1880's Quilt

Chapter 4 part 2

Settling In

Judith opened her heavy wooden door and peered around it.
"Psst! Psst Marie!" She said in a loud whisper. There was a creak and the neighboring door opened.
"What is it Judy?" Marie said, her eyes half open.
"Get Jacquie...let's go!"
So the three girls crept down the hall in their nighties. As they passed room twenty-two Judith stopped mid-step.
"Listen..." She whispered in a voice so low it was almost just a breath.
Beyond the door two girls were whispering and twittering.
"Oh Trudy!" One voice said. "Your feet are like ice!"
"Sorry! My socks are all drying on the rack." Said another chipper voice.
"Yes," Said the voice which was Claire's. "We've had such busy week, we waited too late to take our laundry to the the laundry room." There was a pause as the two girls rearranged their covers. Tonight was chilly and the two girls were both in Claire's bed-the furthest from the window naturally.
"Speaking of the laundry room," Claire said in a less mirthful tone. "Do we actually have permission to go in there and have our spa?"
Trudy turned toward Claire and squinted, her eyes adjusting to the dark.
"What do you mean permission? All the girls go in and out and the housekeepers see us doing it every day."
Claire frowned.
"But nobody has actually asked if we could? I mean asked Headmistress Victory?"
Trudy chuckled. "Haven't you ever heard of a goody-two-shoe Claire? We don't have to ask. If we did, she would probably think of some reason why we shouldn't when it is perfectly fine and has provided us with a little fun."
Claire felt uncomfortable. Often times she had felt this way with Cybil in the past year, when she would gossip or go gaga over boys or whisper during church.
“I've been here eight days.” Claire suddenly thought. “Cybil hasn't written to me once!”
She let this roll off her back as she spoke again:
"About the housekeepers Trudy...and the cooks and everyone. Are we really supposed to linger in the kitchen and talk with them?"
Now Trudy almost seemed irritable.
"Don't be closed minded Claire. Are you prejudice against the lower class?"
The tables had turned.
"No! Of course not. My family is always generous and some of my friends from school were desperately poor." Said Claire in a panic of defense. "I just don't want to do anything that we aren't supposed to do." She said more softly.
Trudy, apparently not ruffled, smiled and snickered.
"You mean you don't want to get in trouble!" She said poking Claire in the stomach. Both girls laughed and then began talking about their classmates.
"Anyway," Trudy said briskly when the laughing had died down. "How was your first week at Beekman? I mean, how are you liking the classes over all and what did you think when you saw all the boys? Are you angry that I hadn't told you that they'd be there?"
Claire sat up, leaning against her pillow propped against the wall.
"It's a dear place!" Said Claire as if she could never imagine it any other way. "And the classes are all fine except for algebra of course and I have yet to meet the mysterious Mr. Rueben. Mrs. Loraine is nice and I like spelling in some ways...especially now that she was so impressed that I could spell Arkansas. The cafeteria now has a special place in my heart as a place to make friends. Sewing has never been so interesting...Mother was glad to hear about that. The boys are slightly intimidating. Pete Jinkins is charming despite being sly. I fear he is up to no good as you said. I can't believe how some of the girls act around them! Marie is quite the impertinent little flirt! I wish that we weren't so separate though...all the ages."