‘Don’t worry about that. He’ll be thrilled if he can tell people his former housekeeper now works for the Marquess of Rainton. His wife might be more of a challenge, but I’m sure if you pay her a call, she’ll forgive you. Throw in a dinner invitation and they’ll probably pay you to take her.’
‘In that case, do you think you could get a message to her?’
‘I’m sure Mr Rimmer could.’
‘Wonderful.’ Florence looked around the ballroom one more time, starting to feel anxious again. ‘Will this really work? Or will everyone think there would have been sunshine if Mrs Fitch were still here?’
Jane snorted. ‘Trust me, everyone’s just going to be grateful the fair’s still going ahead. And no one’s going to miss that old tyrant. She wouldneverhave allowed tenants inside the house.’ She gave Florence a nudge. ‘I don’t suppose the new marquess would have thought of it either if it wasn’t for you.’
‘Actually, it was his idea.’
‘Really?’ Jane looked taken aback. ‘Well, then, you must be a good influence.’
‘Who’s a good influence?’
Florence gave a start of surprise at the sound of Leo’s voice behind them, at the same moment as Jane gave a squeak of alarm and plummeted into a curtsey.
‘Nobody.’ She recovered herself first. ‘We were just discussing a possible new housekeeper. She was a former maid here and I’d like to ask her back, if you have no objection?’
‘None at all.’ He smiled. ‘That’s your department now, remember?’
‘So it is.’ She glanced at his rolled-up sleeves. ‘What have you been doing?’
‘Moving furniture. With the help of a couple of footmen, I should add. The carpets are all rolled up in the long gallery and we’ve moved everything we don’t need out of the second drawing room and the Green Room, as instructed. Rimmer tells me one of them is going to be an impromptu nursery.’
‘Um…yes.’ She blinked rapidly, still distracted by the sight of his uncovered biceps. ‘You’ve really been moving furniture?’
‘Yes. It didn’t seem right to just stand by and watch.’ He clapped his hands together. ‘So what next?’
‘Next I think we should all have a rest.’ She turned to Jane, who was still looking red-faced. ‘Tell everyone downstairs to take a break too. And please tell them tomorrow will be a holiday as a thank-you for today.’
‘Yes, my lady. I’ll go and tell them now.’
‘A holiday?’ Leo cocked an eyebrow as Jane bobbed another curtsey and hurried away. ‘It really is a new regime.’
‘It only seems fair considering how hard everyone’s working today. They might all walk out otherwise.’
‘Actually, I don’t think so.’ He moved closer, slipping his arms around her and lacing his fingers across the small of her back. ‘The footmen are more motivated than I’ve ever seen them, and I believe I heard a few of the maids singing this morning.’ He glanced over her head at the ballroom. ‘This looks very impressive.’
‘Thank you.’ She lifted her own hands to his chest with a proud smile. ‘I’m quite pleased with it. I thought the older children could start off with games in the long gallery while the adults have some tea and look at the competition entries in the Green Room. If I go with the children and you stay with the adults, it should work. Then, when the children are all tired out, we can send them to the “nursery” to be supervised by a few of the maids while we hand out prizes and you give a speech.’ She paused for breath. ‘After that, we can have the picnic in the ballroom, and then clear all the hampers and blankets away for music and dancing. What do you think?’
‘I think there’s no way Mrs Fitch could have devised anything like this, especially so quickly.’
‘Well, I don’t know about that, but I’m starting to feel excited.’
‘Good.’ He dipped a kiss onto her nose. ‘But now we really should sit down for a while or we’ll have no energy left to greet everyone.’
‘True.’ She laughed as he caught hold of one of her hands, pulling her along behind him. ‘Where are we going?’
‘To my study. It’s officially out of bounds to everyone else, but I suggested we store a few surplus pieces of furniture in there.’ He opened the door and gestured towards a crimson velvet chaise longue. ‘I thought it would make a perfect place if you feel like you need a few minutes alone.’
‘That’s for me?’ Her heart thumped with pleasure at the sight before her. The chaise longue had been placed a few feet from the fireplace, where a roaring fire was crackling in the grate. It looked so cosy and comfortable, part of her wished she could spend the rest of the day here.
‘Officially reserved for the marchioness.’ He smiled. ‘Now, why don’t you lie down while I fetch us some tea?’
She opened her eyes wide as he headed back towards the door. ‘Wait! You’re not going downstairs, surely? Mrs Hotham will have conniptions at the sight of you.’
‘Yes, she almost did earlier when I went down to ask for some help with the long gallery.’ He looked faintly sheepish. ‘I had no idea it was so shocking for a man to enter his own kitchens. I just thought, with everyone being so busy, it made more sense for me to go downstairs than ring for someone, but it caused quite a commotion.’ He shook his head. ‘Even Rimmer looked scandalised.’
