Bound to Serve Page 2

  The girl was looking at him now. “Is it far, sir?”

  “Is what far?”

  “Your home.” Her eyes were a startling shade of green and for a moment he found himself nearly transfixed by their hue. Then he looked out the window.

  “What is your name?” he asked.

  “Elspeth, sir,” she said.

  “Elspeth. Hmmm.” He smirked “Well, Elspeth, the distance to my home should not concern you. For the next seven years you are in my service and will only live by my leave. Everything you do, I expect you to do with complete obedience, and that includes waiting patiently and without question. If you query me again about any trivial matter I shall cheerfully flay the skin off your little bum.” He gazed her coldly. “Is that clear?”

  The girl gulped and sat back, nodding. And Clifford Harker, who had once been a kind man sat back in his seat, knowing he should probably feel guilty for terrifying the girl and wondered instead why he felt absolutely nothing.

  Chapter Two

  The Harker residence was tall, box-shaped and by Elspeth’s first impression a decidedly forlorn looking place. What looked to have been a once well-tended flower garden now stood overgrown in a tangle of dead weeds. Wiry strands of persistent grass peeked through the cobblestones of the walkway leading to the door of the house. All the shutters were pulled, even though it was midday, and Elspeth was seized by a sudden fear of entering what she knew would be a dark and depressing house still in deep mourning for its lost lady.

  But must it be like that? Elspeth was not only a practical girl, but an optimistic and instantly conjured an image of infusing comfort into her charges that would bring forth positive change. But she knew as soon as she stepped inside the house that this would be no small accomplishment.

  A stern-looking birdlike woman stood in the foyer. In front of her stood two well-scrubbed, unsmiling boys that she guessed to be about three and four years of age. They were their father in miniature, except for their dark, almost feminine eyes. Beautiful eyes, Elspeth noted, but absent of the carefree spark one expects in little boys.

  “Mrs. Habersham,” Clifford Harker said to the woman. “Thank you for looking after my sons when I went to fetch my servant.”

  “You’re quite welcome,” the woman said. “The boys were well-behaved, as boys should be. But then again the threat of the rod – of which I approve – can be counted on to keep youngsters under control. It is wise that you have instilled Godly fear at such a young age in your two boys.”

  The woman moved across the room to take her cloak and hat from a peg by the door, continuing to talk as she donned them. “I grow weary of parents who don’t school children properly. In fact, my husband will be speaking on that very topic this Sunday, reminding the flock that children, wives and servants would be best to obey Godly male leadership, and be thankful for punishment should they deserve it.”

  She turned and looked Elspeth up and down. “This girl,” she said. “Slip of a thing, isn’t she. And quite dirty. Let us hope that the providence that brought her here will turn her into something of a lady during her time of service and that she will one day know whose guidance to thank for her transformation.”

  “I am sorry, ma’am.” Elspeth felt her cheeks color. “My parents have already raised me well. Despite my small stature I am an adult the same as you. And you would probably be a bit dirty too had you just traveled across an ocean in the hold of a ship with little opportunity to bathe.”

  The older woman’s mouth opened in shock, but rather than respond to Elspeth, she instead addressed her employer.

  “Really, Mr. Harker,” she gasped. “Is this the sort of churlishness the community can expect from those in your service?”

  “Indeed not.” Clifford Harker’s voice was so icy that it sent a chill down Elspeth’s back, and she turned to look at him, the chill deepening upon taking note of his dark expression.

  “My servant is overtired,” he said, his voice straining with irritation. “I am sure after she’s cleaned up and rested she will be more than eager to make her apologies to you Mrs. Habersham.” He nodded to the older woman, who smiled in smug satisfaction.

  “I shall be looking forward to that,” she said, and turned to leave. “Good day.”

  The door clicked behind her and Elspeth gulped as she found herself alone with Harker, who continued to glower with disapproval. Elspeth suddenly felt ashamed. Why had she let her temper get the best of her? Why had she not simply held her tongue?

