James left the kitchen and loitered in the hallway. Still teary-eyed and woozy from the silver polish’s fumes, he sat on the floor and leaned back against the wall.

I feel as though I ought to take advantage of this situation and…..go somewhere. Do something. He rubbed his eyes with the backs of his hands. Yet, I am uncertain as to how long they expect me to be gone. It cannot be all that long. Minutes, perhaps? I hardly know.

He rubbed his eyes again. I am certain that May Rose would be disappointed if I remained here the whole time. She would undoubtedly call me daft.

He smiled. So, maybe I ought to pay her a visit. She is at her lessons. I have no doubt about that. Yet, I could always just watch.

James rubbed his eyes one more time before rising to his feet. “There would be no harm in doing so. I am certain of it.” He cast a reluctant look at the kitchen door before running to the library.

He stopped at the closed library door and hesitated. I do not want to interfere with May Rose’s lessons. He smiled brightly. “Yet, I am not planning to interfere. I’m just peeking in the room.”

He opened the door as slowly and as quietly as he could.

“It is a pleasure to meet you.” May Rose said. The words sounded stilted and unnatural in her voice.

It intrigued him.

James slipped into the room and eased the door shut. He moved over to align himself with May Rose’s favorite armchair to make himself invisible.

“It is a pleasure to meet you too.” Lady Farlington’s voice was genuine and warm. She sounded like she meant every single word, from the quotation marks to the period. “Please have a seat.”

He leaned back against the wall.

“Thank you. Would you care for a cup of tea?”

“Indeed, I would, Miss Farlington.”

James felt a pang in his chest. It does not matter if we fight to hold onto our friendship. The wall is there. The wall is already there. Even if I were to ever develop romantic feelings for May Rose, I will never be able to converse with her like this. I am her servant. She is my Lord’s daughter. No matter what we may say or do, that wall will never vanish. It will always divide us and keep us apart. I am not meant to live in her world of polite society and tea parties and social conversations. She is not meant to live in my world of Benny Leister and silver polish and mousetraps and white gloves. It is how it is. This is how it will always be, no matter how old we are.

He stayed still and quiet as May Rose continued her lesson. In his mind, he could see the wall between himself and May Rose. It was an endless wall with no doors or gates. It reached high into the sky. It was unscalable and unbreakable.

And it would always be there.