A knock sounded on the open door, and Alice glanced over. Williams, her maid, and her groom stood waiting. “Come. I would like to make you known to Simmons and Mrs. Simmons, our new butler and housekeeper.” Her personal servants entered the room. Williams found chairs for them and set them in front of the table. “Mrs. Simmons, Simmons, this is my dresser, Bertram, my personal footman, Williams, and my groom, Robertson. They will be joining our household.”
While they greeted each other, she glanced at Giff. “Coachman and stablemaster.”
“I believe I can steal a coachman from my father. I’m not certain about the stablemaster.”
“We don’t have an extra one at Worthington House, my lady,” Robertson said. “Lady Madeline took him.”
“My lady, my lord,” Simmons said. “There is a second stablemaster here. He’s been waiting for the old one to retire.”
Giff rubbed his jaw. “That might be our answer.”
“My lady,” Bertram said. “May Williams and I look around?”
“Yes, certainly. Mrs. Simmons can accompany you if she would like.”
The housekeeper rose. “Thank you, my lady. I would be happy to show them the house.”
The three of them left the room chatting quietly.
“If you do not mind, my lord, my lady,” Simmons said. “I found the inventory for this house and would like to compare it to what we have for silver and porcelain.”
“Yes, of course,” Giff said. “Please let me know of any discrepancies.” He stood and held out his hand to Alice. “Let’s go to the stables and see if we can pilfer a few servants.”
Robertson accompanied them as they strolled through the garden door to the mews. The key hung to the side of the gate. “Mr. Thorton would have someone’s head if he saw that.”
He was right. They had learned their lesson several years ago. “We will have to have it moved.”
“I’ll find out who to talk to about it.” Giff glanced up at the wall. “Anyone could climb that wall.”
Alice took a look at the foliage and almost laughed. “Only if they wanted to have a very painful time of it. “Those are climbing roses. Under them are rugosa roses and hawthorn. It would not be at all pleasant.”
Giff touched the bushes as if he was trying to grab onto them and jerked his hand back. “That hurt. I’m glad to see someone showed some sense.”
“Just so you know, my lady,” Robertson said. “Williams said as how Mr. Thorton has been training footmen since before the Season to go to your houses. You and Lady Madeline and Lady Alice. He wanted to make sure they were trustworthy.”
Alice thought there had been more than usual. “Thank you for telling me. You do not happen to know if Mrs. Thorton has been doing the same thing with maids, do you?”
Robertson shook his head. “You’d think she would.”
“I hope she did.” That would make this process much easier.
Giff took the key and put it in the lock. It took a few moments before he was able to turn it. Then it stuck when he got it unlocked. “This needs to be repaired.”
They crossed to the stable and it was locked as well. “Fergus!” Giff bellowed.
His groom ran out of the stable next to theirs. “Mye laird?”
“Find the key. We need to make this standing suitable.”
Fergus cracked a grin. “Aye, me laird.”
He dashed off and came back with an older man following behind.
“No one told me we were to open this stable,” the older man complained belligerently.
Giff lowered his brows. “Did no one tell you I’m getting married?”
The man scratched his nose. “Heard somethin’ about it.”
“If I am marrying and moving into the heir’s wing, why would I not open my own standing?”
The servant took his hat off and scratched his head. “You got a point there, my lord.”
Giff glanced at the cloudless sky and closed his eyes. “Exactly. Now open the door.”
“Got to get the key, don’t I?” The man walked off to the other stable.
Alice barely stopped herself from laughing. “Is he always like this?”
“I don’t know.” He scowled after the servant. “The last time I was here he ran me off by telling me my father didn’t want me out here. I was to send for what I needed.”
Robertson turned his back, but his shoulders shook briefly.
Fergus shook his head. “Right old codger he is, me laird.”
Giff looked at him. “A laird now, am I?”
“Aye, me laird. Ye got yer own house and property in two places”
