Page 100 of His Duchess in Disguise
Emma sighed and plunged another handful of silverware into the hot water.Now, why could not someone like the Duke have asked for her hand? She would have gone with him in a minute, without a second thought. That would have made me a duchess…father would have been so proud! But he had to go and spoil it all . . .
Emma focused on her role as Kathy and began to scrub quickly at the flatware. Better mountains of pots than to be married to the Earl of Cleweme. But a girl could dream, yes she could. Who might have guessed that the Duke of Menhiransten would be so marvelously handsome?
Chapter 15
Leo frowned as he looked over the household accounts Mrs. Noddicott presented to him.So many missing! Father and Garth were not the only ones carried off by the illness.Indeed, a few still lingered in the makeshift infirmary in the south wing.
He cleared his throat, trying not to let grief over the loss of well-known faces show as he considered what needed to be done. The stableman who had taught him and his brother to ride, the senior footman, the saucy maid who had taught him the ways of man and woman . . . all were gone. There were many other vacancies on the staff, especially footmen, house guardsmen, and farmers. The press gangs and appeals for volunteers had stripped away at staff in addition to the depredations of the winter illness.
“Let us advertise locally first. I have no objection to some of the staff being day laborers if they so desire. Mr. Hamilton will take care of the details. Pray, be so good as to supply him with a list of vacancies to be filled.”
“I will, Your Grace,” Mrs. Noddicott inclined her head in a near curtsy. “Could I ask a favor of you?”
“You may ask, Mrs. Noddicott. Then I will tell you if I will grant it,” replied Leo.
“The new-hire, Kathy Smith. I’d like to promote her to kitchen maid and get someone a little stronger to act as scullery. She is a willing worker, but slight of stature. Since she is very neat-handed, I’d like to put her in charge of the fine china, crystal, and cutlery, as well as beginning to train her as a cook.”
“I have no objection, so long as it works well for you. Be sure to put scullery on the list for Mr. Hamilton. At the same time, if you have no objection, please give him a list of household supplies, both foodstuffs, and other things.”
Mrs. Noddicott’s face brightened at this. “Thank you, Your Grace. We are running low on several staples. Do you think it would be possible to obtain real tea?”
“Now that I do not know. Mr. Hamilton most likely will. Meanwhile, the mint that you served at breakfast is quite passable. In fact, in some ways, I find it superior to either India or China tea.”
Leo picked up the cup from his desk, and took a sip, demonstrating that he found it acceptable, then went on talking. “There is one other matter. Mr. Hamilton is not a local, and he will need an assistant who knows the locals and the customs. I’d like that assistant to be young Robbie.”
“Robbie? My scapegrace nephew, Robert? Why, he is more likely to get the poor man into mischief than not.”
“Hamilton has experience with training young men, and it will be difficult for Robbie to put one over on him. It will be good for your nephew and will keep him out of mischief. It will be good for Hamilton, as well. He was frequently in charge of the ship’s boys and the younger midshipmen. Since he is neither servant nor family, I do not want him to languish in loneliness as sometimes can happen with a secretary or companion.”
Mrs. Noddicott primmed up her mouth for a moment. “I do hope he is not one who has—ahem—a fondness for boys.”
“No, no, you may rest assured that he does not. But had things turned out differently, I believe he would have made an excellent schoolmaster. In due course, I fear that the tasks I must set him will become sufficiently onerous that he will need a staff. I think your nephew will do very well as his assistant, and will learn a great deal in that position. I believe he can read and cipher?”
“Indeed he can, Your Grace, although it was certainly a chore to make sure that he went to his lessons with the parson.”
“Then I think he will do a great deal better advising my secretary than he would be roaming the countryside and poaching my game.”
Mrs. Noddicott tried to keep her lips primly closed, but in spite of her best efforts, a smile trembled around their corners. “You might be right at that, Your Grace. Thank you for looking out for him.”
“We have lost enough of the household. If this will prevent your nephew from becoming gallows-bait, I am glad to do it.”And I must see to Reggie as well. What a tangle to find him trying his hand at being a highwayman.
The housekeeper sighed. “He was such a spritely little lad. And his mother spoiled him, God rest her soul.”
“I know. I remember when he first came and was employed as my bootblack. Perhaps I should have taken him with me, but he was quite young, and it is a rough life at sea.” Leo paused a moment, remembering a moppet that had nearly ruined a pair of boots before he got the hang of correctly blacking them. “Well, enough. Have you any other needs, Mrs. Noddicott?”
“Indeed, no, Your Grace. I thank you very much for your interest in the household.”
“You are quite welcome, Mrs. Noddicott. Now, I think we both must be about our business.
Mrs. Noddicott curtsied and withdrew.
Hamilton eyed his employer askance, with one eyebrow raised. “I am missing the ship’s boys, am I? Those young rapscallions were the bane of my existence. I am sure I have no idea why my hair is not snowy white from dealing with them.”
Leo chuckled. “I had to have some better reason to place the young thatch gallows under better supervision. He had a neat hand with serving last night, but I have several letters from my father detailing some severe reprimands given the boy. I’d as soon put paid to his rambling and getting into things before we bring on more staff. It will answer better in the long run.”
“Well enough. But I fear you might have given your housekeeper a rather odd idea of me.”
“Oh, I think not. And anyway, all you need do to dispel it is to walk out with Melissa a time or two on your half-day.”
