Mayfield: A Saga

Martha tried to calm her trembling hands as she made her way back to the kitchen. She could not seem to understand what was happening to her. For the last 15 years she had served the Remmingtons dinner each and every night. But it had been only recently that she had noticed how the plates in her hand were not steady as she put one down in front of Albus Remmington. She recalls now, how everytime he enters the room, or everytime she hears his voice, it’s enough to make her blush from head to toe. And was it just her imagination or did his eyes linger a little longer on her just now? Mr. Remmington has always had a smile that could warm even the coldest of hearts, yes even Hesters, but a few minutes ago…was that smile telling her something more?

She laughed as this thought crossed her mind. What was she thinking?! It just wasn’t possible; she was not falling in love with Mr. Remmington and he most certainly did not love her. He was one of the wealthiest men in the town, and she was nothing more than his servant. “Ridiculous,” she said under her breath as she walked into the kitchen.

“Ridiculous?” Hester asked, looking up from the table where she had been setting the places for their own dinner. “What’s ridiculous?”

“Oh nothing, Hesty dear!” Martha answered a little too quickly.

Hester eyed her suspiciously, but she decided not to prod. She really didn’t care to know what went on in that eternally optimistic mind of Martha’s. “I’ll tell you what’s ridiculous,” she said instead as they sat down to have a quick meal before having to clear the Remmington’s table.

Martha giggled; she knew Hester all too well. “Alright, let’s hear it then,” she said with a wide grin.

“Oh come on Martha! Please tell me you’re not blind as well as stupid!” Hester was starting to get annoyed at the fact that she seemed to be the only one in the household that could see right through this ‘Ellie Brown’. “You can honestly say that this…this girl is not a little odd?”

“Honestly Hesty. I don’t think she’s odd at all. She seems quite normal to me. She seems to have all her wits about her,” Martha replied, knowing full well that’s not what Hester meant. She couldn’t help but give Hester a hard time.

Hester gave Martha a hard look that told her she was not in the mood for word games. Seeing Hester’s serious concern and how this was not just one of Hester’s normal bad moods, Martha put down her fork and looked at Hester in all seriousness. “Ok Hester. I’m listening. What do you have against this girl moving in and working with us?”

Hearing Martha talk without any amusement in her voice made Hester drop her fork and look up rather quickly. Martha gave a small laugh. “Really now Hester, I mean it. What’s bothering you so?”

“I’ll tell you what’s bothering me,” Hester said, picking up her fork and resuming her meal. “That girl just shows up on our doorstep, looking like she just rolled out of a garbage can, doesn’t talk about who she is or where she comes from, and Mr. Remmington hires her without a moment’s hesitation!” Hester stopped a moment to take a deep breath. Once she was sure she still had Martha’s attention she added, “She could be running from the law for all we know. A…a common criminal or a…a….a murderer!” She looked up at Martha and gave an alarmed gasp as if she had just solved the puzzle.