"Oh, Cook prepared some lovely eggs and toast and a cup of hot chocolate just as you prefer it." Hannah removed the covers as she spoke and turned to pull back the drapes from the windows. "It certainly don't seem like spring, do it?"
"I don't know if we'll ever see spring again," Ammie replied as she sorted through the mail placed neatly at the side of her tray. One seal caught her attention and she set it aside along with the note from her son. The others she sorted quickly and turned back to her breakfast. She finished the hot chocolate and ate a few bites of toast and eggs and blotted her lips. "I think that is all for now. I will ring if I need anything else." She smiled at her two faithful servants as Hannah turned from the fireplace as she finished cleaning the grate.
"Your Ladyship, do not you want us to start the fire?"
"No, Hannah. The fireplace is smoking so badly. Have you spoken to chimney sweep in the village about cleaning all the chimneys?"
"Yes, mum, but it'll be another day or so before he can come. Seems the weather is not the best for chimney cleaning. He's afeared of falling offen the roof."
"We'll have to make do until then, I suppose and hope that tomorrow brings better weather." Betty gathered the tray and the napkin and carried the sorted mail to Amelia's lady desk on the side table. The two maids left the room and Roseanne left her bed to seek her morning abolutions. She reviewed her face in the mirror as she toweled herself dry. Two lips, indifferent red, two eyes, brown, such a drab color. Hair cut short and softly curling brown shot heavily with silver. Dark winged brows and thick curly eyelashes. A heart shaped face and small hands that still had not been twisted by arthritis. Short and what her husband had always called squeezingly plump, bless his heart. For thirty-five years he had waked her with a kiss and told her he loved her every morning. Gradually, she had come to return the ritual that made their marriage solid and caring. Now that marriage was dust as was he and she was quickly turning that way -- unwanted, not needed, shunted aside. She sighed that thought aside and changed into a simple round gown and slippers, and combed her hair and pinned it up neatly under a white lace ruffled cap.
After delaying as long as she felt comfortable, she pulled out the side chair and picked up the two notes from her secretary. She sank down as her son's writing poured off the page, seemingly communicating more to her than she ever heard from him when she resided in town. He was having great success in the House of Lords with some of his political connections. Katherine was now great friends with Ammie's cousin Alice. Cousin Eleanor had visited from Italy and asked after her Rosy. She had brought her daughter Estaria to the London Music Conservatory. Estaria apparently was very gifted on the violin and was to take lessons there. Viscount ________, was crawling now and she would hardly recognize her grandson when she saw him next.
"I don't know if we'll ever see spring again," Ammie replied as she sorted through the mail placed neatly at the side of her tray. One seal caught her attention and she set it aside along with the note from her son. The others she sorted quickly and turned back to her breakfast. She finished the hot chocolate and ate a few bites of toast and eggs and blotted her lips. "I think that is all for now. I will ring if I need anything else." She smiled at her two faithful servants as Hannah turned from the fireplace as she finished cleaning the grate.
"Your Ladyship, do not you want us to start the fire?"
"No, Hannah. The fireplace is smoking so badly. Have you spoken to chimney sweep in the village about cleaning all the chimneys?"
"Yes, mum, but it'll be another day or so before he can come. Seems the weather is not the best for chimney cleaning. He's afeared of falling offen the roof."
"We'll have to make do until then, I suppose and hope that tomorrow brings better weather." Betty gathered the tray and the napkin and carried the sorted mail to Amelia's lady desk on the side table. The two maids left the room and Roseanne left her bed to seek her morning abolutions. She reviewed her face in the mirror as she toweled herself dry. Two lips, indifferent red, two eyes, brown, such a drab color. Hair cut short and softly curling brown shot heavily with silver. Dark winged brows and thick curly eyelashes. A heart shaped face and small hands that still had not been twisted by arthritis. Short and what her husband had always called squeezingly plump, bless his heart. For thirty-five years he had waked her with a kiss and told her he loved her every morning. Gradually, she had come to return the ritual that made their marriage solid and caring. Now that marriage was dust as was he and she was quickly turning that way -- unwanted, not needed, shunted aside. She sighed that thought aside and changed into a simple round gown and slippers, and combed her hair and pinned it up neatly under a white lace ruffled cap.
After delaying as long as she felt comfortable, she pulled out the side chair and picked up the two notes from her secretary. She sank down as her son's writing poured off the page, seemingly communicating more to her than she ever heard from him when she resided in town. He was having great success in the House of Lords with some of his political connections. Katherine was now great friends with Ammie's cousin Alice. Cousin Eleanor had visited from Italy and asked after her Rosy. She had brought her daughter Estaria to the London Music Conservatory. Estaria apparently was very gifted on the violin and was to take lessons there. Viscount ________, was crawling now and she would hardly recognize her grandson when she saw him next.
