But Letitia was not done.
“Did I ask you to leave yet?”
“I have other tasks to attend to,” Rachel replied.
“Have you forgotten that the curtains need to be opened?” she said, condescendingly.
Can you not do it yourself?That is what Rachel wished to say. But instead, with gritted teeth, Rachel stomped over to the windows and yanked the curtains open with more force than needed.
The light entered the room.
“Ow,” Letitia snapped, shielding her face. “Are you insane? Do you want to blind me?”
“Oh, I cannot be so lucky,” she muttered under her breath.
“Save me the snark,” Letitia warned. “And do as you are told.”
Like a slave or a maid. That was how she was treated in this household.
“Pour my tea for me,” Letitia ordered, “but pour it carefully. I won’t have you slopping it all over my table.”
Rachel wanted to splash it over her sister’s dress, but restrained herself. She was about to leave again when she was stopped by Christopher at the door.
“Father!” Letitia exclaimed, her voice suddenly sweet and bright. “I am so happy to see you here, for I was growing quite tired of looking at Rachel here. She is so clumsy, I tell you.”
Christopher regarded Rachel with a dismissive nod and then turned to his favorite daughter.
“I heard that you were feeling unwell, darling.” His voice was soft. That sort of gentleness was never directed at Rachel.
It made Rachel nearly gag.
“Oh, I am not well, Father,” Letitia said most dramatically. “I only have Rachel here to assist me, and you know how frustrating and limited she can be.”
Christopher’s gaze flicked toward Rachel.
“Why can’t you look after your sister?” he chided. “You need to act better and pull your weight around this house.”
Rachel wanted to argue with him, saying that it felt like she was the only one who was pulling her weight, but she decided against it.
Whenever Christopher and Letitia were together, it was a different nightmare.
“I am doing what I can.”
Christopher snorted. “I really have my doubts. You dawdle and make excuses, just like your mother always did. Always trying to avoid doing real work.”
Rachel bit back the urge to scream. She hated it whenever he brought up her mother as a way to taunt her.
“I am not avoiding anything.”
“Watch your tone, you ungrateful brat,” Christopher sneered. “You’re fortunate to even be here, under my roof, enjoying the benefits of my name. Do not take that for granted.”
“It would be rather difficult for me to take it for granted.” Rachel could not help herself. It was absurd how little they gave her, and they still expected her to worship the ground that they walked on.
“What was that?”
Rachel thought to say something even worse, but then she thought about Marina. If she rebelled, then they would take it out on her.
Begrudgingly, she bit back down her argument.