  “Sir, I –“ she began by way of explanation, but he cut her off.

  “Don’t.” It was one word, delivered in a barking order that made her and the two little boys both jump.

  For a moment all was silent as master and servant regarded one another, and then Harker’s attention turned to his sons.

  “Colin, Harry – this is Elspeth. She is our new servant and will care for you. You will treat her with respect.”

  Elspeth nodded towards them and managed a smile. “Hello, wee sirs,” she said.

  “Is she our new mum then?” The smallest boy looked up at his father, obviously confused. Beside him, his brother nudged him in an obvious gesture of disapproval at the innocent query.

  But the sibling’s disapproval was nothing to match the father’s.

  “No!” The word thundered from Clifford Harker’s mouth. “This woman is a mere servant, little more than a slave to meet our needs until the end of seven years. She is not family. She is not significant. She is not to be share a thought that your sainted mother occupies! As I said, you will treat her with respect, but not because she is worthy of it but because I demand it!”

  Elspeth felt her heart pound. The order was delivered with a venom, a viciousness she’d never encountered in another human being.

  “Is that understood!”

  The boys nodded and Harry, the smaller of the two, began to cry. Elspeth could not help herself. She rushed to comfort him, the gesture instinctive. “Ssh, ssh, there there,” she said. “It’s quite all right.”

  “Indeed it is not. Step back at once, girl!”

  Elspeth rose, reluctantly but did as she was ordered.

  “There is no need to cry.” Clifford Harker made an attempt to restrain his anger, his voice tense. “Nothing can be done to bring your mother back, but it would be wise for both of you to remember that we all have our place, and to remember what a servant’s place is. Now both of you, up to the nursery. After Elspeth has cleaned up and settled she’ll see to you.”

  The boys turned wordlessly and made their way up the staircase to disappear into the darkness on the landing.

  Elspeth turned back to her employer and thought of appealing to him for gentleness and thought the better of it.

  “You’ll need a bath before you touch my children,” he said. “I’ve put an oak tub in your room upstairs. It’s the last door on the right, across from the nursery. There’s a well in the yard and a stove in the kitchen. I insist you heat some water, have James help fill your tub and avail yourself of a proper bath, for you offend me with your odor. After you have bathed and changed you will find some food on the sideboard – cheese, bread and salted pork. Take some but don’t make a glutton of yourself. And then report to me in my study for a short talk before you tend to the boys.”

  He did not give her time to question or respond. He had not even told her where the kitchen was and Elspeth watched him disappear into a room at the left as she stood standing in the dark foyer. With a heavy sigh she looked around the house. Shafts of light splintered the darkness from around the edges of the heavy shutters. The house felt as closed as a crypt and less cheery, she thought as she picked up her traveling bag and walked to the kitchen.

  There was more light here coming through the lace curtains, and she was pleased to see room was well-appointed and cozy, with a stone fireplace upon which sat a spit and a stand for a kettle. An opening to the left held a flat board for baking bread and a large pine table and sideboard were generou
s enough in size to accommodate the preparation and serving of meals.

  Elspeth opened the back door and looked out. A picket fence surrounded a portion of the yard, where a few hens pecked jerkily outside a coop. A smokehouse stood off to the right and beside it a smaller building with stacks of wood leaning against it. Beyond that, a white carriage house now held the trap she’d just ridden in, and a ruddy-looking man was grooming the horse that had pulled it. She looked around and seeing no other people assumed this man was James.

  “Hello,” she said, and when he didn’t respond she repeated the word a bit louder. The man looked up and squinted, then smiled.

  “Ah, you’re here then!” His accent was similar to hers, but more of a lowland dialect. James jogged over. “Welcome lass.”

  “Thank you,” she said, pleased to see a kind face. “Mr. Harker told me to seek out a James.”

  “Humphrey James, aye,” he said. “That be me.”

