"Make way! Make way!"
Elaine moved to the side of the trace just before the carriage rolled past, mud splattering from the wheels across her wool overcoat. She continued to watch for a moment, the carriage slipping in the deep, thick mud while the pair of horses pulled on.
Once the carriage was out of sight she stepped back into the muddy road, the choice between struggling through the thick underbrush and brambles or wading through the mud having made itself. She grimaced at the feel of the cold mud squishing between her toes and began to slog on, the only shoes and two pair of stockings she owned safely in the carpet bag she carried in one hand, her breaches pulled up safely above her knees beneath the coat and tied with lengths of linen cord.
The day was gray and overcast, the misting rain making her black overcoat sparkle where it wasn't covered in mud and dew drops drip from the brim of her bonnet. A deer stepped between the oak and maple into the trace ahead of her and paused to gaze back until the harsh caw of a crow sent it leaping away.
Elaine struggled on, every step sinking almost up to her knee in the thick mud with her feet frozen lumps that she could barely feel until finally reaching a split rail fence along the northern side of the road. The land beyond was cleared for grazing and Elaine ducked beneath a rail to walk on the firm sod of the pasture and only having to step aside for the occasional horse apple.
After another quarter mile a manor house came into view through the trees, a white washed two story home with columns adorning the wide front porch, several outbuildings and a barn clustered along a gravel path that led to the mud trace.
She gazed at the house for a moment, her eyes drawn to the black paint outlining the windows and red shutters then stepped over to an oak. She leaned against the rough bark for a moment and then began to dig through her carpetbag for stockings and her shows as well as a rag to try to clean herself as best she could.
She had just managed to finish with her left leg and slip on her stockings and half boot when the sound of a horse galloping towards her caused her to look up.
"Here now! What are you about!" an older man with gray hair braided to hang behind an old fashioned tricorn yelled when he pulled back on the reigns.
Elaine saw his eyes glance down and she hurriedly arranged her overcoat to conceal her bare right leg and foot before looking back up at him with her face flushed in embarrassment.
"My name is Elaine Tobiason," Elaine replied and pushed herself a way from the oak so that she could stand, "I am to be the tutor for Mr and Mrs Marsh."
"And do tutors go about showing a bit of ankle where you're from, Ms Tobiason?" the man asked while his horse tossed its head and cantered sideways.
"W... I..." Elaine began, her face again heating in embarrassment.
Elaine watched his eyes travel down to the hem of her coat and she glanced down to ensure that she was properly covered.
"You were expected day before yesterday," the man added harshly, "No matter.
"Finish what you're about, I'll ride on and inform Mrs Marsh you've finally strolled your way to our stoop."
Without waiting for an answer the man sawed at the reigns, the horse backing and nearly falling before spinning towards the house. The man gave a whoop and dug his heels into the animal's sides, the horse surging away towards the house.
Elaine watched him go, her face still red but more in anger than in embarrassment.
"Oaf," Elaine said under her breath, but glanced carefully around to ensure she was alone before exposing her right leg to finish cleaning as much mud away as she could before slipping on her stocking.
After finishing lacing her half boots and untying her breaches to properly cover her knees she continued on to the manor house, the door opening the moment she stepped foot onto the wide porch.
"Ms Tobiason?" a woman much the same age as Elaine asked with three young children standing obediently next to her, "Andrew informed of us your... prompt arrival."
"I am," Elaine replied and gave a curtsy, "And I apologize, I only arrived in New Haven yesterday, the ship I was embarked upon being delayed at sea."
The woman stared at Elaine for a moment before giving a small not and a sympathetic smile.
"No man holds the vagaries of the sea in his hand, I am Jane Marsh and these," Jane said and swept her hand towards her children, "Are Catherine, Jacob, and Melissa."
The girls bobbled curtsies when introduced while the young man gave a slight bow.
"They shall be your preferably apt," Jane said and gave the children a glare, "Pupils in the weeks to come, but perhaps you'd prefer to freshen up from your walk from New Haven?"
Elaine smiled at the children and then looked at Jane with a nod of appreciation.
"I very much would appreciate a moment," Elaine replied with a smile, "I fear I've brought along a good portion of the road clinging to my coat!"
Jane smiled and then made shoeing gesture towards the children, "Off with you!
