Chapter 3
“Oh, it’s quite beautiful,” Grace said, looking out the window as the stately Dandridge Manor came into view. Her excitement built as the carriage made its way down the long, tree-lined driveway.
“Let me see,” Mia said, leaning over Audrey to peer out the window. “It’s so big!”
“Kathryn, can you see?” Grace asked, leaning back against the squab so Kathryn could get a better look.
“It’s a lovely home. The stonework alone must have cost a fortune. I can’t wait to see what the garden looks like,” Kathryn said.
Grace nodded. “Me too.”
Fletcher was beside the carriage when it finally stopped. He jumped off his horse and went to help the ladies step down. “Here we are, my love,” he said as he helped Audrey from the carriage. “What do you think?”
Audrey was awe-struck as she gazed at the manor house. “I’m a little overwhelmed at the moment. It’s so beautiful. I had no idea the manor was such a lavish home. The one time Papa mentioned Dandridge, he said it was a cottage, so to see this beautiful home is quite a surprise.”
“Definitely not a cottage,” Fletcher said as he helped the other women out of the carriage.
The front door opened, revealing a tall, middle-aged man and a slender woman with a welcoming smile standing in the doorway. “Lord Fletcher, welcome to Dandridge Manor. I’m Jones, and this is Mrs. Hutchins, the housekeeper here.”
“Good day, Jones, Mrs. Hutchins. May I make known to you my wife, Lady Fletcher, Lady Kathryn, Miss Parker, and Miss Mia?” Fletcher said.
The housekeeper curtseyed. “Lovely to meet you all. Please do come in. You must be tired from your journey.”
Everyone followed her into the sizable foyer. Grace couldn’t stop staring at the spots where numerous paintings had once lined the walls. “I guess Papa had been selling off things here too, but the manor is light and airy, definitely a departure from our Gracechurch Street home.”
“I agree,” Audrey said.
“Lord and Lady Fletcher, I’d like to introduce the staff,” Jones said. Three young women and two young men stood in a line. “This is Selena, the upstairs maid, who will be happy to help the ladies; Betsy and Louisa, who help with whatever is needed; and Charles, our footman.”
The three female servants curtseyed, and the footman bowed.
“Lovely to meet you all,” Audrey said. “We’re happy to be here.”
“I’ve instructed the cook, Mrs. Greenleaf, to prepare a tea tray. Would you care to see your rooms and freshen up before tea?” Mrs. Hutchins asked.
“Yes, thank you,” Audrey said. “That would be lovely.”
“Do I get to choose my bedchamber?” Mia asked.
“There are several ready for your visit,” Mrs. Hutchins said.
Fletcher held out his arm for Audrey. “Shall we, my dear?” he said as they followed the housekeeper, who was heading for the stairs.
Mia was right on their heels.
“I’ll see my room later. Right now, I’d like to see the garden,” Grace said. “Lady Kathryn, would you like to come with me?”
Kathryn nodded. “I would love to.”
“You can reach the garden through the drawing room doors,” Mrs. Hutchins said, pointing to the first room on the right of the foyer as she started up the stairs.
Grace linked arms with Kathryn, and the two young women walked through the drawing room and out the French doors.
“Oh, dear. This is quite messy,” Grace said, looking around the overgrown garden. It wasn’t what she’d expected, especially since the manor was so grand.
“Hmm… I think it could be quite lovely with some work,” Kathryn said, walking down the path. “Grace, look at this.”
Grace walked toward her friend, who was pointing to a row of bushes. “Roses? Oh my, I believe those are Gallicas roses. See their oval foliage? I wonder what color the blooms will be.”
“Whatever color they are, they need some tending. They must be quite hardy to survive such neglect,” Kathryn said as she continued to walk down the path.
Grace followed her and soon spied an arch and bench in the distance. “Look over there. I think there are Damask roses covering the arch,” she said, pointing to the end of the path.
“I think this garden is going to need a lot more work than we anticipated,” Kathryn said. “It looks to have been neglected for quite some time.”
“I agree, and Fletcher told me I could be in charge of bringing the garden back to life. However, I think the first task is to hire a gardener and some workers to clear out all the weeds. They’re taking over the path.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
The two young women wandered around the garden, examining what was there and what could be improved. By the time they returned to the drawing room, everyone was waiting for the tea cart to arrive.
“What do you think of the garden?” Fletcher asked.
“Jacob… I mean, Fletcher, it’s quite a mess,” Grace said.
“Grace, you’re allowed to call me by my given name when it’s just family.” He turned to Kathryn. “Lady Kathryn, please do feel free to call me Jacob as well.”
Kathryn nodded. “Thank you, Jacob. And please, call me Kathryn.”
“We need to hire a gardener and some workers to clear out the mess so we can properly assess the potential of the garden,” Grace said.
