Page 31 of Midnight with the Marquess (The St. Clairs 2)

“Thank you, Lady Rachel.” He looked to the expectant women. “I’ve been away a good while and am eager to return to living at Edgemere. Some of you may have worked here in the past. Others of you may be new. What I’m interested in are hard workers who will support one another. I want this to be a happy household. You will be paid fairly, according to your experience. Lady Rachel is more aware of what positions will be available. Be honest in your answers to her. I hope to meet those she decides to hire later today. Thank you for coming.”

He excused himself and Rachel announced, “I’ll be conducting interviews in the kitchen.” She gave directions on where it was located. “Once we’ve spoken, I ask that you return and invite the next candidate to where I’ll be and accompany them so they arrive in a prompt manner. Is anyone present that intends to apply for the position of housekeeper?”

One woman stood. “I would like to, my lady. My name is Mrs. Kent.”

Rachel saw a woman in her early forties with a competent, calm air about her. “Please come with me, Mrs. Kent.”

The woman accompanied Rachel to the kitchen. She’d decided to speak to the prospective employees there because a kitchen was smaller and held an air of intimacy. All of the other rooms at Edgemere would be too intimidating. She wanted to work quickly so as to hire as many qualified people as possible today.

She indicated for the woman to take a seat and Rachel did the same.

“Tell me of your experience, Mrs. Kent.”

“I began in service as a laundry maid when I was eleven. I worked my way up to chamber maid and then downstairs parlor maid. Eventually, I earned a place as housekeeper when I was twenty-six to a viscount. I remained in that position for ten years before I left. I can offer you references.” She withdrew a folded page from her reticule and handed it to Rachel, who skimmed the glowing letter of recommendation.

“Why did you leave?”

“I fell in love with a shopkeeper in North Stony. I’d never thought I’d fall in love at my age, much less marry, but Mr. Kent was a very special man.” She paused. “He had heart troubles, though, and passed away two months ago.”

“I’m very sorry to hear that, Mrs. Kent. Do you have children?” Rachel asked.

“No. We weren’t blessed with any. I suppose I was too old by then. I sold the shop last week to a man from London, wishing to bring his family to the country. Naturally, they will take over not only the business on the bottom floor but the family abode upstairs. They arrive in two days and I was going to leave and move in with my sister.”

“You’d rather come to work at Edgemere instead?”

“I would, my lady. My sister isn’t a pleasant person. I’m afraid I would be treated more as a servant than family. Though I’m not afraid of hard work, I suspect she would view me as little more than slave labor. I would rather make it on my own. I believe I would be an asset to Lord Merrick because of my previous experience.”

Rachel had always read people well and she knew this first hire would be one of her best.

“I would be delighted to offer you the position of housekeeper, Mrs. Kent.”

The woman’s face brightened with a smile. “Thank you, my lady. I can start as soon as you’d like.”

“Then I think it best if you help me complete the interviews this morning. After all, it will be you that supervises the staff, along with whatever butler we hire.”

“May I be so bold as to make a suggestion, Lady Rachel?”

“Of course, Mrs. Kent. Your opinion is important to me.”

“My brother-in-law, Charles Kent, has served as a butler for a good number of years in London. His employer is getting up in age and decided to close his town residence and reside strictly in the country. He already had staff there and released his London servants with an extra month’s salary. Mr. Kent is looking for a job. He is as hard a worker as my husband was and of good moral character. Might I suggest you interview him?”

“You make a good case for hiring Mr. Kent, Mrs. Kent,” Rachel said. “Please give me his address and I will write to him once Lord Merrick and I return to Fairfield.”

“Thank you, my lady.”

“Anytime you have an idea, you’ll need to share it with Lord Merrick.”

The new housekeeper asked, “Are you and Lord Merrick... what I mean is...”

She laughed. “No, we are not engaged. I won’t be Lady Merrick anytime soon. We are merely friends and so I am helping him out.”

“I see.”

“Let’s start the process, then,” Rachel said. “If you’ll bring our first candidate in, we’ll see what kind of staff we can assemble today.”

Mrs. Kent left and they spent two hours speaking to all of the woman who’d shown up. By then, the men had gathered and Rachel took a break to summon Evan from where he and Finfrock discussed estate records so that he could give another brief speech to those gathered. After another hour and a half, she and Mrs. Kent had seen everyone who’d turned up. The two women decided on which hires to make and made a list of tasks to be performed and the order they should occur.

Evan wandered in at that point, finished with his business with Finfrock. Rachel introduced Evan to Mrs. Kent and they discussed how Mr. Kent would most likely become Edgemere’s butler. By then, Finfrock escorted in a woman who greatly resembled Mrs. Dunnavant and Rachel knew they’d found Edgemere’s cook.

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