The Governess- 16

“If you are able to start here soon I think it would be advisable for you to
have complete supervision of the house staff. As you know we have two maids. One
of which has just arrived as a refugee. They are both extremely pretty and may
on occasions provide you with some amusement. There are also two girls in the
kitchen. Rachael and Claire, they are seventeen and eighteen years old and live
here. In fact we are very self contained. The estate office is situated in ‘Far
Acre’ That is six miles away. We have over sixteen staff who run the farm
estate, none of these have any contact with the household. In fact we allow no
visitors at all. Provisions are delivered to the gate house lobby and are
brought up by the kitchen staff each morning. The house as you saw when you came
is completely walled off so everything within the gardens is private to myself
and household staff.” Jane smiled as her Ladyship explained the intricacies of
the household. “Most large estates like this suffer from gossip, especially in
the villages. For that reason I have chosen that everyone who works here lives
in. None of the staff have any family, so apart from shopping trips to Douglas,
they have no contact with the outside world. Even though I have had on occasions
to discipline all of the staff we have a very pleasant happy atmosphere. Jane
smiled. “Do you mean by discipline that you have caned their bottoms.” Lady
Rawlings gave an impish smile to her new young governess. “Yes all of them at
one time or another, and I am sure you will be doing the same after all they
will be your responsibility.