"Thomas Received"

"Thomas Received"

"You will never, EVER amount to anything, YOU HEAR ME?" 

The cruel words of his Lady Lane's voice replayed over in Thomas's mind, he clenched his fist trying to drown them out. Thomas stood looking out of one of the Servant's quarter's windows, the day was bright, his clock read exactly 6:00 am, it was already begging to become sunny. The clock chimed. Thomas sighed.

"Well, here we go!" he muttered to himself as he changed out of his bedclothes and into his butler uniform. The bells started ringing, in all of the grandest rooms, Her ladyship always woke at 6:05, which meant Thomas had to be up in her quarters with her morning coffee and toast by 6:03. He pulled on his gloves, dashed to the kitchen, and grabbed the silver tray which Mr. Benedict had already filled with the finest china, a pot of coffee, and a picture of cream. Thomas nodded in the chef's direction, since he was new, he wanted to not waste a single minute nor second, everything he did had to be absolutely perfect if he wanted to impress the "royal" family. 

Thomas sprinted up the stairs to her Ladyships quarters, swinging open the door exactly as the clock stroke 6:03. Lady Lane was already awake, standing in front of her room's grand window, staring out at the garden as the morning breeze gently ruffled the curtains. Thomas laid the silver tray upon Lady Lane's bedside table, as he began to make her bed, straightening the freshly pressed white sheets. Lady Lane did not greet him that morning just like she didn't upon his first arrival at the Lane Mansion. 

Thomas straightened once the bed was made and said,

"Your Ladyship, your coffee is ready!" Lady Lane broke her gaze away from the window, she frowned upon seeing Thomas, then she glanced at the clock hanging on the wall.

"Your just 3 minutes late, try again tomorrow Mr. Bale!" She sat down on her freshly made bed and sipped her coffee. Thomas stayed in his position by the door, waiting for her to finish so he could take it back down to the kitchens once more. Lady Lane didn't finish her coffee, however, she stood and turned her attention to Thomas's job at making her bed. She made an unapproved noise and then threw back the sheets, ripping them from his carefully made corners, she threw them out the open window, causing Thomas to rush towards it, trying to catch the falling linens before they reached the ground below. 

He turned, he could feel the blood boiling under his veins, yet, he remained calm so she wouldn't have the best of him, he was used to being undermined because of his lack of expertise when it came to being a butler, but here it had grown worse. 

Thomas collected his nerves once more and turned back to Lady Lane who was sitting back on the un-made bed examining her nails.

"Your Ladyship, I didn't mean to offend you!" Lady Lane rose, her chest rising and falling dramatically, she raised her own voice.

"OFFEND ME YOU DID NOT, I SIMPLY WANT A BUTLER WHO IS ON TIME, IS THAT SO HARD TO ASK FOR?" Thomas clenched his fist behind his back. 

"Forgive me your Ladyship, But, I assure you I was on time!" Lady Lane straightened her posture. She drew nearer. Her teacup still in her shaking hand.

Suddenly, before he knew it, Thomas was standing screaming from the pain of hot coffee being thrown over him. Alfred came running in he was the otehr under butler towards Thomas. 

 Lady Lane had tears running down her cheeks, but even in agony Thomas could tell that she was faking. Alfred scratched his head, rushing towards Thomas.

"Your Ladyship, what has happened?" Lady Lane just wept, even though no tears were running down her cheeks. Alfred gently touched Thomas's shoulders. Thomas screamed in pain louder and louder. Suddenly there were a ton of footsteps rushing up the stairs towards the cries of pain they had been hearing. Lily, Lady Lane's maid had been ironing her day dress(s) when she heard a scream of agony, as she stopped, her heart beating out of her chest, she saw Alfred and the two other under-butlers helping Thomas down the many stairs, his hands shaking violently, angry red burn marks all over his face and hands. Lily used to help Alfred who helped Thomas sit upright in a chair next to the servant's table. 

"What happened?" she said, she felt tears starting to run down her cheeks, she had fallen in, love with Thomas the day he arrived at the Lane Manor. Alfred started unbuttoning Thomas's vest and undershirt.

"Lady Lane said he attacked her!" Lily grabbed a cold washcloth and handed it to Alfred as he handed her Thomas's coffee-soaked clothes. She gasped as she saw the rest of the burns on his stomach and chest. Alfred started applying pressure with the cold washcloth to his stomach and his chest. All the servants went about their business but Alfred and Lily stayed by Thomas's side as he twitched and jerked often because of the pain from his many burns. Alfred turned to Lily, his brow furrowed.

"Do you believe Lady Lane? Do you think Thomas DID attack her?" Lily shook her head.

"No, of course, not..Thomas is not that kind of person." 

Alfred nodded.

"I'm going to resign tonight, ever since Thomas got hired here by Lady Lane, she hasn't been the same, he cries out in his sleep every night, Lily, there must be something else going on!" Lily nodded.

That very night all of the servants decided they were all going to resign together. They left Lady Lane's Mansion in the early morning before she could wake. As they were all walking towards the train station, Thomas could still feel the vigorous pain from the coffee burns, he was clenching his fist, Lily noticed this, she reached down and squeezed his hand, they locked fingers and then they all climbed onto the train together, getting away from their toxic life. As the train started and the buildings and trees flew by as Thomas looked out of the window, he smiled to himself. 

He didn't have to be perfect, not anymore, without Lady Lane in his life he could be happy and with Lily in his life he would be happy for the rest of it, he was getting an opportunity. This was his chance to finally start over. 

~The End~