“I’m sure you did, Edna,” Mina told her soothingly, though she could not imagine why Edna had been reluctant to show them into her private room.
Nye released her and Mina hurried through the hallway, pausing only next to the mirror to tidy her windswept hair. She twisted the loose tresses back around what was left of her bun and reinserted two pins and hoped for the best. Nye had followed her out of the kitchen at a slower pace, but he caught up with her outside the door and entered the room directly after her.
“Ah, here you are!” Jeremy exclaimed, getting up from a chair with his ready smile.
“I’m sorry I kept you waiting,” Mina responded as her eyes traveled over the two neat figures who had been sat on wooden chairs against the wall but now stood to attention. Her heart leapt. Could these be the two domestics he had mentioned? She turned her gaze back on Jeremy and he beamed.
“I see you have anticipated my mission.” He extended an arm in a sweeping gesture to incorporate the room’s other two inhabitants. “I have brought Miss Corin Goode and Mr. Edward Herney for your consideration, as promised.”
“I am very pleased to make your acquaintance,” Mina said as they bobbed bow and curtsey in her direction.
“May I present my sister, Mrs. Mina Nye and Nye the owner of this establishment.”
From the corner of her eye, Mina saw Nye was a good deal surprised to see Jeremy had proved good on his word. He nodded to Corin and turned a considering eye on Edward Herney who was tall and slim and aged no more than twenty-two or three years.
“Ever served as a tapster before?” he asked.
Mr. Herney stepped forward. “I confess sir, I have not, though I have received some training in the butler’s pantry. I know how to tap a keg and have taken instruction on the care and serving of wine and spirits.”
Nye nodded. “That should stand you in good stead,” he said and Herney’s expression brightened.
Mina turned back to Corin who had large anxious eyes, hair so blonde it was white and resembled nothing so much as a frightened rabbit. “How old are you, Corin? Have you much domestic experience?”
“I’m nineteen, ma’am,” Corin bobbed again. “Please Mrs. Nye, I have worked as both scullery and kitchen maid before now.”
“Well, that sound very satisfactory,” she said, smiling at the girl. “You will have your own attic bedchamber next door to our other maid Edna, who will help with your instruction.”
Corin’s eyes grew even wider. “Yes ma’am,” she whispered, then looked at her feet.
“Edna takes Monday as her day off. Should you have any objection to taking either Wednesday or Thursday for your own?”
“None, thank you kindly, ma’am,” Corin squeaked.
“You’ll have a bed above the stables,” Nye told Herney. “There’s several bunks in there and you can take your pick. Reuben the stable hand sleeps in there and no-one else at present.” Ed Herney nodded. “You can take a midweek day off for your own, I little care so long as you give me a few days’ notice. Weekends are our busiest time.”
“Understood, sir,” said Herney keenly.
Nye looked a little pained. “Call me Nye,” he said. “When can you start?”
Herney turned to Jeremy. “My Lord Faris has my trunk on his carriage. If you’re agreeable—?”
“I am,” Nye said curtly. “If you come now, I’ll give you a tour of the place.” He nodded at Jeremy and he and Herney both left the room.
“Did you bring Corin’s trunk also?” Mina asked, turning to her brother.
“I did. Prepared fellow, aren’t I?”
“Excellent. I’m sure Nye will get Reuben to carry it upstairs for us. Will you stay to take some refreshment, Jeremy?”
He shook his head regretfully. “Alas, I must see my steward on my return and cannot tarry. Perhaps I will return in a couple of days’ time to see how you’re all faring.”
“That would be most agreeable and thank you, for I did not expect you to act so promptly, in truth.”
“Catching people unawares is one of my chief delights in life,” he mused with a small bow and left.
20
Over the next couple of days, Herney and Corin proved themselves to be adept at learning the ropes at the inn. A rocky start with Edna was soon smoothed over when she realized Corin knelt every night beside her bed to say her prayers and was a regular churchgoer.
As for Herney, he seemed wholly unaffected by Reuben’s grumpiness and did not seem to mind turning his hand to whatever his master or mistress asked of him. He was clean-shaven, had a sister who lived in Penarth and was teetotal which was the only thing that made Nye look at him askance. In truth, as Mina pointed out to Nye, they had much to be grateful for.
On Sunday, both new members of the household accompanied Mina and Edna to church in their Sunday best and Mina started to daydream that she could look forward to that weekend away with Nye sometime soon.
That evening to her surprise, her husband joined her in the parlor. She lowered the letter she had been reading which was from her old maid Hannah back in Bath. “I did not realize you would be able to join me this evening,” she marveled. “Is Herney serving behind the bar?”
“He is,” Nye agreed, adding another couple of logs to the fire before sinking into the chair opposite her. “I’ve told him I can be fetched if I’m needed.”
Mina nodded, a faint pucker between her brows. Had Ivy not said something about conferring with Gus and Reuben on a Sunday evening in the taproom?
