June 04, 2020
June 04, 2020
Review, Edit and Update
Review, Edit and Update
Brigitte brings a different perspective to this story,
as she is the youngest and most recent member of the Beaufort estate staff.
Thankfully there were few repairs needed: typos, punctuation, wording. Thoughts are really self-dialogue, so hesitantly I added some detail to Brigitte's thoughts.
Brigitte
The jogging path, covered in cedar shavings, was soft underfoot. Brigitte loved being out in the fresh air, the scent of moss and trees all around her. When she was jogging she felt the surge of her muscles, the impact of her feet on the earth, and her breath filling her lungs. Brigitte, tall and slender with strawberry blond hair and a sprinkling of freckles across the bridge of her nose, was only twenty nine. She had been at the Mansion for four years, a job that had only started as something to do while she was figuring out the rest of her life. Higher education had held no interest for her. She had picked fruit, planted trees, been a nanny, waited tables in restaurants…..what ever would pay the bills. No job lasting more than a year. Now here she was, four years later, almost a seasoned professional. She liked the people at the Beaufort mansion. They were all rather intimidating for the first while, but soon Brigitte learned that Martha, the Beaufort Housekeeper, and Cook, who absolutely owned the kitchen, were softness itself on the inside. Digby was the unknown. An 'enigma'. That's what her dad, the English major, would have said. Her work hours were fairly stable. She was seldom called in on her time off. The pay was pretty good and she had health benefits.
Like the rest of Mrs. Beaufort’s staff, she had left the Mansion to self isolate when the potential danger of the viral pandemic was announced on the news. Digby confirmed the truth of the reports and had called a brief meeting in the kitchen. They decided how they would deal with the situation and prepared to leave. None of them had wanted to abandon Mrs. Beaufort, but really felt that if they left everything in order, she would be able to manage. Brigitte was especially worried about her employer. She had been hired to fill two positions. Mrs. Beaufort’s lady’s maid and the cleaner for the upstairs. As ‘lady’s maid’, she looked after Mrs. Beaufort’s hair, her manicures, pedicures and all of her clothing. At the end of her employment interview, she was told that Mrs. Beaufort was in deep grief over the death of her husband the year prior and would Brigitte be able to compassionately, but firmly, care for her. Martha felt that in another year, Mrs. Beaufort would be much improved. Brigitte came to the end of her run and did a slow walk to her car. She popped the trunk and pulled out a fresh towel from her gym bag. Wiping her face and shoulders of perspiration, she leaned back against the car. It’s been four years since I started work at the Mansion and Mrs. B. doesn’t seem much better. In fact, I think I’m doing more for her than I did when I first started. It’s maybe been too easy for her to fall into the role of Lady of the Manor. She’s never really had to do much more than go to the meetings she claims to enjoy, along with the occasional charity function.
Brigitte closed the trunk of her silver Escort with a click. She felt her cell phone buzz. Strapped to her upper arm, she carried her cell phone on her jogging runs to measure her heart beat and distance. She also had ear buds and listened to audio books or music while she was jogging. But when her cell phone buzzed it meant she had an email. Digby? I wonder what he wants. I hope there’s nothing wrong. Brigitte opened her car door, sat on the side of the seat and opened the email. ‘Back to work soon - maybe next week…….jobs secure……staff meeting…Mrs. Beaufort attending!…..bring ideas for community aid. Mrs. Beaufort must be better. Wow. I wonder what happened.
Brigitte frowned and then leaned into the sun warmed seat of her car with a groan. Yes, she was glad that she still had her job. She had really gotten interested in it and done some research to see if there was any training for a lady’s maid. Excited, she found out that some lady’s maids travel with their employers and may even become a personal secretary for their employers. But that’s not what she was groaning about. While Martha had isolated in her little house next to her daughter, and Cook had isolated in her own little cottage on the estate grounds and Digby…..well Brigitte thought he had a house close by ~ Brigitte had come out to her parent’s cabin on the little lake close to Hartley. The weather had been gorgeous. A little rain one or two nights, but she felt like she had been on holiday. Getting back into real clothes did not please her at all.
As self assured and confident as Brigitte was when she was on her own, she was equally as shy and reserved with Martha and Cook. Most of her previous work experiences had been with people her own age and in very busy environments. Except for the tree planting, of course, when it was just her and the little shovel against the land, with sunshine, rain and the birds. Being a nanny, she was on her own with children. Brigitte knew that job was definitely not for her. Ideas for helping the community? Hmmm……Those empty bedrooms need to be filled, maybe, but with who and how long. And the den is kind of wasted as a bedroom. I don’t know about that room, unless Mrs. B………No. I don’t know what to do with that room. More people and Covid19 restrictions? I clean the upstairs, so it would increase my work load to keep it all clean. And I suspect there’d be special requirements for that. I’ve avoided a lot of the TV news, so I don’t know much more than ‘wash your hands’ and ‘keep your distance’. Anyone staying would need to have laundry - would we do it? I suppose that would depend on who it was. And then there’s meals… would they be in the dining room or would everyone come to the kitchen where the rest of us eat? Brigitte had a thought. When I was on any of my other jobs, especially the outside ones, there were certain things I had to be sure of… toilet facilities, food and food storage... and of course sleeping arrangements. The Mansion has all of those things, including an excellent cook but would we have to do anything differently?
While Brigitte was trying to wrap her head around it all, she had gotten into the car, closed the door and started up the engine. She sat still for a moment, lost in thought. At least I won’t miss jogging with the track on the estate property. I wonder…..how could we fit the track into any plans? Brigitte expertly backed up her little car and turned it around. Grilled burgers on her horizon and her stomach grumbling at her, Brigitte headed back to the cabin.
“One of the signs of passing youth is the birth of a sense of fellowship
with other woman beings as we take our place among them.”
~ Virginia Woolf
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