Page 52 of A Housekeeper for the Earl of Drinkwater
He grinned and bowed.
“I trust in you completely, Miss White,” he said. “Do forgive me, but I must go now to meet with the tenant farmers and the bailiff to discuss any repairs that need to be made before the ball. Thank you for walking with me, Miss White. And I look forward to speaking with you again.” He started to turn away, then blushed. “About the ball, of course.”
Serena blushed as she curtseyed.
“Of course, my lord,” she said, floating on air. “I hope your meeting goes well.”
When the earl was out of sight, she squealed to herself. She was giddy, and she could not wait to begin planning the ball. Practically leaping with joy, she raced inside to tell Mrs. Chantry all about it.
Chapter Twenty-one
Edward’s aunts had wanted him to throw the ball just three days after their arrival. He knew that would have been impossible—there was still far too much to be done inside the manor. Fortunately, he’d managed to convince them that the guests would need more advance notice than that.
At last, they agreed to wait two weeks. That would be just enough time for him to finish making the exterior of the mansion presentable again, and perhaps bring in a little more money to provide for extras like refreshments. They were to see to the invitations, while he did his part, and with that, they seemed satisfied.
However, there was one other issue he needed to resolve before the ball could go ahead. There was no possibility that Miss White and Emily alone could make ready the entire great hall, main dining hall, and the ballroom in just ten days, not even with Mrs. Chantry to help. The rooms would need another thorough cleaning as well as decorating for the ball, plus arrangements for an orchestra, and so on.
He would need to hire a few more maids to help out too, which he was hardly in a position to do just yet. But he blanched at the idea of putting all the work and responsibility onto Miss White alone. She was an excellent housekeeper and a hard worker, but it would be unfair to expect so much from her.
And I would rather die than put so much strain upon her,he thought.
So, on the first official day of planning the ball, he rushed to his study, practically dragging Clarke inside with him.
“What is wrong, milord?” the butler asked, looking worriedly at his master.
Edward motioned for him to sit as he took his own seat at the desk.
“It is time to hire more help,” he said.
***
Within the first week, Edward had hired three new maids. As he had hoped, Miss White welcomed them warmly and made short work of guiding them in their duties and assigning them tasks. He felt guilty for not being able to provide her a raise in wages befitting that of head housekeeper, a position she now essentially occupied. He vowed to make it up to her as soon as more money was coming in.
Three days into the second week, the manor had undergone an unbelievable transformation. Fresh wreaths of greenery had been woven and festooned the walls, every surface he could see was polished to within an inch of its life, and large displays of fresh flowers gave both colour and fragrance to the halls. He was even able to get Stamp and a couple of the other farmers to help him replace and hang a new chandelier.
Two days before the ball, Edward went to visit his mother. She looked exhausted, but the colour was slowly returning to her cheeks, and she smiled at him as soon as he entered the room.
“Darling,” she said, her voice husky but steady. “I am so glad to see you.”
Edward hurried to the bed and embraced his mother, still stunned at her improvement.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
The countess pointed to a tray on her bedside table, upon which sat little but crumbs.
“Full,” she said with a soft laugh.
Edward grinned.
“That is the best news I have heard in far too long,” he said.
The countess smiled up at him, and for a moment, he saw the ghost of the mother he’d once known.
“How are your aunts getting on?” she asked.
Edward’s smile instantly dropped. He tried to recover, but his mother was now more alert.
“Oh, dear, are they causing trouble again?” she asked.
