Hourglass: Chapter 4: Portrait

Chapter 4

Portrait

Sophie

                “Sophie, do you have to pace around this room like a wild cat, it is very irritating,” said Miss Chamberlain. She was in a foul mood as usual. At least, she remained consistent. Pacing was my only way to rid myself of the drudgery to keep Miss Chamberlain occupied.

“Sophie, have you seen any members of the household lately?” I paused.

“Why?”

“No reason. I only wondered if the Morlands lived here full time, or if they spent their time elsewhere, that is all.”

“Why should you care about the Morlands? Didn’t they lock you up here?” Miss Chamberlain paused. I saw her firm mask starting to give way. Memories were swimming in her eyes. Miss Chamberlain never cried, but she always came close. When the memories rose upwards from her unconscious, the floodgates in her eyes threatened to overflow. In those moments I would have wanted to be closer to her so that I could tell her how sorry I was. It was no use. There was always going to be a massive barrier between us. No measure of words or sentiments could break down her barriers.

“The Morlands… locked me up in here…I hate… no, it’s no use telling you how I feel about them. I bet you love them, I bet you cosy up to them. I bet they call you to the drawing room where a pleasant fire is lit and you sit at the foot of their chair. If you are good enough, they pat your head like a little dog. They know no human decency. In their eyes, everyone else is an animal and they are on the same level as the gods.” Miss Chamberlain grew silent again. Anger rose in my chest.

“You think I love them! They give me money! That is all. I do my job because I must. I work out of personal duty, not because I seek an alliance with those of a higher class. Do not pretend that you know me.” I turned my back.

Hourglass-Chapter 3-Dreams of the Past

Hourglass

Chapter 3

Dreams of the Past

[Read Chapter 1 here}

Joyce

That night I dreamt of my life before imprisonment.

I wore a satin gown of pale blue, and my hair was shorter. It was not a tangled mess; instead it was beautifully coiffed in the proper fashion of my status. I was smiling as well. A smile changes one’s appearance drastically.

I was fifteen then and was awaiting my coming of age ball. It was supposed to be the announcement to the world I was eligible to be married off to some wealthy young handsome bachelor. I could not contain my excitement. My father would not think of cutting the budget, he spared no expense as we were rich enough. My mother grinned delightedly at all the shimmering fabrics that might adorn my body that night.

On the night of the ball, many young men showed up. I knew that I was not to be the one who would chose, but I delighted myself in dancing with as many as possible. There was one in particular who caught my eye right away. His name was Andrew Morland. He was a gentleman in every way.

Andrew Morland was but two years my senior. At eighteen he was a splendid strapping young man. I cannot say that I fell in love with him for his character, but he did have a nice face. The Morland’s themselves had attractive connections my father wouldn’t have wanted to pass up. And so, after one dance, it was decided. I was to marry Andrew Morland as soon as possible. The engagement was sealed a week after meeting.

I did not know the full extent of Andrew’s character. I assumed that he was the prince charming I had been hoping for in my girlish fantasies. Little by little I found him to be very off the mark.  Yet, being fourteen, I wanted to see past his flaws, so I concentrated on his facial features and never once looked into his heart.

By some unlucky twist of fate, my father passed away. We buried him in silence and my engagement was placed far away from our minds as possible. Edgar Morland had placed his hands on my mother’s trembling back and told her that Andrew would wait for me to return to my usual state. In the meantime, it was best that I’d go abroad for a while. My mother was hesitant. It felt to her as if I would be leaving her too.

I spoke up then and told Mr. Morland flatly that I had no intention of leaving my mother so early on. Mr. Morland backed away from the affair, or so I had thought. When I wasn’t around, he managed to manipulate her into letting me leave Nether. Mama had packed up my suitcase and sent me abroad.

While I was abroad, Mr. Morland made his advances on my widowed mother. When I returned to Nether a few months later, I was a happier girl and a wiser girl at that. I found my mother to be no longer Mrs. Chamberlain, but Mrs. Morland. The old brute had found his way into her heart. He tugged at her heartstrings, playing them until he won his prize. I had to be silent.

Hourglass – Chapter 2 – An Animal Behind Glass

Hourglass

A Novel

Alice Montgomery

Chapter 2:

An Animal Behind Glass

[To read chapter 1: Click Here]

Joyce

Miss Cavell was just the sort of girl who would not be useful tool to break out of this place. Mrs. Peters had chosen her well. Any sign of wanting to escape, Miss Cavell would report to Mrs. Peters right away. Then again, I had never requested a maid. I had no need for one. This place hardly got dirty, it was so tiny. There were no knickknacks to dust. Why now, all of a sudden did Mrs. Peters allow a newcomer to learn of ‘Miss Chamberlain’? Perhaps she wanted to use Miss Cavell as a spy. Though, I did not have any secrets. I only attempted to escape once and failed miserably.

It was three months after I had been placed here in this room. I found a way to attach my bed covers together to make a rope, as many heroines did in fairy tales. I had almost succeeded. I was halfway to freedom when I was discovered by Mrs. Peters. That is why I was given the scratchy sheets. There were no objects in my room strong enough or long enough to allow me to escape through the three storey window. It was either I fall and break my neck and die, or that I stay in this room for eternity. Sometimes I wondered if a quick death is better than a long and slow one imprisoned in this room.

I was not dangerous. I swear that I was not. Mrs. Peters and the others, who knew about me, thought that I was. Before I was imprisoned I was a regular girl of sixteen. I was rich and spoiled. I was to grow up and become a fine lady. That was a long time ago. As I had told Miss Cavell, I did not wish to dwell on the past. I will never be Lady Joyce Chamberlain. I will always be Miss Chamberlain.

Hourglass – Chapter 1 – The Girl in the Attic

Hourglass

A Novel

By:

Alice Montgomery

                The hourglass on my windowsill remained fixed with all grains of sand at the bottom. My time had run out, and I knew it.

 

Chapter 1

The Girl in the Attic

Joyce

                There was something to be said for the room I was placed in. It was narrow. The tiles on the ceiling counted to about thirty seven. I counted them when I was bored, which I was more often than not. There was a single bed propped up against a simple brown headboard. The pillow upon the bed was uncomfortable. Then again, what did I expect, a five star hotel?

                The paper thin sheets were scratchy and made my back itch during the night. They were sanitary, or so I had heard. There was no comforter, only sheets. It was a tad problematic in the wintertime when the frost clung to the window. I would hold the sheets to my body and imagine a warm fire. My imagination could only take me so far before my toes were so numb from the cold that I could no longer feel them.

                Days were passed in a hum drum of inactivity. I paced around my room examining the cracks in the floor boards. I imagined myself being rescued, or finding a secret passageway in one of the loose tiles of the celling.