Gina's Education (16 page)

She felt a tear forming when she thought about all the pain she had caused her mistress – her sister! The memory of the night before, talking for the first time with her real life sister –chased away the tear and made her smile.

Gina lay quietly reflecting on the past month. She no longer chafed at the bonds that held her; she knew she earned them. She knew it was her own doing that had brought her to this state, and for that she was now sorry.

*****

Mistress Rose wanted to know everything. Most of all, she wanted to know, “Why?” So Gina talked for hours, telling her mistress everything she wanted to know, and enjoying the companionship of the woman she had so envied.

She told her about the stories she’d heard from her parents about their father’s confinement as a prisoner of war, about the rescue that had taken place years later and had sent him to the hospital where he met her mother. She told her what she knew about their courtship and marriage. Mistress Rose wondered aloud why he never came back for her own mother and Gina told her about the memory gaps that he’d had as a result of the beatings in the prison camp.

She told her of the struggle to find enough money for food and rent, about her mother working two part-time jobs and the medical care their father needed. “I am not sure why he didn’t become an alcoholic,” she said, “because he was in constant pain from the beatings.” Both women were crying by this time, thinking about the suffering their father had gone through.

“What name did your parents give you?” This was the first time anyone had ever asked her, and for a moment she hesitated. “You haven’t forgotten it, have you?”

Gina smiled, “No, Mistress. I hated my name,” she explained. “I was named after my mother’s mother; Millicent Pearl,” she whispered as though it were a distasteful secret.

Rose threw head back and laughed out loud. “I can see why you wanted to change it! But why did you take mine?”

“The first time I saw you, I was drawn to you. I had no idea why. There was just something about you that was familiar.” Both women smiled at the reality in that remark.

“I saw your wallet fall from your purse onto a chair, but I thought you would see it. Your friend took it to the boy serving coffee; I suddenly got a wild idea! I figured we looked enough alike, maybe he would think you came back. I waited until he was busy, and it worked! He thought I was you. I wanted to find out more about you, Mistress,” she said sheepishly.

“Then I realized you had the same last name as me. You had a good job and plenty of money. I had just lost my mother and no longer had a place to live. I was staying with my cousin. The idea took hold for some reason that I should have what you had, and I resented you for having it. I wanted to have it all, too. After a while, I wanted to have everything of yours!”

Gina dropped her eyes and looked ashamed; for the first time saying it out loud made her realize the sin she had never acknowledged before. “I am so sorry, Mistress,” she said miserably, meaning it sincerely, including the title. “I deserve every punishment I receive for what I have put you through!”

Mistress Rose, moved by the girl’s contrition, said nothing. She was sure she meant it when she said it, but time would tell if she was truly aware of the impact of her actions. The idea of sibling rivalry from a total stranger put an oddly quizzical look on Rose’s face.

When they were through talking, hours later, she had the maid bring up some sheets and a blanket for the bed. “You may keep the robe,” she said as she left.

“Thank you, Mistress Rose.” Very quietly, when Rose was almost out of earshot, she said, “I have a real live sister!” Gina sat on the bed grinning and hugging the robe around her. Something about having a hand-me-down from an actual sister made her feel wonderful!

Gina resolved she would earn her mistress’ favor in many ways from that moment on.

*****

“Time to put her to the test,” Rose said as she went up the stairs. Robert gave her the remote, just in case, and told her what parts of the manor were within the ‘invisible fence’ where Gina would be allowed.

As she removed the chains from Gina’s wrist cuffs, the least restrained she had been in a long while, she told her, “You have permission today to wear the robe and to eat at the table in the kitchen, after the rest of the staff has finished their meal. You may use the bathroom off the hallway. You may come back up to you room if you haven’t been given something else to do. Those are the only places you are allowed to go besides the basement. Do you understand?”

“Yes Mistress! Thank you, Mistress.” Gina could hardly contain her excitement.

“Be sure you are showered and ready for a client by 3:00.”

She watched the girl’s expression in the reflection of the glass and saw her wince, but she only answered, “Yes, Mistress Rose.”

