Good to Goth Chapter 3

 

          They had finally reached the finishing school by night fall, Mason had been badgering the cabby to stop all night but he had refused.

          Miss Ashley’s Finishing School for Girls was located in a small town just outside of London. The town itself was still a little behind in the times, but still well kempt.

          Maddison tried to see the school as best she could through the dark, but the only perception she could get about it was the outline of a rather large mansion visible by the moonlight. All around the school was an immense forest, instantly she thought that would be a place she would like to go to often.

          The Carriage pulled up to the front gate of the grounds, which were made of heavy wrought iron and creaked when they were opened. Maddison had the fleeting feeling that these were the doors to her doom that had just opened. Her heart began to beat out of her chest as they got closer to the mansion She had never been to a finishing school, how were girls her age supposed to act? Was she even wearing the right dress for meeting the headmistress? Suddenly there was a warm hand covering her which were currently working on breaking her fan. She looked up to find Mason giving her a comforting smile.

          “Don’t worry, your grandmother already told me what to say,” he said, “All you have to do is smile, introduce yourself, and look pretty.”

          At this Maddison calmed a little. Smile and introduce herself was no problem, but the pretty part, well how does one make their self pretty exactly? She nodded, her heart still trying to break free, and then turned to look back out the window of the carriage. The forest was still and the long shadows cast by the full moon reached for the mansion like hundreds of fingers reaching out to touch the school. The thought made Maddison shudder and she turned away.

          “If this is a finishing school for girls where are you going to stay?” she asked suddenly worried she would be left alone.

          “I will be given a special room to be in. Your grandmother wrote a letter saying it was not to be too far away from you incase of an emergency,” he replied taking an envelope from his breast pocket.

          Maddison sighed, at least her grandmother made this transition effortless, she would have to remember to write a thank you letter later.

          The carriage stopped and another butler came out to help Maddison. Mason, acting the part as butler now instead of friend, followed behind her quietly his face blank of all expression.

          The steps to the mansion were shaky ones for Maddison, every step made her brain scream in protest. Constantly yelling, “Stop! Turn around and steal the carriage! Go back to France!” but Maddison ignored it and pushed herself on to meet the next two years of her life.

          The big oak door was opened by the same butler that assisted her out of the carriage to reveal the sparkling inside of the first hallway. The floors were and elegant light wood and the walls were a dainty white with small flowers, even the exiled could tell this was a place for fine young girls to become women. The colors only made Maddison’s stomach turn with fear.

          A tall woman waited in front of an elegant staircase, she was as beautiful as an aristocrat should be. Her brown hair was pulled into a bun at the base of her neck, and her thin lips were pulled across her face in a genuinely fake smile the did not reach her soulless black eyes. Maddison wondered if her smiles ever reached this proper woman’s eyes which were currently staring her and her butler down. She wore a high collared emerald green dress, and her corset looked to be so tight she had taught her self to never breath again. Maddison stopped a few feet from the woman and curtsied as gracefully as she could. When she came up she introduced herself, “Hello Miss, my name is Maddison Dickinson, your new student from France.”

           The woman continued to stare at her, Maddison wondered if she had introduced herself to the wrong woman, but then she spoke in a very tight voice. “I am Miss Bradley, Headmistress and French teacher at this school.”

 She looked to Mason and asked curtly, “Who are you?”

          Mason stepped forward and bowed, “I beg your pardon Miss, I am Mason, Miss Dickinson’s butler.”

          Miss Bradley’s eyes looked a bit angry, “Well she is safely here now you may leave,” she said in the same curt voice.

          “My apologies Miss, but I am to stay with Miss Dickinson until she has graduated. I have a letter from her grandmother,” he said still unbearably polite even though he was being unfairly treated by the head mistress. “ She also included money to cover for my cost, which is to go to you at this time,” he added pulling out another envelope from his breast pocket.

          At the mention of extra money, Miss Bradley’s eyes lightened a little, she stepped to mason and took the money and the letter. She opened the letter and read through it quickly. “Very well,” she said, “You will have a room next door to Miss Dickinson, but you are not to accompany her behind closed doors or any other time besides meals and the girls’ afternoon break.”

          Maddison’s heart fell when Mason nodded to the conditions, but she quickly recovered into what she hoped to be an emotionless face as Miss Bradley turned back to stare her down. “You will be given a private suite by request of your grandmother, which is not something we at Miss Ashley’s do for children who are practically wards of the government. I expect that you excel in every one of your classes in order to prove that you deserve this room,” she requested.

          Maddison nodded politely, how hard would it be to excel in a class devoted only to needle point? And not to mention French, which she could already speak fluently, it would be like she was already made for the real world.

