Chapter Ten

"Mrs. Mayfield? The doctor will not be able to see you this afternoon." Emma announced.

Lizzy was seated in the living room after writing down the final touches to the wedding party whom she wished to add for her wedding. When Emma entered, she was stunned to hear that the doctor, a popular one, was out and wouldn't be able to see her that afternoon. Frowning, she turned as she asked.

"And how is this? I thought Fitzwilliam informed me he would see me."

"That's what we thought, too, Mrs. Mayfield. But that's not the case." Emma replied as she made her way over to the soon to be Mrs. Darcy. Lizzy stared hard at the servant as she asked.

"He's out?"

"Apparently, yes." Replied the servant and she brushed her gown down a bit. Noticing this, Lizzy drew herself up as she changed topics.

"Since we're here, Emma, I may as well hand you the instructions for this coming week. Seeing that my wedding will be in less than 5 weeks from this Saturday, I thought it best we should start on the household duties for the women servants. I have what I thought and prayed about written here and I would like to go over them with you."

The servant, who was a little older than herself, nodded as she replied.

"As you wish, Mrs. Mayfield. Should I ask the others to join us or leave it here?"

Opening writing her binder, which she'd brought with her, Lizzy answered.

"No thank you, Emma. I would feel more comfortable if I spoke about this with you. You're one out of the few who was warm when I first arrived, remember?"

"Yes, Mrs. Mayfield. I do remember."

Feeling confident she'd found an alley, Elizabeth pulled out the sheets of paper she composed earlier the past week. Gesturing for Emma to take a seat, she waited for the woman to seat herself before she ran her through what she'd composed. Emma, as Lizzy felt, indeed was attentive. She listened with narrowed brows and regardless she was older than herself, Lizzy felt that Emma was the source she'd like to have when she married Fitzwilliam. As Emma listened, Lizzy explained.

"The first and second floors are to be dusted, washed, polished, and waxed. Beginning once the maids finished their morning routines, which would be of going through the residents' rooms to clean out the chamber pots, as well as making the beds, I wish the floors be cleaned. Once a week will do. Seeing the wedding will be in 5 weeks, I would like the manor to be as neat and clean for the guests, Emma. I know the staff is small but if there are more women servants to be in contact with, it would be incredible if more hands would progress with the work getting down."

Here, Emma spoke.

"Mrs. Mayfield? I know some friends' around town whom I can get in touch with. Whenever the past Mrs. Darcy needed them, she would ask one of us maids to call them so the manor would be sparkling. When you first arrived, the manor was already cleaned because she asked for the place to sparkling clean for the party which took place."

"Thank you, Emma." Lizzy replied as she lowered the paper. She was thankful the woman knew what she was speaking about and knew a little more than she did. But Lizzy didn't argue as Emma gestured for her to continue. One thing Lizzy was starting to enjoy about becoming the new Mrs. Darcy was she was in charge of the women servants' and to an extent… bossing them around. She smiled inside as she continued.

"I'm not sure if Fitzwilliam would oppose but since the season calls for a celebration for our marriage, I would like to see the grounds of the manor a little neat, too. The bushes outside need to be trimmed and a few of the rose bushes need their thorns removed. I know Albert is in charge of them but he's our only butler. Would it be possible that they be tended to before the wedding? I know most of the relatives I invited will want to see the place glowing and the duties for the maids are the usual. The only list I have is for cook. I wrote what I believe best for this evening's meal as well as for the rest of the week."

"Albert is in charge of the grounds, Mrs. Mayfield, and sometimes Mr. Darcy helps him when he's otherwise not in the office." Emma answered as she reached out and flexed her fingers to scan the list Lizzy composed. Once she had them, Lizzy waited for Emma to read what she'd written for the meal that evening as well as for the week. Narrowing her eyes, she paused at one point, when she asked.

"Mrs. Mayfield? Salmon for Friday?"

"Yes. It's a dish Catholics eat in honor of Our Lord's Passion. I don't suppose Mr. Darcy would oppose so I added that to the week's meal."

"Very well, Mrs. Mayfield. Albert will have to drive to town to get that."

"That's good to hear." Lizzy replied and she positioned herself to sit better as she continued.

"John and William's school uniforms are to be washed when the return home later this week. I've noticed that they seem to arrive with a little aroma to them and for one don't like inhaling that."

Here, Emma smirked and the two ladies shared a similar feeling that said: women wash and men need to work on that. Both recalled how John first introduced himself to Lizzy when she first arrived and Lizzy couldn't help but remember how hungry the little boy been when he asked to have her fruit. Amazed she would be his new mama soon but Lizzy returned to the moment.

"After cook has agreed to this week's meals, I should like to have the rooms for the guests prepared once the floors are clean, Emma. Starting this Wednesday, unless Fitzwilliam is in the office, I would like to know how many rooms will hold his portion of the guests. We've counted 175 people will be in attendance and he explained to me, though briefly, some of his relatives will be residing in hotels."

"Yes, Mrs. Mayfield. If you need to know anything about Mr. Darcy's friends or associates, most of them will not step inside the manor because they like to reside in town's hotels. Something the late Mrs. Darcy liked very much."

"Rachel enjoyed it when Mr. Darcy's work friends' didn't reside in the manor?" Lizzy asked and this pricked her curiosity. She'd briefly known Rachel but never in true context. She disliked having Mr. Darcy's work friends' inside the manor? Leaning forward, she narrowed her brows as she asked.

"Was there a reason?"

Emma shrugged her shoulders as she returned her attention to the list Lizzy made. Seemed the maid didn't want to speak at length about the feelings of the late Mrs. Darcy but Lizzy couldn't help but feel that there was something more to Rachael from what she'd heard from Edward. The mention of her husband sent a sting to her feelings so Lizzy resumed speaking with Emma about what she wished to have happen when the manor would be polished and tidied for that week. She also kept in mind that her wedding would be in 5 weeks and they would speed along fast. As the two resumed speaking at length concerning the events for the week's cleaning, Lizzy couldn't help but notice Fitzwilliam was absent. After she thanked and excused Emma to her duties, Lizzy rose and making her way over to the curtains, drew them aside as she asked.

"Fitzwilliam informed me he would be home no sooner than the time he left to drop the boys' for school. It's now almost past 10 and he informed me he would be back at 9 or around to ten."

She turned and the clock above the mantle showed 10:30. Frowning, she asked.

"Wonder what's detaining him?"