I sat in my dress, it was a plain affair, just fancy enough not to stand out too much next to Lady Silverstein. Her hands were gliding through my hair as she braided a ribbon into it. It was soothing in a way I hadn’t expected. The way she massaged my sore scalp from the hair pulling. The fresh cooling sensation of oil soothing my bottom as I sat now. It smelled of mint and medicine.
“Would you like to wear some of my perfume? I have a vanilla scent I find most relaxing.” She tied the bow at the end of the braid and placed her hands upon my shoulders.
I looked at her through the mirror we were placed in front of and stared at her face. “That lilac and lavender I think. If you would spoil me so.” I reached up and set my hand upon her as our fingers touched with warmth.
“That purple bottle. Just a single spritz. It is very strong.” Her squeezed gently one time before turning around and making herself scarce. I dabbed a single drop on my wrists, dabbing them against my neck and rubbing them gently to wake up the scent. Then I pulled the braid over my shoulder so it ran down my chest as I stood up.
Smoothing my dress I walked out into the hallway. My own flat shoes clicking against the stone floor as we made our way to the front of her home and stepped out into the sunshine of the mid morning. The urge to link my arm with her flared but I knew, we were not family and it was improper to do so otherwise. “Where would you like to go Lady Silverstein?”
“Please, just Giselle today. I have a garden I’d love to go to. There is a fruit vendor that has the freshest melon. Brings them in from the farms every morning this time of year. He keeps them with ice crystals so it's a cool refreshing flavor during a sunny day like this.” I walked a step behind her and to the right. My eyes taking in the older woman. Her face is unmarred by wrinkles or blemishes. Unlike my brace of freckles that plagued me.
“That sounds quite pleasant. I’ve heard there might be a musical show in the park as well. Maybe after a small treat we could go and listen to them.”
“Sounds like a fabulous idea.” As she walked I could see the loneliness of her empty hand. A single ring upon her middle finger with no diamond or gem of any kind. A hand covered in a vine full of roses and their thorns. In her other hand was a parasol, used as a cane, “So, how does working at the castle feel?”
“It is surprisingly difficult. Being a chambermaid isn’t the most glamorous work and I find that unlike what you hear there isn’t much time to bend the ear of the nobles.” Our pace slowed as the clouds blocked out the sun for a moment. The shadows not nearly as dark as they could be.
“I thought that with the many children the king had there would be plenty of time to bend the ear of someone of importance.” Holding a hand out she felt the heat of the day. Instead of waiting much longer she opened her parasol, linked her two hands around it and raised it above her head, shading her from the pounding sunlight from above. Protecting her milk white skin.
“I’m nearly invisible there Giselle. Not spared more than a glance. But should I fail in my work it is noticed in moments.” The memories of cleaning beds, making them neat and fresh. The scrubbing of the chambers that were being prepared for visitors. The rough work that was growing callouses on my hands.
“It is hard to imagine you being invisible to the eye. You’ve been quite a blossom in my eyes.” We soon stood upon the entrance to a fenced in garden. The trails through the beds of bushes full of flowers like a maze. The fragrance of pure and unsullied petals filled the air.
“You flatter me too much Giselle. Whatever would someone think? Should they hear you.” I followed her as she took a turn seemingly at random.
“I find that I don’t much care right now. It is a beautiful day and I desire to enjoy it how I want.” Soon enough we were in a small clearing. The cobblestones surrounded a small fountain with a cherubim in midflight supported as if from the waters cascading from below. There was an elderly man sitting with a cart. It had vapors trailing from it, not of heat but of frosty cold air fading into the heat of the day.
I pressed passed Giselle and curtsied to the man. “May we have two servings of the melon good sir?” I fished out the purse that came with my clothes and brought out a half mark. Exchanging hands I had two paper wrappers around the coldest melon I had ever had. It was a glistening light green.
“This color always reminds me of your and your mother’s eyes.” We made our way to a bench and perched upon it. Backs straight as I watched my companion. She had her parasol tucked away for a moment as we relaxed for a moment.
In quiet contentment I took my first bite. The chill of it on my lips sent shivers down my spine as the juicy, sweet, melting melon dissolved in my mouth. Flooding me with flavor. My jaw hurt from the sudden surge of drool that oozed from beneath her tongue. With a swallow I sighed with relief, “This is truly wonderful. Fights off the heat that is building today doesn’t it.”
Lady Silverstein stayed silent as she ate. Her eyes staring off into the distance. What memories were she perusing? What thoughts plagued the wonderful woman that I had grown to know over our last night together and the day of reading.
