Mamie

Mamie had started her life poor. She was born in a bare shack in the middle of the Scottish winter to a mother barely older than 16. Her earliest memory was of her mom cradling her in her lap as she begged for change on the dirty Edinburgh streets. She supposed this must have worked well enough, passerby taking pity on the baby and young mom, given that they didn’t starve that first winter, nor the next. Her mother then found work as a maid for a wealthy family, the Gordons, who allowed Mamie to tag along as long as she didn’t make a mess. She learned very quickly how to be silent and tidy. 

Mamie’s mom died when she was 12. The Gordons were kind enough to pay for a simple wooden casket and small headstone. The day was grey and cold, much like the day Mamie had come into the world and she thought that the pain she felt at her mothers passing must have been much the same as the searing fire that had split her mom in two and given her way into the world. Years later she would know that fire herself, and found that though both were excruciating, they couldn’t really be compared. 

The funeral was simple, yet pretty, much as her mother had been. Mamie had no money for flowers to adorn the grave but she collected pebbles from along the river to arrange instead. They were more permanent, anyhow. The next day she found herself at the Gordon's door, following the only routine she and her mother had had over the years, and asked for a job. 

When Mrs.Gordon, a rather stern woman, informed her that her mothers spot had already been filled, Mamie nearly began to weep, terrified at the idea of not only being alone in the world, but also of having no means of survival. Perhaps sensing this Mrs.Gordon sighed and mentioned that she could use someone to watch the children while she took care of the household duties. Mamie jumped at the opportunity, assuring Mrs.Gordon that she could do that, yes ma’am no problem. She started the next day.

There were 3 Gordon children. The oldest, George Jr. had the traditional name of the family’s heir, while the other two, Mary Beth (the middle) and William (the youngest) possessed only their last as family ties. She had met the children before from her time working next to her mother in the house, but she had never interacted with them in the capacity of nanny. Gordon was 8 when she first took charge of them and though she was 4 years his senior he seemed to grasp that she was, by all means, a servant, and thus ought to obey his commands. She did not. 

The younger children were more soft. 4 year old Mary Beth often followed Mamie like a shadow, clinging to her skirts and doing her best to copy the older girl’s movements. The baby, William, was only 18 months and was most content to lounge in Mamie arms as she took care of her other duties. 

Mamie was to take care of the children day and night and as such was given a small room in the house. It had stone floors, a small mattress, and a window that never opened. She loved it, decorating it with drawings that George drew her once he realised she was to be more of a matron than a maid to him. She adored them, simple drawings of the house and gardens. Mary Beth gifted her flowers from those same gardens, which she kept in a misshapen vase William had “helped” to create when they had had an afternoon relaxing and playing with clay in the garden. 

One of her favorite parts of the day was the morning. She often took a walk while the children's breakfast was being prepared by the mansion’s cook, taking time to breathe and prepare herself for the day. She’d then go wake the children up per their birth order and help them fit their sleepy limbs into their day clothes. They’d then parade down to the dinning room for breakfast, an array of delicious foods that Mamie could never have imagined eating herself when she first came to the house. Afterwards George and Mary Beth would sit with the governesses until lunch, learning the lessons that would prepare them for their place in the noble family they belonged to. 

During this time Mamie took William on walks or read him books, encouraging his excited babbling as he pointed to various objects around the property. It was during this time when he spoke his first word (‘ree!), pointing at their favorite oak, under whose leaves they spent many mornings. They’d then wander back inside around noon, Mamie holding William’s hand as he toddled up the path. They’d collect Mary Beth and George and eat before making their way towards the sitting room where they spent the afternoon. There Mamie would mend the childrens clothes or do other work and watch as the children played, read, or otherwise entertained themselves. 

The evening was often spent with Mamie minding the children as they dined and spent time with their parents. Then she would whisk them away to bed, changing them into their pj’s and creating fanciful stories until they fell asleep. She’d then clean, and retire to her own chambers, pleasantly tired. 

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Mamie passed many years as such, taking care of the children as they grew and she herself matured. Once the children left the house she found work for other families, happy with the role of caretaker she had accepted on the Gordon’s step so many years previous. Yet, even when she was caring for others George, Mary Beth, and William still made time for her, often updating her on their adventures through letters. 

Mary Beth had married a Duke and lived happily with him on their land, and told Mamie all about the flowers she was growing in her garden, adding pressed specimens into the folded paper on occasion. William wrote of his travels across Europe learning about all manner of things and telling stories that Mamie did not understand, but enjoyed anyways. As for George, he had moved overseas a few years previous and though his letters were less frequent, they were filled with talk of Colony life and his ever growing tobacco business. His last had even contained a small sample for her enjoyment.  

That night, as Mamie laid in bed, she looked over at the bundles of letters on her bedside table and smiled. As she fell asleep the thought crossed her mind that though she had never amassed a fortune of gold, she felt very rich indeed.

A/N: The historical reference in this story is in the character of George Gordon, who was a very real person born in Scotland around the 18th century. He was the son of an influential Scottish family. He eventually moved to North America and established a tobacco inspection house and trading post, around which the town of Georgetown was established. Georgetown was the 3rd colony to be established in Maryland and was an important trading port. I thought it would be fun to build a completely fictional world around this very real person (who I know pretty much nothing about). All other characters are completely fictional, mainly because there are a lot of George Gordons in his line and I couldn’t figure out which was which.