“Have you ever been in love, Joseph?” He wasn’t sure why those particular words had been the ones to come out of his mouth, or who was more shocked by them. Toby for saying them, or his manservant for hearing them. But he rallied. The man wasn’t someone to fallabout the place in shock, like Agatha, one of Anthony’s aunts. The woman was forever shrieking if she saw a mouse or spider. Toby had rescued her a few times himself by removing a threatening insect.
The man hesitated. “Speak freely, Joseph.”
“Well, my lord, I am to marry Miss Pratt.”
Toby’s eyes shot to him. Of the same height as him, he was a military man, with shoulders that were always straight, and shoes polished to a shine. He was far neater than Toby, a fact Joseph bemoaned as he was responsible for how his master looked. The problem was, Toby disliked neckties, waistcoats, and suit jackets. He was most comfortable in shirtsleeves and usually wandered about his town house dressed that way. This did not please his manservant.
“Miss Pratt, my maid?” He brought her to mind. Short, with a shy smile, but that was all he came up with.
“Yes, my lord.”
“How is it I did not know that my manservant is marrying my maid? Further to that is how did I not know you and she were… close,” he added when nothing else came to mind.
“Chadders likes to keep belowstairs things there, my lord, so as not to interfere in your life.”
Because I am a selfish bastard.It was a night for revelations of a personal nature it seemed.
“I’m happy for you both,” Toby said. “When is the wedding?”Did he have married quarters here in his townhouse?
“Two months, my lord.”
“And you will live here?”
“We will.”
“Excellent.” He would have a word with Chadders about the forthcoming nuptials.
There was never anything more confronting than realizing you were a spoiled man who had lived his life upstairs, while those below just got on with it, and seeing to his every need. Especially as they’d allbeen so accepting of Florence and Barnaby.
“Joseph.”
“Yes, my lord.” He was picking up the waistcoat he’d draped over a chair.
“Is all well belowstairs?”
“Well, my lord?” He held it out.
“Happy. Are my staff happy and well?”
“Chadders had gout in his foot last week, so putting on his shoe wasn’t easy,” Joseph said as if they talked like this all the time, which they most definitely did not. Their conversations were usually brief and on the color of his waistcoat.
He’d kept himself distant for too long before Florence arrived and ignored things he should not have. That was about to change.
“But Mrs. Snow the housekeeper is excellent at healing, and he’s feeling better,” Joseph added.
Toby tried to remember if he’d seen his butler hobbling and couldn’t.
“Of course, Jane has gone now.”
Toby looked at Joseph. Saw the worry in his eyes.
“Jane being?”
“She worked in the kitchens, my lord. Mrs. Luke, your housekeeper, dismissed her.”
He may be oblivious to a lot of what went on around him, but he knew when something was off. Joseph was not happy about Jane’s dismissal.
“And why does this bother you so much?” Toby said, sliding his arms into the black evening jacket.
