Patched, faded material did nothing to protect against the mountain chill at night, but during the day, she was almost grateful for her threadbare clothing. The breeze felt wonderful as it brought a scent of the flowers in the meadow outside though the open door into the kitchen. Lunch had been hours ago, and dinner was not for some time yet. It was her favorite time of day. The cooks and staff all went off to rest or eat... or whatever it was they did between meals, and left her to clean up.<br/><br/>She had never minded at all. She always preferred to be alone anyway. Since coming to this place, she had fought hard to go unnoticed. It was the attention of others that had caused her so much grief in the past. This new life as a maid in such a grand estate was all she ever dreamed of. She had a bed to sleep in, food to eat, and labor to keep her hands from going soft.<br/><br/>She hummed to herself as she once more dunked the washcloth in the bucket and scrubbed at the stone counter. Today had been a hectic day of cooking from the looks of it, and the kitchen was more desperately in need of attention than it normally was.<br/><br/>She didn't mind. She scrubbed, swept, hauled, and wiped as the afternoon wore on. All the while, she hummed to herself, adding a merry tune to the spring breeze. Suddenly, mid tune, she stopped. She stopped everything... and just stood there. Tilting her head to the side as if listening, her eyes went out of focus as she seemed to become lost in thought. After a very long moment of stillness, she blinked heavily a few times, then her eyes slid back into focus and she shook her head.<br/><br/>When she resumed her cleaning, the humming did not return. She was too thoughtful to hum. He was awake. She'd felt him rise. Today would be an interesting day. She had been curious about the man since he'd been brought into the estate. Perhaps she would be fortunate to hear why he was here, what had happened to him, and what would happen next... Knowing it would be her duty to see to his needs, she rushed to finish her cleaning. They would be calling her soon, and she needed to be ready to respond. She was almost flustered as she readjusted her hair, tucking the stray locks of hair back into the bun or sweeping them behind her ears. She wiped the smudges of dirt and flour from her cheeks, washed her hands, and switched her apron to the other side so that it looked clean. This was as good as she could do. Nervously, she fidgeted about the kitchen, waiting for the summons.