Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 42883 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 214(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 143(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42883 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 214(@200wpm)___ 172(@250wpm)___ 143(@300wpm)
“I’m almost done on this side,” I reply in a chirpy voice, trying to appear alert.
“Good,” Aunt Nellie hums as she continues to dust.
I step back and take a look at my side of the room to make sure I haven’t missed a spot. It looks good because even if my work is humble, I take pride in doing a good job, and my area sparkles. I smile with satisfaction, and glance back at Aunt Nellie. She still isn’t finished yet, and she looks like she could use some assistance.
“Do you need any help, Aunt Nellie?” I call out as I walk to the opposite side of the royal sitting room.
“Oh, could you, dear?” she asks as she glances back at me.
“Of course,” I reply. After all, if it weren’t for my loving aunt, I wouldn’t even have this job. Nellie’s been working here at the castle for over twenty years now, and I’ve never once heard her complain about this place. She’s always in a chipper mood, even on the gloomiest of days.
“Thank you, Kitty,” she says, flashing a grin.
“No. Thank you, Aunt Nellie. You did me a huge favor by getting me a job here.”
My elderly relative nods and pats her graying bun.
“You’re welcome, sweetheart, but even though I got you the job, you’re the one who puts in the hard work to keep it. I’ve heard some of the other staff talking about how well you’ve been doing. They’re saying that there’s a possibility you could be getting a promotion soon! You have a bright future here, Kitty,” she hums.
It’s great to be acknowledged for all of my hard work, but at the same time, my feelings are mixed. I mean, I don’t really see myself having a future here. Who would? I’m a chambermaid and aspire to greater things in life! What those are exactly, I’m not sure yet, but there’s the great wide world to explore at the very least.
Then again, I hate to burst Nellie’s bubble because she’s been here for twenty years, so I’m basically criticizing her choices. But still. I can’t picture myself still scrubbing the royal latrines two decades from now. That would be so sad, right? As a result, I manage a wobbly smile.
“I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to serve the royal family. These last three months have been a pleasure, but I still hope to go to college one day,” I reply in a tentative voice. Nellie smiles warmly at me as she takes ahold of my hand.
“Of course, dear. And you will. I’m sure no college will deny a hard-working young woman with the royal palace on her resume,” she says. “You’re one in a million!”
I hold back a snort because sometimes, it feels like there are a million chambermaids rushing around the palace. But I nod politely.
“Didn’t you want to go to college when you were my age, Aunt Nellie?” I ask. “Didn’t you dream of, I don’t know … reading world literature, and learning French? Or how about Russian or Greek? It sounds amazing, right?”
Nellie laughs gently as her kindly blue eyes stare into mine.
“When I was your age, women didn’t go to college – our husbands did. Some women didn’t work either because a woman’s place was seen as the home in order to take care of their husband and children. You know I only got this job after your uncle passed away because I had to; I had two children to take care of,” she says in a gentle tone.
I nod.
“Of course. I still miss Uncle Boris,” I say in a small voice. It’s a sad story, really. My Uncle Boris died when I was a small child, so I never really knew him, but my parents told me that he and Aunt Nellie fell madly in love at first sight. But he got really sick after a few years passed, and they couldn't afford the medical treatments he needed to get better. As a result, Uncle Boris passed away in his sleep after a mere few months of illness, which shattered Aunt Nellie’s heart. I don’t think she has ever fully healed from it.
“I miss him too,” Nellie says, a sad look coming into her eyes. “But life is what it is. I wish I’d had the chance to go to college like you do now, but I’m fine with how things turned out. I have your cousins, who are so dear to me, and of course, your mother, father, and you, too. Never lose sight of your dreams, pumpkin; hold on to them for dear life. You can have anything that you want in this world, as long as you’re willing to work hard for it,” she expresses with sincerity in her eyes as she wraps her arms around me tightly. “I love you, Kitty.” She means it; I can feel it.