Free His Saving Grace (Regency Refuge 1) by Heather Gray Page A

services with a needle. One of my trunks upstairs has some material in it. Make sure she understands it is to be temporary. There is no reason to get her hopes up needlessly."
    I hope she works out. Perhaps I should speak to her about relations with other staff.

Chapter Nine

    May 1815
    It had been two months since Thomas's departure. Everyone had settled into a sort of pattern at Castle Felton. Elsie had at first been horrified when told she needed to bathe and wash her hair at least twice weekly. When the subject of clean clothes came up, the poor girl had paled more than the albino shrew Grace had once seen in a field back in Stafford Shire.
    After Margaret had completed some dresses for her, Grace set her to sewing uniforms for Elsie and the other staff. Margaret did most of the sewing at home, but she made frequent trips to the castle. As Grace had the opportunity to spend time with her, she came to like the lithe girl with her irrepressible sable curls.
    Mr. Pembroke took care of the grounds. Mrs. Pembroke oversaw the work of all the maids except Elsie. Rupert saw to the footman and groomsman, as well as all household-related business that came up. The remainder of Grace's belongings from Stafford arrived, and she felt better having some of her familiar items around her in this new strange land.
    Grace insisted on eating her evening meal in the kitchen with the staff. She saw no reason for them to make a formal affair of serving her in the dining room when she was the only one there. Everyone, especially Mr. and Mrs. Pembroke, had been terribly uncomfortable when she'd first joined them in the kitchen. Over time, they became less agog and accepted her presence there.
    In compromise, Grace instructed the staff to put on a formal luncheon on those days when the children came to the castle for their studies. She was learning to find a balance between her instinctively rebellious nature and the needs of her staff. While some servants might have rebelled against serving what amounted to a group of peasant children, her staff had embraced the opportunity to demonstrate their skill and knowledge of propriety. One thing Grace's mother had always taught her was that people want to feel needed and need to feel wanted.
    In the meantime, she hoped the exposure the children received would benefit them someday if any of them ever wanted to seek employment in service. Depending on one's situation, employment in service could be a step up, possibly the difference between starvation and survival.
    As they sat around the dinner table one evening, Grace asked, "Did you hear parliament passed the Importation Act?"
    Rupert, nodding, was the only one to respond. "His Grace will not be pleased to hear it."
    Curious, Grace asked, "What does Thomas plan to do with his tenants? Is he going to raise their rents?"
    Rupert lifted his attention from his plate again and said, "Not yet. The Act is going to cause food prices to go up across the country, which will spill over onto other products, impacting farmers enough already."
    "If food prices go up, then the price of everything else will increase. How will the newspaperman be able to afford to feed his family unless he raises the cost of his newspaper? How will the milliner be able to feed her family unless she raises the price of her goods?" Grace frowned as she again considered the full import of the Act.
    Rupert glanced from Grace to the others at the table before answering. "It's a concern, and I'll be monitoring things closely. I send weekly reports to His Grace, and if he wants me to make any changes, I'll see to it."
    Grace smiled and said, "Thank you," to Mrs. Pembroke as the woman brought a delicate pudding to the table for everyone to enjoy. Turning back to Rupert, she said, "It must be a bit odd for you."
    "How so?"
    "Soldier turned valet. Valet turned butler and steward of sorts."
    Mr. Pembroke declared, "What's a valet without a master, I say. I'm not even sure being butler to this old