Chapter 7
Their eyes followed her admiringly. They had no idea they had
been snubbed. It was a disappointment, of course, to find she had
forestalled them and that they were not to have the happiness of
preparing for her, of watching her face when she arrived and first saw
everything, but there was till Mrs. Fisher. They would concentrate on
Mrs. Fisher, and would watch her face instead; only, like everybody
else, they would have preferred to watch Lady Caroline's.
Perhaps, then, as Lady Caroline had talked of breakfast, they had
better begin by going and having it, for there was too much to be done
that day to spend any more time gazing at the scenery--servants to be
interviewed, the house to be gone through and examined, and finally
Mrs. Fisher's room to be got ready and adorned.
They waved their hands gaily at Lady Caroline, who seemed
absorbed in what she saw and took no notice, and turning away found the
maidservant of the night before had come up silently behind them in
cloth slippers with string soles.
She was Francesca, the elderly parlour-maid, who had been with
the owner, he had said, for years, and whose presence made inventories
unnecessary; and after wishing them good-morning and hoping they had
slept well, she told them breakfast was ready in the dining-room on the
floor below, and if they would follow her she would lead.
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