Life at the hall and elsewhere...

The Cook - Rhoda's Friend

As Rhoda showed her commitment to her job, her duties increased and she was given various other duties.  These varied from the downright scary to downright fun.  I'll tell you about one of them.  The first was being playmate and and servant, to the Master and Mistress's two sons.  From what I've been told that they were two scamps, but didn't have a bad bone in their bodies.

They'd been bought a pony.  Rhoda thought the pony was a miniature but the butler informed her, that it was bought with the whole idea, to prepare the boys for riding in the local hunt, when they got older.  What they loved to do was to get any servant that wasn't busy, to come outside and ride the pony.  The thing is that the pony was barrel chested and when the servant mount it, their legs could reach the floor.  Most servants were not keen because as the pony trotted in a circle, their legs would be going at the same speed.

They called the thing "Merrylegs", and that was probably because the servants' legs were going like "merry hell" in a circle.  The day came, when they pestered Rhoda to ride "Merrylegs".  She argued against it, as she was a poor horsewoman.  They pestered and pestered until Rhoda decided to do it, as it made them both very happy.

They stood there in the warm Summer sun and looked like two angels.  They smiled as Rhoda mounted the pony and promised that they wouldn't do anything.  Rhoda didn't have to use any mounting stool, as "Merrylegs" was so small, she could just throw her right leg over the pony and get comfortable in the saddle.  She turned to the boys, and they smiled sweetly at her.   The groom gave the order to "trot on" and kept the reins firmly gripped in his hand.

Rhoda had pulled her legs up for as long as she could and on the third circle she was getting a little tired.  It was then the children stroke.  The eldest one crept up to "Merrylegs" and slapped it on the rump.  The pony, startled took off like a scalded cat, tearing the reins out of the grooms hands and off down the long drive.

Rhoda hung on for dear life and hoped and prayed that the little pony would tire. The trees flashed by and they were heading towards the gate.  Her muscles in her legs were shaking, and then from the left of her, there appeared a miracle.  It was the groom on a bicycle.  He managed to pass the deranged pony and reach for the reins.   Rhoda never knew how he did it but he managed to stop "Merrylegs" and Rhoda fell out of the saddle and kissed the earth.

The boys were apologetic and they couldn't look Rhoda in the eye.  Later that night, Rhoda was bought to the Master's study and he'd got his two sons to formally apologise.  He pointed out that not only "Rhoda could have been seriously hurt, but so could "Merrylegs"".  From that day forward, Rhoda stopped being the boys maid but they were most respectful to her and the other servants.