Chapter 5: Time For Lunch

Although we were all taken into the servants’ hall for some food at the end of the morning session it didn’t turn out to be much of a break.

Lunch was a little more appetising than breakfast – a bowl of hearty soup and a chunk of bread - but we had only just started when Mrs Danbury appeared. She stood with her arms folded across her rather frumpy blouse, waited until we were all quiet and then demanded our attention. “While you are in here I have something for you to look at. Do you see those?” She pointed up near to where the ceiling met the far wall.

There was a large wooden panel with an array of bells. Each of the bells was labelled underneath on yellowing paper labels with the name of one of the rooms in the house.

“Since it looks like we may have to use your services upstairs you need to know about them. Each of those bells is connected to a bell push in one of the rooms upstairs. If Miss Matilda or one of her guests requires service, a bell will ring. It will be obvious which bell is ringing. The staff is expected to respond, and that includes you.”

Mrs Danbury looked out at us across the table as though she had very little confidence in our ability to take any of this on board.

“You see the labels. You need to make sure you know which room the bells relate to. I hardly need tell you that a maid barging in where he is not needed will attract my attention. So, you need to memorise the rooms. There is a plan on the wall over there. Some are obvious but others you need to learn. Spend some time when you have finished eating and I will test you.”

There was an uncomfortable shuffling as we all realised that we weren’t going to get any time to ourselves over the lunch break.

“Then, when you get to wherever you have been summoned to, you need to know how to behave. First thing you do? Ah,” Mrs Danbury scanned around the table, “Meakin?”

I thought for a moment and then said, “Curtsy, Ma’am?”

“No. Anyone? Oh good heavens. Knock on the door. Don’t go straight in. Wait until you are called. Don’t expect the people upstairs to leap to attention just because you have arrived. They may take their time. That is their privilege. Then, assuming you are invited in, you can do as Meakin suggests. And then what?”

Bryony replied this time. “Wait, Ma’am?”

“Yes. Wait. And then do what ever you are asked to. And before you leave?”

“Curtsy again, Ma’am?”

“Well perhaps you won’t make too much of a mess of this. We’ll see.” Mrs Danbury did not sound very confident. She left us to finish our soup and to study the chart. As she had said some of the room locations were obvious. The hall, the dining room, the sitting room, the library and the garden room were all going to be easy enough to point out. More of a problem were the various rooms on the first and second floors; the green drawing room, the Chinese bedroom, the French bedroom, Miss Matilda’s room, first floor bathroom, second floor bathroom, Miss Matilda’s dressing room and so on.