Lady Jane's Legacy

Another day of errands to be done. Jane had become very bored with the routine of playing an errand boy in her life. She was in the heat of summer in the middle of a city she longed to be free of. The traffic, noise, bustling of people; she rarely found the advantage that had once been dreamt by the families who moved to this once undeveloped land. She, herself, had moved here for the opportunity that was promised in the newspaper. 

She had grown up on a farm in the countryside of the Cotswolds. A place where so few families had lived, but those who did were closer than most blood families. Children of the village were looked after at all times because each household treasured the child of another as their own. The children had many summers of today's heat, jumping in the far too filthy river to please any mother. They had skipped through the fields of flowers during the spring, giggled at the misshapen pumpkins they found in Asa Thomas' farm in the fall. Winter was, by far, their favorite time. Each day they would erect a new snowman, forming a sentry style guard. 

As Jane hurried through the busy shops trying to perform the duties she had been hired to do, she daydreamed. How she would love to lay down in the snow and make a snow angel with her best friend Lizzie; how she would love to lay down at all. She was on her feet from 5am to 10pm, 6 days a week and even on her rest day had to have dinner on the table for the Billington family by 6pm. She wasn't resentful of the family at all. On the contrary, she very much appreciated the lifestyle they had provided her and adored their relationships with each other. She was just as happy they treated her with the respect due to her station.  The only thing was, like many servants, she was overworked.

As she walked down the cobblestone path, mentally, she was running a checklist through her mind of what she was meant to purchase. This month, Mrs. Billington had several times cautioned her on the quality of the vegetables she had brought in the home. Though to her defense, Jane believed, had Mrs. Billington stayed out of the kitchen; she lacked the knowledge to use, she would have been none the wiser once they were served. 

"Good day, Pete," she said as she entered the farmer's market. Pete was a man she could relate to and more at her level. She appreciated the hard work he put into his job and envied that he could retire on the peaceful and quiet farm in the evening. "Oh, Lady Jane!" he said in a comical tone. "Must I tell you each time we meet not to call me that?" she retorted. "Oh, but Lady Jane, a gentleman, can only say what he sees." Jane shot him a quaint smile as she walked down the aisle of fruit, heading for the apple crate. 

She filled her basket with just enough to keep the Billington children happy and would have to come back for the apples she would need for the stuffed pork on Sunday. Oranges, bananas, berries... she thought as she filled her basket. Ah, the vegetables. "Pete!" she shouted to the front of the market, "May I get your assistance?" Pete waved good-bye to the 'ginger cat lady,' noting to himself he really should learn her name, and joined Jane by the vegetables. "Yes, madam, what can I do for you?" "Pete, I'd like to purchase fresh potatoes, courgettes, carrots, onions, and runner beans. Mrs. Billington has been less than satisfied with my recent selections. Do you have anything fresher?" "Sorry, flower, these are the ones I've brought with me. I'll be sure to bring some along with me next time that really gives an impression of freshness. Dirt and roots? Or just one or the other?" Taking no mind to his humor, Jane kindly thanked him, filled her basket, and completed her purchase. 

Feeling much more bogged down with its weight and the layers of clothing that made up her uniform, the heat now felt sweltering. She tried to remember she only had a few blocks to carry the load and could place it down while waiting at the butcher shop. Please don't let me see anyone I know before I get to the shop, she thought. It wasn't that she was unfriendly but more that she lacked that skill they all seemed to possess. You know, the one where they can calmly stand like a concrete statue showing no pressure from their bundles and baskets. Oh no, Jane would crumble like a crisp fall leaf. 

Luckily Jane didn't cross paths with anyone she knew along her side of the street. She did, however, run into Alice inside the butcher shop. There were already several people waiting as she placed her basket down and turned to Alice. "Hello, a beautiful morning, is it not?" she asked Alice. "Jane, how lovely to see you. Yes, it's been a wonderfully bright day. I was able to read in the garden with the children. And you?" "No, I'm afraid I have been in town most of the morning. Perhaps tomorrow I'll get the chance." The ladies hear some commotion ahead with the butcher. Someone they did not recognize from town was trying to barter for some lunch. "It's unfortunate when the country folk come to town, isn't it?" Alice said. Once the commotion had died down, the ladies were quickly able to select their meat, and Jane was once again on the move. 

She couldn't put her finger on it, but something in what Alice said always ruffled her feathers. To be honest, she didn't know much about her but believed her position was more leisurely than her own. Perhaps that was just it? She felt as if she rarely had a moment to write home while Alice had time to read a book. I suppose it must not be an exciting book, Jane thought to cheer herself up. She was already on her street and could see the entrance to the kitchen just ahead. She wanted to be sure to get there quickly enough to place her shopping down but not so soon as to trip over her own feet ... again. 

