The year is 1881: The place is Eversham, a small town outside London.
"Not going to turn in for the night yet Professor?" the housekeeper Martha Wickham said in a gentle tone as she poked her head through the door of Professor Bennet's laboratory. Martha was a meek woman in her late 60s, her greying hair was kept in a bun and she was always attired in a long grey dress, an apron and dark, lace-up shoes. She had worked for the professor for over 25 years and was his most trusted servant.
"No, not quite yet Martha." an exhausted Charles replied, as he tinkered with the latest device he had spent years designing and building. "Damned...infernal eyesight!" he then grumbled angrily, surprising his mild-mannered housekeeper.
"Professor!! Such language!" she exclaimed, drawing an apology from Charles.
The professor then looked up from his device and straightened his glasses. "I don't approve of getting old, do you my dear? My faculties have really been letting me down lately, and even with my spectacles on I can barely see everything that I need to in order to accomplish my work" he said.
"Unfortunately Professor, we don't have a choice in growing old" Martha smiled, "And no...I don't like it either" she chuckled.
"I doubt anyone does." Charles sighed, before resuming his tinkering on his device, which was about the size of a small carriage clock. Martha studied the device for a moment but knew she wouldn't be able to wrap her simple mind around its intended functionality. She just looked towards the floor, then decided to let her master get on with his work. "I'll send young Elsie in with some tea for you sir" she mumbled to the professor, before leaving the room.
Martha then made her way down into the kitchen and found the 23-year old maid, Elsie Watkins, sat at the table reading.
"Oh, h...hello ma'am." Elsie stuttered, as she got to her feet.
Luckily Martha was as lenient a housekeeper as she was an effective one. "Will you please take some tea up to the professor. He's in his laboratory" she addressed Elsie, who was attired in her usual black dress, white apron/hat, black stockings and black, 2-inch heeled shoes.
"When isn't he in his laboratory?" Elsie replied, rolling her eyes.
"That'll do Elsie!" Martha stated.
"Yes ma'am! Sorry ma'am!" I'll take the tea up as soon as its ready" Elsie apologized.
"Very good! I'm going to turn in for the night" Martha nodded, informing Elsie of her intentions. Then she exited the kitchen and left Elsie standing there alone. The young woman immediately set about preparing the tea, and after putting the kettle on the stove, she sat back down and picked up her book again. Elsie was a pretty, brown-haired young woman, about 5' 5" in height and had a slender build (C-Cup breasts). She had been born and raised in Eversham, and she was very intelligent compared to most other lowly-born people of the time. Her ability to read gave her a distinct advantage in life, but she was held back by the very fact that she had been born a girl. Such were the times.
Upon hearing the kettle whistling, Elsie took it off the stove and poured the contents into the expensive teapot that was already on the tray. She then gathered together two equally elegant cups, a spoon, the sugar pot and the cream and put those all on the tray as well.
Carefully lifting the tray, Elsie then began making her way upstairs, passing (and greeting) the house butler Edward (age 40) along the way. As with most butlers, Edward was a tall man, he had a receding hairline and he was always immaculately dressed in his uniform. Edward was in charge of the two other male servants, the 37-year old cook - Jonas, and the 52-year old gardener Ernest. Edward was also turning in for the night, since it was passed midnight and his duties were done for the day.
"Goodnight Edward." Elsie said politely as she passed.
"Goodnight Elsie." came the response.
The young maid was soon up at the professor's laboratory, and holding the tray in one of her dainty hands she knocked on the door with the other. "Yes, come in!" the prfessor called out in a clear voice. Elsie stepped inside the room and eagerly looked around, it always thrilled her to be around her master's inventions. "Your tea sir!" she said, resting the tray down on the table next to the professor.
"Ahh yes, thank you." Charles muttered gratefully, hardly looking up from his work.
As Elsie poured him a cup of tea and added his usual two sugar lumps, she marveled at the device he was working on. She knew all too well just how long the professor had been working on it. Almost the entire four years she had worked in the house. She considered asking him what it was, but...it wasn't her place to ask such questions. Instead she just let her imagination run wild.
"You may turn in now if you like my dear, I'll be doing so myself shortly." the professor told Elsie.
"Thank you sir." Elsie responded with a smile and a curtsey. "Enjoy your tea sir." she added, before leaving the room. But instead of going back down to the kitchen, Elsie remained outside the laboratory, peeking through the keyhole...until the professor finally went to bed. She then crept back into the room to get a closer look at the device. She knew she was risking her job, but she couldn't help herself.
Glancing through the professor's notes, Elsie discovered the device was something called...
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