  Elspeth felt a bit of guilt taking this man away from his duties to to tote water, but knew doing it herself would be exhausting. To her relief, her fellow servant was all too pleased to oblige, chatting with her as he filled pot after pot with water and then hauled the heated liquid up the stairs.

  They’d made small talk about home and her trip and the differences she could expect in weather and life in general now that she’d arrived to begin her service. But Elspeth detected a certain cautiousness in James that kept him from mentioning their master. And while she was curious about whether Harker was unpleasant all the time, she again followed her instincts and did not put this question to the older man.

  She was more than happy to disrobe and sink into the oak tub after folding her filthy traveling clothes, which she planned to wash later. The heat of the water seemed to permeate to her very core, and to her delight the soap had a soft, delicate scent. As she sunk beneath the water and reemerged to begin soaping her face, hair and arms she wondered if the soap had belonged to the late Mrs. Harker.

  She looked at the scented cake, musing. Had she rubbed it across her skin at the end of a long day caring for her husband and sons? Had she sat in this very tub, dreaming of the day when her lads would grow into strong men, never realizing she would not live to see that happen?

  The though made Elspeth sad, and a bit scared, too. What was to say her quest for a new life would not end in a pine box buried under a simple marker in the church cemetery she’d passed on the way here? Life was full of uncertainties. As a child playing on the moors her thoughts had never carried her beyond the distant hills. And now here she was in a land she never knew existed until a year ago.

  Elspeth stood, feeling the water slide from her body. She squeezed more from her long locks and reached for a rough cloth to dry herself. James had been kind enough to build a fire in the small room she no occupied. It was Spartan but sufficient for her needs – a bed stood by the wall and a small table across from it. A washbowl sat on top, a chamber pot underneath. A wardrobe stood against the opposite wall. Elspeth moved now to put her things in it and sighed when they didn’t even fill a quarter of the space. She’d brought all she had, but it wasn’t much. Hopefully she could find a way to beg or earn some fabric from her new master so she could sew some more clothing to replace the garments she knew would become worn from hard work.

  She’d just finished dressing when James came to take the tub away. He smiled at her as he dipped the first bucket of water to haul back downstairs, murmuring something about her bringing something of the freshness and beauty of Scotland back into his life. Elspeth smiled, convinced now that even if she wasn’t presentable to gentry she’d do with her peers.

  She remembered then that she was supposed to meet with Harker after she’d eaten, so she checked her reflection in the looking glass before going downstairs. Her hair was pulled back from her face with two abalone combs given to her by her grandmother. Her heart-shaped face stared back at her, the skin clean now and creamy white. The roses showed a bit in her cheeks; she was glad for that. So many of the women who’d journeyed with her had arrived sallow and jaundiced.

  Elspeth padded downstairs, the simple blue gown rustling around feet now nestled into kidskin slippers she’d saved for work.

  It had grown cloudy out and an oil lamp burned on the center of the table, the flame’s reflection dancing merrily on the wall. Elspeth was hungry, but took even less food than she intended. Her stomach was nervous with the thought of meeting Harker in his study, and what’s more everything seemed a test. Would he come later and take note of the amount of food she’d eaten? She didn’t want to risk it. She chewed her food slowly and dashed it down with a bit of cold milk from the pitcher next to the food. The small amount of nourishment filled her with gratitude and a bit of strength, which she knew she would need to carry her to the study. Leaving the kitchen, she walked back up to the front of the house and stood in front of the doorway she’d seen Harker disappear behind earlier.

  She took a deep breath and knocked. For a moment all was silent save for the creaks and groans of the house and then she heard his voice.

  “Come in. Close the door behind you.”

  Elspeth opened the door and walked into the room. He was standing with his back to her, looking at the fire and when she shut the door again he turned to face her.

