The Year of 1901 (chapter 2)

Here is chapter 2 of my new book. It's still in draft. I just reached 14,000 words yesterday and finished chapter 7!!!!!!!!!

Chapter 2

The Driverless Carriage

After waiting impatiently for a few minutes, Mrs. Billing saw Mrs. Waterford’s figure coming into view from the back door.  In this time Esther had managed to get her coat on, put her handbag on her wrist, and adjust her hat in the mirror. Her white gloves were still clutched in her right hand. The plump cook came racing from the back door still wearing her dirty, white apron and holding the wooden spoon. Before she could say a word, Mrs. Billings spoke up.

“Is the carriage ready?”

“Yes mam, Mr. Waterford just brought it to the front.” was the old cook’s reply.

“Finally,” said Mrs. Billing quickly, not letting the old women have any time to say another word. With not another second delay Mrs. Billing reached for the door and started outside.

The three girls quickly shadowed their mother’s long steps out the front door.

“Mam,” said the cook following Mrs. Billing and the girls outside.

“Not now,” replies Mrs. Billing to the women as she held her dress and walked down the many steps. “We are late and whatever you say to me can wait.”

“But mam…,” started the Mrs. Waterford. She was again interrupted. For right as she began to speak Mrs. Billing had looked up at the carriage.

“Where is Stevens?” said Mrs. Billing, startled at the image before her. When she looked up, she saw the same rich carriage that she had ridden in numerous times but the carriage itself was driverless.

“Mam…,” started the cook again.

“Where is he? Doesn’t he know we are late and are in a hurry?” The old cook finally got tired of being interrupted and ignored. She raised her voice to her mistress which was something she had only done but twice in the 23 years she had work as cook for the Billings. 

“Mam,” her voice was much stronger and louder now that she had her confidence. “If you would stop interrupting me then maybe you would hear what I have been trying to tell you the last 10 minutes.” Mrs. Billing, seeing that the old woman was upset and serious, took a deep breath before letting her arms fall to her side.

“All right tell me,” said Mrs. Billing in a tone that showed that she was still in charge yet submitting.

“Stevens quit earlier this morning,” was the truth that came out the cook’s mouth rather as a shock. 

“What?” Her mistress was obviously upset. “What... what… why… when? Why… why didn’t you tell me?”

‘’I tried to tell you mam, but you said if I spoke another word, you’d fire me.”

“But… but why didn’t you tell me this morning when he left?”

“I thought you knew mum,” was Mrs. Waterford’s simple reply. “Mr. Waterford told me this morning after breakfast. He said he left early.”

“Uhhhh,” that was all that Mrs. Billing could say in reply. Mrs. Billing did not say it in anger but in the sadness of desperation. The old mustached driver had been the longest driver to ever stay with the family. He had stayed a total of close to 3 months. Esther, who with her sisters had watched the whole conversation, quickly came up with a solution. 

“I can drive the carriage mamma!” were the words that slipped from her tongue before she was even able to consider the idea.

“What?” said Mrs. Billing who had been wallowing in the silence of sadness. 

“I can drive,” she said again as she took a step closer to her mother. “I’ve seen Mr. Stevens drive a thousand times,” this was an exaggeration of course but it was used to drive her point home, “and I’m a good rider. I know how to handle horses and….” Mrs. Billings was now shaking her head at her daughter’s idea. “Kitty could sit up with me. She’s an even better rider than I am.”

“No, absolutely not,” said Mrs. Billing in a surprisingly calm voice that showed that she half considered the idea.

“Oh please, it will be all right,” added Kitty who stepped up to her younger sisters’ side. There was a second of silence as Mrs. Billing tried to come up with another solution.

“Why can’t we just get Mr. Waterford to drive the carriage?” was Pricilla’s reasonable voice a few feet. Now that idea Mrs. Billing would go for.

“Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?” said Mrs. Billings with a glimmer of hope. “Mrs. Waterford, please go get your husband and tell him to come here immediately.” The cook started did not answer. She only obeyed by starting back up the steps to go find her husband.

“No wait,” shouted Esther to the cook and her mother. The cook stopped in the middle of the steps and turned around. May I mention reader that the old cook still appeared a bit funny here on the rich house steps?  Her dirty apron still attached to her bosom, spoon in one hand, and hair that looked positively wild. “That will take too long. We would be so late if we wait that long. And… and if we don’t leave now...” there was a site pause in her voice as she tried to think of something else to say. “…the Pearson’s will beat us.” Here, reader, is where the real changed happened. Neither of the other sentences moved her mother but the thought of being later than the old hag Mrs. Pearson and her snobbish daughter drove Mrs. Billing to the most acute option.

