Post by kate parker on Jun 6, 2011 22:45:06 GMT -5
katerina josephine parker
[/b][/color][/size] A Miss Katerina Parker at the dear age of nineteen has found herself upon the most curious of situations - entering into London's most tantalizing gossip. "[/i][/color][/font][/size][/ul][/blockquote]
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W R I T E R .
name: Melinda
RP experience: tons!
how did you find us?: In the beginning there was Brianna and Kate, and they found me.
age: under 30
gender: a lady
P O R T R A I T .
eye color: bright blue
hair color: medium brown
height: 5'7"
body type: slender
distinguishing features:
fashion style:
M A N N E R S .
profession: teacher
adoration for:
distaste for:
dreams:
fears:
secrets:
main:
P A S T .
family:
main:
Born into a life of privilege, Kate has never known a moment of want. Her childhood memories are awash in a sea of beautiful gowns and delicate tea parties with porcelain-faced dolls. Sunny afternoons were spent on the grounds of palaces as she played tag and hide-and-go-seek with royalty. Her father, having married late in life out of necessity rather than love, served as Lord-in-Waiting to His Royal Highness, Prince Albert. Yet such moments lacked the awe and prestige for her for they were a normal part of life and she never thought to question it. She lived within a glittering world of crystal and glass beauty, and it did not take long for that to shatter.
Kate was twelve. Her body was all limbs and awkwardness, and while her mother assured her that she would grow into her strong features, Kate was not as certain. Life felt uncertain. Gone were the carefree days of her childhood where she could shout and run, but she was not yet a lady. Instead Kate found herself thrust into the uncomfortable limbo that existed in between both worlds. The girls she had once considered to be her best friends now treated her like a pariah – Rose Montague had been the one to tell Kate that it was because she wasn’t pretty enough to be seen with them. Their statements had cut and bruised, and Kate was determined to see herself as they did.
She had paused in front of the parlor mirror to inspect her features for the umpteenth time when she heard loud voices arguing from the butler’s pantry. Curious, Kate crept through the dining room and pressed her ear against the closed door. It was the butler berating the newest staff member to the household – a beautiful, red-haired girl that appeared to be around the same age – for having been caught with a book in her room. The girl made no attempt to defend herself and took the criticism with stoic silence. The encounter left Kate reeling, and as the door opened she hastily stepped back and feigned interest in a portrait of the gardens at their summer home. Miss Katerina!” the butler exclaimed, startled to see her there. “How may I be of assistance to you?”
Kate’s eyes were drawn to the tear-stained face of the young maid as she meekly requested a glass of milk and one of the cook’s jam-and-butter cookies. The butler quickly bid the young maid to fetch the required items and bring them to Kate in the sunroom.
Nervousness filled Kate as she waited for the maids return. She was unable to stand still, pacing before the picture windows with her eyes trained on the doors. Kate had never paid much attention to the staff – interactions had been frowned upon – but she couldn’t shake the concern she felt toward the other girl. For her entire life Kate had been encouraged to fill her mind with knowledge rather than frivolous gossip. Her mother believed that it was the only way Kate would be able to support a successful husband. Yet this was clearly not the case for everyone, and the idea that someone could get into trouble for reading troubled Kate.
“Excuse me, miss.” The soft, lilting voice of the maid broke through Kate’s thoughts and she turned to face the maid. ”Where’d ya be likin’ yer tea?”
“Oh, just over there,” Kate said, motioning toward the mahogany credenza. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Kate.”
“Yes, miss, I know.”
“It seems unfair that you know my name when I do not yet know yours.”∫
“Jenny.” Kate folded her hands in front of her and studied the young girl for a moment. Jenny refused to meet her gaze, staring at her feet instead. “Why was the butler chastising you earlier, Jenny?”
“‘E found a book o’ poems in me room. Please don’ be tellin’ yer mam – I need this job for me family, and ‘e trew it in the fire.” Kate was taken aback by Jenny’s response. She cleared her throat in order to regain her composure. “He burned your book?”
“Yes, miss.”
“I will speak to him at once! Elliot should not have done such a thing.”
“Oh no, miss! I was the one in the wrong.”
“How so?” Kate demanded. “Maids aren’t allowed ta read, miss. Or have books in their possession. We be told that when we are brought on.” This was news to Kate and she felt something shift inside her. If had not been for her books, Kate was not sure how she would have survived the past months of isolation. Books had provided her with an escape from life; they had opened up new worlds and introduced her to people she had never believed existed. More than that, they had taught her things. Kate did not feel as though she walked around blindly through life, for even though she feigned ignorance, she could comprehend the snippets of conversation her father had with his friends as she passed by the room. “I promise not to say anything if you tell me one thing, do you want to read, Jenny?”
“More than anything, miss.”
With those words, the course of Kate’s life was irrevocably altered. Her spare time was devoted to teaching the young girls that served in her household how to read and write. The books that lined her shelves were shared amongst the staff. Some of the young girls she tutored went on to take on reception work; others merely found more fulfillment in their lives. As Kate spent time with them, learning their stories and dreams, she realized that education was not a privilege it was a right.
To those who knew Kate, her decision to seek a vocation in teaching would not come as a surprise. Her family, however, were another story. Kate’s brilliant mind has always been a point of contention with her twin brother who has always maintained that her education diminishes her femininity. Her mother believes that it is nothing more than a passing phase that Kate will forget about once she is married, and her father has never placed much thought to the subject at all.
Her mother’s wish had been that Kate would take a position at a prestigious boarding school and teach England’s elite daughters the fine art of needle point and how to perfect their curtsey. Upon her graduation, Kate announced that she wished to teach in Whitechapel, where education was needed and could make a difference. Over the course of her life, Kate had heard tales from the maids who had left their families behind there. She heard of family’s falling into ruin when the husband was injured or killed at work. There were tales of young girls losing employment when pregnancies were discovered. Young children died from malnutrition. And the more Kate learned, the more she knew she had to at least try.
Now she is finally poised to realize her dreams and make a difference. This time arriving just as her father’s health begins to ail. One thing is certain: the moment her brother takes on the responsibilities associated with head of the family, everything will change. [/ul]
E T C .
play-by: taryn davidson
password:
rp sample:
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