Chapter One, Episode 110 - Going Places - Situationally Theirs

Review, Revision, Edit and Update
For this episode, first draft cursory research involved finding out if there actually was education for a career as a Ladies' Maid. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that such education exists. Far more in depth than Brigitte's course outline. Disclaimer: Brigitte's textbook, The Psychology of Companionship: Employer and Employee, blossomed from my imagination. 

There were only one or two one word fixes that were required, so all in all, I was pleased. Could I have fiddled with wording - of course - but keeping my fingers from fixing what is just fine is a challenge I'm willing to accept.

Going Places

Brigitte was packing. The orientation for the Lady’s Maid course was in the next town over from Hartley. Benton was a small town only about 20 km away. A popular tourist destination, their advertising boasted of a ‘quaint village with charming shops, elite restaurants, unique art galleries and museums’. It was also a centre for learning about the finer things in life for butlers, lady's maids, and etiquette for the elite. Each one had a separate course online. However, a face to face orientation was held for each course to familiarize the students in the reality of their chosen profession. Often, these orientations weeded out those that had glamorous ideas of what was expected. Brigitte felt she already knew many of the Lady’s Maid roles as she had taken care of her mistress, Miss Emelina, for the past four years. That role had become increasingly narrow as Miss Emmie became more and more dependent on Brigitte. With the onslaught of Covid19, Miss Emmie had been left alone to her own devices. With the help of her sister Dez, she came out of the grief stricken funk she had been wallowing in since the passing of her husband five years before. Now Brigitte’s role would be different, but she was unsure how or what she needed to know.

When investigating education about Lady's Maids ~ and she didn’t even know if there was specific education for it ~ she learned that many Lady's Maids become more like Personal Secretaries to their mistress. Brigitte had been unsure of how to make that transition and what the expectations of her employer should be. She had broached Miss Em on the subject, but even she didn’t know, having never considered it. So the orientation would be particularly helpful. Subjects covered were personal care and grooming, with attention to the mistress’s wardrobe and the activities on her calendar for consistency. Most of that Brigitte felt she was familiar with and almost dismissed these parts of the course as unnecessary. Since Miss Emmie’s increased attention to her self-care, that part of Brigitte’s job had lessened substantially. So the Personal Secretary and Companion sections of the course intrigued Brigette.

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The days had not been too long. Three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon. Some of the orientation had been held in the evenings, when the students were taken to certain restaurants with fine dining. Some afternoon sessions were at art galleries or museums. The experiences were to educate them on the places their mistresses would most likely be attending. During the online course they would have assignments in their own locations that mirrored those in the orientation. When it came to the Lady’s Secretary or Companion, there were speakers that told of their travels and experiences for keeping their mistress organized in any sort of travel experience. In this part of the orientation, they were given a book list of study materials. The most interesting was The Psychology of Companionship: Employer and Employee. ‘A psychology for working with Miss Emmie? Wow! Of course.’ Then there was Accounting for Travel and Events: Keeping Receipts on Track. These topics, Brigitte had not really considered. With all the new purchases for the orchard, she had never even considered she may be responsible for collecting receipts. The opening keynote speaker had said: “As a Lady’s Maid, Companion or Secretary your goal is to keep the path for your mistress clear. That does not mean that you kowtow to your mistress but that you build a reciprocal relationship with her.”

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Brigitte was glad to be at her parent’s cabin where it was quiet and calm. Because she went straight from the Orientation to the cabin, she had her books with her. Changing into her comfortable denim-like leggings and a loose sleeveless white tunic, she picked up her books and went to the swinging wicker basket chair on the porch. Books on the side table, she went inside for a glass of wine and a small plate grapes, cheese and crackers. Settling into the swing, she started to read Psychology, occasionally reaching absently for a snack or a sip. When she was shivering and the light was too low to read, Brigitte looked up at the lake. It was like glass, reflecting only the trees on the other side of the lake. The sun had disappeared behind the pines. Brigitte put her books down, shivered and unwound herself, ready for the warmth of the indoors. 

“The more that you read, the more you will know. 

The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

~ Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut