Millie stands by the wall staring at the coming and going of people along the passage where the grownups are. Her older twin sisters Anna and Bella stand together by the huge vases her father had brought back with him from one of his adventures. They hold hands dressed in the black and white pinafore dresses whispering to each other as they often did with their secrets and isolationism. Millie's younger sister Lisbet sits on the huge grey patterned carpet with her doll her long golden tresses over her shoulders. She too looks down the passage at the coming and going of the grown-up people their laughter and loud guffaws from the men. Millie has her hands behind her back fiddling with her white apron straps at the back. She is wearing the scarlet pinafore as her black one has become too small for her Nanny had said. The people along the passage have disappeared into the rooms and all is quiet again. Lisbet plays with her doll talking to it in her childish tones. Millie is glad the people have gone. She hates it when visitors come friends of her father's usually come to stay and talk and dine with the family downstairs while she and her sisters eat with Nanny in the nursery out of their sight. Anna and Bella giggle and walk off along the other passage towards the empty rooms where they can explore and pretend are rooms of magic. Lisbet gets up and walks off after them leaving Millie alone by the wall. She stares along the passage fearing one of the guests will venture down towards her and talk to her bending down to her as if they were giants or witches with their large faces painted with red lips and large eyes. She listens for them. She wishes her father never invited these people. She dislikes them being around as they disquiet her. A few months ago one of the guests a man tall and with dark piercing eyes and a close friend of her father's walked down to where she was and talked with her. Her sisters were elsewhere. Nanny was off for a few hours and in the nearby town. The man had offered Millie a selection of sweets and she had taken one shyly and unwrapped it and put it in her mouth. He seemed quite friendly and asked about the house and garden. She warmed to him as he seemed friendly and not snobbish like many of her father's friends. He asked if she could show him around the house and gardens. She said she would and felt important as if it was her house she was showing him. After a little while he went off and said thank you and went to his room along the guest's passage. Millie was just about to go along to the nursery when his door opened and he called her and asked if she would like to see his book of butterflies and also his case of butterflies he had caught. She smiled and said she would and entered his room. The room was larger than hers and her sisters' and had large window looking out on the gardens below. There were paintings on the walls of landscapes of places your father had been or wished to go some day. He closed the door after she had entered and went to get the book of butterflies and opened it for her and she sat on a two seater sofa by the wall. He spoke of the various butterflies and their colours and patterns. She listened willing to learn about them. Then he put a hand around her and drew her close to him. Her left arm was held between his body and hers. She felt bewildered. No one had embraced her like this before not even Nanny. He spoke on as if he was unaware of his actions unaware of her sense of unease. She wanted to get up and leave she couldn't his arms held her close to him. She lost interest in the butterflies. She just wanted to go. He looked at her and closed the book. He placed it by the side of the sofa. He said she was very pretty like a young princess and he kissed her cheek. She felt frightened now and wanted him to stop wanted for him to let her go. She stared ahead at the window opposite. Trees were waving in the afternoon breeze and birds flew across the sky. His hand had moved down her leg and his fingers touched her knees. Someone called her name. Millie the voice called. He removed his arm and hand and stood up and he smiled at her. She did not smile at him but searched him with her frightened eyes searching for words to say something but no words would come. He opened the door and put his head out of the doorway and called the maid who had been calling for Millie. The maid came and he talked to her and she curtsied and nodded her head and he told her he was showing Millie his book of butterflies which she had enjoyed. Millie said nothing. She left the room not looking back at him feeling undone feeling as if she had stepped into a dark place. The man left a few days later and Millie said nothing to anyone about him or what he had done. She couldn't sleep that night. She dreamed afterwards that he had come into her room and had touched her and she had screamed and Nanny came running in and had asked what was the matter. Millie said she had had a nightmare. She said nothing about the man. Anna and Bella come along the passage from the rooms hand in hand whispering and giggling. Lisbet follows dragging her doll by the arm along the floor and sits once more on the carpet playing and talking with the doll. Millie stares along the passage. The rooms are closed. The guests inside. Millie likes the silence. No one talks to her much now. She hasn't talked much since that day. She won't walk down the passage alone any more. She leans against the wall staring at the floor.
