Chapter Twelve

When they had finished their meagre meal they had to scrub down the whole kitchen until it gleamed before the wife sent them to their room. She told them to go straight to bed, talking was forbidden and if they left the room after lights out they would be severely beaten by her. The days always followed the same pattern, the girls were forced to scrub and clean, for hour after hour, hard physical work. They had no ‘modern’ appliances, why should the couple spend good money on such things when they had these girls to do everything for them? Washing was done by hand in the bathtub, sweeping involved a large heavy bristle brush, floors were scrubbed by hand and the woman was very strict. She would march around with a long cane in her hand and use it freely, if she found a speck of dust or a smear of dirt the luckless girl would not be unable to sit down that night. There was no kindness in the elderly woman, she loved to make them suffer by doing the most disgusting tasks. The worst jobs