Chapter 11
Quentin had received the first report from his investigator, who had arrived in Italy. Only of the briefest account, its purpose was more with a view to reassuring him that the investigation was taking place. It did tell him that Irene’s voyage had been traced back to Naples where she had last boarded with a Neapolitan family by the name of Esposito. From the information given by the Pensione Esposito, the Esposito boarding house, she and her maid had only stayed one night before continuing their journey. She had made an impression on the family by her outstanding beauty — ‘bellissima’ — that all Italians were known to appreciate. Before that, it would seem that she had come from Sorrento, where she had been living with the Count Cuda. There was nothing more to tell until discrete inquiries were made concerning the said aristocrat. It was not even certain that he was of a noble family, although he was still alive, rich and withdrawn from public view.
More information would be sent as soon as it was obtained…
Quentin shared the information with Faith even though it didn’t advance them very much with understanding why Irene was now in their home. In fact, it tended to cloud any explanation Quentin had imagined, up until then.
Her lover wasn’t dead, he hadn’t run out of money. So did it mean he’d tired of her? It was evident that it would be the very last thing to which Irene would admit. Would she confess if the opposite were true, and she had tired of him or would that make her seem at fault for leaving a husband and children for a superficial affair?
Faith thought it served no purpose wasting time wondering until they had more information to work with, and Quentin had to agree.
Faith had spoken to Millie about the possibility of one of the two maids becoming her personal maid. Millie didn’t like to be obliged to comment on the two girls as she said that they were both hard workers. With encouragement from Faith, however, she admitted that in her estimation neither would ever be capable of being a lady's maid. They were young and both hoped to marry. Then they would be off like fish escaping a hook.
As a result of the conversation, it was decided that as Faith was going into St Albans the next day to be measured for garments, she would also take advantage of the trip to go to the employment agency.
The agency’s professionalism would ensure that they would be getting a lady’s maid who might only need a minimum of training to adapt. Quentin decided he would go with her. He suggested that she go to the dressmaker and he would go to the agency and meet her later at the ‘boutique’.
In fact, he was known in St Albans, and he didn’t want there to be any misunderstanding about the hire of the maid, and he certainly didn’t want Faith to be fobbed off with someone that wasn’t the best. Not wishing to hurtle Faith’s sensitivity concerning her soon to be position as Baroness, he didn’t bother explaining that to her.
The agency was delighted to count him as a client. They discussed the time limit for providing someone, the wages and conditions, their commission and then promised that they would find him someone perfectly suitable within two weeks. They would advise him when there were candidates to be interviewed and set up appointments. It had taken him under an hour to establish his requirements and to engage his custom with the agency.
Knowing that Faith wouldn’t yet be ready, he took advantage of his time in St Albans to go to a reputable jeweller’s to buy a wedding gift for her. He began with the gold wedding ring that he wished engraved and dated on the inside. He knew her size and chose the ring without hesitation. The actual gift was going to be more difficult, as she didn’t attach much importance to objects. While he was in the jeweller’s, he casually chose a set of gold earrings and bracelet with a sapphire and diamond setting to go with the family betrothal ring. This was to be a gift quite apart from the wedding. It was as he examined different pieces of jewellery that his mind settled on another idea for his gift. The present would be, in fact, a clock as a symbol of the time they would have together as man and wife. He knew that her father had been a horologer, so he hoped she would value such an object. He left the jeweller’s with the assurance that the ring and the bracelet would be delivered to Marshalswick once the engraving was finished — within a couple of days.
Now that the idea of a clock had firmly fixed itself in his mind, he strolled without hesitating towards the shop ‘Frick’s Fine Clocks and Timepieces.’ Johann Frick was Swiss and Quentin supposed, quite rightly, that his articles would be of high quality.
Mr. Frick himself catered to Quentin and indicated a beautifully enamelled, eight-day clock that he felt would do justice to a queen. There was no doubt in Quentin’s mind that he was right. The cost was not exaggerated for what it was, so he bought it with instructions for it to be delivered to his home a couple of days before his marriage.
He felt particularly pleased with himself as he went to meet Faith. He had wanted to show her how much he cared in a tangible way, and he hoped that his gifts would do that.
All the time he had spent shopping equalled that which she had spent on being measured, choosing materials, colours and patterns. She was only just ready when he arrived. The ‘modiste’ would come to Marshalswick House for the first fitting on the fourth of November. The wedding dress was a simple cream-coloured, heavy silk dress with yellow primrose embroidery on the hem and sleeves. It would be adorned by a cream and pale-yellow shot silk shawl with similar primrose embroidery. The bonnet was a dark shade of yellow with a primrose yellow on the inside and ribbons to match. Quentin would not see it until the day of their marriage because Faith wanted to be wearing it when he saw her in it for the first time.
