The Servant Girl and The Sea Prince

Chapter Nine: MELINDA

Good morning, Little Miss Walking Disaster!" huffed Ms. McGoldrick. The head housekeeper of Huntington Manor had not been in the during room when Melinda had spilled red wine on the Duchess of Orange during Lord David's birthday dinner, but she had apparently heard about the humiliating incident.

Melinda stared down at her old, uncomfortable, black shoes. She couldn't wait until she had enough money saved up to purchase new shoes.

To her relief, Melinda was able to get through all of her morning chores without making any notable mistakes. After she had finished dusting the last bookshelf in the grand library, she could not resist the temptation to cautiously pull the "Nautical Folklore" book off the shelf once again. She understood that the stakes were very high, if she got caught reading one of the Count of Huntington's many books without permission, but she yearned to learn everything she could about Poseidon's world, even though she had a sneaking suspicion that the information contained in the book might not be entirely accurate.

The cleaning maid quickly became so engrossed in reading about sea nymphs and sirens that she did not notice Lord David come into the library at first. "You know, I find it...quite refreshing, to see a clumsy, orphaned servant actually reading a book" the young, attractive nobleman remarked. "Most of your kind are too dimwitted to even know how to read or write...".

Melinda's heart skipped a beat. I'm in trouble now...she thought. I should've known better...! She promptly closed the book and put it back on its shelf.

"Relax...Miss Melinda..." Lord David attempted to reassure her. "If you like that book that much, you can keep it...". He shot her a patronizing smile. "My father has so many books in his library, he'd never realize that one of them was missing..."

"I couldn't...". Melinda didn't know what to make of Lord David's unexpected generosity. It was not in his nature to give someone, especially not a low-ranking servant like her, a gift of any kind without some sort of ulterior motive.

"I insist..." declared Lord David.

"If you're sure...". Melinda reluctantly grabbed the slim, leather-bound volume.

Once all her duties were done for the day, Melinda read "Nautical Folklore" from cover to cover, by the light of a single candle, in her chilly attic room. She learned that mermaid-like creatures appeared in the mythology of virtually every country on every corner of the globe. Some cultures saw them as benevolent magical creatures, while others considered them to be harbingers of disaster. Although they were widely regarded as fictional characters, people have claimed sightings of merfolk throughout history.

When she was pretty certain that the rest of the household was fast asleep, Melinda tiptoed downstairs and crept outside. It was a lovely, clear night. The exhilarating scent of the sea beckoned to her as she wandered barefoot on the powdery beach.

After Melinda had waited for five minutes, Poseidon rose above the surface, right in front of her. This was the third time she had seen the stunning merman, but the sight of him never became less thrilling for her.

"Do you...do your...your parents know...that you're out...on the beach...at this hour...?" Poseidon inquired haltingly. He seemed nervous, which struck Melinda as a little odd for such a seemingly godlike being.

"No..." responded Melinda. "I...I don't have parents...I mean, I'm an orphan...".

Poseidon gazed downward at the cool water that he was treading with his muscular arms. "Oh...I'm sorry...My mother foamed too..."

"Foamed...?" Melinda repeated. Then she recalled that she had just read in "Nautical Folklore" that in one northern kingdom's mythology, merfolk were said to turn into foam upon the waves of the sea when they die. So that particular myth is true, at least...she noted to herself.