"Can I be excused?" Lucy asked her mother.
"Oh yes, dear. I believe the new servant girl arrived today. What's her name again?--Oh yes, Scarlett! She'll be your maid from now on."
"Yes, I know mama."
Lucy already knew. After she saw Scarlett arrive before dinner, she had been so curious all day long and wanted to meet the woman desperately, but first, she had to live through another dreadful, boring evening with her parents and sisters.
Papa always read the newspapers, mama and Isa always gossiped about everybody--especially about the Johnson family--and Minnie and herself mostly played a game or talked about the neighbors: The Wilson twins, Jack and Roy.
Minnie was desperately in love with Jack and drove Lucy crazy with her pining over the man. Jack certainly showed an interest in Minnie too. There were even rumors going on in town that Jack will soon propose to Minnie, at the next spring ball, they said.
Sadly, mama said it may not happen because Isa was older and not married yet, so, it wasn't decent for Minnie to marry before her older sister. Lucy didn't understand all these rules of society. Why should Minnie have to wait? What if Isa would turn into an old spinster and shall never marry?
Lucy wasn't really interested in these rules anyway. Her sisters should just figure it out themselves because Lucy never wanted to marry at all if it wasn't out of love. She was also not interested in Jack's brother, Roy, who had declared his love to her last year.
"Ok, I will go to bed early today, mama."
"Oh my, aren't you feeling well?" Lucy's mother, Eliza, asked.
Lucy stood up and walked to her mother, giving her a kiss. "I am just tired, mama, that's all."
Her mother smiled. "I get it, you want to meet your new maid, ok, go on, dear."
Lucy walked to her room, feeling excited to finally meet the woman she'll spend many hours with from now on, as Scarlett shall be responsible for everything that had to do with her. She would pick out her dresses, lace her corset till it was all nice and tight, do her hair, listen to her conversations, and many more.
Lucy entered her room and inside stood a beautiful lady, waiting for her. "Good evening, milady," the maid said and made a curtsy to young Lucy.
"Good evening, you must be Scarlett."
"I am, milady."
Scarlett stood up straight again. "I have everything ready for your bath, milady."
Lucy laughed. "Please, enough with the milady. Call me Lucy from now on. I hope we can become good friends, Scarlett."
Scarlett showed a set of beautiful teeth when she smiled. "I hope so too, Lucy, and I'm sure we will..."
Not even Margaret Johnson was as pretty as Scarlett, and Margaret was always the talk in town because of her long golden curly locks. Her hair was so long, it reached her behind when she wore her hair down. Lucy had always been jealous of Margaret's hair, as she had red hair herself. She hated it, ever since the other girls had called her carrot when she was younger.
It was also a mystery why she was ginger as nobody else in the family had red hair. Isa and Minnie were brunettes, her mother was blond, and her father had auburn hair before he turned grey. Why did she have to have stupid ugly carrot hair?
Scarlett began to unbutton Lucy's dress, and after that, she unlaces that horrible corset.
"Oh, thank God!" Lucy said after she inhaled deeply. "I truly hate these things."
"Oh, I do too," Scarlett giggled.
Lucy liked the sound of her maid's laugh. It was hoarse, like Scarlett's voice itself was too. Lucy never heard a lady's voice which sounded so raspy. It was beautiful.
"You are ready," Scarlett said and she guided her naked milady to the bathtub.
"Hmm," Lucy moaned while dipping her whole body into the water. It felt like heaven. Her nannies always made the bathwater too cold, so this was much better.
She laid her head down against the edge of the tub and relaxed.
"The water is nice?" Scarlett asked as she took place behind Lucy, sitting on a chair, and taking a sponge and some soap in her hands, beginning to wash the pale freckled skin.
"You are so gentle," Lucy noticed.
"Am I?"
"Yes, my nannies always rubbed me so hard and it was always hasty too."
Lucy closed her eyes, feeling the touch of the sponge drawing circles over her skin. Over her arms, breasts, and belly, over her legs and back, before Scarlett offered the sponge to her and Lucy washed her private parts herself.
After washing, Scarlett massaged her head and shoulders.
"Ahh, Scarlett, your hands are like magic."
Scarlett chuckled. "I know... I'll wash your hair now. Lucy, you have gorgeous hair."
"Me? Don't lie. I hate my hair."
"Really? Why?" Scarlett asked while she began to rub and massage the soap into Lucy's copper locks.
"It's orange, haven't you noticed?"
"I have, I am not blind, milady." Scarlett laughed. "But I like it. It's uncommon, I guess. And that's why I like it."
"Well, then you're mad. Everybody thinks it's ugly, even my mama said it."
"Did she?"
"Yes, she said..." Lucy then imitated her mother's high-pitched voice, "such a pity you aren't born with brown hair, like your sisters."
"Oh... Well, I am a firm believer in the quote beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Do you know what that means?"
"I haven't heard of it, but I can understand the message."
Scarlett took a bowl and dipped it in the bathwater, and poured it over Lucy's head.
"Beauty is subjective. I think your hair is beautiful, even though others might not. That doesn't make me a liar or crazy."
"I'm sorry if I sounded rude."
"You're forgiven." Scarlett stood up and grabbed a towel. "You are also done bathing, the water is running cold. You better get out now."
Lucy stood up and observed Scarlett while she wrapped the towel around her. Lucy noticed that Scarlett had a tiny mole in her neck, in the shape of a heart.
Talk about beauty and uniqueness.
~
Late at night, Lucy laid awake, thinking about Scarlett.
She didn't know why she was so fascinated by the woman. Maybe because Scarlett was so pretty? Or so clever? Or the stories that Scarlett told her before she left were so fascinating? Scarlett had seen many places. Apart from being beautiful, she also seemed to be so smart and sophisticated. And so elegant!
Lucy couldn't wait for tomorrow to come. She wanted to know much more about her mysterious new friend.
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