Page 127 of His Duchess in Disguise
Chapter 32
Emma woke to the sound of Mary Higginsby softly humming as she laid out a breakfast tea. Daylight flooded the guest room, showing it be well-appointed even though it was rather small. Besides the bed, the room contained a pair of blue, brocade wingback chairs, and a small commode that held a pitcher and basin and hid a chamber pot in its bottom compartment. There was also a small table and a set of shelves that would be perfect for a few books or knickknacks.
“Good morning Miss,” Mary greeted her.
“Just tired, Mary. Have you ever been in service before?”
“No, Miss. Just come up now and then to do some day work when the manor house staff is short-handed. Been a lot of that of late. Then Mrs. Noddicott sent for me last night.”
“Well, we are starting even then, because I’ve never had a maid. I had a nursery maid when I was small, and then a governess. But by the time I left, we were down to two servants. Mrs. Able, the housekeeper, helped me out when I needed it.”
“So’s maybe we need a set o’ receipts for how to go about this,” Mary teased. “Do you think they have such?”
“As a matter of fact, ‘they’ actually do. I saw a copy of it in Mr. Thatcher’s bookstore in London. The title wasMirror of Graces. It was all about how to dress and behave. I must say I wasn’t very interested at the time, but perhaps the two of us might need an atlas to keep us out of trouble.”
“Meanwhile,” Mary said, “we’ll just have to ask Mrs. Noddicott. She knows just about ever’ thing to do with clothes, housekeepin’ an’ such.”
“We could. But I think I would rather have a book. I’ll ask the Duke at dinner tonight.” It occurred to Emma that she might be developing a list of things to “ask the Duke” over dinner.
“Speakin’ o’ which, Miss Hoskins, that is right, isn’t it?” At Emma’s nod, Mary went on, “the Duke sent up word at daybreak that he will be busy today and that we are to take advantage of the time to go through his mother’s clothing that is hanging in the blue bedroom. Seein’ as you have only two gowns, and a scant amount of underthings . . .”
Just then there came a knock on the door. When Mary opened it, Mrs. Noddicott stood there, with a spare little woman dressed in the plainest of widow’s weeds. “This is Mrs. Sewer, Miss Hoskins. She is here to help alter the clothing in the blue room to fit.
With scarcely time to gulp her tea and hastily gobble down a scone, Emma found herself standing on a stool in the blue room while Mrs. Sewer had her turn this way and that, while she pinned tucks, marked places that needed mending, and then handed the garments off to her two daughters to be stitched.
By midday, Emma had a raging headache and wanted nothing more than to have some toast and a cup of tea and lie down. But just as they were leaving the Blue Room, the Duke approached them.
“I have come to take you down to luncheon, Miss Hoskins. It occurred to me that you might not be familiar with the way from here or from the guest room. This old house can be a bit of a warren.”
Emma pulled the few shreds of dignity she had left after being pinned, turned, poked, and prodded and said, “Thank you, Your Grace. That is very thoughtful.”
The Duke looked her over, then nodded approvingly. “Very nice. Not quite the mode, but that is to be expected. We will come back by way of London, and you can select a few things. Were you able to find enough things that could be refurbished to get you through until then?”
“Oh, my, yes! I’ve never had above three or four dresses. We found more than a dozen that will do very nicely without even being altered at all.”
“Excellent.” The Duke looked over Emma’s head and addressed the maid. “Mary, would you be so good as to pack for yourself and Miss Hoskins? You will need clothes for a week, as well as something nice for Miss Hoskins to wear to be married in.”
Mary’s eyes grew big and round. “I’m goin’ with you, Yer Grace?”
“Yes, indeed. We cannot have my future wife’s reputation sullied by traveling without so much as a maid, now can we? I’d hire a genteel companion, but they are a trifle in short supply.”
“I’ll get packin’ right now, Yer Grace!” Mary said eagerly.
When they were a few paces down the hall, the Duke asked, “Are you pleased with Miss Higginsby as your maid?”
“Oh, yes, Your Grace. I’ve not had a personal maid before, and she hasn’t been one, so I think we will do very well together. Only . . .”
“Only . . .?” he prompted.
“Only we might need a guidebook of some sort. There is one, calledMirror of Gracesthat is supposed to be excellent.”
The Duke’s smiled, and his eyes crinkled up with amusement. “Already asking for things. Well, I think this is a good idea since neither you nor Mary will have any idea of the finer points of dress or etiquette. It is no matter to me, but you will not want to be placed at a disadvantage when we go to Court. Perhaps we can find a few other books with good ideas. Have you read that novel that has been making the rounds?”
“Do you meanSense and SensibilityorPride and Prejudice? Or perhapsWaverly?”
“Ah, a very well-read young lady. I believe the newest isPride and Prejudice.”
“I have readSense and Sensibility, and I was readingPride and Prejudice, but I sold both of them so that I would have some traveling money.”
