Page 21 of Bride of the Fae Duke

Which meant it was time to do something about the matter.

She found the housekeeper in her own rooms, her small desk buried beneath a rather imposing pile of invoices and receipts. It was with notable reserve that Mrs. Hartnell looked up from her bookkeeping, rose from her chair, and said, ‘Ah, Lady Locke?’

For goodness’s sake, the expression on her face added.As if a morning of bookkeeping wasn’t bad enough already.

But Lady Eyestone had been much more impolite than that on her bad days, and if there was anything Nellie had learned over the course of her employment in that household, it was to keep smiling kindly no matter what. So smile she did, as if her life depended on it. ‘Good morning, Mrs. Hartnell – do you have a few minutes?’

Of course Mrs. Hartnell had a few minutes. Maid or no, one did not say no to a duchess.

‘Perhaps we should move to the drawing room,’ the housekeeper stiffly suggested as she closed her inkpot and majestically strode to the door. ‘That might be a more fitting place for a quick conversation.’

In case you and your boorish manners weren’t aware, her expression elucidated.

‘Indeed,’ Nellie said, smiling with almost aggressive stubbornness. ‘Mrs. Radcliffe already mentioned you were one of the most attentive housekeepers she knows. I’m starting to see what she meant.’

‘Oh,’ Mrs. Hartnell said, faltering at that unexpected crumb of information. ‘Oh, you’ve worked underHonoria Radcliffe?’

From the way she spoke the name, this was clearly a badge of honour. Nellie might still be a maid, that tone suggested, butat least she was a maid worth her pay now – and, potentially, a source of information.

‘I have, yes,’ Nellie brightly said, stepping aside to let the other woman through. ‘She spoke of you quite regularly.’

That was a lie, technically speaking. Mrs. Radcliffe had spoken of her colleague exactly once, as she was helping Nellie prepare for her departure from Eyestone Manor:Mathilde Hartnell is a perfectly fine housekeeper, she’d said, which every Eyestone maid knew was the highest possible compliment to ever leave those strict, thin lips,but she’s rather susceptible to flattery, and you should be clear about your intent towards her as soon as possible. Remember that every new Lady Locke might threaten her position.

A warning Nellie had forgotten to heed in the confusion of her wedding day … but judging by the abrupt softening of Mrs. Hartnell’s face, the damage was not yet beyond repair.

‘Oh,’ the housekeeper said again, much more warmly now. ‘Now that is lovely to hear. She used to work for this family, of course – did she tell you? She left her position after His Grace’s mother was sent away by the late Lord Locke.’

‘Really?’ Nellie said, although she’d known half of it already.

‘Oh yes.’ Mrs. Hartnell held open the door to the next corridor, then continued, ‘I was a lady’s maid at the time, you see. After Honoria left, I took the position of housekeeper.’

‘That speaks of exceptional loyalty to the family,’ Nellie said, making sure to sound properly impressed, and Mrs. Hartnell gave a humble little chuckle that suggested she was glad someone had finally noticed.

The rest of the walk to the drawing room occurred in much more amiable silence. Mrs. Hartnell sat down in a stiff-backed wooden chair; Nellie took the much more comfortable moss-green couch, as that seemed to be expected of her. The wall opposite her seat was bare, as she’d started to expect in thishouse; faded shapes on the wallpaper suggested the room had not always looked so dour, however.

‘So,’ Mrs. Hartnell said as they were seated, folding her hands in her lap, ‘what was it you wanted to discuss, Lady Locke?’

‘Well, first of all I would like to introduce myself properly.’ A self-aware grimace seemed appropriate there, so Nellie inserted one. ‘I’m afraid I wasn’t quite in the right frame of mind to do so yesterday. And of course there are some things on which I would very much like to hear your expert opinion, since this is all quite new to me …’

‘Of course, of course,’ Mrs. Hartnell agreed, her voice growing cautiously warmer with every next syllable. ‘I’m happy to be of help in any way I can be.’

‘That is very generous of you,’ Nellie said, pressing a hand to her chest. ‘Frankly, the first thing I was worrying about … well, you no doubt understand that I barely have a decent dress to wear here. And I wondered, since you are of course very well-informed on general etiquette and the latest fashions in more well-to-do circles …’

That wasn’t an exaggeration. Mrs. Hartnell’s dress spoke of a sharp eye for style and quality, a perfect balance between the latest trends and professional modesty.

‘Oh, youflatterme,’ the housekeeper appreciatively protested, her opinion of Nellie visibly improving by the heartbeat. She might still be a maid, but she was one without illusions of grandeur after her unexpected promotion – one who wouldn’t threaten Mrs. Hartnell’s livelihood or position of authority.It could have been worse, her handsome, expressive face read.It could have been a whole lot worse. At least she appears to be civilised.

‘Oh no, no,’ Nellie insisted, preparing for her final nudge. ‘I would frankly be quite lost without your guidance. If you could just suggest what tailors to visit, or …’ She gasped, as if comingup with the idea on the spot. ‘Or perhaps you could even come with us? Although you’re very busy of course, and I’d hate to impose on your schedule …’

Mrs. Hartnell’s eyes had lit up.

A smile inched across her lips, eager and conspiratorial in equal amounts.

‘Surely the merchants will understand if the duke’s marriage delays my weekly orders for a day or two,’ she said, and every effort to keep her voice measured was ruined by that genuine excitement growing on her face. It was strangely contagious. ‘And ofcourseI would enjoy a quick visit to Sunfield Street. So … how about we leave after you’ve had breakfast, Lady Locke?’

‘New dress?’ the duke of Locke said.

It was his only greeting as she slipped into his study at the stroke of ten – nogood eveningorhow was your day?or, divines forbid,glad to see you, Eleanor. He did not sound unfriendly, though. Not as impassive and curt as he had before. Rather, his welcome had a strange air of familiarity to it – as if they had known each other for decades and had given up on politeness or even full sentences years ago.

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