“Nay, I donnae have any questions for ye. I can see myself back to the Great Hall for dinner.”
“I think it better for a maid to come fetch ye. We would nae want ye getting lost on yer first night here, would we? If that is all, I will be off. Feel free to take a look around and make yerself comfortable while ye wait for yer maid to come dress ye.”
Charlotte didn’t get the chance to respond before the woman had waltzed out of the room, shutting the door swiftly behind her.
She found that she didn’t mind the maid’s abrupt departure. Charlotte wanted more time to explore the space she had been given. If the rest of the chambers were anything like her bedroom, then she wouldn’t know how to feel.
Starting to the left, Charlotte entered a room like no other she had ever seen. The whole space was made simply around taking a bath. A copper tub big enough for two men sat in the middle of the room, nestled next to a second fireplace. There was a shelf stocked with fluffy towels and bottles of oils and perfumes. Several bars of soap were piled there too, giving the entire room a light, floral scent. The back wall boasted of another set of windows that looked out onto the same meadow she saw from her room. She could already imagine how heavenly it would feel to sit in the tub, soaked in warm water and rose petals, the room heated by a blazing fire. She doubted she would ever want to leave the place.
With a parting glance, she left the tub room and went back to where her bed was, passing through it to get to the sitting room. It, like her chambers, was decorated with the most dainty, delicate color pink she had ever seen.
The sofas were a cream with pink, embroidered pillows at each end. There were several bookcases that held trinkets and all the supplies she would ever need if she ever got the desire to paint or sew or draw. There was a piano forte in one corner, along with several stacks of papers. She fingered through them, the black dots on the page signaling a song she couldn’t yet hear. The colorful rugs that covered the floors cushioned her steps and gave the space warmth, even without the fireplace being lit.
She knew that in the days and weeks to come, she would be able to happily spend hours here. She would read and draw and perhaps teach herself a new skill or two. If she managed to make any friends, she would host them here, in her own private space. It would make for a very comfortable place to host, indeed.
Candle light bounced off the walls, making everything seem so much more cozy than it probably was. She knew that, but she had to let herself hope that things might be different here.
Moving back to her room, Charlotte walked to the windows. The sun had since set, leaving no light to showcase the view outside. Now, it was the stars’ turn to show off. There were countless glimmering lights illuminating the night sky, shining right alongside the full moon. It was beautiful, achingly so.
Charlotte would give anything to be out there, free to roam and wander as she pleased. But she knew it would never be so. And not for the first time, she began to wonder if this was all her life would ever be—locked in a cage, albeit a beautiful one, doomed to follow orders for the rest of her days.
