Good To Goth Chapter 1

Maddison Is doomed

 

          Maddison sat glumly on the front steps to her home, her grandparents were on their way to solve the problem of her further learning. She was on her way to being sixteen years old, and her learning was a problem. She couldn’t sew, sing or play an instrument. The only useful thing she could do was draw, but that is only because her father had been teaching her since she was a young girl. Now she was doomed to corsets, flashy dresses on Sundays, and formal uniforms until she was eighteen. She would no longer feel the warmth she would get in her heart when her mother hugged her, or the floating feeling she got when she laughed with her father. All of it was gone, and so was her carefree life, all because they had died and never wrote a will.

          A carriage pulled up to the lonely house, with the lonely girl sitting on the steps. Maddison’s grandmother, Emily, was helped out of the carriage by her grandfather, John. For a very stern and orderly couple, they were quite cute together. They had been forced together through an arranged marriage, and when they saw each other for the first time at Emily’s coming out party, they instantly fell in love. Unfortunately for Maddison, they were both traditionalists and perfectionists, and they never agreed with the may she was brought up.

          The heavy set woman made her way to her granddaughter, for a woman who lost her daughter she loved very much, she doesn’t look very sad…she looks happy?

          Maddison took a moment to process this thought, and decided that it must still be the shock of her parents’ death that befuddled her. Maddison curtsied to her grandparents, Just like mummy taught me, she thought to her self as they approached. “Good day,” she said quietly as she came back up from the painful straight backed position.

          “My dear are you wearing a corset?” her grandmother asked, Maddison could almost detect the excitement in her tone.

          “Yes ma’am, I am,” she replied as if it were nothing new for her. The truth was that she absolutely hated the thing, and never wore it if she could help it, not even when her grandmother was around. But today she realized it would make her mother happy to see that she was going to not argue today and accept what her grandmother and father said.

          “Well I do hope you received our letter, dear, are your things packed and ready to go?” the wizened woman asked as she stepped over the thresh hold.

          Maddison followed, “Yes ma’ am they are. Would you like for me to go get them?”

Maddison could have sworn if her Grandmother’s stare could burn holes through people, she would be a pile of ash, “No dear! Let the butler get them,” she said ludicrously. “ EDWARD!” she called in the annoying high-pitched voice Maddison always hated.

          Instantly a man came in, his face was plain, but handsome. He had chocolate brown eyes, and hair to match, and his lips were lovely looking and pink as a new rose. “Go fetch Maddison’s things and put them carefully into the carriage,” her grandmother commanded.

          “Aye, ma’am,” he replied with a bow and took off up the stairs.

          She turned to look at Maddison again, “Dear, come sit with me in the study for a moment. I need to inform you about the finishing school you will be attending.” The woman turned and walked gracefully straight backed into her father’s study.

          As usual there was no dust on anything of the dark wood and leather furniture and the smell of polish lightly mingled in the air. Her Grandmother sat behind the desk that was once used by Maddison’s father, Magnus. Swallowing the salty ball of anger that appeared in her throat out of anger, Maddison sat in one of the leather chairs in front of the desk.

          “Now Maddison, as you know your grandfather and I have made plans for you to go to a finishing school for the remainder of the years you will be progressing from a young lady into a graceful woman,” she began very formally. “I understand that this is something that your mother never would have agreed to, but seeing as they left you in the custody of no one, there really isn’t much that can be done outside of putting you into an orphanage.”

          Maddison stayed silent, she wasn’t sure what to say. One day she is carelessly hiding a corset, and the next she is exchanging all of her memories just to stay out of an orphanage.

          Her grandmother continued, “Unfortunately there are not very many finishing schools in London that will take on a recently orphaned child, so I expect you to be on your best behavior while you reside in this school until your eighteenth birthday. You Grandfather and I worked very hard to get you into this school, and we will not have you being kicked out because you refuse to cooperate.”

          A bit angered by the sudden unnecessary scolding, Maddison replied courteously, “You have nothing to fear Ma’am, I am fully prepared to give up the carefree life my mother and father brought me into, in order to survive in the actual world on my own.” She looked up slightly to see a stunned look on her grandmother’s wrinkled face.

          “That is not what I am asking at all, love. There is nothing wrong with they way you are brought up, it is just that Miss Ashley’s School for Girls is a very private school, and many may not like how you openly state you opinions. Especially the headmistress, she is quite the lady.” she replied frantically, as if her words would some how make a difference to Maddison.

          In return Maddison nodded and said, “I understand. I will be less… flamboyant.”

          Satisfied with her answer, her grandmother nodded and said with a note of finality, “You will be taken to the school tonight, while you grandfather and I stay behind to organize the affairs of your parents. For your sake we will try to save some sort of a dowry, so that you will be able to marry respectably.”

          Standing up to curtsy to her grandmother for the last time she asked, “You won’t be accompanying me?”

          “No dear, I have work to do in gathering your mothers things before the government gets to them.” Obviously reading the look on Maddison’s face she added, “Which will go to you when you turn eighteen, I promise dear.”

          Maddison nodded, curtsied, and left the study to find the handsome butler awaiting her in the front room. “ Oh one more thing Maddison,” Her grandmother called, “This is Mason, he will be your permanent butler while you stay at Miss Ashley’s.”

