The Maid Under the Stairs - Chapter 6

< Chapter 6 >

To Daisy whom I miss dearly,

I’m sorry for not sending the promised letter earlier. I’ve been busy moving for the past two weeks and adjusting to the new dorm, so my mind has been all over the place.

I somehow ended up getting assigned to a single room in the corner, and according to the joke from Senior Lorelei who manages the dorm, the occupants of single rooms always end up sneaking men into their rooms and getting caught.

From the sparkle in Senior’s eyes, it seemed like a joke mixed with a sincere warning. I heard her job involves catching female students who break curfew or bring guests into the dorm.

Luckily, I don’t know anyone in London, so I don’t have to worry about breaking curfew, and thanks to Lady Margaret’s indoctrination, there won’t be any gentlemen guests in my room. Should I call this being well-behaved?

Anyway, it might take me some time to adjust to the single room after sharing a room with you for the past year and once being one of twenty orphans in a dorm. Actually, on the first night, it was so quiet around me that it got a bit scary.

Daisy, now that I left the mansion and you’ll also be using the room alone, how are you feeling?

And worrying that I’ll forget you while making friends at university? That’s nonsense. I’m too busy catching up with the first week’s lessons to even have time to make friends.

Oh, but I did greet Mary de Percy from the room next to mine last week. I’ll tell you an interesting story of how I met her along with introducing de Percy.

Mabel reminisced about the day she first met Mary.

It was Monday morning, right after the entrance ceremony, when someone vigorously knocked on Mabel’s dorm room door. Mabel, still in her pajamas, opened the door to find a pretty girl with bright blonde hair, looking flustered and sweating.

‘Toilet… I mean, ladies’ room! Please!’

Her American accent was strong. Before Mabel could even understand what she wanted, her surprised expression was taken as a positive response, as the pajama-clad girl pushed her way into the room. Then, after opening the bathroom door and going in with a thud, a predictable silence followed.

As Mabel was bewildered, wondering if the girl had fallen into the toilet or something, the blonde emerged from the bathroom with a much happier expression.

‘Ah, feels like life.’

With those words, the blonde grabbed Mabel’s hand firmly. Amidst all this, her hand was still damp, indicating she had washed it after using the bathroom.

‘Really, thank you, Lady 11! I thought I was going to die because my roommate Irina Jenkins occupied the bathroom. British girls are supposed to have foam baths every morning, they say. I’m suffering from stomachache, you know. I’m supposed to be a lady who needs a refreshing morning. You know what I mean?’

She winked at Mabel with green eyes.

Mabel, dubbed Lady 11, still groggy from sleep, looked at her in bewilderment.

‘I’m Mary de Percy from Room 10. A freshman at Summerhill. You’re a freshman too, right? Nice to meet you! Oh, but did I wake you up? Well, it’s not a terrible time to wake up since there’s still an hour before class starts, right? Phew, if it weren’t for you, I might have been labeled as a ‘bedwetter’ and headed straight home after starting school.’

Mary, chatting away in a rapid-fire manner with her American accent, paused momentarily at the word ‘bedwetter’ before continuing in a whisper. Nevertheless, she seemed to retain her last shred of dignity as a lady.

…So, she suggested that she could use her bathroom next time in a hurry, and Mary was delighted and brought puffed rice and milk from her room like she was going to run a marathon.

Over breakfast, Mabel learned that Mary had an American mother and a British father, lived back and forth between the US and the UK, British cabbage tasted better than American but was smaller, and she had a brother four years older who called her ‘Cabbage.’

Talking with someone who had lived on the American continent was fascinating, don’t you think, Daisy? Even if I don’t learn anything at university, getting to know such diverse people will surely inspire me to write better.

Mabel paused for a moment, contemplating whether to talk to Daisy about William Edmundstone. She hadn’t told anyone about her time at Herbert’s House yet, and she felt like discussing Edmundstone would be too much of a digression.

‘You won’t be lonely.’

Two weeks ago, he had kindly escorted Mabel to Summerhill College and provided her with an address and number where she could send him updates or letters.

‘I’m just trying to fulfill the role of a sponsor in place of Lord Alfred, who may not be well. Feel free to contact me without any hesitation.’

William, one of the busiest people in London, added with a kind smile. While he always maintained a polite demeanor, Mabel sometimes felt like he could read her thoughts.

