Read Guarding the Spoils (The Wild Randalls - Book 3) for Free Online Page B

you’re starting today.”
    Beth nodded. “I thought it prudent to get a head start. There is so much to do that it seemed unwise to delay.”
    Lady Venables glanced down and twisted an emerald ring gracing her finger; a frown line grew between her brows. Beth squinted at the ring. The piece was not one she was familiar with, but it suited Lady Venables’s hand quite well. Beth’s tongue thickened as she overrode the urge to compliment her on the piece. It was not her place to notice such things anymore.
    Lady Venables glanced up, frown firmly in place. “Well, then. I see there is nothing I can do to change your mind.”
    “No, my lady. I am very happy to serve the Randalls in this capacity. I feel I can do a great deal more to repay the family for its kindness.”
    Her former employer sighed heavily. “A pity. I thought we were becoming great friends. I had a matter I wanted your advice on, but it is too late now.” With one last look, Lady Venables turned on her heel and let herself out, shutting the door firmly behind her.
    A pang of disappointment filled Beth. She had enjoyed her time with the countess. The lady was kind, often quite funny in her own quiet way, and had never made Beth feel inferior. They shared many of the same opinions, she’d discovered, and she could at times predict the lady’s reaction to new situations quite accurately. However, becoming the housekeeper put an entirely different cast on their relationship. She had no reason to speak to the countess unless the matter pertained to Romsey Abbey. Whatever the countess had considered asking advice about would forever go unsaid.
    Seeking relief from her disappointment, Beth sat at the desk and opened the drawers. Each one was completely empty. She would need to speak to the butler to discover what had become of the housekeeper’s account book and other papers pertaining to the position before she could make an accurate assessment of their situation.
    A knock sounded on the door.
    “Come.”
    The door rattled and then the new first footman, John, came in, bearing a tea tray. “I thought you might require sustenance.”
    “Oh, thank you, John. That is very kind.”
    “Think nothing of it, Mrs. Turner.”
    He left, only to be replaced by the head maid carrying a small vase filled with aster. “Thought you might like something pretty on your desk. Mrs. Callinan always liked roses, but I noticed you pick these for your bedchamber.”
    Beth smiled at the tiny blonde. “Thank you, Annie. I do prefer them.”
    Annie would be the person she most relied upon in the coming months and years. She hoped they could work together well enough. She placed the vase on the corner of the empty table. “Is there anything else you might need, Mrs. Turner?”
    “Nothing for the moment, thank you.”
    The new second footman came next before Beth had had a chance to pour a drop of tea, carrying a bucket full of coal. When he went out, Beth had to wonder who else might come trooping through her door. She should have considered that the servants reporting to her would attempt to curry favor with the new housekeeper.
    Out of the corner of her eye she spotted George watching her from the other room. She tipped her head in the direction of the plate of biscuits and he snagged two before retreating.
    Another footman arrived with a large desk blotter; an upstairs maid appeared, ink bottle in one hand, quill in the other. After an ongoing procession of servants bearing gifts, the first footman returned. “Cook is asking for the store cupboard to be opened.”
    Beth smiled. “I’ll be there momentarily. You can take the tea tray away now.”
    She poked her head into the other room to see what George was doing and found him dozing in one of the chairs. He’d had a trying day so she eased the door closed and headed for the kitchens at a brisk, businesslike pace. The cavernous rooms were quiet, new servants sitting about the long table idly, waiting for work to do. Beth