Collin knocked back the rest of his drink. “As long as she doesn’t try to matchmake me, I’m fine with it.”
“I’ll be certain to remind her to leave you be,” Derek said. “Now, what’s on the agenda for the next fortnight?”
Collin sighed and stretched out his legs in front of him, staring glumly at the reflection of sunlight on his polished boots. “I suppose I should see about relaxing. To that end, I intend to have a completely peaceful stay in the country with absolutely nothing to worry me.”
Derek lifted his glass. “I’ll drink to that.”
Chapter Five
Erienne glanced around the magnificent bedchamber that belonged to Lady Mary Hunt, the duchess’s adorable, precocious, three-year-old daughter. The child was as beautiful as her mother. She had the duchess’s curly black hair and her father’s dark eyes. Lady Mary had already endeared herself to Erienne by toddling over, executing a perfect little curtsy, and saying, “It’s vewwy nice to meet you, Miss Stwone.”
Erienne and Lucy had exchanged glances and hid their smiles while Erienne performed a similar curtsy to little Lady Mary. “My pleasure, Lady Mary. And may I say you have fine manners, indeed.”
“Thwank you,” Lady Mary replied. She clasped her little hands together and asked, “Do you have a dwog?”
“A dwo—?” Frowning, Erienne glanced at Lucy for an interpretation.
Lucy smiled and shook her head. “She wants a dog. She’s been asking for one for as long as she could speak.”
“Oh,” Erienne said, lifting her skirts and crouching so that she was at Lady Mary’s eye level. “I do not have a dog, but I should very much like one. I adore them.”
Lady Mary clapped her hands. “Oh, gwood,” the little girl exclaimed. “I want to name my dwog Cinderwella.”
Erienne pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. She could tell the little girl took the subject of procuring a dog and naming it quite seriously. “Cinderella?”
“I gave her that book for her birthday. She adores it,” Lucy explained.
Erienne turned her attention back to Lady Mary. “Well, I think Ella is a perfectly lovely name for a dog.”
“Me twoo,” Lady Mary said, beaming.
Lucy placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Go play with Ralph and Anna in the corner, darling,” she said, pointing toward where her son and a nursemaid sat across the room near a stack of wooden blocks. Ralph was sitting up straight, shaking one of the blocks in his little fist. Mary happily scampered off to join them.
“Anna will be your assistant,” Lucy continued to Erienne, nodding toward the young maid. “She’s been the children’s nursemaid since they were born.”
Erienne blinked. “Assistant?”
“Yes.” Lucy waved a hand in the air. “You know, for when you need a few moments of peace. Or help with lessons. You’ll also have a maid who serves your meals and theirs, and another maid who does your laundry and theirs, and one who cleans your rooms and—”
“I’m not accustomed to having help.” Erienne had never even heard of such a thing. At Hilltop House, she and the other upper servants had been served meals by the under servants, but that had been the extent of any help she’d received in her position. She’d certainly never had a nursemaid to help watch the children, or a maid to clean her room or do her laundry. She’d been responsible for bringing her own laundry down to the laundry maids each week.
“I understand,” Lucy replied. “But I think it’s best if you’re able to concentrate on the children’s studies. I want both of them to begin learning French right away.”
“Of course.” Erienne wasn’t about to argue with a duchess over the extravagance of her household. Besides, it stood to reason that in such a fine home there would be more servants. But it was yet another reason she was still not entirely certain why she’d accepted this position. Would she ever feel comfortable here?
“They’re darling children,” Erienne said. “And I’ve never seen such fine bedchambers.” She gestured around the cavernous space that was Lady Mary’s room.
Lucy threaded her arm through Erienne’s. “Now, let me show you your rooms.”
“Rooms?” Erienne echoed. She’d assumed she would have one room, no doubt a lovely one, but at Hilltop House, her accommodations had been limited to a single serviceable bedchamber.
“Anna, we’ll be back soon,” Lucy called to the nursemaid, who nodded and continued her play with the children.
They left Mary’s nursery and strolled down the hall, past Ralph’s equally large bedchamber to the end of the corridor, where Lucy pushed open a wide door to reveal a room that stole Erienne’s breath.
“This is your bedchamber,” Lucy said, sweeping her hand in front of her as she showed Erienne the huge, elegantly appointed space. The room was much grander than the one she’d had at the Hilltops’ residence, decorated in hues of green and lavender. Her bed was a large, fancy thing with a white satin tent over it, a new down mattress, matching fluffy pillows and the finest white linens she’d ever touched. Fresh flowers and wax candles (no tallow) rested on the bedside table. Erienne wanted to pinch herself with glee.
Lucy pointed. “Through that door is the sitting room, and over there is the dressing room.”
