“I hope so, Edward. I don’t like what I see at all.”
“The landscape will change in a few minutes. Our house is very beautiful and the section where we will live is the most exclusive.”
Sonia could see that what her brother said was true. About fifteen minutes later, they entered a section full of imposing houses, very beautiful and elegant. Her mood seemed to improve and as she left the carriage Sonia smiled for the first time since she got off the boat.
“Is it worthy of you, Your Excellency?” asked her brother, watching her look at the house.
“It seems comfortable ... yes, I think it will be sufficient,” Sonia replied, just to annoy him.
Sonia entered with her maid, while two servants and the footman, carried their luggage into the house.
“I want to take a bath,” Sonia said to her maid and at that moment an older, plump woman appeared. “Welcome, Miss.”
“Thank you.”
“My name is Gertrude. I’m the housekeeper and I’m here for whatever you need.”
“Thank you, Gertrude.”
“Could you please tell me where my room is?”
“Yes, miss.” She motioned for Sonia to follow her. “Please follow me.” She went up the stairs and walked through a large hall with rooms to each side. Sonia’s room was the second one and when she opened the door, she could see that it was larger than she expected. In fact, the house seemed to be bigger than what was seen from the outside.
When Sonia entered her room, and she saw the bed she went to sit down. Sonia was really exhausted and just wanted to get some sleep.
“Thank you, Gertrude. Could you please tell someone to prepare a bath?”
“Immediately,” said the woman who left her alone with her maid. Her maid began to take the clothes from the trunks and organize them in the closet. Sonia lay back for a moment but inadvertently fell asleep.
“Miss, your bath is ready.” Charlotte woke her. “I’ll help you get undressed.”
Sonia let her do everything. She was so tired that she didn’t want to move a finger. When she was already seated in the bathtub Sonia felt her maid undo her styled hair and then carefully comb it. Sonia stared vacantly and thought about everything that was to come. It was a nightmare having to acquire a husband with a title. “My shoulders, head, and everything else hurt.”
“Don’t worry, miss. I’ll give you a massage and you’ll see how the hot water helps too.” Her maid started combing her hair and then picked it up again in a looser bun than the previous one. “Everything’s going to be all right, miss. Don’t worry.” Charlotte massaged her shoulders with oil of roses. “You’re very tense, but in a while, you will feel better.”
“Thanks, Charlotte, you’re so good to me.”
“It’s my duty to make sure you are always well, miss. The truth is that I do it with pleasure,” she smiled.
“You’re the only one I can talk to about things that I don’t tell my friends. I don’t know if it’s because we’re almost the same age or because I like you.”
“Perhaps both.”
“It’s so difficult to have someone to talk to openly. I sometimes end up having conversations with my mirror.”
“You can tell me anything, Miss. You know I would never tell anyone.”
Sonia sighed at the delicious sensation of the massage on her neck and shoulders. “What am I going to do? Everything is so confusing now.”
“Everything will get better. Just wait and see. Tomorrow you’ll go to see your relatives and your cousin will explain to you how things work here.”
“I hope so,” Sonia said without much hope.
“Now just stop thinking and relax. When you’re rested, you’ll see things differently.” Charlotte continued the soothing movements on her back. Then she touched her shoulders, pressing down on them, releasing the knots that Sonia had during the whole trip. Between the massage, the steam of the hot water and the relaxing odor of the rose oil Sonia slowly closed her eyes.
Three hours later, Sonia woke up and everything was dark. She got up from the bed to see that the sun had already set. She touched the little bell on the wall and called her maid. Sonia vaguely remembered having risen from the bathtub and with Charlotte’s help had gone to bed.
Her maid came up almost immediately and brought a tray. “I was about to come upstairs to see you. Do you want to have dinner?”
“I’ll eat downstairs, Charlotte,” Sonia said. “I imagine my brother expects me to accompany him.”
“Mr. Edward had dinner a while ago, Miss. He told me not to bother you. That you were tired. He also said that tomorrow you would see each other for breakfast and then go home to visit your cousin.”
“Well, Edward is very considerate of late.”
Charlotte smiled. “Rest tonight so that you’ll be ready for tomorrow. Do you need anything? Do you want me to bring you something for dinner?”
“No, I’m fine. I’m not hungry. Go to sleep. I have to get up early tomorrow if I want to be presentable to go to my cousin’s house after breakfast.”
“All right, Miss. Have a good night.”
Sonia was no longer sleepy. She stayed in bed reading a book and thinking of everything that was to come.
*****
The next morning, Sonia looked out of the window and all that she saw was a thick fog that fell over the street. The day was cold, and she didn’t feel like going out to see all those carriages stuck in the narrow streets. She looked at her brother who was looking at the newspaper.
“What will we do today?”
“In an hour we will go to our cousin’s house. You should finish getting ready. Then come back downstairs and then we will go.”
“I’m ready.”
He looked her up and down. “Very well, then go
