Beneath the Savior’s Feet

Chapter 6

Eric wished good luck on a subject that was none of his business for the plain young lady whose face he could not yet picture.

He ducked his head, not wanting to be caught thinking about it. No one was immune to being at the mercy of a man whose whims could be anything.

Marcus exhaled a cloud of cigarette smoke and sank his upper body into the high-backed chair. Trevor jumping up and down in pain where he had been hit was worth watching for a moment.

When he turned his eyes back to the window, he could see the Miller River glistening in the daylight in the distance.

It had been three days since Liese’s last visit to the employment agency.

Arriving at the ducal residence, Liese stood speechless with her mouth open.

The grandeur of the mansion was overwhelming, even when seen from the central square in the distance. It was so huge that she had to crane her neck back to see the top of the roof.

“It’s a good thing the staff lent us a carriage. Otherwise it would have been a long walk up to this high point. May I see your letter of introduction?”

The guard, who had previously identified himself and the purpose of his visit, held out his hand. His dark uniform and the long rifle at his waist shattered Liese’s initial impression, and she handed over the papers she’d been holding all along.

“Here it is,” she said.

“The telegram must have gone through the agency first. I’m Lieselotte Brennan.”

After leafing through the papers, the guard nodded and took a step back.

“There will be a search before you go in. I hope you understand; it’s a necessary security measure.”

“Ah, I see.”

If she had carried her grandfather’s pistol she would have been in trouble. It was wise to leave it behind, as she didn’t want to be misunderstood in the mansion of a high ranking nobleman.

“Follow me.”

The front door, three heads taller than the burly guard, opened slowly. Liese stepped nervously into the vast forecourt.

The maze of gardens that flanked the wide stone path was more lavish than any she had ever seen, and the reality of entering the mansion of a great noble sunk in.

She had thought she would never have any contact with the nobleman who had the whole city buzzing, but in just a few days she would be visiting his mansion.

Of course, she was not here as a guest, so there was no chance of meeting the Duke, the owner. Still, it was nerve-wracking to enter a place where her every move would be watched.

“You can come this way.”

Leading the way, the guard turned to look at Liese. Her head swiveled this way and that, as if she might get lost in the lush shrubbery and marble fountains.

She followed the guard down the path that led to the main building and to a side gate that she assumed was the servant’s entrance. After a few more steps, she came to a door that led into the interior of the mansion.

“Please enter.”

With a click, the door opened and Liese stepped into a hallway of smooth stone on all sides. Nearby, an archway led to the kitchen, which, as expected, was only used by the residents.

Still, it was spacious and elegant, a far cry from the country mansions Liese had lived in.

“Leave your things here and open your arms.”

The maid standing in the doorway stepped forward and held out her hand. There was no thoughtfulness in her gesture as she ran her hands down each arm to Liese’s waist. The prospect of being searched while the guards watched was not pleasant, but Liese gritted her teeth and straightened her back.

“It’s done.”

When the search was over, the maid hurried into the kitchen. She walked impatiently, as if she’d been interrupted while she was working. Satisfied that she was unarmed, the guard escorted her to the door of the common room.

“If you wait in here, the maid will come for you.”

“Thank you for the directions.”

The guard bowed slightly and turned to leave, followed by a servant carrying a sack of groceries and looking very busy as he passed at a brisk pace.

‘So it’s true that we’re short of food for the summer feast.’

Watching them bustle about, Liese soon pushed open the door to the common room and stepped inside.

To her surprise, the first four young women to arrive were sitting at a table. Liese took a seat next to them, looking a little cool.

There was an air of awkwardness about them. As she stared into space, Liese secretly exhaled heavily.

A young lady of a Viscount family that once had dozens of servants, taking on such a menial job. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t hesitate. Wouldn’t she be considered a disgrace to the nobility?

‘…No. There are more important things than my dignity.’

She shook her head and steeled herself. There were no second chances for the Brennans, who had barely recovered from the loss of their entire fortune. It was up to Liese to fill the void.

“This is more of an honor than anything else. Don’t you agree?”

Liese was lost in thought when the woman sitting next to her spoke.

“To be given the opportunity to work for the Baltazars, even for a short time. I would prefer to be a live-in maid, but apparently that requires a letter of recommendation from a lady.”

