Page 34 of Claiming the Tower
Hereswith shook her head slightly. “No, actually.” She considered. “But perhaps in my bedroom?”
Bess nodded, coming in and closing the door to the hallway, then following Hereswith to the bedroom. The sheets were all mussed, of course, but Hereswith rearranged the pillows to lean back against them. “I’m sorry about this evening.”
“You are not the one who ought to be apologising for any of it. Or to me.” Bess glanced around, then asked, rather than guessing, “Where would you like me to sit?”
It was a good question, and after a moment, Hereswith patted the bed. “Here. Like when you’ve read to me.” Bess settled on the side of the bed, angled to face Hereswith. “My brothers are very set in their ways.”
“Gentleman of certain station.” Bess wrinkled her nose. “May I, um?”
“Say what you think, please. Here and now, anyway. I’m certain you’ll have the proper discretion elsewhere. And, well. A companion sees much of the reality of a family, don’t they? Like the other upstairs staff.”
“Also, you’d be surprised how much a scullery maid or hall boy might know as well. Your staff here don’t gossip much— well, probably more than I hear, but not nearly as much as some places. I have caught no real hints of it. I suspect some of that’s most of them having been here so long.”
“One thing I’ve tried to learn from Papa is how to instil that kind of loyalty. Some of it is straightforward. We pay well, we believe that they should have time off, reliable time. We won’t turn someone out for marrying. Not so long as the practical aspects work. The times that’s been an issue— their husband, usually, needing to live somewhere else— we’ve given an excellent character and references.” She shrugged. “Mama set the habit of it.” Then she looked up. “My brothers, what did you think of them? You have an eye for people. And it’s not as if I’ll think you’re insulting them out of season.”
“It’s interesting to see people who’ve been used to each other’s habits for so long. They’re quite a bit older.” Bess, of course, started cautiously, and Hereswith wasn’t surprised by that. She wanted to encourage a bit more expansion, though.
“Older, a different mother, and not entirely sure what to do with a younger sister.” She shrugged. “Clarissa and Lucina are both, well. I think it’d have been better if they had some occupation beyond various social gatherings, but they’ve raised their children well.”
“I noticed you are an attentive aunt.” Bess glanced away, then looked down at Hereswith’s hand on the bedspread. “We’ve talked a little about it, but your brothers seem confused about your refusal to marry.”
“They cannot imagine why I won’t. I thought they had actually accepted that fact, but apparently not. I have not pointed out in a while that they cannot simultaneously presume I will deal with all the household needs and Papa’s needs, and marry. If I married, I would go to my husband’s house.” Hereswith grimaced. “I like this one. So does Papa, and he doesn’t want to move to a townhome. Not nearly enough library space to suit him. Nor would either pair want to move here. Too much bother to use the portal, apparently.”
“Even though you do so exceedingly regularly.” Bess shook her head, looking up again. “Mind, it’s a lovely house. I keep finding more to like about it every time I turn around. You’re right that the first floor is rather ridiculous for a house of two residents. But the parlour is so well proportioned.”
“If you like, we could sit down there more often. Though I prefer the furniture up here for comfort.” Hereswith considered. “One reason I’ve never wanted to marry is so many men want to take over all the decisions. Not all of them, but more than enough to make me wary.”
“You don’t like that. You’d mentioned Marcus doesn’t.” Bess paused. “I assume it’s all right to call him that.”
“Oh, yes. And one reason I like Marcus is that he lets me decide. Or we do it together, of course, when that’s relevant. But a number of tasks, we divide them up sensibly, and we get on with it. Each with our own skills. Sometimes, with obvious reasons. He can go round the clubs in London in ways I can’t, and I can make social calls with the women.”
“The more you’ve talked about it, the more that seems a sensible arrangement. A tad tricky to set up, initially, I’m sure. But having both of you working together as fellows, peers in the work, just taking on different pieces. Rather different from if you were married and one or the other of you were doing it as a favour for their spouse.” Bess drew that out, hesitated, then went on. “And your brothers don’t have marriages like that.”
“No.” Hereswith looked up again and found Bess watching her more intently. “Yes?”
“Next, your brothers— after your father dies, may that be a good while from now— do you know how things are settled?”
“In principle, yes. Papa’s made it clear I won’t be turned out of the house. And I have independent money of my own, from Mama. They’ll, well. I would be surprised if there isn’t some fuss about the details, but I will not borrow trouble. Five years ago, when their children were still at Schola and living at home on hols, it would have been different. Ten years ago, certainly. Now, though, I don’t think either set of them entirely wants all that much space. Maybe one of the nieces might come and live here. There are the old nursery rooms upstairs that would make a nice self-contained set of rooms, or there are two cottages on the property, plenty of space and privacy.”
“And you still like the library.” Bess was teasing now. Hereswith was certain of it.
“You do, don’t you? Have we lured you to consider staying a bit, with the library?” Hereswith considered, then offered her hand. “I liked having you with us tonight. I’m sure it’s awkward to be in the midst of family discord like that. But I was glad you were there. That you could hear it for yourself. That you’d have thoughts about it later.”
Bess inhaled sharply. “That you weren’t alone with it?”
Hereswith hesitated again, then just nodded once. “That part, I’m not used to. Other than with Marcus, professionally. And of course, all that sort of thing, we’re expected to report on in detail. It’s not private, that’s a large part of the point.”
“One thing that I’ve thought about, a great deal,” Bess spoke more slowly now, like making careful stitches on her embroidery, “is who gets that kind of privacy. Downstairs servants get precious little of it, even somewhere like here where your staff don’t share bedrooms. Many places, the maids do, or the footmen. Even the senior staff are on call at all hours.”
“The housekeeper’s sitting room is also her bedroom, very often, yes,” Hereswith said. “As it is here. Though you’re right, they’ve a bit more space here than many places. The bedrooms are tucked away a little on the ground floor. I gather it’s an unusual sort of layout, though I’ve not actually seen that many servants’ halls in other homes.”
“It is.” Bess considered. “Your father mentioned it was originally a priory grange in the 1400s.”
“Exactly. It was not designed as a private home, and that’s why the arrangement of the rooms is rather odd. But I like the spaciousness, and our staff have always said they’ve found having the kitchens and such on the ground floor, along with their bedrooms, most convenient. No traipsing up and down four flights of stairs all the time. And of course, we’ve had good plumbing in place since well before Papa’s birth.”
Bess nodded, then she shifted, just slightly, her fingertips brushing Hereswith’s. “A long line of people living here, then.”
“The house has you too, doesn’t she?” Hereswith had wondered if Verdant Court’s charm was personal or more general. She did not precisely have a large range of evidence to draw from, though her brothers had been content enough to move out.
