Chapter Text
“Does she really have to stay with us? “
Charlotte looked at her new housemaid. At least what she thought would be her new housemaid. Lydia was a tall girl with wavy long hair; she had an hourglass figure that made her look like a goddess compared to pale and thin Charlotte.
“Her father works in our factory, he gotten very ill and since she already lost her mother and we can´t afford to lose any more workers we decided to let her work in our mansion as your caretaker. “
Charlotte blinked. No nanny, ever! Ever since childhood she had many tutors but none of them stayed for too long, unless they were ok doing homework’s for her. She just turned seventeen years old and wanted to find herself a good match at an upcoming ball. This lady will for sure steal all the good-looking man for herself.
“Nice to meet you miss Percy. My name is Lydia Smith, it´s a pleasure to meet you. Your mother had told me a lot about you, I´m sure we can be good friends.” Lydia smiled as she stepped from the carriage.
The doors were green and contrasted with her grey walking dress. She wasn´t much older than her, just about a year or two. Lydia turned around and waved at the coachman as a “thank you” for the ride.
Charlotte was already having enough of miss proper as she deemed her. Although she at least wore more expensive clothes, her favourite outfit during the day was day dress with poofy sleeves – very fashionable for the era. Lydia on the other hand looked less polish compared to Charlotte.
“Nice to meet you, miss Smith.” Charlotte looked at the peasant girl. So, she though.
Walking dress inside a carriage was quite a shock. It looked as though she was pick by a side of the road.
“Maybe she could be a prostitute.” Thought Charlotte to herself.
She was pretty enough for that kind of job. Charlotte wasn´t exactly rich either compared to Victorian standards she was the equivalent of upper middle class but her parents spoiled her rotten making her think she´s an old money lady. Because of that she didn´t realize Lydia was just slightly less fortunate than her.
The house was baby pink with white windows and a small staircase leading into the house and small terrasse. Lydia stepped in and looked around. Charlotte´s mother seemed very fond of Alphonse Mucha´s paintings. The living room was small as well. There was a coffee table with 2 sofas and a fireplace. Right on the left was a staircase leading upstairs.
Charlotte´s room was upstairs. Baby pink walls. Many bookcases. She had a large bed with curtains and large carpet underneath. Above the bed a painting of Marie Antoinette. Possibly Charlotte´s icon. “Let them eat cake.” Chandelier was huge. Mirror was in gold frame. Her walls were pink. Lydia kept looking around the room. Charlotte truly lived like a princess.
“What are you doing in my room! You are a maid.”
Lydia stood firmly at Charlotte´s comment. She wasn´t thrown away at all, pretty much expecting spoiled behaviour from her since the first moment she saw her.
“I am no maid. I came here to help you. I would like if you treated me with respect.” Lydia left the room.
Not out of offence but to talk to Charlotte´s parents to thank them for letting her stay with them. After all she never though the Percy´s would be this kind to a worker and his family. They might be factory workers, but don´t look like bad people. Lydia stepped downstairs and smiled at Charlotte´s mother. She looked like a nice lady. Dressed in a blue daydress and a white shall, she was rather petite and about the same height as her daughter.
“Lydia, we have prepared the quest room for you.”
“Thank you, Mrs Percy.” Lydia curtsied.
The room was almost as big as Charlotte´s but in green. Possibly led paint. Beautiful wooden bed and a red carped with roses on the floor. There was also a white sofa next to the window and a small bathroom next door. Unlike Charlotte she also had more closets.
“Thank you very much for letting me stay with you.” Lydia politely smiled at Charlotte´s parents.
“Of course, miss. Rest well today.”
Not many people lived in the neighbourhood. Only the Percy´s and Dove´s. Mr Dove had two sons and daughter. Elizabeth was the eldest. She was around 25 and about to get married. Then there was Cornelius and Frederik. Frederik was around 10 and Cornelious 20 making him slightly older than both Lydia and Charlotte. Lydia picked a copy of Les Miserables from the library and decided to read on the terrasse. Watching Frederik play in the garden with other young boys.
