Madam Lereaux’s Finishing School for Girls was one of the best all-female boarding schools. Women of class from all around sent their daughters there to be prepared to be wives and mothers and productive members of the social elite.
Daine Sarrasri was not there for anything like that. She was a maid in the boarding school, picking up after the students and cleaning halls and rooms. It wasn’t a bad way to make a living, and she did have a room there, in the attic. Recently the girl she’d shared her room with had gone home to take care of a sick mother, and so the boarding house was hiring another maid, and putting her in Daine’s room in the bed beside hers.
She was just finishing tying her apron when she heard the door open and turned toward it with a smile as a redheaded young woman stepped in. “Hello. You must be the new maid. I’m Daine, it’s nice to meet you.”
Dorcas was actually pleased with the maid’s job she’d managed to pick up. It would help her support herself. And her sisters. Prudence had managed to earn the school’s single scholarship position, which still cost them a pretty penny but allowed her in at all without any fine breeding.
Agatha was apprenticing with a doctor at the hospital. They’d had to do the man a few favors that were less than pleasant. But both her sisters were getting educated, she was helping support them both. And they would support her in the future.
Her sister was teaching her chemistry and things that she could learn and found actually interesting on the side as well. Which she’d used to help make tonics, soaps, perfumes. A lot of things Dorcas quite enjoyed doing.
“I’m Dorcas, and yes I am. It’s very nice to meet you Daine,” she said, bringing hertwo large suitcases in before moving over to offer her hand to the other woman.“I’m sorry, I”m running a little late, I’m afraid.”