Page 59 of A Marquess' Season of Secrets
Juliana slowly blinked, alarmed by the sluggish feeling in her body. She didn’t want to take a further step to do anything for the woman, which was enough to put some common sense back into her and address the given orders.
“Yes, My Lady. I have heard every word. I will prepare those rooms and ensure your guests will not lack anything. Shall I add a vase of flowers as well?”
“Whatever you believe is necessary to make my friends comfortable,” Lady Stratford replied. “Such an excellent servant as yourself should know precisely how to do that. My brother sings your praises, as I’m sure my guests will. Everyone should know what a good servant you are.”
The woman kept repeating the word servant over and over again as though she were trying to convey a message.
“I will not disappoint you, My Lady,” Juliana replied. “May I take your leave? I wish to prepare those rooms immediately.”
“Oh, yes, of course! I would not wish to stand in the way of your duties. Far be it from me to keep a servant from their work. ’Tis hard workers like yourself that keep this house running well and keep people like my brother and me in comfort. It is such a wonderful blessing when everyone knows their position in this world we live in.”
This was yet another hidden message, one that Juliana understood clearly. For some peculiar reason, the woman seemed to believe that Juliana did not know her place or wished to rise above her station.
It was an odd and unwarranted notion, but one could not argue with a person determined to distrust and dislike another. It was best that Juliana get on with her work and leave the duke’s sister to her opinions.
With another curtsy (because the woman seemed to need the validation of her importance), Juliana departed and climbed the stairs to the second floor. Each footstep was heavy and delayed, making it seem like there were twice as many stairs to ascend.
“A snail might overtake you at this point,” said Kitty, smiling down at her from the first-floor balustrade.
“I think my body is taking revenge after all the sleepless nights I have had. Are you done with the main rooms?”
“I have just come from Lady Stratford’s room. I did hers last today because Miss Beaumont insisted on airing her lady’s gowns. Who does such a thing on the day of a dinner party? As if I do not have so many things to do!”
Miss Beaumont, Lady Stratford’s abigail, was a Frenchwoman who apparently put on airs and was accused of having no consideration for others. All the servants disliked her, but that was only due to the language barrier.
Since Juliana had learned that she was fluent in French, she regularly conversed with the woman when Lady Stratford was not around. The abigail was indeed a tad conceited, but there was a lovely woman beneath her sneer.
“Perhaps Lady Stratford asked her to air out her gowns,” Juliana suggested.
“I should have known that you would defend that cantankerous miss! I used to believe that I could get along with everyone, but she is my limit. I do not know how you deal with her.”
Juliana chuckled. “Oh, Kitty, do not be so harsh with her. She is far from home and misses her family just as you miss yours. That is enough to put anyone in a foul mood. At least your kin is still in England.”
“I suppose you are right, although it pains me to admit it.”
“Where are you off to now?” Juliana asked. “I need some help airing out three guest rooms and wondered if you were available.”
“I was not aware we had any guests coming to stay.”
“Neither was I. Lady Stratford has just informed me that two friends are due at any moment, and the other will arrive in the evening. I do not wish to delay and give our lady anything to complain about.”
“Well, talking to me will not do you any good,” said Kitty. “I have some time before Mrs Black expects me to tidy her office. It’s a good thing that we air the rooms regularly, or we would have a sizeable task on our hands.”
Juliana thanked the woman and continued to the rooms, choosing the furthest ones from the duke’s room. It took over an hour to turn the mattresses, put on fresh linen, sweep the carpet, and dust and polish the furniture, but Juliana was relieved when she could stand back and approve of the rooms.
She had also included a few personal touches, such as a vase of flowers, some lavender under the pillows, and a small sack of dried lavender to hang in the armoire of each room.
“Everything looks perfect,” Kitty commented. “I would love to sleep in a room like this.”
“The mattress is certainly better than our lumpy one, but a bed is a bed. Do you think our guests have arrived yet?”
“We’ll soon find out when we go downstairs. I do not like it when Lady Stratford’s friends come to stay. They do everything they possibly can to gain the duke’s attention, even making a mess. Lady Margaret dropped an entire tray of desserts when our lady celebrated her birthday for an entire week last year or the year before that.
She pretended to faint and knocked into one of the servants holding the tray. The duke came to her rescue, but who came to the servant’s rescue? Poor Eliza received a sound scolding for being in the way.”
Juliana did not like that at all. “Hopefully, such a thing will not happen this time.”
“Do not hope too hard,” Kitty warned her.
