Engaged

Engaged
Chapter 1
Ruth walked into the cold dingy building and felt a shiver run down her spine. Her instinct was to turn and go out the door again but what good would that do her or her family? She made her way over to the dull wooden desk and rang the bell. Through a door at the back of the room came a little old lady. The lady was wearing half moon glasses and a floral dress.
“I want a job, a job as a domestic servant” Ruth said.
“Well sit down please. My name is Ginny Fiddle, and what is yours?”
“Ruth. Ruth Hollenbeck.”
“Right dear, let me just find some paper” Ginny got up and went into the back room, a couple of minutes later she came back with a slip of paper. “Fill in your details and we’ll send it off to the people who’ll find the job for you. Come back in two days and you’ll hopefully have a new job!” She smiled a toothy smile and gave Ruth the forms.

Two days later Ruth went back to the staff agency and this time Ginny was sitting there writing very quickly.
Ruth coughed to get Ginny’s attention. Ginny looked up and saw her standing there.
“Hello dear. You are going to be so very pleased when you find out what we have got for you.”
“I am?” Ruth said astounded.
“You most certainly will be my dear. We have got you a job at Watlington Hall. That is the home of Charles Watlington, Aren’t you excited?”
“Should I know who this Charles Watlington is?”
“He’s only one of the most dashing men in the country and you are going to be a Scullery maid! They have many servants and you will have lots of friends there. You have a meeting with Miss Mary on Tuesday.”
“Right I will see Mary on Tuesday then.” Ruth said sounding slightly unsure.
“Glad we helped.”
Ruth walked out of the building and went home. For the entire walk she was thinking. What did scullery maids do? She supposed she would find that out tomorrow. Before she knew it Ruth was outside the small crumbling stone shack that was her home. She ran in and gave her mother a big hug. “I have a job! I am going to work as a Scullery Maid at Watlington Hall; I will send the money every year.”
“Ruth, I can’t believe you are doing this for me.”
“Mother, I have a meeting with my new mistress on Tuesday, please may I go into town and buy some thread and ribbon to make my frock look a little nicer?”
“Of course dear, if there is anything I can do to help just ask. You never know, I might have some of my uniform from my days as a maid.”
* * * * *
“Two metres of Emerald green ribbon and some orange thread please.”
“Of course miss.” Ruth was in the local dressmaking shop. It was a small place, crowded with fabrics and ribbons. She looked longingly at the velvets and satins hanging from the rack then at the coins in her hand. The cheapest fabric sheets there cost a crown and she had a crown and a two bob bit in her palm. Ruth started dreaming about what she could do with that fabric. She could make a dress for her mother and herself, all with some leftover. Her mother had not had a new dress for ages; she kept sewing patches on patches. She deserved a treat. Ruth’s eyes scaled down the fabrics that were all worth a crown. The nicest one there was a light yellow cotton with red rosebuds on it that her mother would look perfect in. Her mind was made up. She took the sheet from the rack and went back to the till.
“A crown please.” The lady on the till said in a bored tone. Ruth handed over the money and carefully folded her new fabric and placed it in her bag.

Ruth skipped home. When she had finished the dress her mother would be so happy. She could not wait to see the look on her face. Ruth started to think about designs. She and her mother both liked light dresses and at that moment puffy sleeves were very fashionable so if there was any leftover material she decided it should go to some puffy sleeves. She pushed open the wooden door and after checking her mother wasn’t in she sat down in a corner and set herself up with the needle, some thread and just sewed for an hour or two.
* * * * *
The next day both dresses were finally finished. Ruth had stayed up all night working on them and they looked perfect. Her mother was in the yard of their tiny house feeding the chickens.
“Mother?” Ruth called
“Yes dear.”
“I have made something for you.” Her mother turned around and her face lit up as she saw the dress Ruth had made.
“For me?” Her mother cried.
“Yes. I have an identical one. It is just a treat; I know you haven’t had one for a while.” Her mother ran up to her and embraced her. Then she ran into the house to try the dress on.
* * * * *
Ruth walked nervously up to the front of the house she was soon hopefully working at. She rang a bell and it swung open to reveal a parlour maid who was looking extremely worn out.
“Hello. Welcome to Watlington Hall. What can I do for you?” The scullery maid greeted.
“Good morning. I am Ruth; I am to be employed as a new scullery maid. I have an appointment with the Lady and Lord of the house today.”
“Right, I shall go and tell Eliza to let ma’am and sir know you are here.” The girl hurried through a door to the left of the grand hallway. Ruth took in her surroundings; she was standing in a huge marble floored hallway. Opposite her was a large staircase and decorating the walls were expensive paintings of horses and landscapes. A tall, willowy girl came down the stairs and called across to her. “Follow me; ma’am is ready to see you.” Ruth followed the girl up the stairs and along a corridor just as grand as the entrance, then the girl stopped and knocked on a door.
“Come in.” A regal voice sounded from the other side of the door. The girl opened the door and ushered Ruth in.
“Ruth Hollenbeck to see you ma’am.” The girl then left the room.
“Hello Ruth. Don’t be so scared we won’t hurt you. I am Charles, this is my fiancée Mary, she lives with us here but she has her own quarters.” The room the three of them were in looked like the upstairs sitting room. There was a plush covered round table in the middle of the room; on this table was a display of some tiny-framed photos and a plate to hold calling cards. The carpet and curtains was made of the fashionable floral designs that were all the rage and beneath the window was a set of over stuffed beige chairs sporting handmade lace doilies. Mary and Charles were eyeing her up.
“Please come over here Ruth.” Ruth walked over there, she was very nervous she didn’t know what would happen if she did not get this job.
“Ruth we would love to take you on as a scullery maid.” Charles told her.
Ruth smiled then remembered who she was with. “Thank you very much sir.”
“Here is your uniform, we would like you to start right away. Would you like to telephone your mother and say you are going to start here today.”