A Wish At Grawley Hill

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Prompt from PrideOnThePage

Atop Grawley Hill was an old barrow mound. And legend claimed that if you went to the heavy stone slab sealing it and whispered “I promise to serve you for a year and a day” into the carved slot, a door would open. If you went inside you wouldn’t be seen for a year and a day, and would have one wish granted.
If you didn’t enter, you’d never be seen again.
A foolish superstition, of course. The pastor decried it as “dangerous nonsense”, though he could never quite explain why, if it were nonsense, there was any danger to it.
Despite these warnings one moonless night saw Lilian atop the hillside, her heart in her mouth and her few belongings bundled in her arms.
At her whisper the heavy stone split along an unseen crack and swung open. The space beyond smelt of moss.
No turning back now. Thankfully the path was smooth and springy underfoot and the ceiling high enough that she barely had to stoop.
A dozen paces in and she saw lights. A dozen more and they resolved to shuttered house windows.
A cottage? But there wasn’t space for-
Then Lilian realised she couldn’t find the ceiling no matter how she stretched.
Well.
The cottage door opened at a knock to reveal an incredibly ugly old woman. “Welcome, welcome. Lilian, isn’t it? And you’re here to work?”
“Ah, y-yes.”
“And what payment?”
Lilian blinked and shuffled her feet. “…I heard you grant wishes?”
“Yes, and what is your wish?” The crone spoke slowly, with weary patience. “They aren’t all equal, you know.”
Oh. Of course.
“I…” Lilian took a deep breath. “I don’t want to marry.”
“Eh?” The crone squinted, her pale eyes almost vanishing into her bushy brows. “Silly girl. You don’t need a wish for that!”
“But everyone says I must!”
“Tell ‘em to lick an outhouse.”
“They won’t listen!” Lilian wailed, years of shame and frustration bursting out. “They tut and scoff and call me silly because I’d rather live in a pigsty than lay with anyone! When I confessed the thought of being with child makes me sick to the stomach my mother laughed and said I was being ‘right dramatic’! And the pastor had me sit in the front pew while he lectured on ‘maidenly duties’ and everyone gave me looks. And-”
The crone scrutinised the girl’s pinched, tearstained face as the helpless tirade prattled on until finally petering out.
Then she sighed. “Alright. I suppose it’s not so easy for just any sprig to stand against the wind. Well then.” She stroked her saggy, wrinkled chin. “How about this - as payment for your service, I will teach you wisdom and tricks such that anyone would beg to marry you, but none would dare pester you, much less try and force you to do owt. Deal?”
Lilian sucked in a steadying breath and beamed and eagerly grasped her hand. So started the adventures of the fabled Spinster of Grawley.

Prompt was “Whisper”