life.
Eliza’s heart beat wildly as the footman opened the front door to her. His livery was extremely smart and his manner seemed condescending as he beckoned her inside. The black-and-white tiled floor in the hall gleamed and the scent of lavender polish met her as she was shown up the stairs to the first-floor reception rooms.
‘Her ladyship is expecting you, Miss Bancroft.’
‘Thank you,’ she whispered, her throat dry as she followed the footman along the landing to a pair of imposing doors. They were painted white and scrolled with gold swags and bows, the handles of gleaming brass. A maid must have polished them that very morning.
‘Miss Bancroft, your ladyship.’
The footman stood back to allow Eliza to enter, closing the door behind her. Eliza saw a woman seated inan elbow chair close to the window. She had obviously been reading, but she placed her book on the wine table close to hand, letting her enquiring gaze rest on Eliza. She had a gentle face and her smile of welcome lit her eyes.
‘Please come to me, Miss Bancroft,’ she said, standing up and offering her hand. ‘I have been looking forward to meeting you.’
‘Thank you. I, too, have anticipated this meeting with pleasure, my lady.’ Eliza moved forwards. She extended her hand and the lady held it for a moment and then sat down. ‘I am grateful for the chance to be of service to you, my lady.’
‘Until recently I have been living in the country,’ Lady Sarah said. ‘Now that I am in Bath I find I need a companion, a young lady who will exchange books at the library, fetch things I need and accompany me to the Pump Room and various functions. I have maids to care for my clothes and the house. I really need a friend to sit and talk with me, perhaps read to me now and then when I have a headache—nothing too strenuous, Eliza. I hope I may call you Eliza?’
‘Yes, of course, my lady.’
‘Ma’am or Sarah will do. I hope we shall become firm friends in time, Eliza. It will be a pleasure for me to have the company of a young lady.’ Lady Sarah smiled. ‘Please, bring a chair and sit near me, my dear. I shall ring for refreshments. I should like to hear more about you and your mama—if it is not too painful for you?’
‘No, ma’am, I am able to talk of Mama without crying now. I looked after her in the last few months of her illness. My papa died two and a half years ago. It was quite sudden and we had to leave the rectory where he was the incumbent. Mama never quite got over losinghim so suddenly. She became delicate and was confined to bed for some months.’
‘How sad for her and for you. I am sorry for your loss, my dear. I hope you will not mind going into company so soon? I lead quite a busy social life here.’
‘Mama told me I was not to wear black for her,’ Eliza said and glanced down at her dove-grey gown. ‘I have some other plain gowns in colours, ma’am, but very little suitable for evenings. We did not entertain.’
‘Oh, I quite expected to provide some clothes for you,’ Lady Sarah said immediately. ‘I shall summon my dressmaker in the morning and we shall commission some outfits for you, Eliza. What you have on is perfectly suitable for wearing to the Pump Room, and I may have something you can adapt for evenings until your new clothes are ready.’
‘I am good with my needle. If you had some cast-offs, I could alter them for my use rather than purchasing all new…’
‘I will find one or two that may do for the moment, but you shall certainly have new gowns. Please do not feel embarrassed, Eliza. It is perfectly in order and quite usual.’
‘Oh…in that case I am grateful, my…ma’am,’ Eliza said. ‘I had not expected so much kindness.’
‘You may find me a hard taskmaster,’ Lady Sarah replied and laughed softly. ‘I am tiresomely forgetful, my dear, and may send you on errands a dozen times a day.’
‘I shall be only too pleased to fetch whatever it is you wish.’
A maid
Eliza’s heart beat wildly as the footman opened the front door to her. His livery was extremely smart and his manner seemed condescending as he beckoned her inside. The black-and-white tiled floor in the hall gleamed and the scent of lavender polish met her as she was shown up the stairs to the first-floor reception rooms.
‘Her ladyship is expecting you, Miss Bancroft.’
‘Thank you,’ she whispered, her throat dry as she followed the footman along the landing to a pair of imposing doors. They were painted white and scrolled with gold swags and bows, the handles of gleaming brass. A maid must have polished them that very morning.
‘Miss Bancroft, your ladyship.’
The footman stood back to allow Eliza to enter, closing the door behind her. Eliza saw a woman seated inan elbow chair close to the window. She had obviously been reading, but she placed her book on the wine table close to hand, letting her enquiring gaze rest on Eliza. She had a gentle face and her smile of welcome lit her eyes.
‘Please come to me, Miss Bancroft,’ she said, standing up and offering her hand. ‘I have been looking forward to meeting you.’
‘Thank you. I, too, have anticipated this meeting with pleasure, my lady.’ Eliza moved forwards. She extended her hand and the lady held it for a moment and then sat down. ‘I am grateful for the chance to be of service to you, my lady.’
‘Until recently I have been living in the country,’ Lady Sarah said. ‘Now that I am in Bath I find I need a companion, a young lady who will exchange books at the library, fetch things I need and accompany me to the Pump Room and various functions. I have maids to care for my clothes and the house. I really need a friend to sit and talk with me, perhaps read to me now and then when I have a headache—nothing too strenuous, Eliza. I hope I may call you Eliza?’
‘Yes, of course, my lady.’
‘Ma’am or Sarah will do. I hope we shall become firm friends in time, Eliza. It will be a pleasure for me to have the company of a young lady.’ Lady Sarah smiled. ‘Please, bring a chair and sit near me, my dear. I shall ring for refreshments. I should like to hear more about you and your mama—if it is not too painful for you?’
‘No, ma’am, I am able to talk of Mama without crying now. I looked after her in the last few months of her illness. My papa died two and a half years ago. It was quite sudden and we had to leave the rectory where he was the incumbent. Mama never quite got over losinghim so suddenly. She became delicate and was confined to bed for some months.’
‘How sad for her and for you. I am sorry for your loss, my dear. I hope you will not mind going into company so soon? I lead quite a busy social life here.’
‘Mama told me I was not to wear black for her,’ Eliza said and glanced down at her dove-grey gown. ‘I have some other plain gowns in colours, ma’am, but very little suitable for evenings. We did not entertain.’
‘Oh, I quite expected to provide some clothes for you,’ Lady Sarah said immediately. ‘I shall summon my dressmaker in the morning and we shall commission some outfits for you, Eliza. What you have on is perfectly suitable for wearing to the Pump Room, and I may have something you can adapt for evenings until your new clothes are ready.’
‘I am good with my needle. If you had some cast-offs, I could alter them for my use rather than purchasing all new…’
‘I will find one or two that may do for the moment, but you shall certainly have new gowns. Please do not feel embarrassed, Eliza. It is perfectly in order and quite usual.’
‘Oh…in that case I am grateful, my…ma’am,’ Eliza said. ‘I had not expected so much kindness.’
‘You may find me a hard taskmaster,’ Lady Sarah replied and laughed softly. ‘I am tiresomely forgetful, my dear, and may send you on errands a dozen times a day.’
‘I shall be only too pleased to fetch whatever it is you wish.’
A maid
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