“Lord Bentley kept me on when Lady Bentleyarrived with her sister and scamps for brothers,” the womanchuckled before she turned to Juliette.
A soft, loving smile came to her lips and sheplaced a warm hand against Juliette’s cheeks. “You have grown intoa beautiful young woman, Lady Julia.” She sniffed. “I’ve neverforgotten you or your mother.”
Juliette had no recollection of the nurse,but there was comfort in her touch and for a moment she longed tohave the woman pull her close and hold her as she would a child.Had nurse often done so because the need was so powerful it nearlybrought tears to her eyes?
“And who might these young ladies be,” sheasked, directing her attention to Hélène and Genviève.
“My daughters, twins,” maman answered.
The older woman nodded. “I suspect they arethe reason you left,” she said quietly.
“Yes,” mother admitted.
“Well, now you are home.” She took a stepback. “The staff will get you settled.” She turned to Juliette.“And I will check on you later.”
Juliette could only stare after her. She wasa bit old for a nursemaid.
“She loved you the best and cried for daysafter you were gone,” Jordan said when he stopped beside her. “Isuspect she will not leave you be until she has had your life’sstory.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if she insistedJulia marry immediately so she can take care of her children sinceshe missed the opportunity to see to Julia,” Matthew offered.
Juliette watched the woman climb the stairs.This stranger had loved her that much?
“I will meet with the older servants, theones who remember you, privately,” Bentley was advising mother.“The rest do not need to know who you are yet. We don’t wish forthe gossip to reach London until we decide how we are going to dealwith the situation.”
That must be why he kept everyone outside.Nurse had not been there, but in here. Somehow Juliette knew thewoman would keep the secret as long as necessary.
“I’ll have Mrs. Winter show you to yourroom.”
Maman nodded and Bentley opened the door,allowing the others to enter. Surely they found it odd he behavedin such a manner but nobody said anything and had already set aboutunloading their belongings from the carriages. The servants simplywent about their work by carrying in trunks and following theladies to their rooms.
Juliette followed a footman who carried hertrunk up the grand staircase to the first landing. “These floorshold the sitting rooms, parlors and library,” a young maidexplained as they turned and began walking up another set ofstairs. “This floor houses the bedchambers. The family rooms are inthe east wing.”
The maid and footman Juliette was followingturned toward the east wing and her heart began to hammer in herchest. Halfway down the hall they stopped and a door was pushedopen. The footman stood back allowing Juliette to enter. She slowlytook a step inside before glancing back. Genviève was being shownto a room across the hall and Hélène would be next to Juliette. Hermother, on the other hand, was three rooms down, closer to thefamily set of chambers. She wished they wouldn’t have put maman sofar away. What if Juliette couldn’t hear her at night, when mamanusually needed her the most?
“Don’t worry, Miss,” the young maid began, asif reading Juliette’s mind. “There will be three maids assigned toyour mother and someone will be with her at all times and be ableto alert you if you are needed.”
Juliette smiled gratefully.
“His lordship said she was someone importantto him and we were to treat her as if she were family.”
She was family, but the maid didn’t knowthat.
“I am Erin, Miss, and I will be taking careof you while you are here.”
“Thank you, Erin.” Juliette had never had apersonal maid before and wasn’t sure what to do with one. Hermother’s homes always had servants, until coming to England, butthey served as cook, butler and maid for cleaning.
“I’ll get to putting your things away, unlessthere is something else you’ll be needing.”
Juliette wasn’t sure what she needed at thismoment. It was all too much and a mixture of emotions assailed herthe moment she crossed the threshold into this mansion.
“Supper will be served in two hours. Wouldyou like to rest until then?”
“No, I don’t need rest.” Juliette turned andtook in the room. It was decorated in pale greens and creams. Aheavy four poster bed took up the center of the room, its headboardagainst the outside wall, framed by two windows. On the oppositewall was a small fireplace. An armoire sat at the opposite end ofthe room with a door on each side. The maid entered one of thedoors and Juliette looked past her and realized it was a smalldressing closet. Juliette crossed the room and opened the oppositedoor to see where it led. Inside was a bathing chamber with a smallhip bath. Were all the rooms at Bentley Manor outfitted in such away? How wealthy was her brother?
Even though they had lived well prior tocoming back, only her mother ever had a private bathing chamber.Juliette had shared the other with her sisters, off of the kitchenso as not to have to haul hot water up a flight of stairs.
Juliette returned to her room and looked outthe window. It faced the back lawn. She knew this view. She hadseen it before. Juliette closed her eyes and tried to grasp hold ofthe memory, but there was nothing. Only the scene was familiar toher. She glanced about the room once again. This chamber was nothowever. She didn’t think she had ever been in here before. If shewalked through the house would she remember something from herchildhood? It was ridiculous that she would, though. She had notbeen much more than a babe when they left.
“I am going to walk,” she called to Erin.
“Very good, miss. I’ll see that your thingsare put away.”
Juliette stopped in the corridor and lookedone way and then the next. She turned toward the east wing. That iswhere the family resided. Perhaps she would recall spending timethere.
As she got closer and closer to where thechambers lay, anxiety built. Why?
Just before the hall turned there was a setof steps. She looked up and knew they led to
