Selena, the upstairs maid, knocked on the door before entering the room. “Miss Mia, your belongings have been unpacked.”
“Thank you, Selena,” Mia said.
The maid turned to Grace and Kathryn. “There are several other bedchambers to choose from.”
“Are there any that face the garden?” Grace asked.
“Yes, miss. You’ll want to look at the rooms on the right down the hall. Once you select your bedchamber, I’ll take care of your unpacking as well.”
“Of course. We’re on our way to choose now,” Grace said. As she walked down the hallway, she noticed their trunks against the wall. Jones and Charles had already brought up their belongings. Even though the staff at the manor was small, they were quite efficient.
The first bedchamber they entered was painted in a light shade of blue. There were two large windows that let in the light. “This one is lovely. Let’s look at the other one, and then you can decide which one you want, Kathryn,” Grace said.
“Grace, it matters not to me which bedchamber is assigned,” Kathryn said. “I’m just thrilled to be here at all.”
“Nonsense. You are our guest. Yours is the first choice.”
As they walked into the next bedchamber, Grace saw Kathryn smile. The room was painted in light spring green, with cream-colored silk drapes framing the windows. Paintings of flowers adorned the walls, making it seem like she was walking into a garden. She went to the window and was pleasantly surprised. “What a lovely garden view.”
Grace joined her at the window. “Then this chamber shall be yours!”
“Oh, no, you must have it,” Kathryn said. “It’s your family’s home after all.”
“Nonsense, the other chamber has a lovely view as well, and you may not know it, but blue is one of my favorite colors,” Grace said. “I’ll let Selena know of our choices.” She left her friend admiring the view. Selena was waiting in the hallway. “Lady Kathryn will take the green room, and I’ll have the blue one.”
“Very good, Miss Parker,” Selena said, scurrying away to find Charles to move the trunks into the proper chambers.
Grace was happy to give up the bedchamber with the best view of the garden to Kathryn. Traveling to Dandridge Manor, her friend had seemed much more relaxed as they traveled away from London. She’d been quite tense when they first started out, but as the miles passed, she became less anxious.
Audrey had told her of Kathryn’s frustrations during the Season. Trying to attract a suitor while staying away from the gossipmongers had made Kathryn miserable, and Grace was happy that she could now relax and enjoy herself in the country. There was no pressure here—just enjoyment to do whatever they wished. The fact that Kathryn was such a nature enthusiast thrilled Grace because she would make a wonderful companion as they explored the manor’s grounds.
Now that they were in Reading, Grace realized how grand it was to breathe in the fresh country air. While she’d enjoyed many of the amusements that London had to offer, there wassomething about being in the country that soothed her soul. She loved being out in nature, and Dandridge Manor offered much to enjoy.
It was such a shame that their father hadn’t wanted to live in or even visit the manor. She had no idea why he’d been so against it. Their mother hadn’t talked about it much either, although they’d planned a trip to the country after her mother’s confinement with her last pregnancy. Unfortunately, she’d died shortly after giving birth to a stillborn son, and their father had forbidden any of them to ever speak of Dandridge Manor again.
It made her wonder if something had happened here, as it made no sense to her that they hadn’t lived here in this country home instead of in the small, cramped house on Gracechurch Street. It was one more mystery about her parents that she would probably never solve.
In the meantime, she planned to make the most of their summer holiday. She was looking forward to exploring the countryside as well as seeing what the town of Reading had to offer.