It had been a year since Phillipa Thamesman had taken up the housemaid's post advertised in the Daily Herald. The summer of 1890 was one to remember, from euphoric daydreams materialising to untimely reunions, the events of July and August solidifie...
The atmosphere at Calendar Hall wasn't as carefree as it had been when I first joined the staff - with the new baby, and the presence of Lady Grenford, us servants had so much more on our hands. The day of little William's christening was one to remember, though, as busy as it was, somehow we still managed to host a charming event, some of us having much more fun than others.
I spent most of the morning completing chores around the house, heaven knows where Hetty was throughout all of this! By ten o'clock I'd done it all alone; the fireplaces, handing out post, perfuming Lady Grenford's room, you name it. I understood why Agnes couldn't help me, she was far too busy with Sheila and Mrs Whittock preparing the menu for the christening. Eventually, I made it back down to the kitchens, I'd finished everything I needed to do upstairs.
"Mrs Whittock decided to have a clear out this morning so we had no ingredients to make anything! Agnes rushed down the the village to buy things earlier, so we're in a slightly better position now," Sheila told me, running around the kitchen with a ceramic bowl in her arms, "But if this meringue doesn't sort itself out soon, we're all done for!"
"It's been an eventful morning to say the least! Go up to Master Edwin and collect his tray of tea, will 'ya, Phillipa." Agnes said.
"All right, good luck with the cooking."
"Well, the Lord loves a trier" Brody chimed in, she'd just walked into the kitchen. I just nodded at her and walked out. I heard her having a go at Sheila, no surprises there. I made it to the library in due course, pushed the door open and saw Master Edwin sat in the darkness; his blinds were closed.
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"Good morning, Master Edwin" I walked over to the table with the tray of tea on and I picked it up.
"Could you open the shutters for me, please?" he asked.
I sighed quietly, "Sorry, I'm not allowed, Master Edwin." This seemed like Lady Grenfords's doing.
"If I can't explore the garden, I can at least look at it. I used to explore with my father. He knows all about insects and trees. Lots of things. Then perhaps you could do me a favour? Pop this little fellow back in his house near the folly." he said, showing me a beetle in a glass jar.
I frowned slightly, "I'm sorry, sir, I can't do that either, sir."
"Well, if you see Gideon, or Jack, would you tell them I have a job for them?"
"I will, sir. If I see them." I left the library, disheartened by Master Edwin's room. I arrived at the kitchen just as Sheila's meringues we're going in the oven, I washed the teapot and cup and placed them to dry on the metal drying rack next to the sink. The girls were cutting vegetables for the grand lunch.
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"Vegetables to Judy, there. Then you clean the meat. Stoke that fire," Agnes and Sheila shared a look of confusion, who's Judy? Nonetheless, we carried on with what we were doing when Gideon and Jack entered, "What do you want?"
"We've been working hard. Me and Gideon were saying as how maybe some elevenses wouldn't go amiss right now." Jack said, with his usual cheeky smile pasted across his face.
"There's no elevenses. And there's no time for you layabouts! Working hard, be off with you!" Mrs Whittock exclaimed, stoking that fire.
Jack's smile had since evaporated from his face, "Sorry I asked!" They were about to leave, when I remembered Master Edwin's request.
"Jack, Gideon, Master Edwin said he wanted to see you about this beetle thing."
"Right, thanks." Gideon replied.
"She said leave him be, didn't she, that fiend woman?" Jack said, visibly annoyed.
"But he's our master. I'd be insolent not to go."
"And insolent if you do." Agnes added too.
"That's true enough, girl. Trouble's all you get whatever you do. Now, stop your chatting, get back to work" Mrs Whittock said. The two boys left the kitchen, I decided to go and take the washing in, save Sheila some hassle.
"He's alone and he's nice to us, which most aren't! Hey, come on." Gideon was still trying to convince Jack to go to Edwin. He'd done the trick, they began to walk towards the main house.
