Page 26 of Lady for a Season
“That will not do at all, it is a housemaid’s name. You will be known as Margaret. Margaret…” She paused. “… Seton. I believe there are some Setons in the north who have acceptable connections. If anyone asks, we will imply you are distantly related to them.” She nodded to herself, rapidly inventing. “You will be a third cousin once removed on my side of the family. Your mother made an unfortunate marriage and your father recently died, leaving you to my care. You will address His Grace as Cousin Edward and he will address you as Cousin Margaret, to allow for the closeness which your role as his nursemay require. We cannot have any suggestions of impropriety, we have enough to conceal as it is.” Her lip curled, as though the idea made her feel ill. “In addition, you will call me Aunt Caroline. We must maintain the falsehood of being related at all times.”
Maggie, who had spent years wishing she had a family, could not, at this moment, think of anyone to whom she would less like to be related than the Duchess, with her cold eyes and forbidding manner.
“As few people as possible must know who you are and of our plan.” The Duchess looked down at her hands, counting. “Doctor Morrison, of course, should treatments be necessary. For now, I have asked him to stay away, as regular visits by a physician may draw unwanted attention. Joseph will act as His Grace’s valet from now on. We cannot risk hiring a new valet who does not know of his affliction. My lady’s maid, Celine Duval, will dress you and correct any failings in your manners. That is three people, and we must not allow any other people to know the truth. His Grace’s natural grief at the loss of his father and elder brother, the sudden shock of becoming the Duke of Buckingham, all of these can be used as excuses for any behaviour that may seem less than… normal, but overall he must appear sane. We cannot have servants gossiping or thetonsuspecting anything is amiss. There can be no whispers, no suggestion of anything untoward. He must find a bride and be married by the end of the season.”
She turned to look at Joseph and Celine. “You will both, always, refer to Margaret as Miss Seton.”
“Yes, Your Grace,” they chorused.
“Margaret, you will address them as Joseph and Duval.”
Maggie blinked, confused.
“What is it?”
“Joseph by his first name but Celine by her surname?”
“Yes. That is how it is done. Footmen are referred to by their Christian names. A maid, also. But a lady’s maid is given the distinction of being called by her surname. You will have to learn these things.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “If it is possible.”
“I am a fast learner.” Maggie lifted her chin. “Aunt Caroline,” she added for good measure.
“Very well. Duval, take Margaret to the Wisteria Bedroom. Arrange for her to be…” she looked Maggie up and down, evidently displeased by what she saw “…appropriately dressed, at least for now. Do whatever is necessary, purchase whatever is required. You can ensure she has a more extensive wardrobe when the season starts, but she must at least pass muster as a member of the family until then, should we receive any visitors or be seen in public. His Grace must choose a room he is happy with since he refuses to use the ducal suite. However, neither His Grace nor Miss Seton are to be seen outside the nursery by any of the servants or outside the house until they are properly attired. That must be our first matter of business.”
Maggie glanced at Edward, who gave her a small nod.
“Yes, Your Grace,” murmured Celine Duval, before turning to Maggie. “Please follow me, Miss Seton.”
Chapter 3:
The Wisteria Bedroom
Maggie followed Celine along endless corridors, while the maid described the rooms they were passing.
“The Rose Bedroom, the Peony Bedroom, the Hyacinth Bedroom. This is the Wisteria Bedroom.”
Maggie was shown into a room that took her breath away. She had expected a utilitarian servant’s quarters, perhaps one more elegant than those she had been used to at Ivy Cottage: a small room with a bare wooden floor, a plain bed, a wooden chest of drawers for her belongings with a candle or lamp on it, a white chamber pot. Perhaps, given the elegance of the house, there might be a rug on the floor, a small looking glass to check her appearance. Instead, she was standing in a large room with a thick carpet woven in cream and lilac. Two huge windows overlooked gardens, each draped with lilac silk curtains which hung down to the floor. There was a four-poster bed draped in the same fabric and the walls were papered with a delicate pattern of wisteria flowers trailing down from their vines. Maggie stood on the threshold, hardly daring to step inside.
“And your dressing room is just there.” Celine waved towards an open door. “It is small, but pretty enough.”
Maggie stepped carefully onto the carpet, afraid of leaving dirt on it from her boots. She followed Celine through the door into a room half the size of the bedroom but full of light from another large window, painted in a lilac that echoed the paper of the first room. It contained two clothes-presses, both in a dark polished wood with floral inlays. A basin and jug were on top of one, the other held a lamp. Close to the window was a delicate long-legged table with a large looking glass and a writing set on it, completed with a silk-covered stool before it.
“Your dressing table,” said Celine. “I will find you anecessaire, Her Grace has more than one.”
Maggie had no idea what anecessairewas but did not like to ask. “May I return to Edward now?” she asked instead. “He will be feeling anxious about choosing a room.”
Celine guided her back to the nursery.
“I will look out clothing for you,” she said as they walked. “This evening, I will show you what I have available and measure you for other things. You have no other clothes with you at all?”
Maggie shook her head. “I was not given time to bring anything. I only have what I am wearing.”
Celine shook her head. “Men. Joseph should have let you bring whatever you had need of, although… Her Grace will not allow you to be seen dressed as you are, so only your underclothes would have been useful, in truth. I will attend you later.”
“Thank you,” said Maggie, grateful for Celine’s calm acceptance of the situation. Hopefully, the maid could be relied on to help her navigate this strange new world.
In the nursery, Edward was gazing out of the window again.
Maggie crossed the room to his side. “Your mother says you have a set of rooms on the floor below this one.”
