Snippet #2691213

The first night in the manor had been a long one. Though she was dreadfully tired, sleep eluded her as she lay upon the the wool blanket that had been tucked neatly into the sleigh bed in her chambers. The mattress was softer than the one at he old apartment above the butcher, but it lacked the warmth of personal history that her old home possessed. Glancing around the room she noticed that, though not quite as upscale as the rest of the manor, even the servants quarters were furnished nicely. In addition to her bed there was a vanity, a set of shelves, and a matching dresser in the room as well.
Upon her arrival last night she began unpacking her bags, though she told herself it was to make this place feel more like home she knew the real reason was to keep her from turning tail and running back out the door. There was no history here, no trace of her father in it's walls. Gazing around the room brought no memories of laughter or joy, only an unpleasant emptiness.

“Sleep is out of the question," she sighed crossing the room to the sparsely decorated shelves. A trinket box and a few knick-knacks sat on the top shelf, tokens of her father’s affection in the years when he was still alive, and a few leather bound books that she cherishes took their place on a shelf of their own.
While searching for the Manor upon her arrival in Hob’s Bay she stumbled upon a library. Though the librarian could not help her search, she had recommended a novel that Nina happily borrowed. Thoughts of a blooming friendship between her and the older woman put a smile on her face, books had been her sanctuary for the last year without him. She retrieved this book from the top of the pile and sat in the windowsill, it’s pages would help her pass the time until morning came.

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Streak of dawn passed through the thin part in the thick curtains revealing the particles dancing in the air. Nina placed a ribbon halfway through the book and sighed, thoughts of heroic knights made her heart flutter and cheeks turn a magnificent shade of pink. Outside the water seemed to have risen an amazing amount since her arrival, the manor seemed to be an island surrounded by a sea that parted just for her arrival.
How odd, she thought, I guess I won’t be returning this book anytime soon, I hope she understands...”
As she placed the book back on it’s shelf she noticed a letter that had been placed on her nightstand. She was sure that it was not there the night before, but it must have been. No one had entered the room while she was reading, “I must have missed it..." she mumbled as she opened it, taking in the tasks for the day.
The thought of being around so many new people both excited and terrified her as she thumbed through the small selection of dresses she brought with her. After settling on a pale yellow dress with a sweet heart neckline that fell just past her knees she retrieved her white apron from the dresser and tied it around her waist. Though she was sure that there were aprons for her in the kitchen to choose from, she had a special attachment to this one. Though it was made of white cotton, she had embellished the edges with lace and sewn the outline of a white rabbit on the corner. Her father’s nickname for her had always been his little bunny due to the way she wiggled her nose back and forth when she was deep in thought or reading a particularly exciting chapter in one of her romance novels.
Finally she pulled on her black boots and laced them up. They rose to above her ankle and the two inch heel gave her just enough lift that she wouldn’t stand out too much with the others. Finally she pulled her hair up in a bun, though she attempted to keep it neat she had trouble with her curls at times. Sticking a few pins into the bun to hold down the flyaway strands and tying a pastel blue ribbon around the curly mess completed her preparation for the day. She considered slipping on her white gloves, she had worn them almost every day since her father’s passing, but chose to risk the passing touch of the others. Her job in the kitchen wouldn’t require hand coverings. At this point they would just be a crutch for her social anxiety. She did bring a book with her however, The Language of Flowers , to bury her head in should it become to much for her. It was time to start her new life, it was time to meet her new family.

When she entered the kitchen she was amazed to see just how many servants Mr.Blackford had employed on his staff. In her days at Claire manor as a child there was only two maids, the cook, and her father who did all of the work. Claire manor was half the size of this estate however, so the staffing choice made sense. With her life of isolation for the past year even just three or four people would seem like a crowd though.
Nina kept her head down as she entered the kitchen, her hands clutching her book tight enough to pull her the skin white across her knuckles. She wanted to turn and run, but remembering the rising water she knew there would be no escape. Instead she took a deep breath and raised her head to view the group that had converged in the room, no doubt in search of breakfast before their work day began. Though she had no appetite she had no choice but to remain in the kitchen, this was where she belonged.

Glancing around she wondered what she should begin doing. The cook, she assumed based on the apron he wore, was chatting with another girl who was preparing something in a small pot and a second girl was looking through the cabinets and drawers.
They must be the other kitchen hands, they look busy... I should be doing something as well... Glancing around she searched for a task to start. It seemed that most everyone was waiting patiently for something to eat.
Nina placed her book down onto the butcher block table and grabbed a basket that sat in the corner of the kitchen next to a door she was assuming served as a pantry. Stepping into the small room her assumption was verified only by the sparse supplies lining the shelves.
I suppose that makes sense, one of the tasks does require an order be placed fro supplies... I just didn’t think it was going to be this bad. she thought as she removed the lid from a dusty barrel. Though the barrel could have held hundred of apples, only seven lay at the bottom of the barrel. She almost fell in as she leaned over to reach them, her ability to balance on the edge with her feet off the ground saved her from taking an embarrassing tumble on her first day. Returning to the kitchen with the basket of apples she felt a lump form in her throat. Now that she had found food, she couldn’t just stand there with the basket and hope that the others would come...

She swallowed hard and walked over to a man with dark hair who was gazing out of the window over the sink. Standing next to him she dumped the apples into the sink and began rinsing the dust from their red skins. She spoke in her soft, melodic voice for the first time since she stepped into the kitchen, though she couldn’t bring herself to raise her eyes to his.
“Are you hungry," she asked, holding a freshly washed apple out to him, “There isn’t much to eat right now, but I found these in the pantry.”