Cornelious usually travelled around the town to meet town folks to make them revolt against the monarchy or if he wasn´t interested in politics at the moment he was most likely enjoying free time in the forest of having a picking by the lake. For a guy he was very fond of nature and loved painting. He was also very close with Charlotte, they agreed on almost everything except politics. Not that Charlotte would care about the royal family, she just wanted to be part of it.
Lydia looked around. Both Cornelius and Elizabeth were also outside. She put the book on the table as she walked toward them. It would have been rude not to introduce herself to her new neighbours.
“It´s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Lydia Smith, I have just moved here with the Percy family I will be staying with them for few months, until my father gets better.” She was good at oversharing.
“I am very sorry that your father had gotten ill, I will be praying for him. The factory is quite dangerous from what I have heard. I am sure, he will be better soon. Do you live far?” Elizabeth condoned Lydia.
“Actually, my family lives in the city centre.”
“You must be very lucky living in the centre of London.”
Lydia smiled before noticing Charlotte upstairs.
“If you excuse me, my friend is waiting for me.”
“Of course, miss.”
Lydia smiled and waved back as she rushed to Charlotte.
“She seems like a nice lady. She´s around Charlotte´s age I hope they get along well…”
Elizabeth seemed happy with new member joining in. Lydia seemed like a polite and kind lady and immidetely grew to like her. Her brother was far more sceptical of the situation, after all he knew Charlotte the best out of all the siblings since they were closer in age.
…
Lydia sipped tea watching the birds outside. It was already the next morning. Charlotte was still in bed, sleeping in per usual. She was often sick as well as lazy. Lydia enjoyed the calm morning to herself. The air wasn´t humid yet so she kept the windows open. Charlotte´s father was at work and Charlotte´s mother was at a friend´s house. Leaving both girls alone.
“Maybe I should go and wake her up.”
Lydia picked up tea, sausages, eggs and bread and made her way towards Charlotte´s room. The family didn´t have many servants and the one maid they had was explicitly told not to bother “her majesty”. As a good caretaker Lydia decided she should help around and force Charlotte to do some work as well. She´s surly not so ill not to work at all.
“Charlotte. Are you alright? I have brought you some breakfast.”
Charlotte looked around. What in the hell did just happen? How dare she. But the thought of breakfast made her quite excited. Breakfast in bed, brough by a servant girl. Why not?
“Sure, come in.” Charlotte said in a cold tone.
Lydia walked in and places the plate on the bedside table. She than looked around. Charlotte´s gown was laying on the sofa. It was almost 10 am.
“I will help you get dressed and then we will start your lessons. After lunch we will go outside. I would like for you to get some air. You are pale as a vampire, no wonder you are often ill.”
Charlotte raised her eyebrows.
“I am seventeen, I do not need a nanny.”
“I am not a nanny, think of me as your older sister.”
Charlotte started eating breakfast. It wasn´t poisoned. Thankfully.
“Now that you have finished eating, I help you get dressed.”
Charlotte blinked. She felt uncomfortable but at the same time she wanted to be treated like a queen. She slowly gotten out of the bed and stood there like a statue. Quite nervous about what might happen.
Lydia stepped around and helped her get into corset.
“Auch that hurts!”
“It does not. I barely tied it; no wonder you have scoliosis.”
Day one and Charlotte was already getting roasted. Although Lydia seemed like a well-mannered lady, she wasn´t a doormat. Charlotte usually stayed around shy girls or too proper kind of ladies to steal the spotlight at parties. Due to her illness her parents allowed her to join society way too early. The girl wasn´t exactly proper and often showed off her skills, no matter how good they were. She couldn´t play piano and her singing voice sounded like soft cat meowing. Not too bad but not nice either.
“We will start with your piano lesson and then move to math.”
“Math, you have to be kidding me. Maybe if she gets frustrated, she´ll leave.” Charlotte though to herself.
They headed downstairs to the study. Lydia moved like a fairy in her red day dress stepping quite lightly next to Charlotte. She was very energetic and didn´t care about proper manners as much as she should.
“My dear, you´re running like a small child, you must walk properly. Seriously, I had hoped the corset would make you look less childish and more your age.”
