Chapter 3. Unexpected alarm

***4am.****

The shrill cry of a infant was ringing throughout the house. Martha, the maid, awoke suddenly and picked up Adrianna and rocked her gently trying to soothe her. The house keeper, Mrs Pots rushed in to the room snatching Adrianna from her arms, instructing her to make her a bottle as master is still asleep. Martha hurriedly walks to the kitchen to prepare a bottle and hands it to Mrs Pots. Adrianna soon calms down drinking her bottle and goes back to sleep. This was new to them. 

Peter had already risen, hearing the cry. He angrily jumps out of bed and takes a shower. Once he is changed he strides down to the dining room and awaits his breakfast. He is wearing an elegant silver grey suit, a crisp white shirt and a grey tie. His hair is unruly on his head and his face unshaven. After a night of drowning his sorrows he weilds a headache from this unexpected alarm clock.

He sits at the large oak table drumming his fingers. The sound can be heard throughout the house. He is now impatient. His anger has still not dissolved. Almost five minutes had gone by and his table was still not layed. His butler notices that his master is now agitated and quickly rushes to find Mrs Pots.

At the end of the hall he finds Mrs Pots and Martha with Adrianna and quickly tells them young master is awake and waiting to be served.  Mrs Pots carefully gives the butler, Mr George, Adrianna and she takes Martha to the kitchen hurriedly to get breakfast prepared.

They prepare eggs, toast, salad, sausages and meat. Martha and Mrs pots lay the table,adding a large pot of coffee and a white and blue porcelain cup and saucer. Peter looks at them coldly, " So Martha, you have brought it home yesterday. And today it has disturbed my sleep and delayed my breakfast. Keep this in mind, that filthy child must not interfere in your daily chores and disturb my daily routine, that goes for all my household staff!!! ". The air in the room immediately grows cold. His word were sharp like the blade of a samurai sword. They knew they were on thin ice. 

Martha and Mrs Pots nodded. They did not dare challenge their master with his decisions. They were unhappy with his coldness towards Adrianna but the sad reality was that they all needed their jobs.

Peter dismissed them to go back to their daily chores and ate his breakfast in silence. Today he had to arrange his wifes funeral. The day he thought would never come so soon. Once he was done, he left. 

Mrs Pots called all the staff for a meeting. She was the head housekeeper," We all are saddened by the injustice to Adrianna, but we cannot change our masters mind. The only suggestion I have is to take shifts to watch her and make sure she doesn't cry as it angers the master. Are you all with me?"

The staff all nod. They discussed amongst themselves until each person had a time slot for Adrianna. 

Martha took the nights, she felt a deep bond with Adrianna. Being a barren woman, she felt Adrianna was a blessing to her. She silently thanked Annie for the gift. It was her honour to take care of her darling madams child. The rest of the staff split the days amongst themselves. Their chores for the day was split amongst the remaining staff. Everyone pitched in so that void in Adrianna's life could be filled. They did this with the love in their hearts for Adrianna. Her mother was an orphan, they would never wish this life upon her daughter. Even if their master could not see this through his grief, they hoped that one day the love in his heart will be invoked by Adrianna. They only wished him well, for once upon a time he was a cheerful man. No wealth or power could bend his love for simplicity and peace. He was a loving husband, Annie's status never deterred him. He followed his heart even when his parents were against his wishes. He lived his own life on his own terms. He was his own man. They all held hands and prayed for Peter's well being, for God to grant him strength through his hardest days.

Today was the day he needed it the most.