Liese smiled at the chatty woman and replied.

“I was also surprised by the offer.”

“I didn’t think my cousin’s knighthood would come in handy, did it? I’ve been told by an employee of an employment agency that they look for workers who are relatives of knights.”

The woman introduced herself as Madeline and chattered on. This encouraged the other women, who were sitting awkwardly, to join in.

“I went there to work in the factory, but they said it was some kind of windfall.”

“That’s right. Unlike the Duke’s villa or the banqueting hall near the square, they’re much more selective about who they hire to work in the villa.”

As it turned out, with the exception of Liese, they were all commoners who had been lucky enough to be related to a cousin who held a knighthood or baronetcy.

Talking to her peers made her feel much better. Liese confessed that she was from the wallpaper, having only recently arrived in Bachmann, and added cautiously.

“I run a small orchard with my grandfather.”

“And what about your bloodline with the title?”

“Oh… I’m not much different from you.”

Liese stammered vaguely. She didn’t want to reveal her direct noble lineage.

Not because of any prejudice that might arise from the fact that the youngest daughter of a bankrupt viscount had become a maid, but because she didn’t want to draw an invisible line in the sand with a colleague she would be working with for a short time.

The conversation was interrupted by the entrance of a middle-aged woman into the common room. It was the Matron.

“I take it you ladies are from the agency? My name is Florence.”

She was a very dignified woman, obviously from an aristocratic family. The women rose and bowed politely.

“Good evening,”

said the Matron as she entered the room.

“I’ve checked all your biographies that were given to me beforehand. It’s your first day and I just wanted to put a face to the name, so relax. After today, you’ll be seeing the maids most of the time, not me.”

Her gaze lingered a little longer on Liese, but Florence said nothing more.

“As you may have heard, we’re very busy with the upcoming summer banquet, with dozens of guest rooms that need to be dust-free and ready to go. Your duties will focus on basic cleaning and food preparation until the social season arrives.”

“I’m sure I can do the housework. I’ve done it every day!”

Madeline exclaimed, raising a hand in the air. The maid didn’t react to the unseemly behavior, but continued,

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to get started as soon as possible, how about that?”

“No problem. Very well then. You’ll start the week after your return, and today I’ll give you a tour of the annex and assign you your duties. I want you to do your best not to embarrass the Baltazar family, who will be hosting the event, and I’ll even consider hiring you full time at the end of your contract, depending on how you perform.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“Your daily wage will be twenty guilders, payable before you leave work each day. It’s not a difficult job, but for the sake of the Duke’s reputation I want you to do it responsibly.”

The women exchanged excited glances. So did Liese, who replied quietly, without hesitation.

The payment was more generous than she had been told at the agency. Twenty guilders would buy a new set of clothes for Charlie and provide him with a daily meal of good quality flour bread and seasonal fruit. With a little more, they could have meat-based meals that would keep everyone full all day.

She could even pay a laborer a small wage to help out in the orchard shop. If she made it through the harvest season successfully, she might even find some breathing space.

Liese’s daydream had quickly turned into a bright future, and her heart started beating hard.

“Follow me,”

Florence said, nodding as she opened the door to the break room. The group rose from their seats and followed her out.

“Your place of work is here, in the second wing of the mansion. You’ll spend most of your time in the guest rooms, the kitchen where desserts are made, and the pantry, so follow me this way.”

Florence showed them around the main areas of the annex, and it felt like a tour.

The group was particularly amazed when they entered the main hall, where the endless ceiling was hung with dozens of works of art, each with delicate embossed ornamentation around the edges and in between, all in dazzling gold.

Liese vainly imagined that if she removed the cherry on top, she could spend a year’s living expenses. If the outbuilding was like this, how lavish must the main house be?

“This way,”

Florence led the group through a door at the side of the main hall.

Outside the annex, the women paused in an open-air corridor lined with thick stone columns. It was a beautiful room overlooking the central garden.

“This is the only passage in the mansion that connects the main house to the second annex.”

Eyes wandered from the garden to where Florence was pointing. At the end of the passage was an ornate dark wooden door.

“But I don’t expect you to go into the main house, and I don’t want you to accidentally step this way,”

Florence said.

“May I ask why?”

Madeline raised her hand again, unable to contain her curiosity. Florence narrowed her eyes.