Story: A Lady and Her Maid. Chapter 5.

by Jackie J

Chapter 5

If the phrase 'be careful what you wish for' was ever more poignant, it was surely the case for Lady Constance Summerfield. The life of a maid that she had coveted and contrived to be her own would appear to have been a most reckless endeavour. The best laid plans of mice and men, or in this case Lady Summerfield, could have not been better illustrated. It could only be those who had known Constance extremely well that would recognise her to be other than the maid she now was. Plain faced, cropped hair, a slightly stooped posture, callused hands, and a servile demeanour all swathed in the apparel of service.

Aproned she had wished to be and aproned she had truly been. Jennifer had little conscience for what she had done, what had become of her once mistress. She wanted to be a maid and a maid she now was. Jennifer of course could have called a halt at any time during the extraordinary and comprehensive transformation from lady to maid, sought help for her Mistress, but why would she? It had gone too far for that now.

Jennifer was well aware that the continued absence of Lady Summerfield would, at some point, be questioned. But by whom? No one had shown any concern whatsoever for the wellbeing and whereabouts of Lady Summerfield.

A day out accompanying her mistress, in the larger town beyond the village, was no longer uncommon for Maud. The first time even the second and third excursions, beyond the boundary walls of Stag Head Manor, were filled with apprehension: would she be recognised? That seemed, and indeed was, for Maud an age ago - when Constance’s planning and scheming still had meaning, purpose, and relevance. All and any such thoughts and reservations of discovery long dispelled. Maud had learned on those early outings that no one looks at or considers the dowdy maid alongside a finely dressed mistress. A long brown cloak and untrimmed coal scuttle bonnet proffering her unquestioned status. Jennifer, dressed in her best for such outings, in contrast, always offered deference and keen attention.

There was and unshared purpose to Constance wanting and wishing to be aproned by her maid and had events moved more swiftly, from the letter she had received and the implementation of her scheming, that purpose would surely have been served. Constance had not and could not have foreseen the dire consequences of such an extended time remaining aproned under the control of her maid. Constance at first had relished her subjugation, the ends would justify the means along with the opportunity for the realisation of many previous imaginings. What should have been weeks at the most, became months filled with the all-consuming reality of her servitude.

A willing servitude, fostered and encouraged by an increasingly confident mistress, the veneer of pretence had been peeled away layer by layer with each passing week of toil and meaningful deference. Constance’s purpose that was, becoming ever lost in the drudgery of her servile existence and now, such purpose, no longer thoughts shared in the mind of Maud Williams the maid of Stag Head manor. Much to the delight and amusement of Jennifer Jenkins, herself once a maid, she had watched her sophisticated Mistress transform herself, with her own encouragement of course, into the competent, servile maid she undoubtedly now was. Jennifer was unaware of any purpose to such a ridiculous situation other than her Mistresses wish to become a maid.

An early start that morning to visit the nearby town had left the post unattended and, having returned to the manor, Jennifer sat in her study staring at the first letter that she had opened. It was addressed to Lady Summerfield, but, with all the post arriving at Stag Head manor, Jennifer was the one to open and read it. The remainder of the post was inconsequential by comparison. A letter from the bank and a further invitation to an afternoon tea. This one at the residence of Mrs Geraldine Booth. Jennifer had sent apologies to previous such invites but there was always a temptation to attend. Perhaps this one she may? Returning her attention to the first letter she had opened, Jennifer read through the contents again.

Customs and excise, they would be visiting Stag Head Manor the following week to discuss outstanding matters relating to the business affairs of the late Lord and the surviving Lady Summerfield. There was a demand to have available a long list of documents and that Lady Summerfield should consider having her attorney present and be prepared to travel to London with the officers attending. It was all very official and quite threatening. Jennifer had never met Lord Summerfield; he had died before she arrived at the manor and, although Jennifer had seen the mountain of files relating to the Lord’s business affairs, she had not delved further. What to do?

Locally, the validity of Lady Summerfield being away travelling had not been questioned and many months had now passed. Likewise, with Jennifer’s own role at Stag Head Manor. The letter, written to Jennifer by Constance at the outset of the charade had given and continued to give credibility to the ongoing subterfuge. A subterfuge that had developed into so much more. Troubled by the impending visit by the government officials, it was late into the evening before Jennifer concluded her deliberations.

Exposing Maud to be Lady Summerfield would bring an end to Jennifer’s role of Mistress and undoubtedly, a return into service herself. Having enjoyed the privileges now afforded to her this was not something she was keen to relinquish. Jennifer had her plan.

There was a large amount of correspondence that had been addressed to Lady Summerfield during Jennifer’s time as Mistress of the manor. All opened and read but stored in their envelopes. A practice Jennifer had started and continued since the outset of her mistress becoming her maid. It was a task but completed the following day. All the letters addressed to Lady Summerfield, including the one from the Customs and Excise, resealed, apparently unopened were placed together into a box in the corner of the study.

