The next day, Louisa woke up determined to be a new person: she wouldn't be grieving for Benjamin anymore! He just wanted to be friends with her and she was the one who was wrong to think that she could have more than his friendship. So, she got out of bed more excited, took care of her personal hygiene and left towards the mansion, before her mother was even up.
Louisa cleaned the kitchen, made the dough for the bread, took the clean clothes off the line and ironed them, put the dough in the oven and went to polish the silver and set the table. When Eva and the other two helpers entered the kitchen, the smell of freshly baked bread was wonderful.
"Today, you woke up inspired, Lou!" Danielle said, smiling.
"Thank you, Danny!" Danielle was a twenty-two-year-old girl, engaged to the greengrocer's son. She was very lively and she loved to help others.
"These buns are perfect. Really, she has your gift for cooking, Eva!" Kate said, watching the buns. "I want to bite them!"
"Don't even think about it! The bosses will wake up in no time and the table should be ready." Eva said, pulling Kate away from the bread basket. Kate was in her late thirties and had never been married. She lived in the other servants' house, since she had no family. The little house consisted of a bedroom and a kitchen, but she was very happy with it. Some families kept the servants under the great house, in rooms, without any privacy at all.
The four women carried everything to the breakfast table. Mr. and Mrs. Dankworth used to wake up early, around seven in the morning. By eight they were usually at the table and Benjamin followed this routine when he was home. At eight-thirty everyone was at the table, except Jaqueline and Paul.
"The kids aren't used to waking up so early." Mrs. Russell said, as if apologizing for her children. Judith waved her hand to indicate that there was no problem with that.
Louisa came in to bring more juice to the table and Benjamin looked at her. She tried not to make eye contact with him, doing what was expected of her: entering quietly, serving her employers, and leaving unnoticed.
Around ten in the morning, Jaqueline woke up. Kate went to the girl's room so she could bring her fresh water in order for Jaqueline to clean herself.
"Bring me something to eat." Jacqueline ordered, and Kate bowed, holding the already empty water pitcher, and headed for the kitchen. Jaqueline was sitting at the dressing table, finishing putting on her jewelry. A knock on the door was heard.
"Come in!" Jaqueline said and Louisa entered the room, carrying a tray with bread, fruit, milk, tea and juice.
"Good morning, Miss." Louisa greeted and placed the tray on the table. Afterwards, she bowed and was already heading for the door when Jaqueline called out to her, still looking at herself in the mirror.
"I want to have a word with you." Jaqueline announced and turned to Louisa still on the chair, then stood up.
"Yes, Miss. How can I help you?" Louisa asked, head down. She didn't like having to take food to Jaqueline. She didn't like that girl, and it wasn't just because Benjamin preferred her over Louisa, but because Louisa felt that the Russell's daughter was not a good person.
"I just want to clarify one thing: Benjamin is mine. He and I are engaged, just not officially, yet. You are nothing but a little maid, without any possessions and whom he will never look at. If he ever gave you hope, it was because it is normal for gentlemen to amuse themselves with the maids and nothing else."
"Benjamin isn't that kind of pe-" The sound of the slap echoed through the room.
"Don't interrupt me!" Jaqueline raged, but without shouting too much. She didn't want others to hear. "Look at me when I talk to you, maid! You will walk away from him, or I will take care of this matter myself. Did you understand it?"
"Yes, ma'am." Louisa said, holding the side of her slapped face. She really wanted to fight back, but she knew it wasn't the right thing to do. She was a servant and her employers would never take her word for truth, rather than Jaqueline's.
"Excellent. Now get out of my room. Looking at your face makes me sick. I might end up losing my appetite." She turned her back on Louisa, who left the room.
Paul had just changed his clothes and was ready to go find something to eat, when he passed the room in which his sister was installed and heard a thump and a gasp, then Jaqueline's voice. He couldn't understand what his sister was saying, but he knew she was fighting someone. A little later he saw Louisa coming out of the room.
"Louisa?" He called her. Louisa didn't look at him, lest he see the mark on her face. She kept her head down, curtsied and continued walking, but Paul caught her arm. "Wait!"
He turned Louisa to him, but she kept her head down. He put his hand under her chin and made her face him. As her hair was stuck inside the mobcap, there was nothing she could use to cover her face. And there it was: Jaqueline's hand stamped on the girl's face.
Paul knew his sister could be difficult and even though he just wanted to have fun with Louisa, he didn't like to see that she had been assaulted. He placed his hand on Louisa's face and kissed Jaqueline's handprint. Louisa's eyes widened because she hadn't expected that. Benjamin was going up to his room and saw the scene. His blood boiled instantly, and he strode toward them.
"What is happening here?" he asked through gritted teeth, clearly angry. Louisa tried to pull away from her, but Paul grabbed her by the waist and kept her beside him.
"I'm consoling my friend Louisa." Paul said and noticed how red Benjamin's face was. Now he understood why his sister had been so aggressive with Louisa. Benjamin apparently had some sort of interest in the girl. Paul wasn't the type to mess with his friends' interests or fight over them, but he didn't intend to leave Louisa to Benjamin. Especially since this one was practically engaged to his own sister.
"Your friend? And why would Louisa need comforting?" Benjamin asked, looking from one to the other. Louisa kept her head down.
"Yes, my friend. Jaqueline went too far and slapped her. I still don't know why, but Louisa certainly didn't deserve it." Paul said, defending Louisa. Jaqueline was leaving the room and heard what her brother said.
"She was audacious with me." That's what Jaqueline said and placed herself next to Benjamin. "I asked her to help me with the brooch in my hair and she said she wasn't there to help me. I was shocked and tried to calm her down, but she threw my brooch away and I couldn't help it, Ben. I'm so sorry. You now I'm not that kind of girl." She said, in a tearful tone. Benjamin knew that LOUISA wasn't that kind of girl, however, he was blinded with rage when he saw Louisa so intimate with Paul and, moved by jealousy, he ended up taking Jaqueline's side.
"Louisa, go to the kitchen right now. You are nothing more than a mere servant here. And you must respect those above you, like Miss Jaqueline." Louisa looked at him, not believing what she was hearing. She didn't intend to defend herself in front of Benjamin because she thought he knew her well enough not to believe Jaqueline's lie. However, she saw that she was wrong.
"But I didn't do any of that!" Louisa tried to object.
"Shut up!" Benjamin yelled.
"Benjamin, don't talk to her like that!" Paul tried to intervene.
"With all due respect, Paul, but with the servants of this house, in my father's absence, I am the one dealing with!" Benjamin said, looking right at Paul. "Louisa, I'll talk to you later about this. Now, go to the kitchen!" The girl was teary-eyed, however, not from sadness, but from anger and disappointment. She bowed and left.
"See how disrespectful she is?" Jaqueline said, putting her arm through Benjamin's. "Ben, can we go for a walk? I am so sad about it all." Benjamin hated that kind of drama, but he smiled at Jaqueline.
"Sure." And the two were gone, leaving Paul in the hallway, finding the situation absurd.