"Oh, Jane!" you frightened me, Sadie said. "My apologies, I only meant to release the pressure from my arms." Jane had dropped the shopping a bit too loudly and had not even announced her arrival before doing so. Sadie also worked for the Billingtons. While most of her duties were with the children, she was, all the same, just a family servant. Perhaps in the upper-class families, there would have been a distinction of the nanny, but here, they worked for the middle-class family and performed as a general servant, no titles needed. "What have you bought for dinner?" Sadie asked, not because she was happy to prepare it, but because she was hopeful it was something she could pinch from without the family noticing. "It's beef roast, and after I've prepared it, I'll see if I can remove an end without notice."

As Sadie took lunch out for the children, Jane began unpacking her shopping. The dinner she planned for the family was one her own mother had taught her. Cooking the family meals she grew up with was a way she stayed connected to home. The preparation came naturally, and she could lose herself in the aromas of familiarity. She was doing just that when the Billington's daughter, Minetta, came into the kitchen with her plate. 

It was relatively uncommon for the family to enter her 'domain,' but she welcomed the little girl. " Hello, Minnie. Did you enjoy your meal?" "Oh, yes, very much, Miss Jane. Thank you. Do you think you can tell us another story today?" For whatever reason, the children really enjoyed her telling stories about country life. Though to be fair, she had heard Sadie telling stories before, and it was fair to say she wasn't ready with voices and the details the kids yearned for. "You know Minnie, I think I will have just the story you would enjoy. Let me finish preparing dinner."  

An hour later, Jane, Sadie, Minnie, and her two brothers met on a picnic blanket in the back garden. The sun was still shining, but the heat had let up, outdoors at least. Jane was still feeling the heat from getting the stove heated and preparing the food to cook. She would really enjoy the cool air of a winter day, which is where her mind was. 

"Well now, Billingtons, how about a story from the countryside on a cold winter morning?" The children's faces lit up with excitement. They had always lived in the city. While they had experienced a cold morning, they were still disappointed that the snow disappeared so quickly. They knew from previous stories that the snow didn't disappear so quickly in the country. There wasn't as much foot traffic along the pathways to mush and melt it.  

Jane began, "In the winter when I was 8-years-old, my best friend and I went outside to start building snowmen. Lizzie and I loved when it snowed, and we loved going out to create a new world. We could build snow houses, snow pets, snowmen. Some weeks the snow would stay so long we could make a whole new village out of snow." Jane giggled as she remembered. The children tried to imagine what she described, but they found it a little harder, having never experienced it themselves. "Lay back on the blanket, relax your mind, and close your eyes. Now imagine what it would feel like if the cold snow were to fall from the sky. The cold droplet of the flakes hitting your skin, shift of wind to a sharp chill, and you start to feel the ice on the tip of your nose." 

Jane looked down at the children's faces. All of them had a faint smile as they envisioned the scene. Jane looked at Sadie with a quick smile of her own before lying down next to the children on the blanket. Jane closed her eyes and tried to imagine the scene she gave the children and began to speak. "Children, do you see the snow fort the boys have made over there? Walk with me over to look inside. Be careful now; the snow is quite deep," she added. Something wet landed on her forehead. Oh, please don't be a bird flying overhead, she thought. "Children, do you see the snow dogs? Aren't they marvelous! I remember we would build snow pups as guards for the angels we'd make." 

One of the boys piped up, "you built angels?" Jane laughed as something wet landed on her hand. "No, Samuel, we would make angels that lay in the snow. Using our own body as fans. Tell me can you feel the cold touch of the snow? BRRR, we should have worn our mittens." Jane joked.  

"I can!" said Minetta. "it feels freezing out here. My head needs a hat!" Everyone laughed. "You have done a great job walking us through this, Miss Jane," said Sadie " I could swear we were lying in the snow right now." "Don't get carried away now," Jane giggled "it would be quite the day to have snow in the middle of summer in our city."

"Miss Jane!" Samuel spoke up.

"Miss Jane? Miss Sadie?" Minetta said.

"Yes, dear," Sadie said as she sat up. "Uh, Miss Jane, you will want to get up now. Children up, up, please." Sadie said. Jane opened her eyes, and there it was... Snow! 

"Oh, my goodness!" Jane was so excited she began flapping her arms and legs in delight. She didn't mind the cold. She was just happy to feel like a child again. The children, unsure of what to do, just followed Jane's example. They would get up and run to another part of the garden. And make a new angel, again and again.

"Miss Jane," Sadie said, "how did you do this?"

"I didn't," she replied. "I have no idea how this has happened. Perhaps I dreamt it."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"And that is why on July 18th, we have beef roast and wear our winter clothes to the garden," William told his children. 

"Father, we always love when you tell us stories about growing up with Lady Jane." said his daughter. 

"Me too," he said, "me too."