Chapter 5
Rey stood in front of the window in her bedroom, trying to calm herself. She could not call her time with Mr. Plutt happy, but at this moment she missed it dreadfully. With Mr. Plutt she had only had to worry about keeping the house to his standards of cleanliness. The thought that she was now in any way responsible for the livelihoods of so many people made her feel like a play actor. What did she know of running a manor? She did not even know which gown to wear to breakfast.
Beatrice had come in shortly after she had fled the dining room to help her dress in a morning gown. The gown Rey had assumed was a morning gown was actually a simple walking gown. How she was ever to know the difference, she didn't know. She was only now realizing how sheltered Mr. Plutt had kept her all these years.
There was a knock at the door, interrupting her musings, to which Rey turned hoping it was not Ren and said, "Come in."
The door opened to possibly the tallest woman Rey had ever seen. Her blonde hair was pulled into a severe bun and she was dressed all in gray. Rey turned to face her completely as the woman curtsied.
"Your Grace, I am Mrs. Phasma, the housekeeper," she said. "His Grace sent me in to go over the day with you."
"Oh." Rey blinked at the woman, nonplussed. She gestured to one of the chairs. "Please, have a seat."
Mrs. Phasma stared at Rey a moment, her gaze making Rey feel foolish, though she did not know why.
"I'm afraid sitting would connote a familiarity and friendship which is not fitting for your station and my own," Mrs. Phasma said after a moment.
Rey pressed her lips together to stop them from trembling as she nodded. "Of course. I beg your pardon. I'm afraid this is all rather new to me."
Rey waited for the woman to respond. She seemed to be scrutinizing Rey, as if to see if she passed inspection. Rey acted on the sudden urge to draw herself up, elongating her neck as she held her head high.
Mrs. Phasma finally nodded. "Of course, ma'am. Perhaps you would be more comfortable in the drawing room?"
Rey frowned slightly but, not knowing whether it was usual or not to discuss the day with one's housekeeper in the drawing room or any other room, she simply nodded. "Very well."
When Mrs. Phasma made no move towards the door, Rey realized she was waiting for Rey to walk out first. Swallowing and keeping her head held high, Rey walked out the door and turned back towards the staircase. She could hear the housekeeper walking close behind her. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, Rey stopped, unsure where the drawing room was.
After a brief moment of silence, Mrs. Phasma cleared her throat. "To the left."
Rey nodded and walked down the hall into the drawing room, holding herself in a manner she hoped alluded to a confidence she did not feel. As she entered she glanced around at the large room, taking in the piano on one side and the various chairs and settees on the other. Rey walked over to a settee and sat, folding her hands in her lap, and looked up at the housekeeper expectantly.
Mrs. Phasma nodded once at Rey, as if to say she had gotten the dynamic correct. She held out a card to Rey, who took it, glancing down to see a very elaborate meal.
"Cook would like to know if you want any changes to the dinner for tonight."
Rey looked up at the housekeeper. "Are we to have guests this evening?"
"No," Mrs. Phasma said. "This is one of Cook's simpler meal options. Knowing that you aren't used to an abundance of rich food she thought to keep the meal light. If you would prefer something different please let me know so I can alert her before she begins preparing the meal."
Rey looked down again at the menu again, thinking that three courses each with at least four dishes could not possibly be considered light. Handing the menu back Rey nodded her head. "Yes. Please tell Cook that it sounds delicious."
Mrs. Phasma took the menu from her, jotting down some notes.
"I have taken the liberty of calling the designer to meet with you later in the afternoon," she said.
"A designer?" Rey asked, confused. "Whatever for?"
The housekeeper looked up, her eyebrows raised. "It is customary for the woman of the house to design both the drawing room and her own personal rooms to her suit her own tastes. His Grace has said there will be no upper limit to spending, so you shan't have to worry about picking less costly furnishings."
Rey looked around the room. "That seems rather a waste since there is nothing at all wrong with this room as it is."
"Hmm," the housekeeper replied, also looking around. "None of the rooms in this manor have not been updated for twenty years at least. You cannot entertain in this room. People would talk."
Rey blinked at her. "They would talk about the room?"
Mrs. Phasma nodded. "Yes. As the new Duchess of Ren you will be expected to keep the house in the latest style."
"But I have little idea what the latest style is," Rey replied, feeling distressed at such a pressure being put on her.