‘Though his words were indeed a momentary comfort that I wouldn’t be lonely…’

His gaze urging her to contact him seemed somewhat serious, and his voice, just like when he kindly taught her to dance, was enough to flutter Mabel’s heart.

Mabel shook her head again as if to shake off his voice. As he was a noble gentleman with a good character who didn’t act rashly towards those beneath him, she quickly concluded that his words were meant to alleviate the anxieties of a poor maid.

Having convinced herself through her conversations with William that he didn’t recognize her, Mabel had resolved to suppress her growing feelings for him.

Anyway, Daisy, even as I get to know interesting people here, I won’t forget you. No matter what happens in the world, how could I forget you, my dear sister, who makes the world’s best pumpkin pie with such cuteness and affection?

Daisy, please give my regards to the other people at Lord Alfred’s Mansion. (Lady Margaret probably won’t be too curious!) Well then, I’ll wrap it up here.

Already missing you,

Mabel

* * *

“Seems like the professors enjoy watching us like this.”

Mary, with a vacant look, sat next to Mabel and propped her chin with her hand. She pulled out puffed rice from her pocket and munching on it, leaving crumbs around her shiny blonde hair.

The library where Mabel and Mary were situated was full of students trying to survive the first month of the semester, whether freshmen or seniors.

“Spending such a beautiful autumn day in the library… It hasn’t even been a month since the semester started, but everyone has turned into bookworms. Mabel, why don’t you give up on at least one subject?”

After enduring two weeks of classes, Mary had already given up on Latin and English assignments for this semester. Life was too short to live stressed out. Instead of replying, Mabel just smiled.

“By the way, <The Lieutenant and the Maiden> you wrote, Irina and Julia have already read it. They enjoyed it!”

Mary, who had been boringly watching Mabel buried in her Latin assignment for hours, suddenly spoke with a twinkle in her eye.

Although they had always been inseparable since Mary knocked on Mabel’s room door, it wasn’t long before she discovered the short story <The Lieutenant and the Maiden> written by Mabel. And less than a month after Mabel moved, almost everyone in the dorm had read it.

“According to Julia, even the strict Senior Lorelei blushed while reading your story in the lab.”

Mary boasted proudly. Mabel felt a little proud herself to receive recognition for her writing among well-educated university freshmen, even though her stories had previously been read only by maids in the outskirts of Oxford.

“When I lived in the States, I used to read short stories that appeared in magazines. They were probably contest-winning works. If there are similar opportunities in the UK, your story is sure to win an award… Wait a minute!”

Mary suddenly looked up, scattering puffed rice crumbs on the desk.

“Why didn’t I think of this before? My brother works for a major newspaper magazine. It feels like finally finding a purpose for him after 20 years!”

Mary’s emerald eyes sparkled brighter than before.

“Let’s ask my brother to publish <The Lieutenant and the Maiden> in the magazine!”

“What?”

Mabel exclaimed, forgetting they were in the library.

Senior Lorelei, sitting far away, cleared her throat, giving them a stern look. Mary and Mabel both covered their mouths in shock and then began whispering to each other.

“My brother is good at what he does. He’s probably working with important people at the magazine. So, if they see such popular writing, they’ll surely show interest.”

“But, my writing is so inadequate… I don’t even follow the conventions of a writer…”

Mabel panicked at the thought of magazine people who make a living by reading submissions reading her work.

“Oh, Mabel! As much as I love your modesty as a friend, you can’t succeed if you lack confidence in your abilities. Who cares about writer conventions when people enjoy your writing? Where there are people, there are opportunities! Fake it till you make it! That’s what our mom always said.”

Mary proudly displayed her thoroughly American mindset.

‘Mary’s right. I need to learn to be brave too. Lord Alfred sent me to college to fulfill my dream of becoming a writer.’

As Mabel’s dilemma lingered, Mary drove the point home as if putting a final nail in the coffin of further hesitation.

“To become a writer, you have to show your work to many people. And it’s rare to find someone as qualified as my brother, who works at Montaire, the largest newspaper magazine in the UK.”

Mabel nodded resolutely with a determined expression. Mary, seeing Mabel’s changed attitude, reached out to pat her arm and let out a silent sigh of relief. 

Then, as if she hadn’t been awake all along, she dashed off to Cheshire Hall to send an invitation to her brother to visit Summerhill.