gentleman's servant

This night was extremely difficult for the Viscount's family.

The women changed their colorful silk clothes into black gauze skirts and black veils.

They gathered in front of the warm fireplace and wept sadly.

The Viscountess cried all night and cursed her daughter-in-law: "You useless woman! You didn't even leave William with a son. I really regret letting William marry you!"

Helena smiled contemptuously: "Why didn't you say that I was useless when you used my dowry? It was just for money to marry me. When it comes to money, I haven't treated you badly these years. You eat and use everything from me." Dowry, if it wasn't for me, your manor would have been heavily in debt, how could you live a luxurious life!"

"What do you mean by saying that!"

"What do you mean? I'm a widow now. I have neither children nor the title of Viscountess. What am I still doing here? Of course I'm going home with my dowry."

"You! You have no right to do this!"

"Right? Of course I have this right, and it is a right given to me by law."

Helena got up with a smile, and said to everyone: "It's getting late, everyone, go to bed early, and we have to prepare for the funeral in the days to come."

After Helena left the room, the Viscountess cried and cursed loudly: "What a slut, a lowly woman! She can't take our property away! She can't!"

"Mom, calm down." The third lady, Catherine, sat beside the Viscountess to comfort her, gently shaking the folding fan to fan the Viscountess who was short of breath.

Catherine is a rare beauty. She likes to wear a blonde wig to set off her fair skin and light green eyes.Although she is only 16 years old, she is already very slim.

The Viscountess cried and said: "What can we do? What do you say? We will go bankrupt and have no heirs. Your father's title will be inherited by wild boys outside. One day your father dies, and we will be kicked out." Get out of here!"

Viscount Bruce said: "It's not that pessimistic. According to the old practice, let him marry Margaret or Catherine, and let our daughter become the mistress of Mormont Manor. As far as I know, he is very good at business, so it should be counted. Get rich."

"No! Dad, I don't want to marry him! That ugly hunchback!" Second Miss Margaret was the first to jump up and objected fiercely: "I want to choose my own husband!"

Compared with the third lady, Catherine, the second lady, Margaret, is better in appearance, but her character is not as stable as Catherine. She is very arrogant and always bosses her around.

Viscount Bruce said: "You want to choose your own husband? If a rich and powerful nobleman is willing to marry you, I will marry you off immediately. But unfortunately, since your rich sister-in-law is going to leave, I'm afraid I won't even pay you a thousand pounds." You can’t even get the dowry, do you think there are nobles willing to marry you under such circumstances?”

"Oh! God! God!" Margaret screamed.

"I will write to inform him immediately." The Viscount said, "You guys, prepare everything to welcome him."

……

The first snow since winter fell last night.

In the middle of the night, lying in bed, the cold air surrounded me, so it was difficult to fall asleep.

My feet are always cold and can't feel warm, which reminds me of the days when I was hiding in my memory...

In the early morning, I was awakened by the rapid ringing of the bell, and started my day's work again.

According to the order of the steward Aaron, I came to the stable and informed the grooms: "Master Viscount will go out later, prepare the carriage immediately."

Mormont Manor has a very solid stable. There are more than a dozen fine horses whose ancestors came from the eastern prairie for the owners to walk or hunt.At the same time, there is also a group of purebred beagles carefully raised here. Before I stepped into the barn, these little guys were barking.

Several grooms greeted me, saying that it might rain later, and they wanted to check the carriage carefully.

Different from the servants serving in the castle, there are more than a dozen servants in the manor, such as grooms, gardeners, forest watchmen, night watchmen, etc. They are not eligible to enter the castle, and only live in a row of small wooden houses near the woods.Foreign servants are servants who are lower than the lower servants, and sometimes I can order them to do certain things.

"The viscount's personal servant will prepare the cloak and umbrella, so you don't have to worry about it," I said.

"Owen, I heard that you went home a while ago." Old groom John asked me.

"Yes, on the very day when Master William's misfortune happened, it was very bad," I said.

"How is your family?"

"Toefl, they are healthy."

"I'm going to go shopping in the city by car in a few days, do you want me to bring you something?" Uncle John asked me.

"Oh, no need, I gave all my wages to my mother, and I have no spare time to buy anything." I said with a smile.

"Young man, you have to be smart and leave some money for yourself." John said: "My niece Betty came to the manor today to be a cook. She is a stupid girl. If you have a chance, please remind her."