Charlotte was irritated. Of course, she wanted to look like a lady but at the same time she wasn´t going to give in to Lydia´s wishes. The point was that if she behaved properly, she would have scored herself a match as the next ball but if she behaved like a child, she would have annoyed Lydia. It was just a matter of what was more joyful to her. Having a husband or annoyed Lydia. If there was a way to have both…Charlotte daydreamed about dancing with a handsome guy wearing a stunning pink gown with a ribbon brogue that was given to debutante in Percy´s family for generations.
“You are so stupid. How can you not count quickly?! You are almost eighteen and you´re as quick as nine-year-old. Did not you have tutors? You also can not play piano correctly. You´re hitting the keys as you please.” Lydia criticised Charlotte´s skills.
“Maybe you are simply not a good teacher.”
“You are SEVENTEEN FOR GODNESS SAKE.
”
Charlotte didn´t mind Lydia yelling at her. She was so good-looking that her brain though more about a hot looking person yelling at her rather than why she was yelling at her in the first place. Lydia rubbed her forehead.
“Is there ANYTHING, you can actually do?”
Charlotte smiled. “I can write and dance. I like to write poetry in the spare time.”
“Well, at least something. Why don´t we spend time outside.”
“I am, very sorry but I have a ball to prepare for. I have promised my mother to look through to fabrics and patterns to pick what my next evening gown will look like; it will be my fifth one.”
“I own six evening gowns.” Lydia remarked watching Charlotte´s face turn red in anger as she left back to her room.
“Would you like to join me for tea, Charlotte?”
Lydia had hoped to make Charlotte into her friend. After all they she wasn´t much older than her and Charlotte seemed more “princess” like rather than harmful. Sure, she was spoiled but she wasn´t rude, rather than that she was simply trying to stood her place in the house. After all she was still a stranger living with the family. Not a maid but also not a family member.
“What does she think she is. Showing off next to me. She was supposed to be working for me, now I am looking like a laughing manner.” Charlotte looked outside watching Cornelius preparing for a picnic.
Lydia decided to have tea in the library hoping that Charlotte would eventually join her. Charlotte quickly grabbed her parasol and went outside to join her friend. It was sunny that day with a bit of wind. Perfect day for a small getaway. Charlotte´s parents weren´t home so she could do as she pleased. The maids were busy working and Lydia reading.
“Good afternoon, miss Charlotte.” Cornelious bowed down
.
“Forget about the formalities. She isn´t watching.”
Charlotte turned around to make sure Lydia was in fact still in the house. The maids were never an issue since they weren´t interested in stuff going around the house, especially not the daughter. She was more like a bother than a sweet baby running around. They usually tossed her aside since early childhood.
“You really do not like the new girl.”
“She is way too proper for my liking and also prettier than me.” Charlotte complained. “My parents took her in after and accident occurred at the factory that had injured her father. So, I had promised my mom I will be nice to her, but she´s making me miserable with all her talking. I hate the way my parents treat the workers. I was planning on confessing everything and running away.”
“I will do my best to help you.” Cornelius nodded. He didn´t have much to say and not agreeing with Charlotte would not always end up well.
“Charlotte, what are you doing outside with a man?!” Lydia yelled from the window witnessing a scandalous scene. What if somebody notices the unaccompanied lady talking with a guy. She rushed outside to join them, to make sure nothing serious was going on.
“It´s time for lunch, why are you running around the house like you are avoiding something.”
“Yes, I´m avoiding you.” Charlotte replied sarcastically to Lydia´s comment.
“Well at least you are honest.”
“Ladies, please do not fight.” Cornelious grabbed Charlotte´s parasol but didn´t stop her from hitting Lydia´s head with it. She only hit her lightly to assure her dominance and have some fun as well. Charlotte never took anything too seriously. She never took anything seriously in the first place. Her parents always let her get away with everything.
“What a lady.” Mumbled Elizabeth to herself watching the two girls outside. Both of them seemed like kids to her.
