The Passing Bell Tolls for Thee

8 Mrs. Bigwood

April carried the last of the tea things to the kitchen where Mrs. Bigwood was cleaning.

"Mrs. Waverly, you don't have to clean. I can do."

April set the dishes on the counter near the dishwasher. "It's ok, Mrs. Bigwood. I know how busy you are the day before a festival. I did all this when I worked for Mr. Ramsey. Beatrice will be in tomorrow, and she'll fill in for you."

Ben poked his head in the kitchen. "There you are. Did my package come, Mrs. Bigwood?

"Yes, Mr. Muir. The box is on the desk in the library."

"Thank you," Ben said. His footsteps faded as he hurried from the kitchen. The library door shut.

April checked the teapot and poured herself a cup. "Mrs. Bigwood, may I talk with you for a few minutes? There's one more cup of tea left."

The housekeeper nodded and wiped her hands on a towel. April poured the last cup and handed it to her. She sat at the kitchen table, with Mrs. Bigwood sitting across from her.

"I want to ask for your help with something, for your advice."

The older woman nodded, watching her alertly.

"Um, to begin. I worked here, and now I'm due to be Mistress. Quite a change for me. From employee to what Ben calls 'Lady of the Manor.'"

"Hmmpf." Mrs. Bigwood shook her head. "Mr. Muir is full of himself. Like he's master. Even more bossy than before Mr. Ramsey died, and he became executor."

"I don't know Ben well, but I think I agree with you. He's changed a lot since August. Back to what I want to ask about. When you called me April and I called you Mrs. Bigwood. Now I'm Mrs. Waverly." she breathed deeply, organizing her thoughts." She spoke slowly. "England has more social, like, hierarchy, and you belong to one group or another, and they don't always mix."

Mrs. Bigwood lips twitched. She nodded and stirred sugar into her tea.

"My ex-husband was from a landowning family, well off, if not rich. Gentry, although they never used that word, but they had that air of good breeding. There's us, and there's them. You know." Mrs. Bigwood nodded. April thought she looked amused. "During our marriage, they treated me as though I were somewhat eccentric, and could be excused for not knowing the proper way to do things. Like not hitting your spoon against the cup when you stir your tea, but Harvey's family, and his mother, Lavinia, especially, were always kind to me." April tapped her spoon against her cup, then realized what she was doing. She put the spoon down. She remembered her late mother-in-law's lessons in etiquette. "I liked Lavinia very much."

"After our divorce...well, I got the impression they thought I was putting on airs. I heard a former friend tell another I was getting above myself. I wanted to stay in England for a while but that's when I decided to leave London because I didn't seem to be so welcome there after Lavinia died and Harvey and I divorced."

She peered in her empty cup, as though the answer were there, then at Mrs. Bigwood. "Here, I'm not gentry, and never will be. Just a personal assistant who lucked into a better place. I do like Oakton and want to live here. Oh, it's a dream come true...There are complications. I don't know if I'll ever find the right place in local society. I wanted to ask you if you'd be patient with my mistakes while I'm learning."

Mrs. Bigwood smiled. "Mrs. Waverly, I'll be glad to catch you up on the way we do things at Oakton, and I hope it will help. My Bill, that's Mr. Bigwood, is one of the best farm managers in Wiltshire. He'll keep the farm running well while he's here." She sipped her tea, thinking. "As far as local society goes, well, it's a little more flexible than it was decades ago, but not much." She shook her head. "I can tell you who's who locally, but you'll have to find your own place with the other landowners."

April gasped. "Why, Mrs. Bigwood, are you thinking of leaving?

"It's not we want to, Ma'am, but we get a generous payment from Mr. Ramsey's will to retire, and simply let go if we don't take the cash." She looked wistful. "It's a grand amount of money. We don't want to leave Oakton, but it's always been the Ramsey's way to retire staff when a new owner takes over."

"That's very unusual. I'm glad you'll be well-off with the money."

Mrs. Bigwood stood up and put the empty cups in the dishwasher. "The Ramsey's have always sent their old servants away when the new master comes, as long as anyone can remember." She shut the dishwasher door and turned the machine on. Water hummed as it poured in. She stood still, considering what she wanted to say.

She looked at April. "My grandfather told me his father told him this happened when his father were a young lad about Sir Drew as was Master in 1881. Old Sir Drew passed, and his son, Sir Vere, inherited and paid the staff off. This man, who was old Sir Drew's valet, and general servant, insisted Sir Vere was not the same man. Claimed he was possessed by the former Master. Wouldn't shut up about it."

The dishwasher filled with water and began to churn with a steady whishing noise.

"He was arrested for stealing from Baron Kennette, his watch and wallet with a lot of money. He was arrested and sentenced to ten years. He was found dead in his cell before a month was up. No one knew who did it, but a man from hereabouts, in jail at the time, finished his sentence and left for Belize without a word. He suddenly had a lot of money. No one could say where he got the money from."

Mrs. Bigwood turned and wiped the counter with a cloth. She opened a cabinet under the sink and put the cloth in a bucket with other dirty laundry. She wiped her hands and nodded to April. "Ask me private-like when you have any questions, about Oakton or Pelham or people. My people have been here as long as the Ramsey's. Now the last Drew Ramsey is gone. You're taking his place. And...well, the Ramsey's have always been secretive. Sir Drew was one of our King's Oak druids. You'll be with us for the festivals until Ostara."

"Why are so many Ramsays named Drew or Drea? April asked.

"The Ramsey custom since the Restoration is to include the name Drew for all the boys, and Drea for all the girls. The owner is usually called by that name."

"Family custom. The will requires me to change my name to Drea. I'd rather not, but what can I do?"

Mrs. Bigwood shrugged. "Change it back after. Will doesn't say you have to keep the name, does it? Just change it. Then change it back. Sir Drew must have been determined to keep some of the old ways. You look a bit tired. If you'd like to retire, I'll finish cleaning here and lock up before I go."

"Thank you, I'd like to go to my room. Oh. Did you get another rowan cross?"

"I did, and it's hanging on your door."

"Good night, then. I'll see you at Samhain tomorrow." April left the room and trotted up the stairs. The loose board creaked.