"I would go the back way if I were you, Lady Grenford's on the prowl at this hour." I told them. They turned around walked the other way. I took the clean washing back inside the house, folded the cotton and left the pile perched on the wooden table in the laundry room and returned to the kitchen where Mrs Brody stood ready and waiting.
"Agnes, Phillipa, and wherever Hetty is, you will be serving the guests drinks and canapés during the gathering. Mrs Whittock, Sheila, keep the food coming." Brody instructed us.
"Yes, Brody." We all replied. None of us had seen Hetty for the whole day, she was supposed to be helping Mrs Calendar get ready, but goodness knows how that went!
We began to greet the many guests outside of the palatial house, taking their summer parasols and serving them glasses of fresh lemonade.
"Shame we couldn't get the bishop!" I heard Lady Grenford amplify her thoughts above the chatter of the guests outside the house. As I handed glasses to the Goodhall family, I overheard Mr Calendar express his concerns regarding Mrs Calendar's whereabouts.
"I would have thought she'd be here by now..." I set down an empty tray that once housed lemonade glasses and began to take in the parasols that had been handed to me minutes before - the guests began to sit down in the conservatory, Jack and Gideon had laid out rows of chairs with an aisle running down the centre.
As a maid, I was to be standing at the back with Hetty, Agnes was needed again in the kitchen, as the macarons seemed rather popular. Despite this, Hetty and Mrs Calendar were nowhere to be seen. Perhaps they were having trouble with her dress, or her hair, even. Mrs Calendar always seems to have perfect curls, just like Miss Emily. Minutes passed; still no sign of either of them.
"Where is she?" Lady Grenford asked whilst trying to maintain her 'elegant' composure.
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"Would you like me to fetch her, m'lady" Brody said. And with that, Mrs Calendar strode in, Hetty by her side. Hetty handed the mistress her newborn, smiled and stood on the other side of the double doors.
"Just in time." I said to her.
"Better late than never." she replied.
The service was beautiful; I'd never been to a christening before. The Earl's children were already past the age of christening by the time I began working there. After, I continued to serve drinks and canapés (by now the cake was iced was being sliced by Mrs Brody) when Mr Calendar came into the Conservatory, wheeling Master Edwin in a wheelbarrow, covered head to toe in mud. The whole room fell silent.
"Edwin, you must tell me of your discoveries in the garden!" said Henry Goodhall, the young master of the family.
"Well, I think I've mostly discovered how to smell horribly!" he replied. The young gentlemen began talking and so did the rest of the room. In my eyes, the event went swimmingly.
I finally make it back downstairs after the guests went home, the girls were tidying in the kitchen.
"Now, Pippa, would you like a scone or a slice of shortbread?" Agnes asked, pointing at the two options left on the table.
"Those weren't too popular then?"
"Well, not as well received as the macarons!" Sheila said, proudly. Just then, Jack and Gideon stepped in the kitchen, also covered in mud, "Oi! You're getting mud all over the floor!"
"What happened to you?"
"Long story."
"We were in the garden with Edwin and then this idiot slipped and fell in this giant puddle!" Jack exclaimed, with his usual, cheeky grin etched upon his angular face.
"And then this even bigger idiot legged it so when I kicked the mud in vengeance of Edwin and him laughing at me, it hit our dear Master." The whole kitchen erupted in laughter, especially Sheila and Agnes.
"So, then, we ended up chucking mud at each other, which honestly, was quite funny until we sort of photobombed the family portrait and nearly got dismissed." finished Jack.
"Honestly, you two! Only looking for trouble." Mrs Whittock said. Jack and Gideon left to presumably clean themselves up, and tend to the extra duties they were given by none other than Mrs Brody, our new housekeeper. Agnes told me about how earlier, she'd explained to the kitchen staff, a 'gift' from the Dragon Lady to her dear godson. Only God could help us now.