When I heard the name Betty, I was stunned for a moment, I had forgotten her for so long...

At noon, I saw a little girl scrambling in front of the oven, that was Betty.She was humiliated by several older cooks, and I saw that she was about to cry.

I put down the tray in my hand and walked over to comfort her: "You are Old John's niece, I'm Owen, he asked me to take care of you. Don't be too nervous, they will scold you at most if you do something wrong, but they won't beat you Or drive you home, right?"

Betty's complexion improved a lot, and she smiled at me.Maybe it's not easy to look up at me, because I'm tall, and she quickly lowered her eyes, twisting her hands around the apron.

"Okay, young man, don't bother my girls." A fat cook rudely pulled Betty out of my sight.

Simon came over and winked at me and said, "Your boy is really charming. Look at that girl just now. I suspect that if you look at her again, she will shame herself to the ground."

I smiled awkwardly: "Don't talk nonsense, she is just very introverted."

But Simon said: "Hmph, if I had your pretty little white face, I would have stopped being a low-level manservant a long time ago, and maybe I have already become a lady's lover."

I ignored him, picked up the tray and walked out of the kitchen.

I didn't contradict him because, once, that's how I thought I was.

My mother gave me a good look. I have a tall and straight body, blond curly hair, a high nose bridge, deep eye sockets, blue eyes, and a sharp-edged face. Everyone looks very handsome.I remember when I was just 14 years old, there was a prodigal woman in the village who seduced me and tried to have sex with me, for which she even offered to give me money.I agreed at that time, kissed each other in the haystack, and tore off each other's clothes, but when I saw her fat body, I ran away in a panic. There were many red spots on that woman's body, densely packed, making her I felt nauseated.And this year I am 18 years old. Compared with when I was 14 years old, I am more mature and handsome, and women like me more.They always talk about me in whispers, and then laugh out loud.Wherever I go, their eyes follow me like a shadow, all this gives me blind confidence, making me mistakenly think that all women will fall in love with me...

Selina, the housekeeper, ordered me to bring coffee and dessert to the little parlour.

A professionally trained valet should have elegant etiquette, especially when serving things.When holding a tray, you must hold your head high and keep your eyes straight.The small tray can only be supported firmly with one hand, and the other hand rests on the waist behind the back.The pace of walking should be steady, neither slow nor slow.

It must be elegant and balanced, and it is difficult for ordinary people to do it without long-term training.So when Butler Aaron found that I was able to get started almost immediately, he was surprised and exclaimed that I was born to be an excellent manservant.

I can't tell him that in my previous life, I have been doing this kind of training every day, walking back and forth with a book on my head, standing against the wall, and standing for a whole day.

Today, Mormont Manor has guests.

Miss Judith and her youngest daughter Dolores came from Wilton in a carriage. They arrived a little late because the funeral of Master William was over.

Miss Judith was out of breath and looked very sad.

Of course, we don't know if she is as sad as she looks.Because she combed her hair beautifully, painted exquisite makeup, and wore all kinds of expensive and gorgeous jewelry. The only difference from usual is that she changed into a black dress.

At this time, she was angrily saying to the Viscountess: "That slut just left!"

The Viscountess shook her fan vigorously, her corset was tied too tightly, which made her breathless, so she said in a rapid voice: "As soon as the funeral is over, she left in her mother's carriage."

"Oh, mother, you have suffered, and you have to be angry with such an inferior woman. We shouldn't have let the merchant's daughter into the house for a little dowry." Judith said arrogantly.

"Now is not the time to think about that woman," whispered the Viscountess.

Judith put down the fan in her hand with a thoughtful expression: "Then, will he come?"

"I don't know, our relationship was very bad back then..." the Viscountess said worriedly.

I could hear the conversation of the masters, but I had to pretend to be invisible, and my job was just to bring in the food, hand it over to the valet, and then stand by the wall, like a fresco, waiting for orders.

Senior male servants are responsible for pouring tea and delivering refreshments to the ladies and wives. They are attentive and graceful, and when they walk, their steps are as light as cats.

The second lady, Margaret, was whispering to the servant Jason, while the third lady, Catherine, was much more serious. Although she also smiled gently at the servants, she never bothered to say a word to us.I think she probably despises our race from the bottom of her heart, but unfortunately I was lost in the swamp of her beautiful smile and never found this kind of contempt, and even thought she fell in love with me...