Shadows and dust - Purpose of time: Volume 1

Chapter 4

"No, no, my dear, we're having a special guest tonight. The resplendent silver ancestry set shall adorn my table. It'll be so grand. So grand," shot Lordy.

The squealed excitement of his words caused Gwen to shudder. He was rarely this stimulated these days. She squeezed further into the depths of the coarse cupboard to return the rustier steel cutlery back to its proper place in the kitchen.

"Yes, yes, we will have to get you a new habiliment as well. Aunt Gretcha has a whole closet of fabulous frocks. She was a most tremendous lady. A tremendous lady and I'm certain there will be something of hers that will be suitable for you to wear on this special occasion."

He grabbed Gwen by the wrist and pulled her into the midday sun, which was searing through the narrow slits in the shutters.

His scented potion immediately attacked her senses and she held her breath as he cast his eyes over her.

"There used to be great ladies you know, Gwendoline. Great ladies. Even more august than Aunt Gretcha, although before the light went out of her eyes she was a sight to behold, no doubt. Aunty used to tell me that women were mighty wielders of majic and commanded whole armies. Whole armies, can you imagine, Gwendoline?" Lordy asked as his podgy fingers twisted her wrist, prompting her to rotate.

She took the opportunity to steal a some fresh air while turning her back on him.

Gwen had heard all about Aunt pissing Gretcha thousands of times. Lordy eulogised about her so often Gwen was very familiar with descriptions of the dead woman's shoes with extra heels and dresses with starched collars. She had kept the estate looking just splendid and -

"Aunt Gretcha kept the estate just splendid, Gwendoline. Splendid it was when I arrived here, I was only as old as you were when you first established lodgings here, but I can still remember it as vivid as you are in front of my very eyes right now," he said.

Gwen's memories were vivid as well. Too vivid.

"There was more than just one aide then. We had a whole workers' colony here. Here - can you imagine, Gwendoline? We had animals too, not just one dog. When I settled on this land we had one mating stallion and several mares. People used to journey all the way from the Double 0 to stud that thoroughbred. Aunt Gretcha used to host some very important gentlemen. Very important gentlemen, Gwendoline," he clasped his hands on her shoulders. "Tonight we do likewise."

Gwen wished her dreams had been less hostile last night. She was not looking forward to this evening at all and the day was not going well so far. Lordy's fingers left moist patches on her skin, but despite the lingering contact she didn't flinch.

Voice steady, she said: "Where is the silver, then? All the times I've prepared, cooked and washed, I've never seen no silver in here. Will you tell me where it is so I take it to the dining hall?"

"You've never seen any silver, you mean Gwendoline. We must be careful with our words my dear. How we talk is what separates us from the animals," Lordy explained.

Gwen fancied her actions were more important than her poorly used words. She remained silent.

"Hmmm? Yes. Yes, I will retrieve it for you. I have it locked away in a little ambry upstairs, one can never be too careful even in a remote location like ours. I shall retrieve it and you can make it shine enough to see your pretty little eyes in. How about that?"

The thought of an afternoon alone polishing and ticking off chores was very welcome right now.

"Yes there is so much to do. Shall I sweep the path free of stones and see what I can haul up from the well too? If our guest has come all the way from the south they will be thirsty when they arrive will they not?" Gwen's knowledge of the world beyond the estate was limited to Nan's old tales, yarns Lordy would recite about Gretcha's starch-collared friends, and whatever she could pick up from the occasional guest who still came to stay. But she knew enough to know that the south was a long way away, even if this guest who was special enough to be eating with silver had their own horse or wagon.