Page 1 of A Maid's Fateful Courtship
Chapter 1
The entire household was buzzing with the upcoming party. It was to be held in honor of the homecoming of the Marquess of Sarandale’s three sons.
Josephine was as excited as everyone else, but her feet ached at all the extra work the celebration had brought about. In her weariness, her thoughts wandered as she went about her chores in the corridors of Sarandale Manor. She recalled her younger days when she and the Marquess' boys were all equal. Their young age knew of no class distinctions, and they played together on the grounds of the estate.
“Ah, I am so glad I have found you, at last, Josephine,” a voice said, interrupting her reminiscing.
Josephine looked up to see Lady Cynthia, the boys’ sister, smiling down at her as she had gone to pick up a breakfast tray.
“Lady Cynthia, what can I do for you?” Josephine asked as she stood up from her task. She always gave the lady a sympathetic tone. Lady Cynthia had undergone such a tragedy when her husband had passed away unexpectedly.
“As I am sure you are aware, Father and I wish to host a party to welcome my brother’s home after their long tour,” Cynthia began. “I was thinking, would it not be perfect if the rooms were decorated with a variety of colorful floral arrangements? It would brighten the house so much more.”
“I will speak with the gardener immediately, m’lady." Josephine nodded her strawberry blonde head. A curl fell loose from the tight knot that she bound her hair into every day. "I will request freshly cut flowers tomorrow. Then, I will do the arrangements myself.”
“I knew I could rely on you, Josephine, thank you.” Cynthia beamed. With her petition complete, she walked away. Her long skirts swished around as she made her way down the grand staircase.
Josephine also needed to go downstairs, though she turned in the opposite direction. She trod along the plush carpeted hallways until she reached an almost hidden stairway at the end of the corridor.
This would lead her down to the servants’ quarters, where she could leave His Lordship’s empty breakfast tray that she had picked up. Normally, that was not part of her role, but she had happened upon it and wanted to save the kitchen maids from being chastised.
Going down the wooden stairway, an image of Ethan, the oldest of the brothers, popped into her mind. He was the one she had been closest to in her childhood. After her father had passed, Ethan had promised her that he would always care for her.
Josephine’s father had been one of the Marques’s long-term tenants. First, she had lost her mother, so when her father died it had left her alone at the tender age of six. Then, thanks to the generosity of the marquess, he had told the boys’ governess to treat her as she did his own children. She attended the same private lessons and was given a bedroom close to the nursery.
“And what might you be doing carrying that, might I ask?” Cook's voice echoed in her head.
“Oh, it was given to me directly by the marquess himself,” she fibbed. “I could hardly say no, could I?”
Not that Martha, the head cook, was one for reprimanding anyone. Nonetheless, she tutted at seeing an upper servant doing a lower servant’s work.
“I will be having words with Sally,” she said sternly, taking the tray from Josephine’s hands. “She knows her job, and I am sure you do not have the time to clean up after her.”
Martha’s bark was always worse than her bite. By the time she found Sally, she would likely have forgotten all about it. Martha tended to mother her staff rather than rule them with a rod of iron. That was one of the good things about working on the Sarandale Estate, it was full of people who cared for each other—a reflection from the marquess himself.
Making her way to the gardens to find the head gardener, Bill, Josephine smiled to herself. Once again, the image of Ethan filled her thoughts. She could not wait to see him again. Would he remember her, though?
After all, the boys had been on their Grand Tour for three years. They had been living overseas for such a long time. She had been only fifteen when they set off, and her heart had ached at seeing Ethan leave. Their separation had soon led to a change in her role in the household.
The marquess had allowed her, as an orphan, to learn to read and write alongside his own children. But when the boys left to live abroad, she had started her training in the company of the housekeeper.
To begin with, she had hated it. It had been bad enough being forced to move to a bedroom on the top floor with the servants, but, even more, she hated the days of laborious work. But it did not take her long to start enjoying her new role in life. She already knew all the people she was to work with, and in turn, they treated her with respect.
As head of the upstairs housemaids for the last year, the housekeeper now entrusted her with many more responsibilities. She oversaw the work of all the maids, which kept her busy.
They had offered her the role of lady’s maid to Lady Cynthia when the lady had returned to the household after her husband died. But Josephine preferred having varied duties as opposed to serving only one person.
Josephine had a naturally busy and inquisitive mind. Being a personal maid would allow her no freedom. Her ultimate goal was to become a governess. The trouble with that plan, though, was that the Missus, as they referred to Doreen the housekeeper, had different plans for her.
Doreen always reminded her that she would never be accepted as a governess. Instead, she would one day feel pride and joy in taking her place the as head housekeeper.
A warm breeze ruffled Josephine’s hair as she stepped outdoors. Walking through the gardens, she could see the rippling of the lake. It reminded her of the time Ethan had taught her to skim pebbles across the surface of the water. Smiling to herself, she also recalled how, whenever she had felt unhappy, he would present her with a flower in bloom.
She listened out for the clipping sounds of the gardeners as they trimmed the hedges and followed the noise. As she searched for Bill, her thoughts turned to Ethan’s younger brother, Cedric. He had always been a serious boy who took it the hardest when their mother died. Although she had tried to help him with his sadness, it seemed all she ever managed to do was annoy him all the more.
And then there was Anthony, who always made her laugh. When they were all younger, he was the one to chase her, and then tickle her when she was captured. Yes, she was looking forward to seeing her childhood friends again.
“What are you woolgathering over?” a voice called out behind her.
