wheel.
It was customary they also accept the peers of His Lordship that were passing through even though the duke was never in attendance. To do so would have been a serious affront to the Duke of Westerleigh’s hospitality.
Mr. Pettigrew cleared his throat to gain their attention. “I just received a letter from His Grace, the duke. It seems Her Ladyship is coming here to stay for a time, an indefinite period he said.”
Pettigrew paused and eyed the five upstairs house maids meaningfully. “You will all see to opening Her Grace’s apartments and preparing for her imminent arrival.” He looked to the housekeeper then. “Mrs. Gates, you will see that adequate food stores are increased in the larders in case Her Ladyship means to entertain. Order whatever is needed from the grocers in Tregaron and the village. Spare no expense for the lady’s comfort.”
The servants all looked properly stunned.
All but the cook, that is.
Mrs. Abbot worked at Westerleigh all of her life and appeared eager to be able to test her culinary skills upon an appreciative audience. The portly little woman’s florid face was aglow under her starched white mobcap. She was preening in pleasure at the prospect.
“Don’t look so bloody happy o’ it, Mrs. Abbot,” a handsome surly footman named Tom said derisively. “She won’t be ‘ere for long! None of them are, not after meeting—”
“That’s enough, Thomas!” Mr. Pettigrew eyed him sternly. “We will make no mention of him! Under no circumstances are we to perpetuate any hysteria in regard to the presence in the castle while Lady Westerleigh is in residence.”
“Why don’t ye tell His Lordship that,” a cheeky kitchen maid named Edie added with a dimpled grin. “I think ye know better than that, Mr. Pettigrew. It’s his bloody house! When does he not make his presence known?” Several servants chuckled at that and sobered at Mr. Pettigrew’s growing scowl.
“Mind your tongue, missy!” Mr. Pettigrew gazed about with a stern look at the others. “We all know what he will do. What he always does. But under no circumstance do we interfere. Is that clear? There are rules here at Westerleigh. You only invite his wrath upon you if you don’t adhere to them. I have little doubt Lady Westerleigh won’t be here long. With that in mind, you will say nothing to her if you wish to remain on. His Lordship leaves us all be, and for that we can be grateful.”
“I almost feel sorry for her,” Mrs. Gates said with a subtle tightening of her lips. “You have to wonder how she displeased her husband to be sent here of all places.”
“Mrs. Gates! I’m shocked at such unkind words coming from you!” Mr. Pettigrew glared at her. “And there will be no speculation of why she is coming. Is that clear to all of you? The fact she comes at all is not for us to gossip about.”
“But ye must have wondered on it yourself, Mr. Pettigrew,” Mrs. Abbot remarked thoughtfully in defense of the housekeeper, earning a grateful smile from Mrs. Gates. “We haven’t seen one member of the Carlisle family since the young lord visited here years ago. Do you realize how long that was, sir?”
“Sixteen years to be precise, Mrs. Abbot,” Pettigrew remarked tightly. “I haven’t failed to acknowledge the passage of time or that Her Ladyship’s coming here is most strange. But it isn’t our place to question matters. We will make the duchess feel welcome, for however long she is in residence.”
“What of His Lordship? You know the one! The bloke who makes all o’ our lives a livin’ hell!” Tom looked around with a scoff of disgust, addressing the table as a whole. “Do you think he will like her coming? I can already see it all now! It’s all going to start up again! For years we haven’t heard a peep out o’ him! This won’t be good for us!”
“Ye were just a lad the last time His Lordship raged about the place, Tom,” Mrs. Abbot said consolingly. “For all we know
It was customary they also accept the peers of His Lordship that were passing through even though the duke was never in attendance. To do so would have been a serious affront to the Duke of Westerleigh’s hospitality.
Mr. Pettigrew cleared his throat to gain their attention. “I just received a letter from His Grace, the duke. It seems Her Ladyship is coming here to stay for a time, an indefinite period he said.”
Pettigrew paused and eyed the five upstairs house maids meaningfully. “You will all see to opening Her Grace’s apartments and preparing for her imminent arrival.” He looked to the housekeeper then. “Mrs. Gates, you will see that adequate food stores are increased in the larders in case Her Ladyship means to entertain. Order whatever is needed from the grocers in Tregaron and the village. Spare no expense for the lady’s comfort.”
The servants all looked properly stunned.
All but the cook, that is.
Mrs. Abbot worked at Westerleigh all of her life and appeared eager to be able to test her culinary skills upon an appreciative audience. The portly little woman’s florid face was aglow under her starched white mobcap. She was preening in pleasure at the prospect.
“Don’t look so bloody happy o’ it, Mrs. Abbot,” a handsome surly footman named Tom said derisively. “She won’t be ‘ere for long! None of them are, not after meeting—”
“That’s enough, Thomas!” Mr. Pettigrew eyed him sternly. “We will make no mention of him! Under no circumstances are we to perpetuate any hysteria in regard to the presence in the castle while Lady Westerleigh is in residence.”
“Why don’t ye tell His Lordship that,” a cheeky kitchen maid named Edie added with a dimpled grin. “I think ye know better than that, Mr. Pettigrew. It’s his bloody house! When does he not make his presence known?” Several servants chuckled at that and sobered at Mr. Pettigrew’s growing scowl.
“Mind your tongue, missy!” Mr. Pettigrew gazed about with a stern look at the others. “We all know what he will do. What he always does. But under no circumstance do we interfere. Is that clear? There are rules here at Westerleigh. You only invite his wrath upon you if you don’t adhere to them. I have little doubt Lady Westerleigh won’t be here long. With that in mind, you will say nothing to her if you wish to remain on. His Lordship leaves us all be, and for that we can be grateful.”
“I almost feel sorry for her,” Mrs. Gates said with a subtle tightening of her lips. “You have to wonder how she displeased her husband to be sent here of all places.”
“Mrs. Gates! I’m shocked at such unkind words coming from you!” Mr. Pettigrew glared at her. “And there will be no speculation of why she is coming. Is that clear to all of you? The fact she comes at all is not for us to gossip about.”
“But ye must have wondered on it yourself, Mr. Pettigrew,” Mrs. Abbot remarked thoughtfully in defense of the housekeeper, earning a grateful smile from Mrs. Gates. “We haven’t seen one member of the Carlisle family since the young lord visited here years ago. Do you realize how long that was, sir?”
“Sixteen years to be precise, Mrs. Abbot,” Pettigrew remarked tightly. “I haven’t failed to acknowledge the passage of time or that Her Ladyship’s coming here is most strange. But it isn’t our place to question matters. We will make the duchess feel welcome, for however long she is in residence.”
“What of His Lordship? You know the one! The bloke who makes all o’ our lives a livin’ hell!” Tom looked around with a scoff of disgust, addressing the table as a whole. “Do you think he will like her coming? I can already see it all now! It’s all going to start up again! For years we haven’t heard a peep out o’ him! This won’t be good for us!”
“Ye were just a lad the last time His Lordship raged about the place, Tom,” Mrs. Abbot said consolingly. “For all we know
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