Bloody Rose » Places

         Emmaline stirred softly, her mind foggy as the final wisps of sleep rolled away from her thoughts and body. She moaned, her first attempt of dragging herself from the slumbers of the night failing as she collapsed again. Mid-afternoon light streamed into her window, causing her large blue eyes blinking until adjusting to the sudden brightness. She had remained at The Rose until the early morning helping Tabitha and her uncle John with cleaning the tavern after an unusually rambunctious night of drinking and merriment. A fight had broken out, leaving beer and food spattered about the large dining room. Of course, it had been Emma required to clean the entire room. Heaven forbid Tabitha needed to lift a finger.

Eventually Emmaline found the strength to rise from bed to dress and bath before departing on her way for the remainder of the day. She lived alone in a tenant housing meant only for single women. Each female had their own study and bedroom while sharing a common living space and kitchen on the lower level. The rent was low, the conditions poor, but it was enough for the simple girl to get by with. Her room was spars, a desk and couch in the study and a bed with a single nightstand in the sleeping quarters. Her earnings from The Rose were barely enough to support herself, but she has no idea of where else she could go. Her dreams were to travel the world as a famous musical, primarily on the piano. Tabitha was quick to point out that it was exactly that, a dream.

She found herself wandering the streets, the busy chatter comfort to her awakening mind. As dusk approached, the went to open the tavern for another night of business. Tabitha and John were already there. “You’re late, girl,” Tabby hissed from behind the counter.

“I’m sorry, Auntie. I had some errands to run before work. No one is here yet, so I assumed-”

“Oh, just get to work, girlie,” Tabby snarled. It was obvious that Tabitha resented Emmaline for the burden that raising the girl after her mother’s death. Emma, on the other hand, felt only love and gratefulness toward her aunt and uncle.

“Yes, Auntie,” she said softly, smiling as she grabbed a rag and began to dust the room clean. She lingered over one piece of furniture in the room, her hands light on the delicate wood. In the tavern’s corner sat the only piano that Emma had touched since her mother’s death. She would practice on it daily, a request that Tabitha had no choice but to obey. The sweet music and Emma’s voice drew many costumers to the tavern when she took a break from serving and collecting orders. She was both the entertainment and only waitress of the tavern, able to spread herself thin to preform both tasks. For her love of music, it was well worth it. Although, it was no surprise she was exhausted after a night’s work.

She smiled as the first of the men began to trickle in after their own day of hard work, her nimble hands playing out the last of the chord before parting from the ivory keys and rising to meet the costumers and take their orders. She sighed softly to herself, gazing out as the moon glowed softly in the night sky. It was such a lovely night.