"That is a conversation for the designer," the housekeep said, writing more notes. "Have you any invitations you wish to send out?"
"I…No, I don't," Rey responded.
Mrs. Phasma looked up. "It is not my place to say so, ma'am, but you will be expected to invite the local peerage to your home. As you are now a duchess, you outrank all the other ladies in the county, save the princess of course. If you wish to make friends of the right station it shall be up to you to invite them into your home."
Rey stared at her in alarm.
"Have you given any thought to which charitable cause or causes you wish to support?" Mrs. Phasma asked.
Rey shook her head, feeling very overwhelmed. "No. I haven't given much thought to the idea I would have the means to do so."
The housekeeper nodded. "Yes. His Grace seemed to think it likely you would not have." She handed Rey a piece of paper. "Here is a list of acceptable charities, though if you can find none that suit you, you always have the option of starting your own charitable cause."
Rey stared down at the list in front of her, feeling the weight of responsibility once again hit her. She found herself wishing to support them all.
When the housekeeper said nothing further, Rey looked up. "Is there anything else?"
Mrs. Phasma shook her head. "No, ma'am."
Realizing belatedly that the housekeeper was waiting to be dismissed, Rey nodded her head in dismissal. Mrs. Phasma bowed her head once before heading out of the room.
Rey stared down at the list in front of her, head spinning. There seemed to be even more work to being a duchess than Rey had realized. When she was younger she had spent many a night in bed dreaming of being a part of a well to do family. She had assumed it was all an easy life, with little to do besides leisure activities. Now she was seeing that she had been quite mistaken. The list in front of her made her heart ache. There were so many in need of charitable contributions that Rey was unsure how she would ever choose a single one.
Swallowing, it dawned on Rey how silly she was being. Here she was feeling overwhelmed with the responsibility of wealth when there were so many less fortunate than she. She stood up, folding the paper and placing it in her pocket. She glanced around, wondering how she was to spend her time now. The designer was not to come until later in the afternoon. She glanced at the piano, wishing she knew how to play the beautiful instrument.
Realizing that an estate this size would surely have a library, Rey decided to go in search of it. She wandered out of the drawing room and looked around, thinking if nothing else, she could spend a great deal of time admiring the current opulent display of artwork peppered throughout the manor. Dragging her eyes away from one particularly beautiful painting, she walked down the hall, peaking into doors until she finally happened upon one filled with books.
Walking into the large room, Rey's breath caught. She walked over to one side, hand dragging across the books as she gazed around her. There was even a second story balcony containing more books. There were books enough to keep her reading the entirety of her life. She tilted her head to read the titles. She was excited to see the library stocked with newer titles as well as older ones, and was particularly excited to see the newest Maria Edgeworth title. She pulled it out and flipped through it, admiring the first few pages.
Turning around she was startled to find Ren watching her from a chair across the room, open book in hand.
Putting a hand up to her racing heart she said, "You startled me."
Ren closed his book, a finger holding his place as he stood. "I apologize. That was not my intent."
He looked at the book in her hand. "Are you a great reader then?"
Rey looked down at the book as well, heart still racing from being startled. "I'm not sure, to be honest. I did not have much time for leisurely reading when I was with Mr. Plutt."
Ren narrowed his eyes at her response, and she cleared her throat to hide her embarrassment. Unsure what else to say, Rey held the book to her chest, both hands wrapped around it.
"I did not mean to disturb you," she said when he made no move to speak, looking at her through slightly narrowed eyes and furrowed brow.
As she turned to go, Ren finally spoke. "Wait."
She turned to him in surprise as he swallowed and gestured towards the chair next to his. "I wonder if you might sit with me."
Rey's eyebrows rose in shock at the invitation, but she nodded and walked over to sit. Placing the book in her lap, her hands clasped over it, Rey looked shyly at her husband. They had not parted well at their last meeting, not more than two hours past, and Rey had no idea what to expect from him now.
"I thought it might be best if we learned more about one another," Ren said, his baritone voice much softer than the one he had used on her maid.
Rey frowned, contemplating whether to ask about his treatment of the servants under his employ.
Before she could decide one way or the other, Ren broached the subject first. "I would like to apologize for my behavior this morning," he said simply, sitting ramrod straight in his chair and tilting his head towards her.
Rey held his gaze, looking for falsehood in his manner and finding none. Deciding she might as well get the full measure of the man she was bound to until death, she asked, "Why did you make such a fuss?"
