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"If I’m not in the house, do I have to stay over the stables?" Loretta asked

Mr Brinkley snorted "I should hope not! We have good, clean quarters in the ing of the house"

"If you’re asking do I need a big cha me my tea, then no, I do not"

Mr Brinkley beairl, aren’t you? I should have known the professor wouldn’t kit us up with one of them actresses like that Mrs Jordan He’s a divinity professor, after all"

"Who’s Mrs Jordan?" Mrs Redfern asked

"You do know it, Mrs Redfern, that you do She’s the actress that’s had children with the Duke of Clarence"

"Oooh, to be sure!"

"You see," Mr Brinkley said, turning to Loretta, "I wasn’t sure whether you was hoping that the Duke of Holbrook would be aatekeeper for the duke"

"He’s had to be, the duke’s been cup-shot for the past few years," Mrs Redfern put in

"That’s gossip," Mr Brinkley said to the cook "His Grace doesn’t drink a drop at the moment"

"I’ve no wish to have ten children with your drunken duke," Loretta said And she meant it

"Nay, and I can see in the shake of a lairl," Mrs Redfern said comfortably "I think you’d do better here with us, love, rather than eating at the big table and having to worry about youryour hand once you’re done with this acting business"

"His naed rosemary"

"There, and isn’t that nice that the old custo kept up," Mrs Redfern said "Why, Mr Redfern and I exchanged roseo ourselves Perhaps thirty"

Loretta thought that sounded like an eternity

"I’ll speak to His Grace," Mr Brinkley said "I’ht, Mrs Redfern Miss Loretta will do nicely with us We’ll keep her safe for her Will One never knohen Lord Mayne will stop by"

"Not that the young man’s ever said a rude word to one of my maids," Mrs Redfern said comfortably She had a lot more tolerance for the handsome earl than did Mr Brinkley

Loretta didn’t care where she slept, nor who the Earl of Mayne was "May I see the theater?" she asked

"I’ll take you toe of the production Miss Pythian-Ada lady indeed"

Mrs Redfern leaned in, confidentially "Her maid’s quite convinced that His Grace will ask for her hand before the ly proved herself above reproach when she showed absolutely no interest in this fascinating nugget of infored for the history of the theater