Day 3: 11,022 words -- 34,351 total

Going well. Going better than I had hoped. Today's work was harder to get, but I made it.

And here's a little snippet:

"You know, it's funny that you should mention what I can and cannot do," Bell said. She leaned back in her chair. "I was just in conference with Lady Effie. It's why we're so late to dinner tonight. Lady Effie wants me to reorganize the work structure for the people in the castle. I think it time you had a new job, Mrs. Wynith."

"You can't --"

"Laundry," Bell said. She nodded. "Laundry needs watching over. And folded. You'll be working out in the wash rooms, and most of the girls will be done with the work by the time you arrive -- no matter. I'm sure you can get the bedding folded and ready for distribution."

"You can't possibly think you can send me --"

Bell leaned forward. "I can send you anywhere I please, Mrs. Wynith. You will be working laundry. Millie -- you've been working for Mrs. Wynith for several years. I'm not sure how you managed to survive it so long, but I think you must know the ropes well enough to take her place."

"Me, ma'am?" the girl said, going white and red and looking almost faint.

"You can't possibly --" Mrs. Wynith said, her voice growing louder again. "I won't stand for it!"

"You can always leave."

"I'll go to Lord Terrance!"

"By all means, go. I'm sure he has time to listen to you complain about work. But he'll tell you to go to Lady Effie. Are you really going to go and complain to her?"

Beth watched with fascination as the woman's face changed from rage to fear. She had lost the argument. She wouldn't dare go to the woman whom everyone knew she hated and belittled at every chance.

Until that moment, Beth hadn't thought this was real. But now... now she took a breath at the reality of the situation. She looked at Bell and had never seen the woman look so serious.

And Mrs. Wynith knew it as well.

She took a step backward, a little unsteady. Darva put a hand on her shoulder to make certain she didn't fall, but Mrs. Wynith wouldn't take such kindness from anyone, and especially not from someone she now clearly saw as an enemy. And the look she gave Millie --

"If you bother the girls and Millie again, you'll be answering to me," Bell said leaning forward again. "And there are worse jobs than coming into laundry in the morning and making certain the work is done and the clothes folded. If it wasn't for Trevor, you'd be lucky to get latrine cleaning. So don't push me, Mrs. Wynith. Go quietly to your work. You aren't being cut in pay and you'll still have your rooms. Consider how much worse it all could be."

Mrs. Wynith stared for a moment longer, but it was plain that she couldn't speak. She spun and hurried out of the room, silence in her wake as it had been at her entrance.

Bell leaned back and smiled. "Well, that went better than I expected. I thought I'd need my cousin to draw a weapon before I was done."

"It's real. You mean it," Millie said, her voice uncommonly quiet.

"Oh yes. Quite real and quite done. It was going to happen soon anyway. I had thought to do it in private, but... well, maybe it was time that Mrs. Wynith realize she no longer rules the roost."