Ren looked away, swallowing. "It is not unusual for unhappy servants to purposely sabotage the Lord or Lady they serve. I had told the maid of your…beginnings, and that she should forget such a significant detail seemed to be more than simple absentmindedness. I knew this was not her first posting as a lady's maid, as I acquired her after her previous mistress passed away." He looked at her again and Rey felt his eyes pleading with her to understand.
"And is she unhappy here?" Rey asked quietly.
Ren frowned in confusion. "I'm afraid I don't catch your meaning."
"You said that unhappy servants sabotage their master or mistress. Has she had cause to be unhappy here?" Rey looked at him boldly, awaiting his answer, hoping he would understand the underlying implication of her words.
Ren straightened, eyes flashing in both understanding and indignation. "I let my temper get away with me, to be sure, and for that I am sorry, but I do not regret the words I said. I needed to make absolutely sure that her blunder was not intentional."
"And do you make it a habit to so easily dismiss a servant?" Rey asked, unhappy with both his words and the haughty manner in which he said them.
Ren regarded her a moment, anger evident in his expression. She straightened, refusing to be cowed by his temper. Mr. Plutt had temper of his own, thus Rey was used to such behavior.
"I do not tolerate insubordination or laziness in those within my employ," he said.
"Nor should you," Rey said, "but it would not hurt to also show compassion for mistakes."
"I will not pay for the livelihood of a person who shows little regard for those above him or her," Ren said, irritation coloring his voice.
Rey swallowed, surprised at the sting his words had, for not two days ago he had been well above her station.
"Do you regard those in your employ as less deserving of compassion than your peers?" Rey asked, her voice coming out hoarse, much to her distress.
Ren stared at her a moment, confusion coloring his expression. Leaning back in his chair he regarded her, absently pulling at his lower lip as he thought. Without realizing it, Rey watched him, mesmerized by the movement. Much to her astonishment, she found it troubled her that he might think less of her because of the accident of her birth. Despite everything that had occurred thus far, Rey still hoped that a future in which, if not love, there was at least a mutual respect of character and person between them.
"If you think less of a person because of their station in life, then I have to wonder again why you should have chosen me as a wife," Rey said quietly, looking away from him. "I myself was lower than my current maid when you asked Mr. Plutt for my hand. If you feel superior to those outside of the peerage, then you have made a grave mistake in this marriage, for though my station has been greatly elevated, my opinion of those more fortunate has not." She wondered to herself what type of husband she should expect him to be if he placed such high regard on one's station.
Ren frowned at her again, though anger was not evident in his expression. "I made my intentions perfectly clear the first time you questioned me on this matter."
Rey pressed her lips together, recalling his words. "Yes. You made it perfectly clear you wanted a wife you could mold." Rey stood up, once again hugging the book to her chest. "You'll excuse me. I find a headache forming and wish to read in the comforts of my room."
Without looking back, Rey retreated quickly to her room.
Closing the door behind her, she leaned against it, silent tears falling down her cheeks. She did not know precisely what upset her so. She knew that the peerage were known for their arrogance and pride towards those at a lower station than they, and her life with Mr. Plutt had certainly not been one of mutual respect, and yet she still found herself surprised and distressed that her husband should have so little regard for the many people under his care.
Pulling out the paper Mrs. Phasma had given her, she looked down again at the list of charities she could support. Her own husband had drawn up the list for her. She wondered which organizations he had left off, which people he deemed not worthy of his wife's time or his money.
A/N: Good grief Rey, quit running away and finish a conversation, amirite? :P I actually had planned for this chapter to be longer, but life got in the way and I made the decision, since it was long enough, to just edit it and post it today rather than making you wait possibly another week. Hope you enjoyed it. And thank you so so so much for everyone who's reading, favorited, followed, and especially reviewed! When I'm finding it difficult to get over my anxiety about my writing I read your comments to give me a bolster! So thanks so much! :D And a special shoutout to ShesTooLazyToLogIn for dealing with my constant stream of self-doubt. Also, you can thank her for me writing this in the first place. I told her I had the idea, we talked it through a bit (she knows nothing about the plot so don't try to pry it out of her. :P), and then she told me I needed to get to writing it ASAP. So thanks dearie for pushing me to write this! *blows kiss* Also, going forward we will see more interactions that don't dissolve into arguing and Rey running away. XD