Rose turned to go downstairs and grinned at the change in her. What a difference! Rose felt herself warming to the girl. She left her in the kitchen and went out to the terrace for breakfast thinking,
‘It still doesn’t seem real, that we are really sisters!’

After breakfast, Rose went to check on Joan and the baby. Joan was healing and moving around a bit better, but her face remained a mess. Rose was rocking the baby when Robert knocked.

Robert was startled when Rose answered the door. She smiled at him. “Joan is taking a shower and I am enjoying a little time with this gentleman.”

Robert’s expression didn’t give him away, but the sight of Rose holding a baby had melted his heart.

“I just came to see how she was doing,” he told her, “but I’ll come back later.”

Rose merely nodded; her attention was on the little man in her arms. She didn’t see the longing in Robert’s eyes before he left the room.

Rose joined Robert for breakfast after Joan settled down to rest. Even a shower is a lot of work after a beating.

“Mrs. Parker will be here today for a fitting, along with her new husband-to-be. She has confided that she is afraid he isn’t going to be masterful enough.”

Rose was surprised at this piece of news. “Isn’t this event a bit risky if he isn’t on board? I thought they were planning a coronation.”

“That’s what she has asked for,” Robert replied while tapping his soft-boiled egg’s top open. As he scooped the contents out, he stated, “I’ll be interviewing him today. I need to measure him up and get a feel for what he wants. After all,” he finished with a big grin, “if the lady wants to be mastered, he needs to be aware!”

Rose laughed at the mischief in his eyes and speculated, “I wonder if that is why Mr. Parker is no longer with her! Are you planning to do a little re-writing of the script?”

Robert just rolled his eyes and made a whistling sound of innocence.

“Will the costumes need changing?”

“I’ll let you know later. Probably only gowns for the main event; I think the rest are pretty much fine the way they are.”

“I’ve given Gina the run of the three rooms, and told her to be ready at 3:00. She isn’t looking forward to it. She seems the most excited about being clothed!”

“If she goes into any other area, the remote will alert you at the same time it warns her. If she ignores the warning, she gets the stronger message. Should she go into another area and past the fence, it will trigger the third button until she goes back.” Robert finished his coffee and asked, “Did you tell her about that?”

“No.”

Robert smiled in approval. “If you don’t have any particular job for her today, I might take some time to do some training with her.”

Rose just nodded and smiled.

*****

Rose found Robert at his desk the next morning where she expected to see him going through the mail. She smiled at this man’s efficiency.

“I’m thinking, with all the work we have been doing decorating and getting costumes…”

Robert looked up from the mail, “Yes?”

“Are you planning a Halloween party? There were so many parties at the manor; I thought it might already be planned.”

“No.” Robert looked at his calendar, “but there is just enough time to send invitations if you would like. We had one a few years ago, but it was the oddest combination I have ever seen.”

“Did you have a theme?”

Now he looked at her blankly and asked, “Isn’t the theme Halloween?”

Rose smiled, “We have been doing so much work on the Parker event, and getting costumes ready for everyone that it made me think of Halloween. Then I thought it would be fun to make it a ‘Night of the Undead.’ Vampires and werewolves and mummies – the clientele here would eat this up!”

Robert put down the mail and laughed. “You know, they would!”

“The decorating we are doing for next month’s event fits right in, too. We wouldn’t have to make too many changes.”

“Well, I like the idea, and it beats having a lot of people show up as cigarettes, tampons and toilet brushes!”

Rose was mentally trying to picture someone as a toilet brush and shook her head to free that image. He handed her the approved party list and, with a big grin, she left. “Thank you, Master.”

The Halloween party gave Rose another duty and afforded Robert more time to train Gina. He finally saw some of the familiar family traits in her that he saw in Rose. She was very determined to please her sister, now that she knew what drew her to Rose in the first place.

Robert had another plan for this girl, though.

*****

The decorations on the night of the party were exquisite! The dungeon effect was already in place for the upcoming wedding. It only took a few bats, spiders and web decorations to finish the decor. The whole downstairs became a stage for vampires, werewolves, mummies, witches and zombies.