“Do not worry, miss Lydia. I will accompany them.” Elizabeth stepped in as she brought the two-person penny farthing. It wasn´t possible for Charlotte to walk all the way, so she offered to ride with her to be her chaperone and also make sure she doesn´t get injured.
Lydia looked at Elizabeth. It was her job to protect Charlotte but at the same time stepping in would have been a reckless decision. She wasn´t a nanny just a housemate and trying to share friends with Charlotte from day 1 wouldn´t be a good look.
“Alright, have fun.” Lydia waved goodbye to the group and went back to the house. She had hoped to go back to reading till she saw Charlotte´s mother angrily looking at her. Did she do something wrong? Was Cornelius in fact Charlotte´s lover?
“Yes, Mrs Percy.” Lydia curtsied before her guardian.
“No need for the formalities, miss Lydia. Think of me as your aunt.”
Lydia smiled and nodded.
“Where is Charlotte?” Mother asked in a serious tone.
Lydia turned around. She felt nervous. Was Charlotte not allowed to go on the picnic? She looked into the mother´s eyes. They were blue – cold as ice one would say. She had short brown hair tied up, dressed in a blue dress matching her eyes. She was also fat, contrasting with both Lydia and Charlotte.
“Charlotte, went on a picnic with the Dove´s. She will be home soon. I though it would be good for her to spend time in the sun, she is very pale.”
“What on earth would make you think that a guy wearing a ballgown would be a good friend for my daughter.”
“He wasn´t wearing one when I´ve met him.” Lydia replied to the mother, hoping it´ll ease the situation.
It did not.
“A young maiden should make sure she hangs around the right people. I do not want my daughter around any weirdos that would influence you the wrong way. My dear, you are and always will be the only person around my daughter I support of. I am pretty sure your father had told you about our family since you were little.”
Lydia nodded. She didn´t want to anger Charlotte´s mother. It somehow felt wrong, but she understood that a mother must be protective of her daughter especially if the daughter is a naïve fool like Charlotte.
“In that case I will make sure that Charlotte is safe.” Lydia smiled, as she took a book to read and rushed to the terrasse to wait for her friend to arrive.
While Lydia was busy reading. Per usual. Elizabeth, Cornelius and Charlotte were enjoying themselves. Cornelius was splashing Charlotte as she was sitting in the water watching fishes and trying to cool off from the summer heat. To Elizabeth they both felt like children but she enjoyed seeing her brother so happy she didn´t say anything.
“That´s enough. If I don´t dry off, my mother will be very angry.” Laughed Charlotte as she was fully soaked.
She gotten up, and sat on the picnic blanket, picking strawberries from the basket. They were her most favourite fruit so she had to make sure she wouldn´t left any for Lydia. They didn´t bring much only macaroons, biscuits and said strawberries.
“Charlotte, how do you feel about the ball that will be happing soon? I would like to introduce you to my fiancé.”
“To be fair, I am bit nervous about it. Now that Lydia will be joining. My mother is very keen on her. I just hope I´ll be able to score a good match and marry as soon as possible I really need to leave.”
Elizabeth smiled with a sad look in her eyes.
“I understand. Your father’s business is not safe for the workers and he had used many people in the past. He tried to change things up yet your mother sees it as a wase of money. From what I have heard she forced your father to work the only 3 workers who didn´t get injured from led paint to work extreme hours till one of them gotten terribly injured.”
“It´s true. The man is laying in hospital. My parents refused to pay him off in full, covering only a small cost, but for good graces took his daughter in, to stay with us till he gets better.”
“Wait, Lydia is…”
“She is just getting used without knowing.” Charlotte sadly nodded.
Cornelius held Charlotte´s face and he smiled. “In that case we can add her to your rescue mission, so both of you can escape your family.”
“Where have you been?!” Lydia was sitting outside, book already finished as the sun was setting down.
“At the picnic.” Charlotte smiled, watching Lydia petting her dog Daisy while working on a painting of the garden.
“I know that, but why so long. What exactly are you looking at with a smile like that?” Lydia noticed Charlotte´s fishy face expression.
Charlotte walked into the doors and look at Lydia with an even bigger smile. “Two bitches.” She replied before running into her room.