Underneath Time

Her dress clung to her body as she felt the cold wet grass underneath her. This was not lady-like, her mother would tell her. Her father would disparage her every little moment, but tears fell down her face. Her heart rambled as her lungs could not keep up. The small photo she held in her hands, protecting it with her body had seen better days but it was all she had now. 

“Joan Gene Williams” her older brother, John B. Williams spoke to her as her small hang clung to the bottom of his pants “You can not!”

“Brother John!” Joan called out in the mist of her sobs “You can not say that is true! Do not say that he is gone”

“You know I do not tell a lie” John says as he looked at his sister with pity. The man they as in their family had arranged marriage with had died yet little did, they not know Joan and him had already formed a new life before marriage “Why would I lie about my pal?”

“You have lied before” she said as John bent down and held his hand out to help her up

“You can not sit in the rain like this sister” John says “thus as my pal who you were to marry, Richard, has passed on you are still to marry”

“Who am I to marry then if it is not Richard Johnson? I am with child that is his”

“Do not speak nonsense Joan!” John said as Joan winced as his hands held with a tight grip on her upper arms “You have not-”

“I have so” Joan says without a doubt “You can ask the nanny and Lucy”

“Do not speak nonsense, if you are then you can-” John begins to say as he looked at Joan’s expression and released his grip. Letting his hands drop to his side with a heavy sigh “When had you been this unruly?!” he shakes his head “I will figure something out” He walks away into the place most called a home.

“Miss Joan!” Lucy, Joan’s head maid and best friend, spoke as she carried a shawl and an umbrella “We must get you inside”

“Richard” Joan said as she clung to the young girl who was bought by her family at a younger age than Joan at the time, but Joan did not understand for the circumstances. However, even afterward she kept her close to attempt to keep her safe “He-”

“Miss Joan, please calm” Lucy says as she walks with Joan to her bedroom that was located upstairs in the huge house that was surrounded by fields. Lucy quickly prepared a bath and helped Joan into it. “Please, calm your mind miss. You know Sir Richard would say”

“Lucy, what am I to do? I had envisioned my life with Richard and had-” Joan said as dunked her head into the warm water and dove back up, catching her breath.

“Sir John will think of something” Lucy says with a blush on her face despite the fact that her the rose pink or red tone could not show up on her deep colored skin.

“You think too highly of Brother John, Lucy” Joan says as Lucy helped her out of the tub

“I do not” Lucy says “However I have served you for a long time and have seen many things in my lifetime, but I have not seen John be anything but a good brother to you”

“As long as he stays a good brother” Joan gently corrects despite seeing the look in her eyes. Joan had done everything to keep Lucy away from John, but it seems it was not working “Please Lucy, do not think of John in a good light. He does not deserve such thing”

“It’s not like that” Lucy says “I am way aware of where I stand right now”

“It is not like that Lucy”

“It doesn’t have to be the word is the way it is” Lucy gripped the dirty towels in her hand, as if clinging to something “I can not ask or do as I please, if it weren’t for Miss Joan taking a liking to me, I would be like the others”

Joan could not utter another word as Lucy helped her into bed “Lucy I-”

“I know” Lucy says as she took the small lamp that had a small flame “Good night miss”

“Good night” Joan said as Lucy shut the door and began walking down the hall.

“If I was not me. If I was like Joan or her friends then maybe... I could have had a chance with Sir John” Lucy thought to herself as she bumped into what seemed to be a wall “oof”

“Watch where you are going” a voice said as Lucy looked up from her thoughts to see John who had a young girl similar to Lucy, Nash whom was a little younger than her, trailing behind him “Has Joan already gone to bed?”

“Yes Sir” Lucy says as she bows to him, he smirks and then has the girl Nash follow him down the hall. Lucy sighs when she was younger, she realized right away that Joan was different than her family. Unlike her father or her mother, Joan has never treated Lucy harshly. though, neither has John.

Lucy slipped outside, as quiet as possible as she made it to the little home that had many people stacked in. A woman she knew sat on the porch with a needle and thread as she came to the porch “Miss Genie” Lucy says

“Lucy, my dear, everyone is back except for Nash so sleep quickly before it’s too late” Genie said “I will wake you when this is complete to take it into the rooms of Sir John and Miss Joan”

“Thank you” Lucy says as she slipped inside and laid on the bare wooden ground next to several girls whom she had known over the years. She turned on her back as she caught the glimpse of some scars that had looked fresh. This was not home, Lucy reminded herself despite the comfort that Joan had given her countless of times. For when she saw the people she saw as siblings, aunts or cousins she could not think of this place as safe. After all she was taught not to.

Genie, an older woman, had lived on this land with many of the boys and girls here. It had been long time since she had first arrived in fact when she arrived was when she was born. Over the years with each master being born, there treatment has gotten better but not by much. Not many likes to mention it though the fact is despite some who have left the Williams had not once forced any back. Instead, it seemed as if they turned a blind eye to it all. As if saying they could buy plenty and they would still be fine. Genie finished the last of the clothes that were asked to be made for the young madam and sir as she stood up. The dizzy feeling had returned. She must be tired she thought to herself as she carefully made her way inside.

“Lucy” Genie whispered as a light grumble was heard. Genie looked at the young girl as well as the others, if she got Lucy to go instead then maybe there would be no issues like the others.

“Genie?” Lucy says groggy

“If you go now, you may rest more after” Genie says “I hear that Madam Joan will be not feeling well to get up early”

“Yes” Lucy stood up despite the need to sleep as she took the woven basket over her arm and walked towards the house. Sleep still in her eyes. She carefully pushed the door open, the creek causing her to awaken. After all they’re small little hut did not have a door. She held the railing as she trailed up the stairs. She snuck into the closet of the master’s and then traveled to John’s bedroom. Her heart pounded as she as quickly and quietly as possible opened the door to the bedroom and tip-toed around the room into the closet.

She had not seen Nash once yet. Concern washed upon Lucy’s face as she quickly put the clothes into the closet. She heard movement and looked back around to find that Nash was on the floor, opposite of the side she could see from the door. Was I to wake her, Lucy questioned with a sigh as she quietly tiptoed to her and gently touched Nash’s shoulder.

“Nash” Lucy quietly whisper “come on”

“Lucy!” Nash quietly whispered as tears welled up in her eyes.

“Do you need help getting back to the hut?”

“Please” She whispered as Lucy helped her to her feet. Nash and Lucy quickly made their way out of the house to the hut. Lucy felt water dripping onto her and looked over to see tears coming from Nash’s eyes. It was as if for a second Lucy’s heart fell at what she was seeing. Nash was not one to cry. None of them that worked here were after many years of being here, but she was. “Don’t look at me Lucy, please” Nash asked despite the fact that their dark brown eyes caught the sight of the other. The two of them only stood a foot from the hut as even Genie could hear them. Genie’s heart sunk. It was what she assumed all along, Genie thought to herself with a haunted expression.

Lucy couldn’t utter a word as Nash let her go and walked to the hut with a limp following her to lay in the hut. Lucy sighed as she sat on the porch. “I am indeed lucky,” Lucy thought to herself and ironic thought crossed her mind “Maybe that’s why the masters named me Lucy in the first place”