Chapter 2: Stepley Hall — December 1854

The journey to Stepley Crossing, halfway between Maidenhead and Reading, was 80 miles long, taking almost three days. Stepley Hall stood at the outskirts of the village, a fine sight for the travel-weary Tollivers. It had been built under the reign of the George III by Sir Reginald Tolliver, 1st Baronet, but the present owner had subjected it to considerable modernisations over the years. Thus it looked splendid in the late evening sun with its curved dual front steps leading up to the entrance. Suzanne Tolliver swallowed.

“Adam never told me how beautiful this place is,” she said haltingly.

Sir Charles sighed heavily. “Perhaps he did not want to be reminded of the home from which he was barred.” He switched topics. “With the exception of my suite and Adam’s old room, the entire second story is furnished as guest rooms. I suggest you pick two suitable rooms for yourself and for Alice, and once you decide about whether to move to Stepley Hall, we can make alterations after your fancy.”

“That is kind of you, Sir Charles,” Suzanne answered. “But where do your servants live?”

“The basement floor is above ground in the back of the manor. Cook has rooms close to the kitchen for herself and the kitchen maid. The rest live in the coach house.”

He pointed at a two-story house which had a wide, arched door on the ground level and living quarters atop of it. Everything looked well ordered and maintained.

When the coach rumbled over the cobbled drive way and came to a screeching halt in front of the front steps, a small welcome committee of five people formed. The rotund cook was easily recognised as such, as was the livered manservant. Two young chambermaids and a solemn looking older woman — the housekeeper — completed the staff.

“Welcome home, Sir Charles,” the housekeeper spoke up as they alighted from the coach. “Welcome to Stepley Hall, Mrs. Tolliver, Miss Alice. I am Boswell, the housekeeper. Mann here is Sir Charles’s servant, Quonsett is our cook, and Edna and Judy are the housemaids. I have detailed Edna as your personal servant until you can find your own servant, Madam.”

“Thank you, Miss Boswell,” Suzanne answered nicely, only to be met with a frown from the woman.

“Please, Madam, just ‘Boswell’. I do not rate as a ‘Miss’,” she insisted.

Realising her gaffe, Suzanne blushed. “As you wish, Boswell,” she returned.

Sir Charles then led the way into the house. He could see his daughter-in-law to be impressed and he had a passing feeling of pride. He had taken good care of his house and of his lands. A recluse he might have been, but he had done his duty for the estate and those living on it.

Edna was the older of the two chamber maids and Boswell was training her to take over the household some day in the future. Judy, the other maid, was a recent hire, only nineteen years old and not quite settled into her tasks yet. Now they both carried the two valises of Suzanne Tolliver and her little daughter whilst Boswell was bringing up the rear.

Sir Charles remained downstairs, giving his daughter in law time to settle in and to change from the travel clothes into whatever she was wearing inside a house. Emma Quonsett — “Cook” — had stayed behind.

“Sir Charles?”

“Yes?”

“Is there anything special the child may want to eat?” she asked eagerly.

Sir Charles smiled briefly. There were four women in his household, each of them ready to spoil little Alice rotten if given a chance.

“From what I observed she eats normal fare. If she is her father’s true daughter, she will relish your meat loaf.”

“I’ll see to it right away, Sir Charles!” Cook smiled. “Will you take tea or coffee this afternoon?”

“I believe Mrs. Tolliver to be enamoured with coffee. Have somebody get some cream too. Oh, and a cup of hot chocolate for my granddaughter if you can.”

“Certainly, Sir Charles. Be ready in a jiffy!”

The coffee, strong and black, was ready and waiting in the garden room when Suzanne Tolliver came downstairs with little Alice. Sir Charles stood and held her chair and then he helped the little girl sit. A very nervous Judy poured coffee for the adults and a thick, dark chocolate for Alice.

“This is such a wonderful house, Sir Charles,” Suzanne sighed. “And now you are spoiling us with coffee and chocolate.”

“I always have coffee or tea this time of the day and you are welcome to join. I...”

“Mum, can I have more choclit?” Alice butted it.

“Alice, what have I told you? Never interrupt another person’s speech!”

The little girl was momentarily chastised.

“Sorry, Mum,” she mumbled.

“Don’t do it again! You will have more chocolate when we have more coffee. Try to sit still and wait!”

Sir Charles would have let the girl have more chocolate, but Suzanne had been right. No need to let the girl get away with impoliteness. Now Suzanne turned to him.

“I’m sorry, Sir Charles. You were saying?”

“I wanted to say that I shall be happy to have you join me, but I shall be understanding if you choose to abstain.”

“And miss this excellent coffee? Sir Charles, you can count on me attending your afternoon coffee.”

“This is settled then. Are you content with your accommodations?”

“Very much so, and your household has been very helpful.”

“If the weather holds, we can ride over to Hesley Cottage tomorrow, so you may see your options.”

“You are very considerate, Sir Charles. There is another thing. I do not wish to be an idler. If there are duties and tasks that you wish to delegate to me, some charity perhaps or other matters, I shall be happy to help out.”

Sir Charles slowly shook his head. “None that I can think of right now. Lord Lambert’s sister, Mrs Ruiz de Costa at Oxford House, handles most charitable activities in these parts. Should you decide to settle here permanently, I can make the introductions. You will find her a somewhat combative but well-meaning lady. She is a prominent champion of women’s suffrage among other things.”

“A worthy occupation to be sure,” Suzanne opined.

“One may think so indeed,” Sir Charles nodded. “Should you decide on staying at Stepley Hall and once you have settled in, we can discuss your roles and responsibilities within this house and the estate.”

Suzanne raised her eyebrows. “What have you in mind then, Sir Charles?”