The food was fun, too. There were finger sandwiches with almond fingernails and ketchup blood where they had been ‘detached.’ Voodoo dolls were made from marshmallows and licorice, caramel spiders wandered all over the tables and on plates of ghostly meringues. There was a punch bowl that looked like a witch’s cauldron complete with the smoky effect of dry ice, and a buffet of Italian food because it looks the bloodiest, as well as lots of treats for desserts.

Robert, of course, was Dracula. Rose dressed as Elvira. Drew and Maddie came as vampires. Gina was a witch. Just a few minutes before 8:00 the doorbell rang and the party began! Everyone looked spectacular in their costumes and seemed to be having a wonderful time.

Rose and Robert circulated and danced with many people. While she danced with Drew, Rose learned some interesting details about Robert. “That gal over there, the bloody bride,” Drew told her, “was here six years ago. She is now a lawyer. Jodi over there in the gypsy costume graduated top of her class and is now a nurse. The tall one dancing with Robert – I can’t remember her name right now - Robert talked her into medical school. She is an intern in Boston. She graduates in June.”

Rose couldn’t hide the surprise in her eyes, and Drew noted her pride for her Master. He smiled at her thinking, “
she is so good for him.”

Everyone ate, danced and socialized. At close to 10:30, Rose saw another couple entering the party.
The Monster Mash
was playing and most of the people were dancing. The man coming in was wearing a kind of Dr. Jeckel/Mr. Hyde costume and the woman was wearing a dog collar – nothing but a dog collar - attached to a leash. As they got to the bottom step, the woman tripped and fell. Instead of lifting her to her feet, Dr. Jeckel yanked hard on the leash, jerking her onto her face.

Everyone stopped dancing in a wave of recognition, those closest to the stairs first. The music stopped and the room went silent.

The house doctor moved closer. When Dr. Jeckel objected, he pulled himself to his full height and gave him that toothy grin. Dressed as a witch doctor with skull makeup accenting his menacing grin, the effect was as compelling on the man as it was on the girls; he backed off immediately.

The voodoo doctor picked the woman up and took her to the examining room. She was in horrible shape; malnourished, while everyone noted the man was quite well-fed.

Rose heard someone mention how well the woman’s costume fit the theme of the party. It was nervous sarcasm, but true – she looked like the walking dead.

Jodi and the intern came over to help the doctor and shut the door to the examining room.

Mr. Hyde took off the mask. He was already drunk. Heaven only knows what he had been doing to that poor woman. “You have no right to take her in there. She’s my slave!”

Robert clenched his teeth, but asked in his quiet tone, “Is that your wife?”

He surprised the man, who spun around to see who spoke. “Yeah. I gotta get in there.”

No one was going to allow that. Chief of Police Paul was at Robert’s side, as were a number of other men. Robert stepped between the man and the door and explained, “She is with two doctors and a nurse. She is in good hands.”

Even in his drunken state, he realized he was out-manned. The door opened after a short while and Jodi stepped out. She looked at the man with sympathy on her face and told him, “I’m sorry, but your wife died.”

He looked stunned, but didn’t really react. It was hard to tell if he cared about her at all, but it didn’t seem that way.

Police Chief Paul and two of his men took the man into custody.

“What did I do?” He clearly had no idea why he was being arrested.

Paul said, “We will tell you later, when you sober up.”

The rest of the guests came over and said their goodbyes; most said it was a great party. Rose felt terrible.

Robert, the gracious host to the last person, then went to examining room to see what really happened.

Doc said, “I will fill out the death certificate with ‘broken neck.’ That should keep the drunk busy for a while.”

Robert nodded, watching the man’s eyes. Jodi was still tending to the woman and Rose was confused. She saw her hand move and nearly jumped out of her skin! The woman made no sound, but grabbed Robert’s arm.

He patted her hand and told her, “No, my dear, she isn’t dead, but if she went home with that lout, she would be soon enough.”