“I’ll ask the steward for suggestions,” Jacob said. “I plan to meet with him tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Jacob. I believe once the weeds are cleared away, the garden could be quite beautiful,” Grace said.
After a quick knock on the door, Betsy wheeled in the tea tray.
“Oh, treats. I love treats,” Mia said as she looked at the cart overflowing with tasty delights.
“Lady Fletcher, will there be anything else?” the maid asked.
“No, thank you, Betsy.”
Betsy curtseyed and left the room.
“Mia, dearest, will you pour?”
“Me?” Mia asked with a bit of panic in her voice.
“Yes. It will be good practice for you,” Audrey said. “It is only family here, so don’t be nervous, dearest. Do your best.”
Mia looked apprehensive, but in the end, she did perfectly fine and didn’t spill a drop.
“See. I knew you could do it,” Grace whispered. “You’ll be a fine hostess one day.”
After tea, Jacob and Audrey retired to the lord’s bedchamber to rest before dinner.
“Do you want to see my bedchamber?” Mia asked Grace.
“Of course. Both Kathryn and I need to choose one as well.”
The three young women headed up the stairs to the family level.
Mia skipped ahead and stopped at the second door on the left. “Here it is,” she said, opening the door to reveal a bright and airy bedchamber painted in soft yellows. “Isn’t it beautiful?”
“It’s lovely,” Kathryn said, looking out the window. “You have a wonderful view of the meadow.”
“There are quite a few other bedchambers, and they are quite lovely as well, but I liked this one best,” Mia said.
Selena, the upstairs maid, knocked on the door before entering the room. “Miss Mia, your belongings have been unpacked.”
“Thank you, Selena,” Mia said.
The maid turned to Grace and Kathryn. “There are several other bedchambers to choose from.”
“Are there any that face the garden?” Grace asked.
“Yes, miss. You’ll want to look at the rooms on the right down the hall. Once you select your bedchamber, I’ll take care of your unpacking as well.”
“Of course. We’re on our way to choose now,” Grace said. As she walked down the hallway, she noticed their trunks against the wall. Jones and Charles had already brought up their belongings. Even though the staff at the manor was small, they were quite efficient.
The first bedchamber they entered was painted in a light shade of blue. There were two large windows that let in the light. “This one is lovely. Let’s look at the other one, and then you can decide which one you want, Kathryn,” Grace said.
“Grace, it matters not to me which bedchamber is assigned,” Kathryn said. “I’m just thrilled to be here at all.”
“Nonsense. You are our guest. Yours is the first choice.”
As they walked into the next bedchamber, Grace saw Kathryn smile.
The room was painted in light spring green, with cream-colored silk drapes framing the windows.
Paintings of flowers adorned the walls, making it seem like she was walking into a garden.
She went to the window and was pleasantly surprised. “What a lovely garden view.”
Grace joined her at the window. “Then this chamber shall be yours!”
“Oh, no, you must have it,” Kathryn said. “It’s your family’s home after all.”
“Nonsense, the other chamber has a lovely view as well, and you may not know it, but blue is one of my favorite colors,” Grace said.
“I’ll let Selena know of our choices.” She left her friend admiring the view.
Selena was waiting in the hallway. “Lady Kathryn will take the green room, and I’ll have the blue one. ”
“Very good, Miss Parker,” Selena said, scurrying away to find Charles to move the trunks into the proper chambers.
Grace was happy to give up the bedchamber with the best view of the garden to Kathryn. Traveling to Dandridge Manor, her friend had seemed much more relaxed as they traveled away from London. She’d been quite tense when they first started out, but as the miles passed, she became less anxious.
Audrey had told her of Kathryn’s frustrations during the Season.
Trying to attract a suitor while staying away from the gossipmongers had made Kathryn miserable, and Grace was happy that she could now relax and enjoy herself in the country.
There was no pressure here—just enjoyment to do whatever they wished.
The fact that Kathryn was such a nature enthusiast thrilled Grace because she would make a wonderful companion as they explored the manor’s grounds.
Now that they were in Reading, Grace realized how grand it was to breathe in the fresh country air.
While she’d enjoyed many of the amusements that London had to offer, there was something about being in the country that soothed her soul.
She loved being out in nature, and Dandridge Manor offered much to enjoy.
It was such a shame that their father hadn’t wanted to live in or even visit the manor.
She had no idea why he’d been so against it.
Their mother hadn’t talked about it much either, although they’d planned a trip to the country after her mother’s confinement with her last pregnancy.
Unfortunately, she’d died shortly after giving birth to a stillborn son, and their father had forbidden any of them to ever speak of Dandridge Manor again.
It made her wonder if something had happened here, as it made no sense to her that they hadn’t lived here in this country home instead of in the small, cramped house on Gracechurch Street. It was one more mystery about her parents that she would probably never solve.
In the meantime, she planned to make the most of their summer holiday. She was looking forward to exploring the countryside as well as seeing what the town of Reading had to offer.