Apr 6, 2017
Apr 6, 2017 at 12:03 PM UTC
Millie stands by the wall staring at the coming and going of people along the passage where the grownups are. Her older twin sisters Anna and Bella stand together by the huge vases her father had brought back with him from one of his adventures. They hold hands dressed in the black and white pinafore dresses whispering to each other as they often did with their secrets and isolationism. Millie's younger sister Lisbet sits on the huge grey patterned carpet with her doll her long golden tresses over her shoulders. She too looks down the passage at the coming and going of the grown-up people their laughter and loud guffaws from the men. Millie has her hands behind her back fiddling with her white apron straps at the back. She is wearing the scarlet pinafore as her black one has become too small for her Nanny had said. The people along the passage have disappeared into the rooms and all is quiet again. Lisbet plays with her doll talking to it in her childish tones. Millie is glad the people have gone. She hates it when visitors come friends of her father's usually come to stay and talk and dine with the family downstairs while she and her sisters eat with Nanny in the nursery out of their sight. Anna and Bella giggle and walk off along the other passage towards the empty rooms where they can explore and pretend are rooms of magic. Lisbet gets up and walks off after them leaving Millie alone by the wall. She stares along the passage fearing one of the guests will venture down towards her and talk to her bending down to her as if they were giants or witches with their large faces painted with red lips and large eyes. She listens for them. She wishes her father never invited these people. She dislikes them being around as they disquiet her. A few months ago one of the guests a man tall and with dark piercing eyes and a close friend of her father's walked down to where she was and talked with her. Her sisters were elsewhere. Nanny was off for a few hours and in the nearby town. The man had offered Millie a selection of sweets and she had taken one shyly and unwrapped it and put it in her mouth. He seemed quite friendly and asked about the house and garden. She warmed to him as he seemed friendly and not snobbish like many of her father's friends. He asked if she could show him around the house and gardens. She said she would and felt important as if it was her house she was showing him. After a little while he went off and said thank you and went to his room along the guest's passage. Millie was just about to go along to the nursery when his door opened and he called her and asked if she would like to see his book of butterflies and also his case of butterflies he had caught. She smiled and said she would and entered his room. The room was larger than hers and her sisters' and had large window looking out on the gardens below. There were paintings on the walls of landscapes of places your father had been or wished to go some day. He closed the door after she had entered and went to get the book of butterflies and opened it for her and she sat on a two seater sofa by the wall. He spoke of the various butterflies and their colours and patterns. She listened willing to learn about them. Then he put a hand around her and drew her close to him. Her left arm was held between his body and hers. She felt bewildered. No one had embraced her like this before not even Nanny. He spoke on as if he was unaware of his actions unaware of her sense of unease. She wanted to get up and leave she couldn't his arms held her close to him. She lost interest in the butterflies. She just wanted to go. He looked at her and closed the book. He placed it by the side of the sofa. He said she was very pretty like a young princess and he kissed her cheek. She felt frightened now and wanted him to stop wanted for him to let her go. She stared ahead at the window opposite. Trees were waving in the afternoon breeze and birds flew across the sky. His hand had moved down her leg and his fingers touched her knees. Someone called her name. Millie the voice called. He removed his arm and hand and stood up and he smiled at her. She did not smile at him but searched him with her frightened eyes searching for words to say something but no words would come. He opened the door and put his head out of the doorway and called the maid who had been calling for Millie. The maid came and he talked to her and she curtsied and nodded her head and he told her he was showing Millie his book of butterflies which she had enjoyed. Millie said nothing. She left the room not looking back at him feeling undone feeling as if she had stepped into a dark place. The man left a few days later and Millie said nothing to anyone about him or what he had done. She couldn't sleep that night. She dreamed afterwards that he had come into her room and had touched her and she had screamed and Nanny came running in and had asked what was the matter. Millie said she had had a nightmare. She said nothing about the man. Anna and Bella come along the passage from the rooms hand in hand whispering and giggling. Lisbet follows dragging her doll by the arm along the floor and sits once more on the carpet playing and talking with the doll. Millie stares along the passage. The rooms are closed. The guests inside. Millie likes the silence. No one talks to her much now. She hasn't talked much since that day. She won't walk down the passage alone any more. She leans against the wall staring at the floor.