Entering the shop and seeing her before she saw him, he beamed, feeling proud at how lovely she was.
She was his.
Her hair was piled on the top of her head but at some stage it had begun to let blond wisps escape. That only added to her natural charm. He wanted to brush them away from her face so he could touch her. She glanced up as he approached and smiled and blushed sensing his admiring appraisal.
Her dress today was without adornment. It was dark lavender which made her eyes look the same and complimented her warm colouring. There were tiny, tight pleats down the front of the dress that made him want to run his hand across them and her breasts beneath. He found that he had to resist the urge to sweep her off her feet in the shop. Now that she had broken his rigorous self-control, there were moments when he paid no attention to anyone but her. He could quite easily fondle her in public, if he weren’t careful.
He caught a glimpse of himself in the full length mirror and hardly recognised the smiling man.
-o0o-
Jasper almost seemed to be part of the family after two weeks. Quentin was surprised that he was still there, but then; the icy Irene seemed to have more of a hold on him than he would care to admit. The empty house that used to echo, no longer did so.
In bed with Faith at night, Quentin discussed how much his life had changed as well as the children’s. He softly thanked Faith with kisses for being the missing piece in the puzzle that now held them together. There was rarely a night that passed when they didn’t make love. It was love as they both tried to merge their bodies into one. There was often that ultimate moment when, as one, they reached a place beyond the physical act and they both wanted to weep after glimpsing it.
Whittle had an easy life now. Quentin hardly needed him, except for the basic preparations for the day, and as Quentin certainly had no desire to leave Marshalswick House while Faith was there, Whittle felt his life was now on an even keel.
So, he decided to put pen to paper and write his ‘Memoirs.’
He had a few hair-raising events that he could recite…no names mentioned, although he might give heavy hints.
Faith had gone over the wedding breakfast preparations with Millie and Stokes. They had received acceptance notes from everyone. That meant that there would be eleven adults and four children. If Eloïse didn’t feel well enough to come, it would only be
one meal more or less to deal with. The breakfast was in fact lunch. Millie suggested the menu from her long experience, and Faith was more than happy to give her free rein. Stokes would take care of the preparation of the dining room with its crystal, porcelain and silver. He already had an idea for the wines and drinks for everyone having collaborated with Millie and her menu plans.
The agency in St Albans had not wasted time in contacting Quentin with the news that they had found someone they felt to be exceptional for the position of lady’s maid. If he would give them a date and an hour when he would be free to see the woman, they would set up the interview.
It didn’t take long to realise that the agency had indeed found the perfect person to be Faith’s personal maid. Putting their heads together, both Faith and Quentin immediately agreed that she would also suit their unusual situation at Marshalswick House. They doubted that anything would shock her as she had spent the majority of her service in London.
Christina Pierce was a forty-five-year-old widow. For the past ten years, she had been Lady Fitzgerald’s personal maid and would have continued so, had Lady Fitzgerald not died at the respectable age of eighty.
That had been the only respectable thing about her, as she had been quite notorious in London for her outrageous parties and her inability to keep a civil tongue in her head. Mrs. Pierce knew how to be discreet, hold her tongue, and was blind when necessary. Qualities that she had needed to remain with Lady Fitzgerald, who had been particularly generous with her as a result.
In fact, Mrs. Pierce had an independent income that would have permitted her to live comfortably without working — had she wanted to.
Therein was the crux of the matter. She had to be active. She had to be part of an animated household. She had no family and craved to be part of one, even if it were indirectly.
Everything about her was impeccable — her dress, her manners, her experience, her education (she had travelled extensively with her husband until his death) and of course, her references.
The interview had gone exceedingly well. Quentin and Faith had passed the test and Mrs. Pierce had agreed to come and work for them. There was no point in her returning to London, so she arrived at Marshalswick House two days later, having settled whatever outstanding business she’d had. Within hours of her arrival, she was integrated into the Marshalswick household and there was no looking back.
It was quite amazing how smoothly life was now proceeding at the house given all the potentially conflicting elements. Irene didn’t cause any undue agitation and the children didn’t think about being naughty any more. They were naturally noisy and even boisterous, which meant that Irene stayed away from them, but they were visibly happy too.
Days were slipping by, bringing the wedding nearer, much to Quentin’s delight. It seemed that peacefulness had descended upon them.
Everything was, for all intents and purposes, satisfactory.