  His eyes seemed to widen a bit in a brief moment of what could have been perceived as approval or appreciation. But it passed as quickly as it appeared, and Harker’s expression resumed the same unyielding sternness she’d experienced from the time she’d met him.

  “An improvement,” he said, his voice flat. “I expect you to maintain this level of grooming at all times. It shows discipline. Something I insist upon. And something I have already observed that you lack.”

  Elspeth looked down so he would not see the color flaming her face. “Mr. Harker, beg pardon but you are wrong.”

  “Master,” he said. “My peers call me Mr. Harker. You are not my peer. You are my servant. In my presence you will address me as Master.”

  “Master,” she said.

  “And beg nothing of me when you are insolent.” He began to pace, walking around her. “Beg not understanding, or charity or mercy. You were rude to my guest today, and set a most unsavory example for my sons, your charges.” He stopped behind her. “Would you disagree?”

  She could feel him at her back. Should she turn to face him? She did not know. Elspeth’s heart beat hard in her chest as she answered. “Yes, master,” she said. “Yes, I would disagree.”

  He grabbed her before she realized what was even happening, his large arm wrapping around her waist in one sweeping motion that pulled her backwards. Elspeth’s first thought was that he was going to violate her and kill her, and she cursed the ill fortune that had seen her go across the sea to fall into the hands of a man whose grief had transformed him into a monster.

  But just as quickly she realized she was not going to be raped, but merely beaten as she found herself face down and over Clifford Harker’s lap. She yelped in surprise as she felt the hem of her skirt being raised. She was bare underneath, and her face flamed red in embarrassment. No man had ever seen her without clothing, and here was a man she did not even know glimpsing not just her bare bottom but likely the fleecy pouch of flesh between her now scissoring legs. And although she knew she should hold still, Elspeth could not. This was wrong. She had not done anything to deserve this. But it mattered not what she thought. For her master’s hard hand was descending was descending in a fury on her soft, white skin, marking it with heated imprints of his fingers and palm. Elspeth’s cries of rage quickly gave way to wails of pain as he spanked the defiance out of her. He was – as he promised – merciless and continued unabated until Elspeth was apologizing and spewing apologies and admissions of wrongdoing she did not really even believe she’d committed. Her bottom felt like it was on fire, and when she could take no more went limp in total submission across his broad lap. Only then did Harker stop and drag his sobbing se
rvant to her feet.

  “Do not ever, ever disagree with me,” he said. “You are not my peer. You are merely a servant in my household. Your only worth is in what you provide. I do not care to hear your voice unless you are spoken to, and should you defy me or embarrass me again as you did today I will gladly make what you just experienced seem like the gentlest of strokes.”

  Elspeth swayed a little on her feet from the shock of what she had just experienced. Her just-washed hair was now damp again with salty tears that left sticky trails on her face. Under her skirt, her bottom felt like it was on fire. She shook from head to toe with a mixture of indignation and fear – mostly fear.

  “Elspeth, look at me.”

  It seemed too much to ask. She did not want to look at him. She wanted to run from him. But where would she go? She felt trapped, caged, demoralized and helpless in the face of the reality of her situation. She had no choice but to obey this man, her master. So summoning what remained of her strength, she looked up at him with eyes swimming in hurt and confusion.

  “My sons are in the nursery. They’ve been there this whole time, quiet and obedient. The require care I cannot give. They know what I expect you to now understand, that I will not be trifled with, defied or crossed. You will go to them now and attend to any other needs they may have. You will be attentive, but in no way maternal. I shall not have them confused.”

  He turned back to the fire. “I expect you can handle them on your own. As for me, I have work to do and do not expect to have to hear from you – or them – unless there is good cause.”

  Elspeth looked at the broad back, the rigid stance and turned – for the first time filled with a sense of willingness and purpose – to do her duties. For her master was right about one thing. They obviously required care he could not give. And even if she had to do it surreptitiously, she would make sure the wee lads would somehow know again what their father had forgotten – the meaning of kindness and love.