“Good man! We will make an optimist of you yet. I think I would like to meet your new duchess. Offer her some insight on how to deal with your gloomy personality.”
Thomas glared at his friend without any heat. “If I see you anywhere near my estate, I will shoot you.”
“You are a lousy shot, Ravencroft. But I will greatly appreciate the effort,” Edward grinned.
Thomas sighed and finished his drink, allowing himself to soak up more of the calmness the present company provided his mind. Before he returned home to his busy life.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Iwill leave him in your capable hands, Miss Becker.”
The nanny curtsied before Jane, an action the duchess had witnessed a number of times that morning but still had not grown accustomed to.
“Of course, Your Grace. I will keep the little lord occupied in your absence.”
Jane nodded, stepping aside so the other woman could tend to her husband’s child for the moment, sparing Reuben another glance before she left his room completely.
It had been surprising that the child already seemed to have grown somewhat attached to her. If anything, he appeared to find her presence comforting and the knowledge of that made Jane believe that perhaps she could be of more help than she had initially thought.
However, she needed to do more for the duke. It did not feel right to her that she had gotten to spend the day before simply playing and entertaining with a child, whereas she had yet to familiarize herself with the duties and responsibilities of being a duchess. Jane thought it was regretful that she had not seized the opportunity to question her friend, Penelope while she had the chance, but it seemed that she would have to manage somehow.
With a determined nod to herself, she set off to find the housekeeper. As though Mrs Green sensed that she was being sought after, she was waiting for the duchess at the foot of the stairs when Jane arrived.
“Ah, just the person I wished to see,” Jane smiled a little. “Mrs Green, I would like your help with something.”
The older woman nodded curtly. “Certainly, Your Grace. I am here to assist you; however, you need me to.”
“Well... to be honest, I am very unsure of what it is I am supposed to do here. As the duchess. The duke would prefer that I focus solely on Reuben, but I do not wish to smother him with my presences so soon after our introduction. We need time to get to know each other and I – regardless of what is expected of me, I would like to be able to contribute even more to this household. Could you guide me?” Jane asked earnestly.
Mrs Greene smiled, looking quite pleased with what she had just heard.
“Of course, Your Grace. Shall we begin?”
Jane nodded, feeling nervous and giddy with some excitement. The housekeeper led her down the hallway, speaking in a tone that was gentle but still held the duchess’ attention firmly.
“The most important task you will have is to ensure that the household is running as smoothly as possible. Everything else is secondary to that, and in time, you will begin to taken on those duties as well. But, for now, the affairs of this home will be where you begin. The duchess is expected to ensure the household runs as it should – and to do that, you must know the members of your staff. I believe, an introduction to the others is due.”
She turned into another corridor and opened the door at the end of it, and only when Jane had gone through it did she realize she was standing in the kitchen.
A handful of servants and staff looked raised their heads upon her arrival and they quickly formed a line, standing as still as possible. Jane smiled nervously, mostly trying to ease her own nerves, but Mrs Greene charged forward regardless.
“These people are responsible for the care and welfare of the household, Your Grace. Firstly, Mr Percival Johnson is the butler of the estate. Everything runs as seamlessly as possible due to his fine efforts and superb keen eye for detail,” she said, gesturing at a man who stepped forward and bowed, the light glinting off his monocle.
“Good morning, Your Grace. It is an honour to meet you,” he told her, standing straight with a smile.
“Lucas is our cook – and he is quite talented! He was specially trained in France and has contributed greatly to the wellness of the household with his exceptional meals,” Mrs Greene stated, gesturing at a burly man who stepped forward proudly.
“Your Grace,” he said, his voice cheery and light. “You are s magnificent beauty to behold. Welcome to the Ravencroft estate. We are delighted to make your acquaintance. If at any time – any hour of the day at all, you find yourself plagued with cravings for a dish or dessert, you must let me know at once. I will prepare it for you, to the best of my abilities.”
His rather energetic words were reassuring and Jane couldn’t help but smile gratefully.
“I will keep that in mind, thank you.” She replied honestly.
“James is His Grace’s valet, and Adele is to be your lady’s maid, Your Grace,” Mrs Greene informed, and Jane’s eyes slid to the young man and woman standing near the cook who both bowed. “The others are maids that help clean, cook and manage other meagre duties. We do have a gardener; Robert and the stableboy is Christian. I am sure you will meet them eventually, as well.”
Jane faced the staff once more, willing her voice to be strong as she addressed them.
“Good afternoon. I apologize, if my introduction has arrived later than expected, but I am the new duchess of Ravencroft. This is... quite a new experience for me, as one can imagine, but I am intent on doing my very best to ensure the happiness and well-being of everyone within the estate. If you have any concerns or even suggestions about the affairs of the estate, do not hesitate to bring it up to me. I do hope we are able to do great things here. Together,” she spoke, her cheeks flushed beneath the attention of the staff.
