the corner and reared back in surprise, hands upraised before her. She was as tall as Elizabeth, and thin, with a pinched face and iron— gray hair. With a single glance she took in Elizabeth, and her hands dropped to her sides.
"My Lady Carhampton," she said, and her voice was flat.
"Yes. You are Mrs Harrow?"
"I am."
"Lord Carhampton recommended I ask for a tour of the house."
Mrs Harrow sighed, but did not disagree. Instead she inclined her head and gestured with one hand, to invite Elizabeth to walk back along the hall with her. Then she led the way over the entire house with bland exactitude, opening every door to show her a vast expanse of unused building, accompanied by a passionless monologue. ". . . the picture gallery . . . the music room . . . the yellow drawing room . . . the morning room . . . the small dining room . . . the great dining room . . ." And each tiny room for the servants, each pantry and nook and the attics and the nursery, until Elizabeth felt crammed full with dust and grayness. She herself did not speak, some essential part of her left behind in that study, still shut in with the Earl, waiting to be welcomed.
The lack made her as distant and detached as any bystander might expect of a countess.
Finally a question rose up in her mind. "How long is it since the family was in residence?"
"More than thirty years. Perhaps as many as thirty-five, I suppose. Certainly not since the fourth Earl inherited. He preferred to live in the Capital."
Elizabeth had seen that house in London, been hosted there for the dinner where she had met all the Earl's small family and was examined by them. A mansion filled with heavy, dark furniture, masculine and opulent. Not to her taste, though not entirely unpleasant.
"Do you know the current Earl well?"
"Only by report, milady."
What report? She could not ask - could not gossip with a servant - yet she longed to know. "He has not visited the estate before." It was not quite a question.
"Never. There have been no entertainments here in his lifetime, for the family or anyone. It is astonishing he should choose the Park to bring . . . That is, I was surprised when he wrote to say he would soon arrive, and to have the place in readiness. I hope you don't take it amiss my preparations were not more comprehensive. I did not want to take on more staff without direct instruction."
She clearly expected affirmation of her judgment, and Elizabeth paused as if considering the matter, and then replied, feeling like a fraud. "I am sure that was an excellent choice. I brought a single chambermaid with me, and I would like another half dozen hired from hereabouts. I will draw up a list of the rooms I wished cleaned, in order of precedence. Are there any footmen about the place?"
"There is a single man who tends to the grounds as well as he is able, on his own. Which I dare say is not well at all."
"Is he fit to move furniture around the house?"
"I believe so, milady."
"Then I shall see if there is enough furniture about the place to properly furnish the main rooms."
The housekeeper nodded, and Elizabeth thought she saw the beginning of cautious respect in the woman's face, growing with each firm command. It lent her a confidence she sorely needed, and she listed aloud the tasks that had occurred to her so far, and finished with, ". . . And meals? Does Hensleigh Park have a cook?" She rather thought not, since the kitchen had been deserted when Mrs Harrow led her through it.
"Only myself, milady."
"I expect you will be needed more in other roles. Please find out if there is a suitable person in the neighborhood."
"I can think of at least one, though her fare is likely to be plain and hearty."
"That will do for now," said Elizabeth, and nodded. "I have trunks the chambermaid could not lift herself, which will require the man you mentioned."
"Mr Drake, milady."
"Please ask him to carry them up to my room, and find somewhere else to place the gowns that were in my
"My Lady Carhampton," she said, and her voice was flat.
"Yes. You are Mrs Harrow?"
"I am."
"Lord Carhampton recommended I ask for a tour of the house."
Mrs Harrow sighed, but did not disagree. Instead she inclined her head and gestured with one hand, to invite Elizabeth to walk back along the hall with her. Then she led the way over the entire house with bland exactitude, opening every door to show her a vast expanse of unused building, accompanied by a passionless monologue. ". . . the picture gallery . . . the music room . . . the yellow drawing room . . . the morning room . . . the small dining room . . . the great dining room . . ." And each tiny room for the servants, each pantry and nook and the attics and the nursery, until Elizabeth felt crammed full with dust and grayness. She herself did not speak, some essential part of her left behind in that study, still shut in with the Earl, waiting to be welcomed.
The lack made her as distant and detached as any bystander might expect of a countess.
Finally a question rose up in her mind. "How long is it since the family was in residence?"
"More than thirty years. Perhaps as many as thirty-five, I suppose. Certainly not since the fourth Earl inherited. He preferred to live in the Capital."
Elizabeth had seen that house in London, been hosted there for the dinner where she had met all the Earl's small family and was examined by them. A mansion filled with heavy, dark furniture, masculine and opulent. Not to her taste, though not entirely unpleasant.
"Do you know the current Earl well?"
"Only by report, milady."
What report? She could not ask - could not gossip with a servant - yet she longed to know. "He has not visited the estate before." It was not quite a question.
"Never. There have been no entertainments here in his lifetime, for the family or anyone. It is astonishing he should choose the Park to bring . . . That is, I was surprised when he wrote to say he would soon arrive, and to have the place in readiness. I hope you don't take it amiss my preparations were not more comprehensive. I did not want to take on more staff without direct instruction."
She clearly expected affirmation of her judgment, and Elizabeth paused as if considering the matter, and then replied, feeling like a fraud. "I am sure that was an excellent choice. I brought a single chambermaid with me, and I would like another half dozen hired from hereabouts. I will draw up a list of the rooms I wished cleaned, in order of precedence. Are there any footmen about the place?"
"There is a single man who tends to the grounds as well as he is able, on his own. Which I dare say is not well at all."
"Is he fit to move furniture around the house?"
"I believe so, milady."
"Then I shall see if there is enough furniture about the place to properly furnish the main rooms."
The housekeeper nodded, and Elizabeth thought she saw the beginning of cautious respect in the woman's face, growing with each firm command. It lent her a confidence she sorely needed, and she listed aloud the tasks that had occurred to her so far, and finished with, ". . . And meals? Does Hensleigh Park have a cook?" She rather thought not, since the kitchen had been deserted when Mrs Harrow led her through it.
"Only myself, milady."
"I expect you will be needed more in other roles. Please find out if there is a suitable person in the neighborhood."
"I can think of at least one, though her fare is likely to be plain and hearty."
"That will do for now," said Elizabeth, and nodded. "I have trunks the chambermaid could not lift herself, which will require the man you mentioned."
"Mr Drake, milady."
"Please ask him to carry them up to my room, and find somewhere else to place the gowns that were in my
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