Made From Roses

Dreaming

Annabelle had started on Mary's room, finding the task completely daunting as she began boxing away her things. There where photographs all over her small room of what she presumed was of her family.

The room had told Annabelle all that she needed to know about Mary, she was a woman that cared deeply about her family but was private enough not to speak about them. Having only known each other a few days she was pretty certain that if they had spent more time together Annabelle would of known about this side of her.

The hardest part was placing the memories away in a box knowing they where going to her family. It was Mary's whole life in one box and she felt awful.

Annabelle didn't want that for herself.

"You're not done?" She heard the demanding tone of Mr Shelby, stood in the doorway with his coat and hat on.

Grateful that her back was to him so he couldn't see the quick eye roll she quickly stood up and dusted down her skirt.

"Sorry sir but she has a lot of stuff. Do you need something? I can come back to this"

Annabelle thought her boss looked different today, softer around his eyes as he took his eyes off her and surveyed the small room.

"George can finish up here. Come with me" he demanded as he pulled off his coat and left the room. Quickly she followed and found that they where both heading towards another room across the hall.

As soon as the door opened Annabelle found her eyes adjusting to the bright light. The room was south facing and let in beautiful light that glinted off the ornate mirrors and chandeliers placed in the room.

This room was unlike the others, it was soft, feminine and full of women's items. As Annabelle let her eyes trace the room she realised this was a dressing room, that of Grace Burgess.

Quickly side eyeing Mr Shelby she saw that his jaw was set in a hard line, he was barely able to step into the room, as if it was going to burn him at any point.

"Mr Shelby" she breathed as she tried to comfort him in someway, forgetting who she was to him at that moment.

Mr Shelby recoiled away from her, his burning eyes on the room as he tried to calm his anger "Get rid of all of this. Burn it outside. Everything Miss Thorn. Fucking everything" and he left so quickly that Annabelle found herself pining to follow him, her hands outstretched.

—-

A desperation came over Annabelle as she worked, her hands tirelessly ripping down gowns and coats, placing everything her hands could grab into the middle of the room.

Everything in this room was so tainted that their individual beauties could not be saved. Annabelle knew that, she saw that on her bosses face and saw that everything in this room haunted him.

To make her life easier she would do anything he asked her at this point especially if she didn't have to be made to sleep in the same room or to stand for hours on end. All because Grace Burgess broke his heart.

George had come up to her shortly and helped her to drag all of the items out into the back field. There where hundreds of items but they both worked quickly and quietly, not saying a word to one another about destroying all of the expensive items.

As Annabelle dropped a box of perfume and make up, which had been shipped from France into the middle of the pile she realised that everything she had touched today had been brand new. Never worn. Never used.

Mr Shelby had prepared this room for Grace Annabelle thought. There was a sadness that swelled inside of her as she watched George light a match and throw it down onto the pile.