          Curtsying again in greeting to Mason, and in thanks to her grandmother she muttered, “Thank you very much.” And with that her grandmother left to room to deal with ordeals amongst the house.

          “Are you ready to leave Miss Doxton?” Mason asked startling Maddison with an amazingly velvety voice.

          “Maddison, please. And I’m about as ready as someone so unwilling to leave can be.” she replied glumly walking past Mason, to the carriage waiting outside. He raced to help her into the carriage, and then jumped in himself, chuckling slightly at the puzzled look on her face.

          “Would you much rather sit in here alone Miss?” He asked, a look of sadness passing through his eyes.

          Afraid that she would use the alone time to cry about her sudden removal from home she shook her head slightly and turned to look at the window. Her home seemed oddly dark and deserted as the carriage rode away with her in it, but still afraid to miss anything she stared at the house until the fog of the rainy afternoon blurred everything.

          The ride was mostly silent, Mason seemed to understand she was silently mourning so he didn’t speak very often except to point out things he found interesting, or to offer her refreshments.

          It was well past dark when they finally stopped at an inn for the night. Maddison stepped clumsily from the carriage as she walked through the door in a blur of sleep. The inn was sort of shabby, but it would do for the night. Mason supported her slightly, but not too much, so it looked like she was awake enough to be left alone. The inside was dark and empty except for the owner who stood behind the bar. “Wha’ does ye need?” he asked gruffly.

          Mason shuffled around for money and replied, “Two rooms sir.”

          “On’y got ‘un lef’ for tha nigh’,” he replied.

          Mason took a moment to answer but finally nodded his head, “that will be fine,” he replied. A few moments later Maddison was being supported up the stairs to a small room with only one bed, then a cot was quickly brought up by the serving wench. “Thank you my lady, that will be all for the night.” Mason dismissed.

          Forgetting about getting in to proper night clothes, Maddison ripped her corset off and fell onto the bed, exhausted and completely unaware of the male sleeping the same room.

 

Author's Note

Critisism welcome!

Reviews

[VoodooWebs]

It's catchy. I don't know; a bit cliched. Maybe try originizing it slightly. Possibly have the date or something to tell that it's the Victorian era in the beginning -- it kind of left me confused when talking about corsets and carriages at first. But it's intriguing, and I'm on to the next chapter!

[Jocelyn Elizabeth]

Almost forgot. In the beginning, you have the grandma calling for the butler as Edward. Then you have him addressed as Mason. I could not tell whether they were the same person or two different characters. You may want to fix that. Other than that, still a great instalment.

[Jocelyn Elizabeth]

I enjoyed this story. You have a good knowledge of the Victorian age. One thing I would enjoy seeing more of would be description. The age in which you're writing yout story is full of color and detal, don't be afraid to express it. Here's a few examples of what I mean. (Granted, I have a knack for using too much description at times.) Also, the name Madison has one "d", and the meaning is "son of Matthew". I've tried using it in one of my stories before. I know you have 28343 chapters written and it is difficult to change the name of your main character. Like Madeline? Which also has an English origin. Just a thought.)


The year was 1888 and Madison Downey (I don't know her last name yet.) waited on the front steps of her massive home. She watched the people scurry by like rats in a giant maze. They paid her no mind, too involved in their own business and woes to acknowledge a fifteen year old girl on the brink of self destruction.

She disregarded them and folded her fingers in the lap of her equisite blue gown. The corset at her waist made it difficult to breathe and the midday sun bore down on her with a fury. Her grandparents would be arriving shortly to dictate the rest of her existence. In the process of robbing her of indepence, she expected them to announce a life sentence to private school. The act was inevitable. It happened to most respectable girls when their parents passed way.

She dreaded the mere thought of an all girls institution. Sixteen years were creeping up on her fast and the thought of being stowed away at sixteen year old was miserable. She couldn't blame them. Anyone that knew her, knew that sewing was something that gave her sore and bloodied hands, and the act of her playing an instument was comparable to the call of a rabid animal. The only useful task she could perform was art.

Her father had taught her everything he knew about technique and mediums. She longed to have fingers stained with charcoal and paint flecks under her nails. Rather than embrace the love of expression, she was forced into a life of corsets and flashy dresses by the pressure of society. Today would be her last day of freedom before being shipped away and doomed to drab uniforms until she was eighteen.

The world would become a cold place without the warmth in her heart whenever her mother hugged her, without the floating sensation in her gut when she laughed with her father. Everything would vanish in a heartbeat, much like it had when she recieved news of their passing. Her world would be a dark place, much like when she discovered they had no will. She was doomed.

ANYWAY. I may have gotten a little carried away. But I think you get the idea. Indulge. You have an awsome concept of flow. I somewhat envy you for it. You're writing really does have a rythm to it, and your expression is straight foward and matter of fact. I'm excited to read your next chapter. Don't be dscouraged by my review. I really only review on a piece that I enjoy reading... otherwise I don't usually bother reading past two paragraphs. Bravo!!

Jocelyn Elizabeth

[Andromeda]

oooh, the last sentence is exciting! haha