nice!” He looked at Helen with trepidation in his eyes as he continued, “I know they’re hard to tell apart. I guess it doesn’t help that they’re dressed alike. Christina has a small birthmark on her hand.” He looked at the little girl on the right. “Christina, show Helen your hand.” With a belligerent look on her cute little face, Christina shook her head defiantly. “Christina, come here now and show Helen your hand.”
As they ran across the room, they shouted in unison, “We don’t want a mother. We can take care of ourselves. All we need is each other. We don’t need a nurse or anybody!”
Oh dear, what was she going to do?
It was very apparent that these little girls hadn’t been taught any manners. She was at a loss for words.
What could she say to them to try to earn their trust?
It appeared that Matthew had no control over them at all.
A young girl entered the room and said, “Milady, I’m Mary, and I’ve been tryin’ to watch these little ladies, but they keep runnin’ off. I’ll get ‘em cleaned up right away.” She took each of the girls by the hand and led them out of the nursery.
With a strained look on his handsome face, Matthew said, “Well, that went well. I’m sure that once they get to know you they’ll warm up to you. Unfortunately, I’ve had a difficult time keeping a nurse, so they’re a little unmanageable, but they’re basically sweet little girls. I’ve had Wells lay tea out in the drawing room, so let’s go downstairs.”
When the tea tray was brought to them, she noticed that the cups were chipped, and the tea service was tarnished. The sandwiches were made with stale bread, and the biscuits were hard. As she poured their tea, she looked at Matthew. “I’d like to meet the housekeeper and the rest of the staff. I feel it’s important that I meet with them so I can begin to know their names. I hope that’s all right with you. I assume that you’ll want me to take over running your household.”
Matthew nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yes, please take over. Unfortunately, I don’t have a housekeeper. She quit shortly after I left, and I haven’t had time to find a replacement yet. Normally, there are two upstairs maids and two down, and then there’s Cook in the kitchen, and she has two helpers. But, Wells told me we lost the two downstairs maids yesterday. Mary’s supposed to be one of the upstairs maids, and Dottie is the other one. I can introduce you to Cook and her helpers, if you’d like. Presently, we don’t have any footmen because they left last week.”
Helen looked directly into Matthew’s eyes, a bit put out by all this new information. “Matthew, why do you have so much trouble keeping help? Is there something you should be telling me?”
With an abashed expression, Matthew replied, “The girls tend to pull pranks on the maids. Just harmless things, but they end up quitting anyway. From what Wells told me, the footmen left to try their fortune in Plymouth. I know this looks bad, but I promise we’ll find new help soon. I’m sure you’ll do wonders with Christina and Catherine, and once you have them behaving we won’t lose any more staff. I’ll contact the agency in Plymouth tomorrow, and we should have a full staff by next week. Surely we can manage until then. Let me take you to the kitchen, and I’ll introduce you to Cook. She’s been here since I was a young child.”
Cook was a pleasant looking woman, but it was evident that she felt overworked. The two kitchen helpers, Suzie and Sarah, looked about thirteen years old. Helen smiled as she said, “It’s nice to meet all of you. Cook, I would like to meet with you in the morning, immediately following breakfast, so we can discuss some changes to the menu. I’m sure it’s been difficult without a housekeeper. We should be able to hire one by next week. I’d appreciate your help between now and then.”
Cook rushed over to Helen and curtsied. “O’ course, milady.
As they ran across the room, they shouted in unison, “We don’t want a mother. We can take care of ourselves. All we need is each other. We don’t need a nurse or anybody!”
Oh dear, what was she going to do?
It was very apparent that these little girls hadn’t been taught any manners. She was at a loss for words.
What could she say to them to try to earn their trust?
It appeared that Matthew had no control over them at all.
A young girl entered the room and said, “Milady, I’m Mary, and I’ve been tryin’ to watch these little ladies, but they keep runnin’ off. I’ll get ‘em cleaned up right away.” She took each of the girls by the hand and led them out of the nursery.
With a strained look on his handsome face, Matthew said, “Well, that went well. I’m sure that once they get to know you they’ll warm up to you. Unfortunately, I’ve had a difficult time keeping a nurse, so they’re a little unmanageable, but they’re basically sweet little girls. I’ve had Wells lay tea out in the drawing room, so let’s go downstairs.”
When the tea tray was brought to them, she noticed that the cups were chipped, and the tea service was tarnished. The sandwiches were made with stale bread, and the biscuits were hard. As she poured their tea, she looked at Matthew. “I’d like to meet the housekeeper and the rest of the staff. I feel it’s important that I meet with them so I can begin to know their names. I hope that’s all right with you. I assume that you’ll want me to take over running your household.”
Matthew nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yes, please take over. Unfortunately, I don’t have a housekeeper. She quit shortly after I left, and I haven’t had time to find a replacement yet. Normally, there are two upstairs maids and two down, and then there’s Cook in the kitchen, and she has two helpers. But, Wells told me we lost the two downstairs maids yesterday. Mary’s supposed to be one of the upstairs maids, and Dottie is the other one. I can introduce you to Cook and her helpers, if you’d like. Presently, we don’t have any footmen because they left last week.”
Helen looked directly into Matthew’s eyes, a bit put out by all this new information. “Matthew, why do you have so much trouble keeping help? Is there something you should be telling me?”
With an abashed expression, Matthew replied, “The girls tend to pull pranks on the maids. Just harmless things, but they end up quitting anyway. From what Wells told me, the footmen left to try their fortune in Plymouth. I know this looks bad, but I promise we’ll find new help soon. I’m sure you’ll do wonders with Christina and Catherine, and once you have them behaving we won’t lose any more staff. I’ll contact the agency in Plymouth tomorrow, and we should have a full staff by next week. Surely we can manage until then. Let me take you to the kitchen, and I’ll introduce you to Cook. She’s been here since I was a young child.”
Cook was a pleasant looking woman, but it was evident that she felt overworked. The two kitchen helpers, Suzie and Sarah, looked about thirteen years old. Helen smiled as she said, “It’s nice to meet all of you. Cook, I would like to meet with you in the morning, immediately following breakfast, so we can discuss some changes to the menu. I’m sure it’s been difficult without a housekeeper. We should be able to hire one by next week. I’d appreciate your help between now and then.”
Cook rushed over to Helen and curtsied. “O’ course, milady.
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