JOAN’S POV
The next morning, I woke up feeling sleepy and disoriented. The events of the previous night weren’t clear to me but I faintly remembered someone sitting next to me. It looked like Sir Derrick. For a brief moment, I opened my eyes and saw someone who looked like him leaving but I dismissed it as part of a dream. There was no way sir Derrick would be in my room, right? I mean, what would he be doing there?
I shook my head, clearing the sleep from my eyes. I remembered the nightmare I had about Jake. I remembered everything vividly – his angry face, his harsh words, and the feel of his hand striking me. The memories were all too vivid to the point that it scared me. My heart raced as the memories came into my mind. I took deep breaths, trying to calm myself. I couldn’t afford to have a panic attack now. I needed to get up and face the day.
I got dressed in my uniform quickly and headed to the kitchen. I had to make amends for my absence yesterday. Ms. Sullivan and the others had to pick up my slack when I had my attack and I felt terrible about it. As I entered the kitchen, I prepared myself for whatever was to come. I just hoped Ms Sullivan wouldn’t be too mad at me.
“Good morning,” I said.
Ms Sullivan and Emily turned to me with a smile. From the corner of the room, Sarah rolled her eyes.
“You’re back” Emily said “I’m so glad you’re okay”
“I want to apologize for the inconvenience I caused yesterday. I’m really sorry.” I said.
Ms. Sullivan, who was chopping vegetables gave me a warm smile. “Don’t worry about it, Joan. How are you feeling now?”
Emily, who was stirring a pot on the stove, nodded “Yeah, Joan, you had us worried. Are you okay?”
“I’m feeling better, thank you,” I replied.
“Are you strong enough to work?” Ms Sullivan asked me “It’s fine if you aren’t. You still need rest”
I gave her a tight-lipped smile “It’s fine. Thank you. I can work today”
Just as I was about to start helping out, Sarah spoke up.
“Well, it’s about time you start working. We can’t always cover for you, you know.”
Before I could respond, Lady Irene walked into the kitchen. Immediately, her presence commanded attention.
She glared at Sarah “Sarah, come to my room. Now.”
Sarah’s face paled, and she shot me a glare before following Irene out of the kitchen. As they left, Emily leaned in closer to me.
“You know,” she whispered, “Lady Irene is usually nice to everyone, but she’s really harsh with Sarah. I wonder why.”
I shrugged, trying to push away the unease Sarah’s words had caused me “Maybe Sarah did something to upset her. Who knows?”
Ms. Sullivan patted my shoulder . “Don’t let Sarah to you, Joan. Focus on your work and take care of yourself. That’s what’s important.”
I smiled at them. I was so grateful for their kindness and support “Thank you so much. I really appreciate it”
*
I wiped my brow as I worked. I was a bit relieved that the day was nearly over. We had finished cooking lunch and were getting started with dinner.
Ms. Sullivan came in and clapped her hands, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Ladies, I have some news. Sir. Henry is here, and we’ll need to prepare another lunch for him. He doesn’t eat anything with fish, and our earlier lunch had fish as the base.”
A collective groan rose from Emily and Sarah.
“Who’s Sir Henry?” I asked Emily.
“Sir Derrick’s brother”
I didn’t know he had a brother.
We quickly set to work. I focused on chopping tomatoes and helping out. It didn’t take long for us to make lunch for him. When the meal was ready, Ms. Sullivan approached me.
“Joan, I’d like you to come with me to serve Mr. Henry.”
I nodded, a bit surprised that she wanted me to come with her. We prepared the trays with care, making sure everything was perfect before heading out.
When we entered the dining room, I was struck by how different Sir Henry was from his brother. They had similar features but Sir Henry had blonde hair and green eyes. He was undeniably handsome, with an easy smile. He smiled at us as we walked him. I had never seen Sir Derrick smile before. It was then that I realized.
“Ah, the food has arrived! Thank you, ladies,” Sir Henry said “It looks delicious.”
After greeting both of them, Ms. Sullivan and I set the trays down, and I couldn’t help but notice how Henry’s personality was different from Sir Derrick’s.
Derrick, who sat at the head of the table, appeared annoyed. He had a right grip on the fork he held.
I don’t know why but I felt bad for him. I wished I knew what was bothering him and why he was so uptight all the time. I tried to push away my worry, focusing instead on my task.
“This is excellent,” Henry said, taking a bite of the roasted chicken. “You ladies outdo yourselves every time.”
Sir Henry tried to make conversation but Derrick kept quiet the whole time. I kept glancing at sir Derrick, wondering what the matter was. Sure, he doesn’t smile or talk much but today, something was very different about him. As they continued eating, I stood by, waiting to clear the plates when they were done.
“You know,” Sir Henry said, looking directly at me, “You’re very beautiful. What’s your name?”
“Joan, sir”
Sir Derrick’s grip on his spoon tightened. I swallowed hard.
“Joan” he smiled “It’s a pleasure having you serve us.”
“Thank you, sir Henry. I’m glad you enjoyed the meal.”
“You must tell me, Joan, what do you do in your free time? Surely someone as lovely as you has many admirers.”
I was at a loss for words, unsure of how to respond. I didn’t want to encourage him, but I also didn’t want to be rude. We had just met yet here he was teasing me.
“I… I enjoy reading and sewing” I whispered.
I walked forward to grab his plates. Sir Henry reached out and touched my hand.
“Reading, hmm?” Sir Henry spoke “Maybe you could recommend a good book for me sometime.”
Just as I was about to pull away, a woman’s voice sounded through the room.
“Henry. Leave her alone”