Bridget still had a desire to get Betsy back into whatever form of normalcy she could. So, with that in mind, Bridget had risen with the sun, as was her custom, readied herself, quietly went down to the kitchen to get a fresh basin of water, and laid out the child's frock from the day before.
"Are we going back to the hotel?" Betsy asked in a sleepy voice.
"No, my dear, you are to stay here with Lord John now. We are just making ready to go down to breakfast."
"Are we to have it with Nanny?" Betsy asked as she sheepishly put one arm and then the other into her dress.
"Nanny had to go to another family," Bridget explained gently.
"Oh," was all Betsy answered in a sad voice.
Bridget struggled to find a way to lift the child's spirits as they made their way down to the breakfast room when Lord John intercepted them at the top of the stairs.
"Good morning, sir," Bridget said with a curtsy.
"Miss Thatcher. I trust the two of you slept well?"
Bridget answered in the affirmative. She considered asking after his own night, but the deep red of his eyes and slightly dishevelled cravat suggested his night was not as restful.
"We were just making our way to find breakfast," Bridget explained.
"Please, then let me guide you," Lord John said, extending his arm. "You go on ahead, Betsy, and see if you can find the breakfast room before us," he added to the little girl.
Betsy instantly lit up at the prospect of a game and skipped more than walked down the stairs. Before they had reached the halfway point of the staircase, Bridget could already hear Betsy opening and shutting doors as she inspected each room's contents.
"I think I found it," Betsy called as they reached the bottom of their descent.
"Did you, now?"
"Well, it must be. It has a long table, and the whole room smells of toast."
"That would be it," Lord John said with a broad smile on his face.
Despite the apparent fatigue that had shadowed his visage at the top of the stairs, by the bottom, his bright smile had replaced all semblance of sleepiness. Bridget couldn't help but catch some of his joyful light as she too smiled at the child's excitement at having won the game.
It was a bit strange for Bridget to be sitting down with Betsy and Lord John at the breakfast table. From her understanding, and experiences with the Smeltings, parents only on the rarest of occasions allowed children at their breakfast table and certainly didn't eat with the governess.
"I am quite happy to take my meal with Mrs. Smith in the kitchen if you would like some time alone with Betsy," Bridget suggested, feeling awkward.
"Actually Mrs. Smith often takes her meals in here with me," Lord John explained.
He smiled at her full-eyed expression.
"I know it is a bit unorthodox," he quickly explained. "Mrs. Smith has been employed here since my boyhood. My family came to town yearly for the season, and often she would take meals with my siblings and myself. It seemed silly to change things now," he said in a half shrug. "Plus, she has taken over much of the running of the property without a mistress for the house and meals. This allows us to discuss any pressing matters."
"I didn't mean to seem shocked at the notion," Bridget tried to apologise, "I just…"
"It's not usual," Lord John finished for her. "I hope it won't be a problem for you, but I would be very pleased if Betsy, and of course yourself while you're with us, could take meals with me.
Bridget agreed to the arrangement knowing that the small child would be happy for the company at mealtimes. She did her best to swallow the sorrow that settled in her stomach at the notion that her time was already limited.
Bridget tugged nervously on the long sleeves of Bridget’s spencer. Though it was mid-autumn, it was unseasonably hot. The large open windows of the breakfast room were already making the space slightly uncomfortable in such a jacket.
She would have liked to ask Lord John if she could stay on but couldn't find the right words. The last thing she wanted to do was to put him in a position to address finances in front of Betsy.
Mrs. Smith entered the room and made her greetings around the table before taking her seat. Much to Bridget's surprise, she found what should have been a strange situation to her rather comfortable.
"It's already so