“You’re right, there is no time to lose,” said Mrs. Billing completely convinced from what her daughter said and not even thinking of how undignified it would look to have your daughter drive a carriage into town. “Everyone, please get into the carriage, at once. We do not want the Pearson’s to beat us. Es, Kitty, sit up top and drive the horses.”

“Mamma,” said Priscilla who was stepping into the open carriage ahead of her mother. Mrs. Billing had one hand on her daughters’ hip, pushing her up the small carriage step. Priscilla took another step into the carriage to obey her mother’s pushing before sitting down. “Mamma,” she started again. “Who will stay with the horses when we get there?” 

“Oh dear,” said her mother who was about to sit down, right next to her daughter but stopped.

“Mr. Waterford can,” said Kitty who was already seated up in the driver seat.

“Yes, Mrs. Waterford,” said Mrs. Billing as she sat down. “Tell your husband to come over the Crawford’s at once and watch the horses. He will also drive us home.”

“But mam,” started the old cook. “Who will drive him over?” Mrs. Billings closed her eyes and put her head in her right hand.

“If only we didn’t have a servant problem.”

“It is but a 5-minute drive, Mamma,” said Es as she climbed on the carriage holding her long skirt away from the wheel. “Cannot he walk?”

“The weather is quite nice,” added Kitty turning around.

“Yes,” said Mrs. Billings agreeing with her daughters once more. She then turned to address Mrs. Waterford. “Send your husband over to the Crawford right away. It shall not take him long.”

“Yes, mam,” said the cook.

“Now we must be gone, or the Pearson’s will beat us,” was Mrs. Billing words as she wove her hand forwards.” Esther slipped her white gloves on her hands and took hold of the reins.

“Ready?” whispered Esther to Kitty with a big grin on her face.

“Yes,” said Kitty also grinning from ear to ear.

Though they were smiling you could see the nervousness in their eyes showing itself. Though Es held the reins in her hands and her mother had commanded her to go, for half a second, she distrusted herself. Quickly though, she pushed the doubt away. Without a second thought, she smacked the rains on the horses back and shouted “giddy up” just like she had seen old Steven Myers do a thousand times before. Despite her doubtful thoughts prior, her strong, vibrant voice showed no sign of that. No one would have guessed that she felt anything less than confident in herself.  The keen horses obeyed without a moment delay and started down the small street of Philadelphia. For the first 4 minutes, everything went well. This was mainly because she had not obtained much traffic. The Billing family lived in a large plot of land just on the edge of town. When I say everything was going well, I mean mostly. For Mrs. Billing, after realizing the absurdity of having your daughter drive the horses, sunk down in her seat and let her hat tilt so that it covered her face. Thankfully, Es knew the way to the Crawford home by heart which made it unnecessary to ask directions from her concealed mother. Now besides that, everything was well. The horses obeyed instantly when told to turn at the corners and the few drivers that they passed did not seem to notice or mind the female drivers. But the quiet drive did not continue as calm. For when Es took the horses to turn onto the Crawford’s street, she forgot to look for oncoming traffic on the crossroad. A typical rookie mistake it was, but she had become too relaxed with the thought of driving her own vehicle that the thought of other carriages floated away. As she turned the carriage to the left, she did not see the oncoming carriage approaching straight for her. When she saw the horses, halfway through the turn, she reacted in instinct. She did not think for she did not have time, but in a split second, she made the reflex decision to turn out of the way to the right.

“Yahh!” she yelled as she slapped the rains on the smooth white backs of the horses. She did it with all the muscle her thin arms would allow. The horses immediately took three quick gallops out of the way. The other carriages horses missed their carriage by merely a few inches. Thankfully, there was not another carriage or motor vehicle for at least 30 yards on either street.

“Woah,” yelled Es to the horses who at the command came to a quick and complete stop.

The truth is that Esther's reaction was very expertly done. No experienced driver could have handled the situation better (though an experienced driver probably would have looked for oncoming traffic in the first place.) What I have told you reader is the truth. Though the driver of the other carriage did not think the same of the situation.

“Woah!” he yelled at his hoses as he pulled them sharply to a stop. “Blast!” He put his whip down, tied the rains on the break stick, and jumped down off his seat in rage. He wore a black top hat and an inverness cape to keep himself warm. This was the typical outfit for every driver did in those days. He started to run to the Billings’ carriage while looking down at his feet. There were some puddles in the street from last night's rain, so he watched his steps.   

“What is the meaning of this?” he shouted as he jumped over one last slump of mud. “Don’t you know how to dr...ive?” His voice faded as he looked up as saw scared Esther looking down at him. She was obviously scared of the angry man. She just sat there with wide eyes wondering what the man would do. After just a few seconds of silence, Es replied to his question. 

“I’m sorry sir.” That was all she could say for she was truly at a loss for words.

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That's it for now. I'll try to post chapter 3 later!