Dark Obsession | Open Novella Contest

Chapter 2

April 13th, 1912

As Grace tossed and turned in her soft bed she heard the slight knocking on her bedroom door. She rolled over on her side and tired to ignore the sound. But as she did the knocking became louder and louder. She grabbed one of her goose feather pillows and held it against her head, trying to drown out the noise. But it was to no avail. She knew that it had to be Mary knocking, trying to wake her. Knowing that she would never be able to see and peace she finally called out.

"Mary, the door is unlocked. You can come in." With that being said Grace sat up in bed and tried to brush down a couple of pieces of hair that was sticking up.

As she brushed her hair down Grace watched as the doorknob turned and the door came open to reveal Mary standing there with a slightly annoyed look upon her face and was staring at her. 

"What are you doing still in bed? It's eight o'clock. You know that you're supposed to meet up with your sister for tea at eight-thirty." Mary said, as she walked up to the bed
jerked the quilt off of Grace's body.

As the warm quilt was snatched from  her, she felt the chilled morning air hit her body. Grace shivered and goosebumps formed on her arms and legs. She looked up to Mary and replied. "You know I was going to get up. You didn't have to snatch the quilt from me." Grace said as she stood from the bed and took her robe from Mary and placed it on her body.

Mary chuckled at what Grace had said. "Oh child. You know just as good as well as I do that if I hadn't of done that you would have never gotten up. Now come on let's get you bathed and dressed so that you won't be late."

"Do I really have to? I mean the only people that are going to be there are a bunch of snooty women who just love to brag about how rich their husbands are. And I just know that one of them are going to ask me about why I haven't gotten married yet." Grace with an annoyed sigh as she followed Mary over to the bathing pitcher.

Mary shook her head and grinned a bit. "Oh come on Grace it won't be that bad."

"Oh yes it will. I just know that those vultures are just waiting to pick at my soul. I mean every time they see me they always have some snide comment they have to say to me." She said as she removed her robe and unbuttoned and removed her pajamas and placed them on the black settee that was at the end of her bed and waited as another maid came into her room with a warm pot of water.

"Here is the warm water that you requested for Mary." The petite maid said as she carefully held the pot of warm water, trying not to spill any of it on herself.

"Oh, thank you, Dorothy. You can place it on the table over here beside me if you don't mind." Mary said as she poured some cold water from the pitcher into the bowl as Dorothy placed the warm water onto the tabletop.

"Is there anything else that you need Mary?" Dorothy asked after she had placed the warm water down.

"Yes there is one thing that you can do for me. If you will can please tell the chauffeur to have the car waiting for Grace." Mary said to the young maid who then curtsied and then walked out of the bedroom and closed the door behind her.

Once the maid was gone and Mary had finished preparing Grace's bath, Mary picked up the the sponge and soaked it in the warm water and then handed it to Grace who quickly washed her body as Mary walked over to Grace's wardrobe and started going through Grace's collection of dresses.

"So, Grace which dress shall it be today. This lovely blue one that your father purchased for you in Paris last year or this lovely green one?"

Grace quickly finished bathing her body and then replied. "How about that pastel dress that I ordered from Paris last year from that new upcoming designer. I think that will really turn some heads."