"I expect you all to have clean clothes and clean fingernails for dinner since we have a guest tonight!"
"Yes ma'am!" the children called out before scattering.
"I'll show you to the room that is to be yours," Jane replied after watching the children disappear, "Then, if you would like, there is hot water for a bath after your journey."
"Oh!" Elaine said, truly surprised, "I would enjoy that very much, thank you!
"Umm, is Mr Marsh here as well?"
Jane led the way inside, Elaine glancing around the spacious entry curiously.
"My husband, Donald is away on business," Jane replied evenly.
For the next thirty minutes Elaine was led from room to room until finally arriving at a space barely larger than a closest that barely fit a narrow bed, a small window letting in a bit of the gray, overcast light, Elaine quite unsure as to how she had even arrived at the plain door.
"This is to be yours while you are our guest," Jane said evenly, her expression never having changed throughout the entire tour.
"Thank you, ma'am," Elaine replied and sat her bag down on the narrow bed.
Jane glanced at the small window for a moment and looked at Elaine, her eyes seeming to take her measure before nodding back the way they had come.
"Come along," Jane said and turned to walk away.
Elaine had to hurry to catch up and then followed Jane back through the house and out the kitchen door, a stooped, gray haired woman eyeing her suspiciously when they passed through. Jane ignored the old woman and stepped out onto the porch and then down into the gravel lane.
"My husband is much away on business Ms Tobiason," Jane explained as she led the way across the gravel path to a small outbuilding with smoke flowing from a chimney, "He was good enough to favor me with an indulgence."
Jane opened a door and stepped inside a room a dozen feet to a side. Elaine's eyes widened when she saw an enormous copper bath that took up the center of the room as well as a copper vat as large as a horse perched over a wood burning stove. Two separate copper faucets extended out over the bath, pipes leading from one to the copper vat while the second faucet's pipes disappeared through the wall. The room was pleasantly warm and even will lit from the glow of the stove and an oil lantern hanging from a beam overhead.
"Please be careful," Jane said evenly and held out a hand, "The water can heat surprisingly quickly and can be scalding hot."
Elaine glanced at Jane's hand in confusion before Jane gave a small, tight lipped smile.
"You're coat?" Jane almost demanded.
"Oh..." Elaine replied and slipped the coat from her shoulders and handed it to Jane who carefully folded it before draping it over her arm.
"The faucet on the right is straight from the vat over the stove," Jane explained, "The faucet on the left is good, clean spring water.
"The cloth is to keep one from blistering your fingers on the hot water faucet."
Elaine noted a small cloth draped over the edge of the tub just below the faucet on the left and turned to look at Jane. Jane stared back for a moment before gesturing towards Elaine with her hand.
"You're dress and blouse, Ms Tobiason," Jane demanded, "I'll take the lot to Old Tabby and have her clean everything for you."
"I..." Elaine said, her face heating in embarrassment before turning away.
While Elaine slowly and deliberately began to undo each button on her blouse Jane walked over and turned on each faucet, water instantly spilling from the cold, the pipes rattling alarmingly for a moment before water spurted forth several times before a hot, steaming flow began. Jane turned back to watch, Ealine tried to ignore her eyes on upon her until she slipped her blouse from her shoulders. Jane held out a hand and carefully folded the off white cloth before adding it to Elaine's coat on her arm.
Elaine hesitated and then slipped her full length skirt down until she was able to step out of hit, again Jane claiming the garment and folding it carefully while watching Elaine intently. Elaine could feel her face burning but used a stool to sit and unlace each of her half boots before slipping them off and then looking up to meet Jane's unwavering stare.
"I..." Eliane began, her face red in embarrassment, "Perhaps I could finish... alone?"
"Come Ms Tobiason," Jane said matter of factly, "We are both women!
"Stand and turn about."
Again Elaine hesitated but eventually did as she was told, Jane stepping up behind Elaine to begin quickly unlacing her bodice. As soon as Elaine was free of the garments tight embrace she lifted her arms to cover her small, modest breasts with crossed arms.
"And your breeches, Ms Tobiason," Jane commanded, "I can see the mud splattered on them and your feet!
"There's mud soaked through your stockings!" Jane added, "Were you walking barefoot?"
