Helena very quietly made her way into the kitchen.<br/><br/>Though she'd been with the household for some time the woman still felt out of place among the kitchen staff. Quite possibly, she always would. Officially she was a servant like them, but higher born, better educated… And she knew some of the people here begrudged her those things. The staff in one of her previous households had even made it a sport to torment her. Fortunately nothing like that had happened here yet.<br/><br/>More often than not, she took her dinner in the schoolroom – away from the other servants – but today she felt strange a need to not-be-alone. Like all the rest here she was suffering from the tension caused by the master's return, the mistress' prolonged illness, the strange guests they were having over and that<em>mummy</em>… "I wouldn't be surprised if it is haunted," she said emphatically, catching the strange coachman's words. "I say the sooner they ship it off to the British Museum the better for all of us."<br/><br/>She approached the bubbling cauldron of stew and, rather inexpertly like she didn't do this sort of thing often, began to ladle some of it into a bowl.<br/><br/>"They're all busy," she said quietly, "Best if we help ourselves."<br/>