I was very still. Gas lamps in the garden cast a soft yellow light but had already been dimmed. A small gas lamp on the wall above the desk and one by the bed was all the light the room itself offered. I extinguished both, dropped my traveling coat to the ground, huffed through unlacing my boots and threw myself onto the bed. Before I knew it, birds were singing and the sun was rising.

I blinked a few times as the room in full morning light came into clearer view. My body was stiff and my mind heavy with equal senses of purpose and hopelessness. I groaned as I sat up on the edge of the bed and took it all in with fresh eyes. The room was done in a monochrome maroon. It seemed too extravagant for an apprentice. There was an ornate oriental rug in the same deep maroon as the bed and curtains. The walls were black with sketched diagrams of plant parts and insects that had been labeled in an elegant script. It was odd but beautiful, and I supposed not entirely out of place for an Alchemist’s home.

I dragged my bags to the dressing room and began unpacking, setting aside the clothes I’d chosen to wear that day. I smiled, remembering how father and Gladys argued over having them made for me. He was prone to give in to my every whim, and she tried her hardest to make me appear as a proper lady. They’d compromised in allowing me to have tailored leather pants, more practical for the work I’d chosen, so long as I agreed to having special overcoats made that would at least look like a dress if I stood still enough. They were made with a material light enough that it wouldn’t be unbearable to wear in the warmer months and fitted enough to not get in my way. They were certainly unique and cost more than they should have simply because of the unique design, but they cut quite the figure and I ended up being very pleased with them.

After a thorough soak in the large tub and very little effort spent taming my black hair into a long braid, I dressed for the day. As I picked out my clothes I tried to remember that I wasn’t trying to impress anyone. If anything, I wanted to feel intimidating, like Master Grisham was no more fearsome than those bandits. I left the room in my black leather breeches, matching riding boots, and a deep black coat that fell to my feet. I chose not to button the coat, as the black leather corset pinned my linen shirt in place well enough without doing so, securing my posture from under bust to hip, and it was too hot in the middle of July to bother with the collar.

I strode out of the room and went straight to the mysterious locked door on the second floor. If nothing else, I was determined to pretend the task that was thrown at me, like some sort of consolation prize, was an important one, and I would give it the attention a real assignment would deserve.

I peered again through the little window. I couldn’t see much. Only an empty table and a bed situated on a platform at the back of the room. It had bed curtains hanging around it and was flanked on either side by shelves that reached the ceiling but were empty. I couldn’t see any movement in the room, so I tried the door. Locked. I tried knocking. No response.

“How the devil am I supposed to accomplish a task for which I have no tools?” I muttered bitterly.

“My humble advice,” Geramy said as he appeared beside me. “Is that quiet observation will unlock almost any door.” He smiled warmly as he held a heavy iron key out to me.

I sighed in relief. “Thank you, Geramy.” I said as I plucked the key from his outstretched hand.

“I’ve taken the liberty of restoring your sword to your room. I trust the room is to your liking?”

I smiled. “Not that I have any right to complain if it wasn’t, but the room is lovely. Thank you. I had the liberty of using a plumbed bathroom at school, and I had been missing that particular luxury. I do hope Master Grisham won’t force me out of it.”

“It’s very likely he hasn’t even considered where you’ll be sleeping.”

“You don’t report those things to him?” I asked.

“Miss Gracey, my master rarely has time to eat, let alone fuss over where his staff sleeps.” He tilted his head in a slight bow and turned to return to his duties.

“Thank you!” I called after him. I watched as he disappeared down the stairs. “Now for this mysterious task.”