I let her stay in silence as I finished my own melon. The heat of the day got to the point I could feel my cheeks flush and I regretted not having them fetch me my own parasol so I would be able to bring the shade with me at all times. I didn’t know if I was uncomfortable with this silence or not. Whether I should break its fragile frame and risk ruining what could be a moment of peace for my friend.
“How long will you remain a chambermaid? What if it leads to nowhere?”
It was a soft question. One I had pondered for a long time and had no answer to. After a few moments of silence I opened and closed my mouth, “I don’t know. Sometimes I don’t even know why I forced my way into this job. Not when I earned it like a whore does.”
Giselle met my eyes in question and she raised a single eyebrow waiting for me to continue. “What do you mean?”
“I shouldn’t say, I wouldn’t for anyone else.” I scooted closer to her and into the shade of her side. In a whisper, “The lady that hires the maids. She visited the Garden one night. I hadn’t known at the time but since I’m the one that satisfies those clients I entertained her. When I applied for the job. She said I could have it if I spent one night a month with her. So, the first day of each of my times off I go to her home. Earning it like a whore I’ve been raised to be.”
We remained silent in the revelation of my shame. I could feel it cloying at my throat, begging me to make it go away by justifying it. By saying something else. But Lady Silverstein knew what I was. She relied on it at times. Her hand met mine for a moment and squeezed.
“Is it worth it? Getting what you want in exchange for such a thing?” Our eyes met and my own softened as I didn’t see judgement in her gaze.
“Sometimes. Sometimes the flowers I visit have thorns though. That leave hurt in exchange for my tending. Sometimes those same flowers don’t.” I looked out at the garden and basked in the scents of it. “I should be used to trading things for what I do by now. I was raised to do it as second nature. But the more time I spend away from the brothel. The more I realize that there is more out there.”
Something steeled in Lady Silverstein's spine as she looked out at the garden with her. “Well, there are things we must do for the things we want. Nothing is free in this world. Not since the time of heroes when men had hearts of gold and women had the power to reach the heavens.”
“If that all isn’t a myth. I guess if we have magic now there has to be somewhere out there it came from.” I stood and held out a hand to help Giselle up. “Come, we don’t want to miss that string concert. The sound of a violin will be something rather soothing to the soul.”
She took my hand for a moment as she stood. Our hands squeezing gently before her parasol opened up to the sky and we left the garden.
The park wasn’t too far, it was easy to hear the instruments warming up in the park as we found the seating nearly full. Thankfully there were two seats in the back corner that we took for ourselves. So many ladies and their husbands sat here. A much higher class than I had been to formally. A sadness in my heart as I wished to hold onto Giselle’s hand. She had been so warm to me today and I didn’t want to let it go. This could be our last moments together for all I knew. Soon she would be bored of me and send me back to the Garden to be prepared once more.
The strings brought stirrings to my heart. I could feel it swell with the crescendo. The torture of the artist who had composed the piece evident in its striding tones and deep baritone desire to reach the soul. I could almost feel the tears in the corner of my eyes as the viola started its solo. A rare thing for the instrument to have. The player was masterful.
It was over too soon. Our time together came to an end as I stood in the entrance to the Silverstein manor. Sighing we locked eyes once more and I curtsied. “Thank you for today Lady Silverstein.”
There was that steel in her eyes that had started at the public garden. She gripped her ring on her finger and pulled it free. Placing it in my hands she stepped forward and kissed my cheek gently. “I fear this is goodbye, Ellen.”
“You’ll be moved before you call on me again then?” She nodded silently. Grasping her face in my hands I stroked her cheeks. “Then I hope you keep the mementos you have and think of me fondly.”
Her hand held mine against her face and kissed my wrist. “I will.”
“Goodbye, Giselle.” I pulled away, holding the ring in my hand as I turned and walked from her home. The ring fit upon my finger as I slid it on and looked at it in the waning light of the sun. I had gotten to pretend once more that I hadn’t worked in the Garden and had instead just been close to another without it needing to be paid for.”
I even use others just to be in their beds instead of my own. I tried not to hate myself and accept that I was just a lustful woman. A creature destined to desire the flesh of others and willing to give anything in order to sate it.
Would my petals wilt if I left the life I was in? I didn’t know whether I hoped to know the answer or not. I wiped the tears from my eyes as I set aside the part of my heart that Lady Giselle Silverstein had taken aside. The illusion of having spent a night with someone just because I wanted to was shattered when my Mother handed me my pay for the night. She didn’t voice her displeasure that I spent a day with her without charging.