Inclining her head, she replied, “Good morning to you, Mr Carter. It is good to see you again as well.”
“Please, come in,” he said, stepping aside. “Mrs Radcliffe is expecting you.”
Once she was in the foyer, he took her cloak and bag and went off to find Mrs Radcliffe. She waited, glancing around, curious if she would encounter any of the rest of the family that morning.
Soon enough, though, Mrs Radcliffe appeared, looking beautiful in a forest green dress with her hair arranged in an elegant chignon on the back of her head. In comparison, Victoria felt plain-looking in her grey dress and slicked-back tight bun.
She pushed back the small bit of jealousy that tried to rear its head within her, but she reminded herself that her position in life was not Mrs Radcliffe’s fault. She would not allow herself to harbour any negative thoughts or feelings toward the woman, who had been nothing but friendly and welcoming to her.
“Miss Clifford, I am so happy to see you!” the lady declared, reaching Victoria and taking hold of her hands and giving them a squeeze. “Lily and I are so excited to have you here.”
Victoria smiled and looked around. “Where is Miss Lily?”
“She is still asleep,” Mrs Radcliffe answered. “She will likely wake up soon, but I will show you around the house in the meantime.”
“That sounds just fine, madam,” Victoria replied.
Mrs Radcliffe turned to lead her deeper into the house, and Victoria followed without hesitation. Mrs Radcliffe showed her around the ground floor, which included the library, the study, the dining room, several drawing rooms, the breakfast room, and a billiards room. They briefly made their way downstairs to the kitchen, pantry, and laundry room, which were bustling with activity as the household’s staff readied for the day ahead.
Finally, they began ascending to the second floor, where the family’s bedrooms resided in one wing of the house, and guest rooms were located in the other wing.
“Who all lives here, madam?” Victoria asked as they crossed the landing to head toward the family’s quarters. “Besides you and Miss Lily?”
“My father, the Duke, lives here, of course,” Mrs Radcliffe answered. “He is a very busy man, so he is in and out quite a bit. You likely will not see him too often. My brother lives here as well. He has been away from England for the past nine months and has only just returned, so I imagine he will be taking time to readjust to being home as well.
He might linger about the house more often than usual as a result. Do not worry over his presence, though. He can come off as gruff, but he is a true gentleman at heart.”
“May I ask, madam, where your husband currently is?” Henrietta had told Victoria that Mr Radcliffe was a ship’s captain who often went on long voyages. She assumed that was the reason for his absence, but she did not want to overstep with such an assumption.
Mrs Radcliffe sighed wistfully and answered, “Oh, he is on a ship travelling to the Americas. He will be away for several months yet, but when he returns, we will find a house of our own to move into. He promised to give up his seafaring now that Lily is getting older so we might settle down as a family.”
Victoria could hear the sadness and longing in the lady’s tone. She clearly missed her husband dearly, but she seemed resigned to his absence. Victoria sympathized with her. Not having her family around was proving increasingly painful as she settled into her life in England. Still, it was not something she could change at present. One day, when she could afford to, she would return to France to visit them…perhaps even stay with them.
However, such a dream was far into the future, so she did not allow herself to dwell on it.
“I will pray that Mr Radcliffe returns to you safely, madam,” Victoria said softly.
Mrs Radcliffe gave her an appreciative smile. “Thank you, Miss Clifford. That is very kind of you.”
They passed by several doors, which Mrs Radcliffe explained were the family’s bedrooms. Toward the end of the corridor, they stopped.
“This is Lily’s room,” Mrs Radcliffe said, pointing to a door across from them. “And this will be your room.”
She opened the door to the room they stood in front of and allowed Victoria to enter ahead of her. The room was decently sized, though not huge, with a large bed against the far wall. Three tall windows allowed the morning sunlight to filter into the room, warming the space and making it feel homey.
The floor was covered with a simple but soft rug, a vanity, a dresser, a wardrobe, and a writing desk. Victoria smiled as she gazed around, some of her anxiety calming now that she had seen where she would be staying.
“Is it to your liking?” Mrs Radcliffe asked.
Victoria turned back to her and nodded. “Very much so, madam. In truth, it is more than I expected.”
Mrs Radcliffe grinned. “I am glad you approve. I hope it is a comfortable place for you to retreat to when you are weary from your work and in need of rest. We want you to feel at ease here, Miss Clifford. If there is anything in the room not to your liking, please just let me know, and I will arrange to have things changed.”
Victoria shook her head. “I do not think that will be necessary, madam. The room is perfect, truly. Thank you for your generosity.”
“You are most welcome,” Mrs Radcliffe replied. “Now, why do you not take some time to freshen up, and then you can join us downstairs for breakfast?”
“That sounds lovely, thank you.”
