Made From Roses

Two weeks

Mary stood behind her bedroom door as she listened to Mr Shelby stumble up the stairs, his feet missing several steps and crashing against the hard stairs.

It was the fifth night in the row that he had sunk himself into a bottle of whiskey and Mary was starting to worry. As she listened she had terrible thoughts about hiding all of the alcohol and dealing with the consequences.

"Fuck" she heard through the other side of the door. Mary clutched her neck and sighed, hoping and praying that he wouldn't fall back on the stairs again.

The next sound she heard was a bottle smashing across the landing and she internally cringed knowing that as soon as he was in his room she would have to go out there and clean it up. Mary had done this several times to save Mr Shelby pride and would continue for as long as she needed too.

After a few minutes Mary heard the door down the hall click shut and she let out the breath that she had been holding.

—-

Mary was up at six am tending to the house and preparing Mr Shelby's breakfast with nerves jittering in her stomach. There was a new maid starting today, it would be the fourth in two months and she was silently praying that everything would go well.

Mr Shelby had purposely been rude to every new starter, if he wasn't making them feel uncomfortable with his temper he was purposely ignoring them. Mary had been the only person he had stayed level headed with and it was a great burden to bare.

As Mary set up the table for Mr Shelby she thought about the new maid, Annabelle Thorn who had come suggested to her by a family nearby. Miss Annabelle was not favoured by her current house due to an insecurity from the wife.

Mary thought that Annabelle would be a prefect fit for this situation as Mr Shelby was very much alone and didn't seem to care for women around him.

"Mary" Tommy greeted as he slipped into the dining room, his eyes averted from hers as he took his seat. Mary could see that he hadn't sleep much again.

Mary smiled gently before placing a tea in front of her hungover boss. Looking slyly at him she confirmed that he hadn't slept very well as the bags under his eyes where showing.

"Mr Shelby, Miss Thorn will be here today. Would you like to meet her before she starts?"

Tommy waved Mary off as he picked up the days paper "Not today Mary" and she knew from his tone that he was not in the mood to discuss it further. Taking her tray she quickly slipped out of the room and onto her next job of the morning.

—-

Annabelle Thorn was a grateful to be rid of her last post. Grateful that she didn't have the hateful eyes of Mrs Roberts glaring at her or her husbands gawping. Annabelle has always been fiery and biting her tongue had taken its toll on her.

As she slipped out of the car she looked up to find a lady staring down at her from the house step. Annabelle had heard great things about Mary from a few girls she had worked with. Mary had specifically requested Annabelle and she hoped that she could live up to her expectations.

"Miss Thorn, good journey?" She asked as she outstretched her hand.

Annabelle shook back and smiled "Yes thank you" she replied back.

"Good, let's get you settled before we meet the rest of Mr Shelby's staff"

It hadn't gone unnoticed by Mary that Annabelle had flinched at the sound of the Shelby name and she was instantly worried that it wasn't going to be a problem. It was always a problem.