Page 71 of The Duke of Ruin
“I wondered if you might show me around your kitchens?” Diana asked, glancing about the busy main room. There were several doorways leading to the various parts of the kitchen, and she was eager to explore each one.
“Certainly,” Mrs. Dodd said brusquely. She directed a look at the housekeeper, who excused herself and left the kitchen with alacrity. “That one’s a fine housekeeper, but she’s always rubbed me a little odd.” Her generous mouth ticked up. “But then most people rub me a little odd.”
Diana could think of nothing to say to that, so she didn’t. “This is a very large kitchen.”
“The best in Hampshire. Come, I’ll show you.” She guided Diana through the various rooms leading off the main kitchen. There was a pantry, a dry larder, a wet larder, a buttery, the scullery with its own storeroom, and a door to the outside that led to the ash bin and fuel bins as well as the kitchen garden.
“My husband is the head gardener,” Mrs. Dodd said. “He oversees the kitchen garden for me.”
Diana hadn’t met the outside retainers yet. She didn’t realize any of the staff were married. “Do you and Mr. Dodd live here in the house?”
“No, the former duke, God rest his blessed soul, gifted us a cottage. No one can say the Lyndhurst staff aren’t well cared for.”
And yet many of them had left rather than face the scandal of what had happened here two years ago. “Is anyone else on the staff married?”
“Not yet, but I hear Lowell is speaking to His Grace about that this morning. He and Mrs. Marley would like to wed.”
“Oh, she isn’t actually a missus then?” Diana recalled that housekeepers typically went by missus, whether they were wed or not. She wondered why the housekeeper hadn’t said anything about marrying the butler, but perhaps Mrs. Marley preferred to wait for her intended to speak with Simon.
“It’s past time. They’ve been sneaking around for a long while now—since before the Incident.” She lowered her voice. “We don’t talk about it.”
Diana had no problem comprehending what the “Incident” was. She shouldn’t talk about it either, but it nagged at the back of her mind. What she knew of it didn’t paint a full picture, probably because Simon couldn’t contribute any memory of it.
Mrs. Dodd continued. “I don’t let my girls talk about anything like that—no gossip in my kitchen, I say.” She cracked a small smile. “Except for me, of course. Can’t let the housemaids have all the fun.”
The staff at Lyndhurst was perhaps as hierarchical and complicated as Society. Diana went back to the topic at hand. “I’m sure the Duke will support their marriage.” As soon as she said it, she wished she hadn’t. It wasn’t her place to say such things without Simon doing so first.
Except she knew he would. Because she knewhim. The admonition had come from the part of her brain that was still under the influence of her parents. She’d been able to push them from her thoughts more and more, but now that she was fulfilling the role they’d always intended for her, it seemed the knowledge they’d drilled into her was harder to ignore. She didn’t want to be the kind of duchess her mother and father had trained her to be. She wanted to be the kind of duchess who knew her staff well and supported their lives and loves.
Mrs. Dodd put her hand on her hip and yelled toward the stove. “Becky, you need to stir that faster or it will burn and be ruined!”
The maid increased her movements as directed.
The cook shook her head. “Have to watch these girls constantly. But they’re a good lot. Hard workers to a one.” She blinked her light blue eyes at Diana. “What was I saying? Ah yes, Lowell and Marley getting married. It’s hard for me to be too happy for them.” She lowered her voice to a stage whisper. “As I said, Mrs. Marley rubs me wrong. Always a bit big for her station, if you ask me.”
“But you said she’s a fine housekeeper.” Diana didn’t wish to encourage the servants’ gossip, but she also wanted to understand the complicated relationships between them so she could better manage her duties.
“That she is.” Mrs. Dodd waved her hand, motioning for Diana to move toward the other end of the table so they were out of earshot of the other maids—relatively. The cook pitched her voice to its lowest volume yet, which still wasn’tquitea whisper. “I admit I don’t particularly care for Mrs. Marley because of the role she played in the Incident.”
This time, Diana couldn’t resist probing for more information. “Whatever do you mean?” She confined her voice to a genuine whisper.
“Mrs. Marley is the one who saw what happened. She said His Grace and Her Grace argued on the stairs, and the next thing she knew, Her Grace had tumbled to the hall.” Mrs. Dodd’s eyes darkened with sadness. “Terrible tragedy. Her Grace was as kind as they come.” She flicked a wary glance at Diana. “I’m sure you’re just as kind.”
“I shall hope to display such a quality,” Diana murmured. This staff was apparently not only loyal to Simon, but also to his first duchess. And yet, they’d also been welcoming to her. So far.
She couldn’t help but delve deeper into the Incident. “So Mrs. Marley saw the Duke push the duchess?”
“Not directly, but she saw him grab her arm. The story goes that she didn’t want them to see her, so she turned to leave. That’s when she heard the sound of Her Grace hitting the floor.” Mrs. Dodd winced as she shook her head. “It was most distressing.” Sadness darkened her words.
Diana’s stomach turned, and she felt a bit queasy. Simon had grabbed Miriam’s arm? Diana had never believed he could push his wife, whether angry or drunk—or both. Her father was capable of that kind of behavior, but not Simon. Yet, she recalled the way he’d grabbed her in Brereton, when he’d seen the Taft children. He’d been completely unaware of what he’d done, of the stress that had provoked him to squeeze her too tightly. Had he done something similar with his first wife? She could see how it was possible, especially since he’d been drunk. Her blood ran cold. For the first time, she considered that he might actually be guilty of what everyone accused him of. And that made her feel sick.
Diana recalled her conversation with the housekeeper and how supportive she’d been of Simon. “Despite seeing that, Mrs. Marley stayed?”
“Oh yes, she’s always been a staunch ally to His Grace. She and Lowell both, but I guess that makes sense. You tend to share everything with your mate.” Her eyes narrowed, and her voice, which had risen to a normal tone, dipped again. “What I’ve always wondered is why the stupid chit couldn’t just lie and say she didn’t see anything. Why torture His Grace with the knowledge that he may have caused her death?” Mrs. Dodd’s gaze sharpened on the maid stirring at the stove. “That’s too fast now, Becky!” She exhaled with a tinge of exasperation. “It’s time for the next step.” She gave Diana an apologetic look. “It’s her first time with the sauce. Excuse me, ma’am.”
Diana inclined her head and watched the cook bustle off to instruct the young maid. Curious to see the kitchen garden—briefly, because it had been frosty this morning and was likely still quite cold—Diana went into the scullery. A single maid, the young Rose who’d been at the end of the line at yesterday’s introduction, was cleaning the tools she and the other scullery maid had used to gut the fish.
“You’re Rose, is that right?” Diana asked with a smile. The girl had been shy yesterday, her gaze never quite meeting Diana’s.
