Though you will have your own chamber with a comfortable bed and fire every night, you must know that until you are accustomed to your new life, you will be locked in your chamber each night. Your chamber will be unlocked at dawn, when your day’s work begins.”
She nodded gravely.
“And you will have to allow our housekeeper, Mrs. Roberts, to help bathe you and supply you with fresh new clothing.”
“She ain’t gonna want me 'ere.”
“Do not judge her until you know her," Glee said.
Gregory held the young woman in his somber gaze. "Remember always, a good servant does what her master says. And we expect Mrs. Roberts to be a good servant.”
“Provided,” Glee added, “that the master does not demand the servant do something that is immoral or illegal.”
“And I give you my word,” Gregory said, addressing the woman with the greatest kindness, “we will never ask you to do either one of those things.”
"I know yer a good man."
"It's so beastly cold," Glee said, "allow us to take you to fetch Archie in our coach. If you could just give us a minute to finish breakfast."
"Please, help yourself to any food you'd like," Gregory added.
Mrs. A. shook her head. "I ain't got no appetite, but I should be 'appy to take me boy a bit of toast."
Glee rang for a servant, and when Hampton returned asked that cook prepare a breakfast for them to take to a hardy lad.
Jonathan hurried with his own breakfast. "If it's agreeable to you, I'd like to catch a ride in your coach. I need to visit the printers this morning."
"Certainly," his brother answered.
* * *
When the coach reached the building where his brother's solicitor kept chambers, Jonathan stayed in the coach and watched as the other three disembarked and approached the excited lad. The boy, who looked to be around ten, looked far more well fed than his mother. Then Jonathan recalled that some time back, Glee had made arrangements to supply one meal a day for the lad—and his mother, if only she'd eat.
"Can I watch yer 'orses, Mr. Blankenship?"
Gregory ruffled the lad's hair. "Indeed you can. In fact, you're going to start caring for all my horses every day."
Archie suspiciously eyed his mother, who nodded, smiling. "It's true, me lad. We're going into service for the Blankenships. It's me first Christmas gift to me fine son."
Archie buried his face into his mother's skirts. Jonathan realized the boy did not want the others to see him crying.
Crying tears of joy.
From there, they went to the printer's. "Whatever are you having printed?" Glee asked him.
"I had intended to have my essays bound into books for Christmas presents to my family, but my plans were destroyed by an uncharacteristic burst of altruism to a dear friend."
Glee's eyes rounded, then her gaze dropped to the papers he clutched in his hands. "May I see?"
He handed them to her.
A brilliant smiled alighted her face when she scanned the pages.
* * *
The coach waited while he was inside the printer's. On the return to Queen Square, Glee said, "I've asked the coachman to just drive by Guinea Lane. I don't intend to call on the Arbuckles. I merely wanted to see if Appleton might be visiting Miss Arbuckle today."
Jonathan's brows lowered. "How would you be able to tell if it's his vehicle?"
"Oh, since you were last in Bath, he's gotten a very fine new coach," Glee said. "It has the family coat of arms upon the door."
As their coach approached Guinea Lane, Jonathan's stomach once again began doing that thing it did upon eating rotten food. It would make him excessively angry were he to learn that lout was calling upon Miss Arbuckle.
When they turned onto Guinea Lane, he became truly sick when he saw the shiny new coach in front of Miss Arbuckle's. He glared at Glee. "Are you happy with yourself now? You know the man is unfit for someone as pure as Miss Arbuckle."
"I beg that you not malign my friends," Gregory said.
"I'll say nothing behind his back I wouldn't say to his face,"
She nodded gravely.
“And you will have to allow our housekeeper, Mrs. Roberts, to help bathe you and supply you with fresh new clothing.”
“She ain’t gonna want me 'ere.”
“Do not judge her until you know her," Glee said.
Gregory held the young woman in his somber gaze. "Remember always, a good servant does what her master says. And we expect Mrs. Roberts to be a good servant.”
“Provided,” Glee added, “that the master does not demand the servant do something that is immoral or illegal.”
“And I give you my word,” Gregory said, addressing the woman with the greatest kindness, “we will never ask you to do either one of those things.”
"I know yer a good man."
"It's so beastly cold," Glee said, "allow us to take you to fetch Archie in our coach. If you could just give us a minute to finish breakfast."
"Please, help yourself to any food you'd like," Gregory added.
Mrs. A. shook her head. "I ain't got no appetite, but I should be 'appy to take me boy a bit of toast."
Glee rang for a servant, and when Hampton returned asked that cook prepare a breakfast for them to take to a hardy lad.
Jonathan hurried with his own breakfast. "If it's agreeable to you, I'd like to catch a ride in your coach. I need to visit the printers this morning."
"Certainly," his brother answered.
* * *
When the coach reached the building where his brother's solicitor kept chambers, Jonathan stayed in the coach and watched as the other three disembarked and approached the excited lad. The boy, who looked to be around ten, looked far more well fed than his mother. Then Jonathan recalled that some time back, Glee had made arrangements to supply one meal a day for the lad—and his mother, if only she'd eat.
"Can I watch yer 'orses, Mr. Blankenship?"
Gregory ruffled the lad's hair. "Indeed you can. In fact, you're going to start caring for all my horses every day."
Archie suspiciously eyed his mother, who nodded, smiling. "It's true, me lad. We're going into service for the Blankenships. It's me first Christmas gift to me fine son."
Archie buried his face into his mother's skirts. Jonathan realized the boy did not want the others to see him crying.
Crying tears of joy.
From there, they went to the printer's. "Whatever are you having printed?" Glee asked him.
"I had intended to have my essays bound into books for Christmas presents to my family, but my plans were destroyed by an uncharacteristic burst of altruism to a dear friend."
Glee's eyes rounded, then her gaze dropped to the papers he clutched in his hands. "May I see?"
He handed them to her.
A brilliant smiled alighted her face when she scanned the pages.
* * *
The coach waited while he was inside the printer's. On the return to Queen Square, Glee said, "I've asked the coachman to just drive by Guinea Lane. I don't intend to call on the Arbuckles. I merely wanted to see if Appleton might be visiting Miss Arbuckle today."
Jonathan's brows lowered. "How would you be able to tell if it's his vehicle?"
"Oh, since you were last in Bath, he's gotten a very fine new coach," Glee said. "It has the family coat of arms upon the door."
As their coach approached Guinea Lane, Jonathan's stomach once again began doing that thing it did upon eating rotten food. It would make him excessively angry were he to learn that lout was calling upon Miss Arbuckle.
When they turned onto Guinea Lane, he became truly sick when he saw the shiny new coach in front of Miss Arbuckle's. He glared at Glee. "Are you happy with yourself now? You know the man is unfit for someone as pure as Miss Arbuckle."
"I beg that you not malign my friends," Gregory said.
"I'll say nothing behind his back I wouldn't say to his face,"
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