          “I will show you two to your rooms, where you are both expected to go to bed immediately,” she said beginning to ascend the stairs.

          “Yes Madam.” they replied in unison as the followed.

          “Now Maddison, you are required to wear your petticoat and your corset at the breakfast table, after which you will return to your room and be dressed in your uniform for the rest of the day until dinner when you will change into a more elegant dress. You are required to wear a corset at all times except when you go to bed,” she turned to look at Maddison in her current corset, “It looks like I will be needing to order you a new one, and a few dresses. I will have a tailor here tomorrow morning, be up early.

          “Sundays are a day of relaxation, you can use this to do your homework, have picnic, contact family, or read in the library. During the evening we attend mass to which you are to wear your formal uniform, during the day you are required to only wear your petticoat and your corset. Any questions?” she turned again to look at Maddison who shook her head, “of course not.” she mumbled and unlocked a door to her left.

          “This is to be you room, don’t abuse the privilege,” she said instead of goodnight and walked to the door next to hers and unlocked it for Mason. As soon as the other butler and Miss Bradley disappeared down the stairs Maddison peaked out her door to see Mason wave goodnight to her. She smiled to herself and waved back before closing the door.

          The suite had the same wood floor as the rest of the school, and the same dainty white walls, except with gold flowers. Maddison sighed and began to dress for bed, unfortunately Mason had tied her corset and she couldn’t get out of it. She tapped lightly on the wall her bead was on and waited for him to knock on her door.

          Instead he let himself in, “What do you need Miss?” he asked politely, but the laughter was plain in his voice.

          “Maddison. And you tied my corset so well I can’t get out of it,” she replied not looking back at him. She heard him chuckle to himself and cross the room.

          Quickly he loosened the chords of her corset and he sat on the bed next to her, “Better?” he asked.

          She nodded and removed the corset, “ I can’t believe I’m required to wear on of these infernal things all the time now. It’s like I live with my grandmother all of a sudden,” she complained.

          “ I wouldn’t worry too much, it’s only for a couple of years, and you may grow to like it Maddison,” he replied.

          Maddison turned to glare, “ I will never get used to teaching myself how to not breathe,” she said shaking the garment in his face. “You need to get out of here before Miss Bradley comes back and kicks you out.”

          Mason chuckled again and stood up from the bed, “Goodnight Miss Dickinson.” and bowed himself out of the room.

          Sighing she unfolded to covers to the bed which was covered in white and gold bed things and settled in for the night, and for every night for the next two years.

 

Reviews

[VoodooWebs]

This chapter clashes a bit with the earlier two. She's from England, then Fance. Where next? Brazil? It may help to make a profile about the characters and times, about what you've told about the plot, etc. It would help you immensely, I hope. There are a few grammar issues again; the whatever this ( ; ) is, missing periods, mispelled words. Spell check can be your best and worst friend ;)
You may need to take a bit of time and read your story again from start until now. Help get your bearings on where you are to what you need to do to bring it all together. Maybe make a diagram of the story.
Still an interesting story!

[Jocelyn Elizabeth]

Dun, dun, dun!! The story continues. I will make notes on this story since I have an obsession with copying and pasting. Anyway... "Suddenly there was a warm hand covering her which were currently working on breaking her fan. She looked up to find Mason giving her a comforting smile." I had no idea that this meant. Breaking her fan? What was his warm hand covering? I'm confused, just need some clarification. ALSO... how old is Mason? Earlier in the story he was discribed as a man, but I think you should maybe discribe him as a young man... if he is in fact a young man and "breaking her fan" ;-) Haha.

Also, a man would never lace a woman's corset in the Victorian era. I would not have her go into his room for that reason. Maybe you could stll say she tied her corset too tight and she flops down on the bed without taking it off. As for seeing Mason. I would have her mind wonder over memories with her parents and she starts crying and Mason hears her through the wall. He could tend to her.

It is a bit strange that any man would be able to stay at a finishing school at the request of a client, especially in the next room. You should consider instead of introducing Mason so early in the story, having her meet him at the school. Perhaps he is the gardener, or the head cook in the kitchen. This way he has a reason for being there and it does not seem so weird. You should still have somebody accompany her on her journey. Maybe her grandma could arive with her cousin Patrice... or something and she agreed to travel with Madison to the school.

Earlier it seemed as though Madison was from London, but here it says she is from France. If she is from France, she should have a French name. Both Madison and Mason are English names. Maybe you could leave Mason English if she meets him at the school and call him Auden... Adelle and Auden. (Love those names!!) Haha. I don't know. Just some thoughts to help improve. Hope they are helpful.

Jocelyn Elizabeth