Jilted, a Former Ladies' Maid Moves Out West

By Susan Hart

This is a wonderful, rich, and deeply emotional novel about a young English ladies’ maid who falls in love with the son of her mistress, when an enemy betrays her and causes her expulsion from the household. With no options left, she decides to ship out to the US and become a mail order bride, where nothing in her short life prepares her for what happens next.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Susan Hart
• Release date: Apr 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005153908

Susan Hart

I was born in England, but have lived in Southern California for many years. I m now retired and live in the Pacific NW in a little seaside city amongst the giant redwoods and wonderful harbor, almost at the Oregon border. My husband and I have one cat, called Midnight and she is featured in two of my latest Sci-Fi short stories. I love Science Fiction, animals, and trying to help others. I publish under Doreen Milstead as well as my own name. My photo was taken right before the coronation of QE II in the UK.

Book preview

Jilted, a Former Ladies' Maid Moves Out West

By

Susan Hart

Copyright 2022 Susan Hart

Synopsis: This is a wonderful, rich, and deeply emotional novel about a young English ladies’ maid who falls in love with the son of her mistress, when an enemy betrays her and causes her expulsion from the household. With no options left, she decides to ship out to the US and become a mail order bride, where nothing in her short life prepares her for what happens next.

Chapter 1

Annie Waters awoke with the dawn and to the sound of her younger siblings running around the house. It was not a large house, just three small bedrooms upstairs and a kitchen and front room downstairs. She shared her bedroom with her younger sister, whilst her two brothers shared another, and her father and stepmother occupied the third. The walls were thin, as was the way in these houses, so the minute anyone else was out of bed, so was she.

Built for the mill workers, these houses were set in regimented lines, each row with one well and one privy to share between them. Annie’s father was one of the shift managers at the mill, so they were lucky enough to have one of the larger houses at the end of the terrace. Most of the others were just two bedrooms and had neighbors on both sides. Even so, with so many of them in the house, it could be a bit of a squeeze. Not for much longer though, as Annie was hoping to gain a position in one of the factory owner’s houses that very day.

She yawned and stretched out in the small double bed she shared with her eight-year-old sister, Lottie. Lottie was already up. Swiveling her legs out of the bed onto the cold, wooden slats on the floor, Annie shoved her arms quickly into her dark blue, worn dressing gown. It was October and the morning chill had set into the house. Hopefully, there was already a fire burning downstairs.

Lottie backed into the room, carefully holding onto the wash bowl full of water, as it threatened to slosh over the sides, Morning Annie, I got this ready for you, she set it down carefully on the small dresser they shared, her thin arms straining under the weight, and I made you some breakfast, so you are all set on your special day.

Annie smiled at her, warmly, Lottie, you didn’t need to do that, but that’s very kind of you. Lottie just grinned and sat down beside her on the bed.

The sisters did not look at all alike. Lottie was slim with thin, straight, fair hair. Her eyes were light blue eyes and she possessed a long, thin nose, giving her a constant look of seriousness. Annie had a thick mass of brown, coppery hair that curled at the ends and hazel and green eyes shaped into ovals, which made her look as though she were constantly smiling. Her nose was small and pert and she had full, wide lips. She had been slightly chunky as a child, but had grown into a slim adult, with feminine curves that added to her beauty. The reason for the drastic difference between the two was that they were only half-sisters.

Annie had been an only child before her mother died of a fever, when she was only seven. Crushed at her early departure from the world, Annie and her father, Ben Waters, carried on for two years alone, just the two of them. Soon after her ninth birthday, Angie Smith, a woman who they knew through church, began bringing pies and casseroles over, pleading sympathy over the fact that Ben had no wife and Annie had no mother to do such things. Annie could see straight away that Angie was making a play to become the new Mrs. Waters and sure enough, six months later Ben proposed. It was not a marriage born of love; Ben had lost the only woman he would love like that already. But he needed companionship and thought it best that Annie has a good, respectable woman around to help her with the things he couldn’t, as she grew into a woman.