The agents for Customs and Excise duly arrived at Stag Head manor the following Wednesday morning. Jennifer had considered how to handle the first encounter with these visitors and was ready.

The door answered, a card was offered to the maid, and the taller of the two gentlemen spoke.

“We are here to see Lady Summerfield.” 

Maud, unaware of who these two well-dressed men were, asked them to wait at the doorway and walked back up the hallway, to find her mistress.

They were here, much delayed but they had eventually come. Constance had known they would be coming, and they had now arrived. Since her half-sisters’ threats, to expose what she and her husband had done, waving the evidence she had obtained in front of her, Constance had known it was only a matter of time before Marjorie’s vindictiveness came home to roost.

Constance’s fascination with maids had presented her with the ideal opportunity to hide in clear sight. Jenny had been the perfect recruit into her scheming and, whilst it had taken time to convince her maid to indulge in their role reversal, Miss Jennifer was now comfortably established in the role of the mistress of Stag Head manor, and she the maid. Constance’s scheme however had one unforeseen flaw. Her own, keenly encouraged self-indoctrination into the life of a maid had been so intense, so complete, so wilfully assimilated that she had become consumed by the persona of Maud Williams, a common maid. A maid devoid of any ambition above that of her lowly station. Any thoughts of her scheming, her life as a maid at Stag Head manor being a mere fiction and pretence, lost beyond all recollection.

Glancing at the card from the customs agent provided no trigger to bring Constance back to a past reality, to the roots of her scheming and Maud dutifully handed the card to her mistress.

"Two gentlemen to see Lady Summerfield madame.”

Jennifer looked at the card that said 'Senior investigator.'

“Really? Well, Lady Summerfield is not here, is she Maud? Show the gentlemen through and bring tea for our guests.”

Jennifer convincingly feigned surprise at their visit, asking why they were at the manor. The letter that had been sent was referenced by the agents. Jennifer explained that Lady Summerfield was away travelling and had been for some time. All the post addressed to Lady Summerfield was private and confidential and remained unopened and Jennifer retrieved the box of letters from the study for the agents to see. Jennifer also showed them the letter she had received from Lady Summerfield following her sudden departure.

Jennifer was most accommodating when the location of business files was requested, many of which were now stacked on the parlour table.

The aggressive posture of the two agents softened somewhat. It would seem clear that Lady Summerfield had sought to flee rather than face their investigations. Jennifer was obviously not involved, merely the custodian of the manor. Over tea served by the humble housemaid, the lead agent explained matters could not proceed further until Lady Summerfield was interviewed. It was stressed that Jennifer had a legal obligation to inform them immediately when she hears from Lady Summerfield or when she returns to Stag Head manor.

Invited to remain for lunch, served by Jennifer’s dutiful maid, it was during the ensuing conversation with the agents that Jennifer was made aware that it was a complaint raised by a Miss Marjorie Wilberforce, understood to be a relation of Lady Summerfield, that had instigated their investigations. Questionable importation of sugar and rum avoiding duties and the accusation of a continued involvement with the abolished slave trade.

Carrying the files they had requested, the agents, having informed Jennifer that they would return should they require any further information, left the manor and Jennifer chuckled to herself. She had never understood why her Mistress had been so enthusiastic the take the apron for their role reversal, for Lady Summerfield to become the maid at Stag Head manor, but now she believed she did.

Maud returned to the parlour to remove the teacups and Jennifer smiled at her maid. The photograph of Lady Summerfield, that she had been shown, and which Jennifer had confirmed a true likeness, bore little resemblance to what curtsied before her beginning to gather the cups onto its tray.

Jennifer sat out on the terrace smiling reflecting on what she had been told, what had transpired. It all seemed to make sense now. Lady Summerfield had been planning to evade justice for some time. The reason why she had been chosen for the position of maid at Stag Head Manor, the notes she had seen in her file, it was Lady Summerfield’s intention all along for her maid to take her place when the time came. The publications, brochures and catalogues concerning housemaids, all in preparation.

Jennifer laughed at her surmising and if correct, Jennifer’s time being the mistress of Stag Head Manor was taking on an indefinite prospective.

Lady Constance must have sought to deceive the authorities with her scheming and escape justice. Who would consider the maid to be the mistress of the manor? This was a perfect deception. The scheme had proved successful in that regard, the agents had not considered Maud to be anything other than what she was, and certainly not Lady Summerfield, even with a photograph of Lady Summerfield in their possession.

Jennifer chuckled to herself.

A perfect deception yes, but a little too successful.

Becoming her maid’s maid, Constance could have not considered what a demanding Mistress her maid would become or the effect the mind-numbing banality of her existence and isolation from the world she knew would have on her. Kept aproned long beyond expectation, so thorough her deceit and self-delusion, her pretence had become her reality, was her reality, a reality Jennifer was not minded to disturb. 

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