Rank and Respectability

- Chapter 3 -

Katherine stretched gloriously in the wide cot she and her sisters occupied; knocking a head and stomach as she did so, and causing Betsey and Cecilia to rouse with sleepy exclamations and groans of irritation. "Hush you lazy piglets, 'tis morning, look! Birds have been up for hours and father and boys have undoubtedly joined them by now. You should be ashamed to be slumbering while they are busy at work already!" She took them by their shoulders and shook some more yelps and moans out of the two younger girls before throwing off the blankets entirely. "Up with you!" She was attacked. Girlish laughter and boisterous conversation followed the girls into the living area of the farmhouse where their mother was already up and about, cleaning up the wooden dishes and iron pots used to make porridge for the girls' father and two brothers. There were still three bowls steaming for those late to the table, for they were not so slothful that their breakfast had cooled. They made short work of their morning meal before ushering their mother away from the wash basin and finishing the job.

"It is so nice to be able to have you in the morning, Kat." Her mother commented as she walked by with a sheet-full of clothes to wash. "How nice it was for the Baroness to allow you to commute."

"Yes, it is not far and the wealthy tend to keep some very unusual hours so there is no hurry in the mornings. Though I dare say, if there are many more nights like Tuesday's dinner party I may need to start keeping similar hours!" She handed a wet bowl to her youngest sibling, Cecilia, to dry.

Her mother had paused to listen and replied with a chuckle "Midnight is hardly a late hour in those social circles dear, just wait for the June ball you said they are planning in a fortnight, in my experience it isn't proper to leave a ball before two or three in the morning."

Katherine's jaw dropped "I shan't arrive home before five!!"

"That is to be expected." her mother laughed, walking out the door.

Kat hurriedly finished the rest of the dishes and helped Betsey and Cecilia dry and put away the rest before whipping off her apron and snatching her bonnet from a peg by the door. "Mother is waiting for help with these clothes girls, remember the wash barrel will need more hot water in ten minutes so get some boiling Betsey!" Tying on her bonnet she lifted her skirts away from the mud, and turned towards swaying fields that rolled up to the trees surrounding Castle Rosforte. "Ta! I will see you all tonight!" she called behind her, picking up her pace. Not an hour passed and she was in her small room adjoining her Lady's, another maid helping her don a navy, cotton gown (one Katherine thought a mite too extravagant for her position, but what did she know).

Her first day had been the week before; and the first order of business, according to the Baroness, had been to update Katherine's wardrobe. "A Lady's maid" Miss Compton had declared "must be entirely vouge! As my confidant and stylist you will naturally be seen with me any time I travel or present myself in town; it then follows that you, as an extension of me, are also an expression of me. You shall, additionally, require ball gowns; for I take pleasure in having my abigails participate in such events; for reasons of my own." Kat recalled the glint in Miss Compton's eye at the last statement with suspicion.

She hopped down stairs and hurried down halls until she reached the kitchen where cook had prepared a platter of breakfast scones, cheese, and honey. With a quick and cheerful greeting she swept away the platter and was back upstairs. She quietly placed her Lady's morning meal on a small breakfast table by the massive curtained windows. Pulling out a pocket watch she checked the time and rang for a maid to fetch hot water for Miss Compton's bath. Kat then quietly lit the deep stone hearth in the Baroness' bedroom, careful not to wake her. Once the fire was enveloping the small logs therein, cheekily spitting sparks, she entered the dressing room, searching through dozens upon dozens of grand and elaborate gowns of impeccable quality. Laying out a pale rose day gown on a large pouf in the centre of the room, she then busied herself with selecting appropriate accessories; ironing gloves and hat feathers, and polishing gold and pearls. She checked her pocket watch again to see it was nearly quarter-past eleven, and scurried to open the drapes in the bedroom.