It had been a miserable few years for Annie initially, as Angie seemed to resent and despise her. Annie tried her best to please the new woman of the house, but it seemed that her very appearance could throw Angie into a rage, so she learnt to stay quiet and busy when her father was not at home. Angie was never cruel to her in front of Ben, knowing that if it truly came down to it, he would take Annie’s side. Annie was the apple of his eye and the one thing he loved most in the world.

Life became a lot easier when Lottie was born. Although Angie still resented her, she had a new life to look after and someone who would finally love her back, unconditionally. It made her calmer and a lot easier to live with. As Annie helped out more and more around the house and with the baby, the two had begun to work civilly alongside each other. No love grew between them, but a silent peace treaty was put in place.

Annie ruffled Lottie’s hair affectionately and smiled. Walking over to the dresser, she began to wash and get ready for the day. Selecting her best dress, the one usually only worn for church on Sundays, she put it on and pinned her long, thick hair up as neatly as it would allow. She turned and twisted in front of the long, speckled mirror standing in the corner of the room, a Christmas present to the both of them from their father. The dress was a little worn, but clean and well cared for, which was the best she could do. Cream, with green sprigs patterning the material, it suited her and looked smart.

Annie, if you get this job up at the big house, you will come back and see me often, won’t you? Lottie asked, worry coloring her voice.

Of course. She turned in surprise to face her little sister, I will be back here to see you and dad and the boys, every opportunity I get. I think Ella said that I get a half day every Sunday and then one full day off a month.

Ok then, as long as you do. Lottie replied, reassured by this.

Anyway, we don’t even know if I am going to get it yet. Annie fiddled with a rebellious strand of hair, nervously. I might not. They are only seeing me because Ella recommended me, as a favor.

They would be stupid not to take you, Lottie declared, walking across the room. She jumped up onto the bed so that she could reach, then took over tidying Annie’s hair. Her nimble fingers tucked the offending strand away, so that it would not bounce back. There, you look just like a princess now, she beamed.

Annie turned around laughing and squeezed Lottie to her in a big bear hug, picking her up and twirling her around. Lottie squealed and giggled in her arms. Annie, let me down. Annie -- your pretty dress, you’ll crease it!

You are worth a crease or two, Lottie Waters, Annie replied, spinning faster. The room was filled with laughter, as the love and fun between the sisters shone out.

Footsteps thundered up the stairs and the door flew open. What on earth are you two doing? Annie stopped spinning and lowered Lottie gently back onto the bed. She stared calmly into the narrowed eyes of her stepmother. Lottie regained her balance and smiled good-naturedly at her mother.

Nothing, mum, I was just helping Annie get ready.

And why are you doing that? she sneered. She training you to be her ladies maid, is she? She isn’t even good enough to be one herself. Go and sort your brothers out, they’re making a right mess downstairs.

Yes mum. Lottie scampered off.

And you, Angie’s face turned sour as she faced the step-daughter she had never wanted, go and eat breakfast or you’ll be late. Not that I know why you are even going, getting fancy ideas of becoming a fancy ladies-maid. She shook her head. "Always thought yourself above everyone else, haven’t you? You, with your books and your flighty ideas.

Well, let me tell you, my girl, she pointed a hard finger and stabbed the air with it as she talked, you are no better than the rest of us. When you don’t get this today, I want to hear no more of this nonsense. You just be grateful for your job at the mill and you find yourself a nice boy to marry, otherwise one day, they will all be gone. And, you can’t live here forever.

She walked away and Annie just closed her eyes.

Angie had never understood Annie’s need to better herself. Her father did though, and he had encouraged it in her from an early age. Ben had grown up in the slums and had worked hard his whole life, to provide a better life for his family and become a shift manager at the mill. He had changed his path. Now, he wanted his children to do the same, to reach higher than the path they were born onto.

