The winter winds howled and screamed as the snow sharply pelted against the glass window panes outside. They harmonized with the creaking and popping of the cold floorboards as Cecilia lay curled up in her bed.
Tightening her small fists, she buried her face deep within her pillow...Her eyes squeezed tightly shut. She could still feel his hands on her, smell the rancid alcohol on his breath... Everywhere he touched...made her stomach plummet with disgust, embarrassment and...shame. Despite it being about a month's time...she still could not forget that night nor how her mother looked at her. Those piercing blue eyes that burned her. Those sharp nails and how they clawed deep into her arm as they dragged her up to the third floor to her bedroom, throwing her inside like a rag doll, as they locked the door behind them.
Since then she had been forbidden to leave her bedroom...forbidden to speak to anyone...It seemed she had truly gotten her wish...she was invisible...
And now the winter storm outside hovered above the estate like a dark shadow...a stain that all of society could see...Curling inwards, away from the cold and the shame, Cecilia suddenly grimaced as a bright light shone before her. Squinting, she saw Mrs. Eisen standing by the bed, holding the candle aloft.
"It's time to pack your things, miss," she said, her voice sounding sad and distant.
Slowly sitting up, Cecilia stared in confusion.
"Pack my things?" she timidly asked.
What was happening?
"Yes, the carriage is waiting outside, so you must get dressed and pack quickly,"
Brushing away a dark curl from her face, Cecilia's heart began thudding sharply in her chest. Was she...being sent away? And if so...where to? A chill suddenly overtook her, and her eyes became wide with despair.
"Please, Mrs. Eisen...what is happening?" she pleaded, her hand taking hold of Mrs. Eisen's sleeve. Mrs. Eisen, setting down the candle, paused for a moment in thought, as Cecilia thought she saw a flicker of sadness in her eyes.
"You are to live as Mrs. Stroman's caregiver..."
Cecilia blinked. Was she going to live with Mrs. Stroman? The kind old woman she had met at the Yule Ball?
"Truly?" Cecilia asked, a small hopeful smile playing at her lips.
"Truly," Mrs. Stroman nodded, pulling her arm away, "Now we must hurry !"
Swinging her legs out of bed, Cecilia did everything in her power not to cry in relief and happiness...She was leaving! In a blur, Mrs. Eisen had her dressed and ready and soon Cecilia was quickly packing her things.
"What of my other belongings?" she asked curiously, eyeing her armoire, "My furnishings?"
"You won't have need of them, " Mrs. Eisen said curtly as she folded another gown into Cecilia's suitcase.
Staring at the imposing armoire she was secretly relieved...any memory of her mother she was eager to forget. Everything that transpired in this estate, she hoped and prayed would just be a terrible memory that would fade in time. Even if that meant giving up her status, she did not mind it.
Taking out her small book of fairy tales from beneath her mattress, she tucked it in the pocket of her gown as Mrs. Eisen quickly put on Cecilia's winter coat and bonnet.
"Alright..." Mrs. Eisen sighed, "You're ready to leave now..."
staring at Mrs. Eisen's sad, weary brown eyes, Cecilia suddenly jumped into her arms and hugged her.
"Thank you for everything, " she said, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes.Letting her go, she could also see Mrs. Eisen was holding back tears.
"Come along, miss!" Mrs. Eisen said with a sniff, " You'll be late, and your carriage is waiting!"
Nodding in agreement, Cecilia took up her two suitcases and followed Mrs. Eisen downstairs.
The large estate doorways opened with a groan as a piercing cold gust of wind struck Cecilia's cheeks. Holding in a gasp she quickly approached the dark carriage that waited patiently out front.
As soon as the coachmen had seen her, he hopped out of his seat and took her belongings, strapping the suitcases to the back of the carriage. Seeing that there was but one coachmen was odd to her-surely her mother would hire more men to escort and protect her surely? Yet as if to remind her, a sudden phantom pain where her mother clawed at her arm began to throb. No… perhaps mother wouldn’t …
"Traveling light eh?" the coachmen shouted above the blistering winds.
Shivering, all she could do was nod as she began to rub at her arm.With the winter winds screaming in her ears, the coachman strode over and opened the carriage doors, helping her inside. She exhaled the moment he closed the doors, relieved to be away from the howling winds and pelting snow, despite the freezing cold slipping past the cracks of the carriage windows and doors.Wrapping her arms around herself and sniffling, she heard the coachman climb up into his seat, and with a crack of the whip and a jolt, the carriage slowly began moving. They were off!
And as the estate slowly became more distant, she turned around and looked out the window gazing upwards at one of the parlor windows. For just a brief moment she thought she saw her mother silhouetted in the window watching her... but no...there was no one there... feeling a chill crawl up her spine, she quickly looked down at her lap. Even from this distance, she was still afraid of her mother...'I mustn't be afraid...' she thought, fidgeting her hands inside her hand muff, 'I...I must be brave.' Yet it seemed the further the carriage went, the more frightened she became. But why was she so frightened? She was going to live with Mrs. Stroman. She was going to have a new life, free from beatings and harsh words...
Suddenly feeling a jolt from the carriage she quickly took hold of her seat tightly. 'Perhaps I'm just tired,' she thought, gazing at the dark sky, it was very early, after all. With a sigh, she took out her book of fairy tales from her pocket and opened it. Inside was the tarot card Mrs. Stroman had gifted her. smiling down at it she closed the book as she held it to her chest, leaning against the carriage windows. 'I wonder...' she thought, her eyes now suddenly growing
heavy, 'what my new life will be like?'
Closing her eyes she let the rocking of the carriage lull her to sleep.
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