The Workhouse Girl by Lynette Rees

Author:Lynette Rees [Rees, Lynette]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Published: 2024-05-30T00:00:00+00:00

It was a full week before the master received a full complement of staff. Enid had half hoped they’d have trouble getting all the people needed; that way Mrs Sowerberry might have given Connie a chance, but that did not happen. The positions at the house were easily filled as people were keen to work. A butler, gardener, a gardener’s assistant, kitchen maid, parlour maid, laundress, two footmen and a stable lad had been employed. During that time, as maid-of-all-work, Enid had been expected to sally back and forth between the kitchen and other domestic duties, so if she wasn’t found clearing out the coal grates, she’d be located serving in the dining room. Pinafores were changed for the occasion. Sometimes she’d find herself up to her elbows in soap suds in the laundry room. But now her role in the house needed defining.

Mrs Sowerberry called Enid into her office one afternoon, quite out of the blue.

‘Please close the door behind you, Enid,’ she said with a little smile on her face.

Hesitantly, Enid clicked the door shut behind her. What was going on here?

‘It’s come to my attention,’ she continued, in a most solemn fashion, which caused Enid’s heart to pound erratically, ‘that…’ She paused before adding, ‘you’re doing very well here at the house.’

Enid could hardly believe her ears.

‘Am I, miss?’

‘Yes, you are. Now that we’ve got enough staff on board for the time being, I’d like to give you a piece of good news!’

‘Yes?’ She blinked several times.

‘I’d like to appoint you to the role of upper housemaid. This shall mean you are in charge of the other maids. It is you they’ll turn to if I am not around. If neither myself nor Mr Tatton are available, then you shall answer the front door to callers.’

‘But me, Mrs Sowerberry? Why? Two of the new maids are older than me.’ This all seemed a bit premature to her. After all, she hadn’t been at the house for very long.

The woman sniffed loudly. ‘They’re not that much older than you and, besides, neither has any experience of working in a big house. One previously worked as a cleaner and the other at a factory. I’d like you to be upper housemaid as I see something in you that they do not possess. You are quick to catch on and you use sound judgement about various matters.’ The housekeeper’s eyes were shining now. ‘So will you accept?’

Enid lifted her head and held her chin upright. This was the first time in a long while that she felt proud of herself, that she’d achieved something of note, and it felt pretty good to her.

‘Yes, ma’am. Thank you for your consideration.’ It made no sense whatsoever to Enid that one of the young women had no experience. Connie would be more useful as she’d cleaned back at the workhouse, helped occasionally in the kitchen and cleaned out the grates in Mr and Mrs Finchley’s quarters. She was beginning to wonder whether she was marked because she was a workhouse girl.

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