The Wards' Mystery

Chapter 4

Mrs. Ward was charmed. Finally the gods had smiled upon her. She got herself a new maid. And what a maid it was — all grace, politeness and eagerness to work. Her recommendations were wonderful too. One of the referees was Mrs. Willow, who was not only a good judge of character, but a most dear friend of Mrs. Ward's. Mrs. Willow wrote:

My Dear Beatrice,

Permit me to introduce to you the bearer of this letter, Miss Jane Brouk. As a frequent visitor at her previous masters' house, I can describe her work as most diligent. Miss Brouk is a hard working, polite and attentive young woman. Poor thing was left without a job after Mr. Wood, her previous master, fell down from a horse and broke his neck.

Believe me when I say that she is a real pleasure to be around. Her positive attitude and endless energy makes even the gloomiest days brighter. Rest assured that she would be a wonderful addition to your household.

Your sincere friend,

Helen Willow

Miss Brouk made a good impression indeed. Rarely any servant managed to entertain Mrs. Ward with such a well-informed conversation, as they had with Miss Brouk this morning.

"Mrs. Ward, you should not worry. I have heard very smart gentlemen speaking about the Indian mutiny. It is barely a hindrance. Sir Campbell will crush it in a week or two," Jay smiled reassuringly at Mrs. Ward.

"Thank the gods! I am glad it will be over soon, but I cannot help but worry."

"Worry is like a bad friend who only takes and gives nothing in return, madam. You should agree that it is only reasonable to avoid it," said Jay.

"But I cannot control it." Mrs. Ward flung up her hands and shook her head.

"When my previous master was plagued by worry, he tried to occupy himself with his favorite activities like hunting or drawing, madam. He had a particular talent for drawing swans. Every wall at his house was decorated with at least one."

"I am a very poor artist. But maybe I can convince Mr. Ward to take us for a small trip. Maybe even visit the waterfalls," Mrs. Ward replied ardently and bounсed from her armchair. At this exact moment an old woman stepped into the room. Despite her decent age her face barely had any wrinkles. Her eyes were remarkably cold.

"Jane, this is Madam Brown, our housekeeper. She will show you around. Alva, be kind to our new maid. She is a treasure. If you need me I will be at Mr. Ward's study."

Madam Brown gave Mrs. Ward a sharp nod and asked Jay to follow her out of the drawing-room. Jay had a very low tolerance for silence. When Madam Brown did not show any initiative to talk, she decided to cut the first turf with a compliment.

"Madam, you are doing a great job keeping such a big house in order. I could not imagine..."

"Listen, I am naw lady. I don't care if you have your way with words. Do your work. Do it well, and we shall get along. That is it," Without giving Jay time to answer, she continued, "You'll work on the second floor. The fireplaces have to be always clean, mirrors polished, staircases swept. You'll also help Mrs. Ward's chambermaid. The Mistress' bedroom is further down the corridor," she said and turned away from Jay.

By the stairs Madam Brown and Jay encountered a small clanky woman with a heap of laundry.

"Good morning, Madam Brown," she said.

"Guid mornin', Clara. I was looking for you. This is our new maid — Jane Brouk. Miss Brouk, this is Clara Wright. She's responsible for Mrs. Ward's chamber."

Jay winked at Clara. Clara answered with a nod and a polite smile.

"I'm leaving Miss Brouk in your hands. We shall have guests this forenicht. I need to make sure that this time John won't experiment with the food."

As soon as Madam Brown disappeared from their sight, Jay chuckled.

"This woman definitely has some stick up her arse," she whispered.

Jay lifted her chin and tightened her posture to resemble Madam Brown.

"Tha mi Madame Brown and I hate fun," Jay sang, mimicking Madam Brown's Scottish accent. Clara giggled quietly as she guided Jay to Mrs. Ward's bedroom.

"She isn't so bad. She's just worried. We all are," said Clara.

"And what is the reason for this worry?" Jay asked.

"We'll start with the bed," Clara replied and pulled the bedspread away.

***