Every girl from the mill families did the same thing. They learnt how to run a small house, they worked in the mill as soon as they reached the right age, and then they married and had a hoard of children. They never left, and they never asked for more. Annie didn’t want that.

She wanted more.

Ben had learnt to read and write in the night school run by the parish. There was no school for the girls of the neighborhood, so he had taught Annie how to read and write himself. Anytime they had money to spare, he would buy her a new book. She soaked up everything he taught her and read each book he bought home, cover to cover. She read of adventures and romances and of worlds far beyond the restrictions of her own.

Annie dreamt of becoming one of the heroines in her books, growing up. As she became older, those dreams changed from being whisked off by a prince on a white horse, to simply getting out of the mill town and seeing the world for herself. She dreamt of becoming a ladies’ maid, living in a large house, wearing nice clothes and speaking with well-to-do people about interesting things. If she could get a job such as this, she would be able to travel with her mistress, see the world and meet new people. It was a means to getting what she wanted out of life, and for the past few years, she had been determined to get there.

The only problem was, Annie had never even worked as a scullery maid before. She had no experience in a house and as such, had no way of getting into such a high position. As soon as she had finished school, her stepmother had marched her straight to the mill and secured her a place there. Annie had tried to get a maid’s position, but with a mill worker background, she never had any luck even getting an interview. The housekeepers all saw her the same way; uneducated and inexperienced in their way of life.

They did not know that she could read and write as well as any man, or that she spent her evenings locked in her room, teaching herself the polite etiquette of high society. The only person who knew how hard she worked at all of this, was Lottie, who was sworn to secrecy on the late-night practices.

Annie had found a book in the second-hand store one day, a guide for ladies to train their ladies’ maids. Thrilled, she had bought it and taken it home that day, studying it cover to cover. After mastering the arts that she could learn alone, Lottie stepped in to play the role of her mistress and Annie would serve her as though she were indeed, a lady.

It mattered little though, because she still had no way to prove herself, stuck in the mill day after day. Over the years, she nursed her dream, keeping her eyes and ears open and never losing hope. She watched with envy, as a friend from her childhood climbed the ranks within one of the large households up on the hill.

Ella and Annie had been friends since they were small, playing together in the fields away from the factory smoke, when they were not needed at home. Ella had grown up on the other side of town, her mother a seamstress and her father in service himself, so she had been able to get in very early on. After a few years, Ella had been promoted to ladies' maid and Annie had been thrilled for her, despite also wishing she could trade places.

Ella knew Annie’s dream and how hard she worked to separate herself from the other mill girls. The opportunity Annie had today was down to Ella’s assistance and for this, Annie could never thank her enough. Ella had been courting one of the footmen for some time and he had finally proposed. They were to be married soon, which meant that Ella would have to give up her position.

As a married woman, she would be running her own home. Seeing the opportunity to help her friend, she asked her long-time mistress if she would interview Annie as a favor. She explained Annie’s dedication to her home education in both an academic and work-related capacity, and the mistress agreed to see her. It did not mean she had the job of course, but it gave Annie the opportunity to at least try, and to show her skills.

The big day was today. Annie had secured half a day off from her work at the mill with her father’s help, and she was to be up at the big house at ten o’clock, to meet with the mistress. Nervous, she reached under the bed and pulled out a worn box. Opening it up, she pulled out a small piece of cloth and unfolding it, slipped the brooch it held into her hand. It was a tiny, colorful enamel brooch with flowers on it. Her father had given it to her mother as a wedding present and had then gifted it to Annie on her eighteenth birthday.

It had been precious to her mother and so it became precious to Annie. It was the only thing of hers that she owned. Angie had callously thrown anything of her predecessor’s out, once she moved in. Annie had been crushed, watching her mother's prized figurines and hand-woven blankets be thrown into the trash. But at least, now, she