The Companion of Lady Holmeshire Read Free Page B

home to your parents and save a bit. I am sure you will be very happy here. You see, I instruct your superiors to be compassionate.”
    “ Thank you, Milady.” Anne curtsied.
    Elizabeth nudged her, frowned and whispered in a severe tone, “Too many curtsies, and do not fidget!” Anne’s eyes opened widely, and she held her breath.
    “ Provided you earn your keep,” Winnie continued.
    “ I will, ma’am!” she exhaled.
    “ Emma, do you have questions for either of the girls?”
    “ Yes. Anne, it is good to see you so fully blossomed!” Emma seemed proud of little Anne. “And how is your family?”
    “ Oh, thank you, ma’am. We are happy to be well, all of us, and so grateful that both Elizabeth and I are in service and can help our parents. Mama stitches on her dresses late into the night, you know, and Papa wishes to pay for an apprenticeship for little Fredrick some day. The rest of the girls are learning stitchery and doing hems for Mama. I’m grateful to be here.” She could speak when it was required, as long as the listener was familiar and friendly.
    “ Yes, we all have things to thank God for, myself, I am sure, more than most!” Emma nodded. “It is good to hear of your family’s well being. I do hope that Freddy shall have his apprenticeship. It is admirable and commendable that you will help with that.”
    “ Thank you, ma’am.”
    “ Be off, then. Elizabeth, please teach Anne privately. It will spare her chagrin. And Anne, be ready for Emma this evening,” Winnie ordered.
    “ Aye... Yes, ma’am.” Anne watched her sister and followed her manner, a bit too carefully, until they were out of sight. Winnie chuckled, and Emma covered her mouth to hide her amusement.
    “ She will grow into this with me, ma’am! Perhaps faster than I!”
    “ You will both do very well. Now, let’s hear you on the pianoforte!”
    They whiled away their morning, happy to be settling in together. Emma was very comfortable with her Mistress and displayed some of the artistic improvements that Miss Wathem had made in her. They talked about the former days, before she had gone to London, when Winnie had asked Emma to take breaks from her housekeeping to sit and converse; of all the servants, only Emma had ever dined with her. At lunch, they began considering further tutoring, to begin in September, and discussed thoughts about how her world would be changing in so many ways.
    Days drifted by as Emma learned to be waited on and fussed over by her former fellows. She tried to be over Anne, showing her where to place things, how to part her hair, where to lay out her clothes, but inadvertently curtsied to her on one occasion when Anne was about to depart. Anne fled from the room aghast, not knowing quite what to do, and Emma called her back in to try again. “We are both just learning, aren’t we?” she giggled.
    One evening she kissed Nora on the cheek when surprised with her beloved jam and scones. “We just could not eat one without you, Emma...ma’am...and so I sneaked up the stairs!” Nothing could go too amiss, for though Winnie ran a good house, she often did so with a wink and a look away. Happily, the Housekeeper knew when to frown, and when there were guests in the house, there was no excuse for trouble or neglect in the least.

~ Chapter 2~
    A Pleasant Reception by the Lord Himself
     
    Every afternoon at two o’clock, Nicky would be brought down the stairs to visit the two adoring women. The bouncy little gentleman had been brought home, along with a nanny, and installed in the nursery by Lord Wilfred when he returned once from his travels. The dear boy could not be raised by his father, Wills told people, and Wills had sworn to raise the child as his own.
    Nicholas had now been at the castle for well over half of his two years of life and had no recollection of any other home. His happiness was manifested by peals of laughter that rang through the halls. He was amply hugged and kissed by the