“Oh, dealing with Mr Allen, the minister. Looking after the widowed women and the few orphans we have. Things like that for which, as I have to profess, my patience is often too short.”

Suzanne nodded to this. “That sounds quite agreeable, Sir Charles. Of course, you are correct when you point out that we must decide on my accommodations first.”

They left it at that and Sir Charles gave his daughter in law a view of the house, from the top floor of the turret down to the cellars. The study room with its well filled bookshelves excited her the most, but she also liked the room atop the turret for the wide view it afforded. Here, Sir Charles kept a large telescope mounted on a tripod with which Adam had watched the night sky as a boy.

It was time for the supper then, served in the vast dining hall. The three members of the family were almost lost at the huge table, but there was a huge tiled stove to keep the hall warm. The room, just like all rooms at Stepley Hall, had gas lighting fed from a small gas works that operated in the back of the great barn. Sir Charles embraced modern technologies and he prided himself on his well-lit house.

After supper, Suzanne brought little Alice to bed. The girl was quite tired after an exciting day, and even in the unaccustomed room, she fell asleep in short time. Suzanne then rejoined her father-in-law in the study room where he was sipping on a glass of Port wine. He rose when she entered.

“May I offer you a refreshment? A Sherry perhaps? I have a very good Oloroso.”

“Perhaps a small sip of the Sherry, Sir Charles? Thank you.”

There was a small table near the high window holding three bottles and a few glasses. Sir Charles poured a small amount of Sherry into a glass and offered it to Suzanne.

“Your health, Madam!” he toasted her with his Port wine glass.

“And yours, Sir Charles,” she answered.

The Sherry was indeed excellent. Suzanne was not much of a drinker, but she enjoyed a small glass of Sherry once in a while.

“Before I forget, Madam, is there anybody you need to notify of your changed accommodations? Some relative, perhaps? I’m afraid that I do not know anything about your family background. My fault, really.”

Suzanne flinched a little. It still hurt her to talk about her family, but Sir Charles had a right to know about her.

“I was orphaned seven years ago. My parents were visiting friends, and my sister and I were supposed to accompany them. I turned ill the morning of the planned departure. Nothing serious, just a bad cold. I was left at home under the care of our housekeeper, whilst my parents and my sister Paulina left in the coach. They never arrived. The coach was found on its roof in a ditch, with my father and mother dead inside and the coachman a few paces away, but not my sister. The Militia was roused, and they searched the countryside for a week, but no trace of Paulina was ever discovered.

“I was devastated. I was barely seventeen years of age, and I was alone in the world. For seventeen years, I had never been apart from Paulina for more than a few hours. I felt ... I still feel a part of myself missing. Paulina was ... is my twin sister. I refuse to believe that she is dead, but I despair of ever finding her again.

“Major Kipping was a friend of my parents, and he took me in. It was at his house that I met Adam, and my luck turned again, at least for a few years.”

“I am — hrhm! — very sorry for the losses you had to suffer. I should have listened to Adam when he told me of you. Instead I drove him away, and you had to bear the news of his death alone, without support or consolation. I am deeply sorry.”

“Yes, it was a terrible blow. Had it not been for little Alice ... She needs me, and that gives me purpose.”

“Yes, I look at your daughter, and I feel the same,” Sir Charles conceded. He sighed. “Be that as it may, I shall turn in now. It has been quite an arduous day, and your daughter will be anxious to see the horses tomorrow. I bid you a good night, Madam. Feel free to use this room at your leisure, well, this and any other room in this house. Kindly ring the bell when you are finished, so Boswell can douse the lights.”

“I shall, Sir Charles. Have a good night too,” Suzanne answered.

The next morning was unexpectedly sunny, and Sir Charles sat in the brightly lit garden room having his breakfast when Suzanne joined him with Alice in tow. Boswell had set the table for them, and soon a steaming pot of tea made an appearance. The kitchen help, Rose, had toasted some bread for them and an assortment of fruit jams sat ready. Suzanne smiled when she saw the bounty in front of her.

“This looks wonderful,” she said.

Just then, Cook stood by the table.

“Good morning, Madam! Do you or Miss Tolliver wish for eggs and bacon, or some porridge?”

“A sweetened porridge is what Alice likes very much. Have you some dried berries for flavouring?”

Cook smiled broadly. “Yes, Madam. I have dried wine berries. Will that be acceptable?”

“Of course. For me, a fried egg, please.”

Cook nodded and returned to her kitchen while Suzanne shook her head.

“We shall be pampered completely.”

“Never mind that, Madam,” Sir Charles answered with a weak smile. “It is little enough. After breakfast, we shall take the coach to have a look at Hesley Cottage to see if it is more after your liking.”

Suzanne looked at him. “Sir Charles, unless it is your preference that we live at some different place, I would like to express my preference for staying here at Stepley House. You already have a very attentive staff here, the rooms are very much to our liking, and I would prefer not to live alone.”

“Nothing could give me better solace than to have you live here, Madam. Will you still accompany me on the coach ride, if only to give you a view of the lands.”

“Certainly, Sir Charles. I just did not wish to give you the impression that I wish to set up my own household. Alice should also see her grandfather with regularity to provide a male element in her upbringing.”

“Madam, your wishes and my own are very much the same. Let us make the ride for leisure then.”

They did that. Alice was left in the care of Cook, who was planning to bake biscuits with her. Winslow was ready with the coach and took them on a tour of the lands, with Sir Charles explaining the sites, such as the water mill, the small brewery, the Crown and Rose tavern and Mr Evans’s village shop. It was mid afternoon before Winslow turned the coach back to Stepley Hall.

Suzanne had taken in the sights and listened to the explanations with interest, but on the way back she had her first question.

“Where is the school then, Sir Charles? I saw no attachment to the church when we passed.”