~
Mrs. Vines led Lilith first to the kitchen, a warm circular room tucked beneath the first floor of the manor. It wasn’t as dark as one might imagine, despite it being underground. Daylight filtered in through the rectangular slotted windows near the ceiling which looked out at ground level onto the manor’s lawn. The smell of cooking meat permeated the air. A large pot of water boiled on one of the two stoves. A small dancing fire burned in a very wide grate on the far end of the room, casting a golden glow over the kitchen’s lone occupant. She was a younger woman that Mrs. Vines. Beyond that Lilith could not make out.
“Lettie!”
At Mrs. Vines’ curt bark the woman looked up from the table where she was busily stripping sprigs of thyme down to their core. Her dusty brown hair had been stuffed under a frilled white cap but a few strands had broken free. They clung to her cheeks like tiny tentacles. She was in her early thirties with rich brown eyes and pleasant features. Her hands were calloused. The faint outline of a wedding band shown around one finger.
“I’m sorry Mrs. Vines, I didn’t hear you.” Her voice had an almost musical quality to it that was very pleasant. She smiled at Lilith and wiped her hands on her apron. “It’s Miss Dantes isn’t it?”
“Please, just Lilith.”
“Lilith. It’s so nice to meet you!” Lettie gave a curtsy and let her eyes travel over Lilith’s person. This examination made Lilith anxious. The instant distaste for Mrs. Vines filled her with a sudden irrational desire to be liked by this woman.
“Lettie is the house cook and maid. Dr. Ender doesn’t like a crowded home so he keeps his staff to a minimum.” Mrs. Vines glared at Lilith as if daring her to find fault with this statement.
“It’s a pleasure Miss Lettie,” Lilith removed one of her gloves and held out her hand. Lettie blushed scarlet and cast her eyes away, clearly unused to such formal attention.
“Oh no, it’s just Lettie!” She said, still hiding the pinkness of her cheeks. “And my hands are all sweaty Miss Lilith, you wouldn’t want to shake them!”
“Well, now that you’ve met,” Mrs. Vines pinched her face at them both and jerked her neck at Lilith. “Allow me to show you to the room you’ll be staying in.”
“It’s quite lovely,” Lettie sighed. “Mrs. Vines and I cleaned it all up yesterday so you’ll have fresh sheets and everything.”
Lilith opened her mouth to express her gratitude but Mrs. Vines shushed her. She propelled her from the room in a great haste.
“You will be spending most of your time in your room there’s no point in wandering about. The Alchemist has many delicate things that would break in inexperienced hands. It’s probably best you stay off your feet in any case; you should be monitored in case you need assistance.” Lilith felt her stomach drop like a stone. The last thing she wanted was to be treated like an invalid. A pang of homesickness pricked at her heart and she swallowed back a vexing bout of tears. She would not have hysterics added to the roster.
“Here you are.” Mrs. Vines opened the door to a room that caused Lilith to momentarily forget her woes.
“Oh my!” She gasped, bringing up a hand to cover her mouth. The room was furnished in a consistent scheme of midnight blue and gold, with plush comforts piled high upon the canopied bed. A thick Persian carpet stretched across the floor, so soft that one’s feet were instantly swallowed as they stepped onto it. A row of windows lined up against the wall, giving a clear view of the courtyard gardens below. To be allowed to stay amongst such exquisite finery took her breath away.
“It’s so beautiful!”
Mrs. Vines only grunted in response. “Hrrumph.”
“Is it really alright that I stay in here?” Lilith breathed as she ran her fingers through the filigreed tassels hanging off the bed sheets. She felt a great reverence for the exquisite beauty and attention to detail that had obviously gone into the design of the room. It seemed almost a shame to sleep in it.
“What sort of silly question is that?” the old woman snapped. “Of course it is. Your uncle had it set up for you especially! He never would have opened this room otherwise.”
“When will I see him?” Lilith asked. “Is he here now?”
Mrs. Vines looked scandalized. “See him now? You most certainly will not! He is an extremely busy man, I doubt if you will see him at all today! He will send for you when he is ready and not a moment before! Now, enough with your questions; there’s a bath in the adjoining room, you may get washed up and come down to supper. I’m sure that journey must have done quite a number on your appetite.”
“But my things! None of my bags are up here.”
“Never mind about them. I’ll see that they are brought up right away.” Mrs. Vines turned on her heel and marched away without another word, leaving Lilith by herself.
Lilith gave a great sigh and slowly removed her gloves, one finger at a time. Her head was still spinning. Every bit of her felt sore from the ride. She wanted nothing more than to sink into a bath and go sleep. She could hardly wait for the hot water to relieve the stress from her mind. A vanity set up on the far side of the room caught her eye. She wandered over to look at her reflection in the wide oval mirror.
She couldn’t help but ask, “Who are you?”
The girl who looked back at her was someone Lilith barely recognized. Once upon a time she had been the proud owner of the loveliest yellow curls in all of London. She remembered the hours she spent adoringly brushing each strand until they shone like rays of sunlight upon her shoulders. Now it had been shorn off and came barely past her cheeks. The water blue eyes, once vibrant with life, had dulled to mere expressionless stone orbs. Her face, which had once been considered beautiful, had lost its healthy glow and was now drawn and parchment white. Even the skin of her lips had paled. The girl behind the looking glass was a mere shadow of the real Lilith Dantes. Her vigor had been stolen, her innocence lost. Lilith fought the urge to shatter the mirror with her fist.
“Arlene, why?” She took a deep, shaky breath as she contemplated the question that had haunted her since the moment her older sister had informed her that they had an uncle who had once been a renowned man of medicine as well as the most famous living alchemist. Closing her eyes she could still recall the conversation.
“You’re going to live with him, Lily. He can help you. He can cure you!”
“But Arlene, why? I’ve accepted everything. Why won’t you just let me die in peace? I want to see Father and Mama again.”
“Don’t talk like that, Lily. You aren’t going to die.”
“But why not?”
The question still lingered, unanswered. Lilith made her way to the next room where there was indeed a bath chamber filled with everything she could possibly need. It had a lovely wood paneling and ornate, hand painted tiles. It even had a tub with taps, which she had only seen once. She turned one and a rush of warm water entered the claw-footed bath. As she waited for it to fill she withdrew from her pocket a small red notebook. It had no title. The inside was filled with hundreds of pages of cramped writing. It was her most precious possession. She never let it stray too far from her side. She flipped through a few yellowed pages until her bath was full then she placed it carefully on the other side of the room to prevent it getting wet. She removed her petticoats and dress. Another mirror, this one full-length and tall, hung from the wall. Lilith examined her naked body, turning this way and that. She had lost weight; she noticed that her breasts were smaller than they had been before. She turned to the side to examine her slight form. Her skin was creamy white all across her stomach and thighs but her back… she turned ever so slightly so that she could catch a glimpse of it. Thick, rigid scars crisscrossed all the way up to the blades of her shoulders. The knotted skin was so badly disfigured that it presented quite a horrific, gut-wrenching sight. Just another souvenir from him. He had taken pleasure in torturing his victims before defiling them and robbing them of their purit
y and dignity.
“No more.” She forced her mind away from those memories and stepped into the tub. A low moan of pleasure escaped her lips as she let the water seep into her skin, relieving the ache of the journey and relaxing her tired muscles. She closed her eyes, pushing all the bad thoughts out of her head. She was in a new place now. She was strong; the strongest girl in London. She wasn’t going to allow anything to get the better of her.