The Nanny of House Herzen - Chapter 60
1. The Duchess’s Choice
“This one won’t do.”
The head maid Beth sighed inside at the Duchess’s words.
Evelyn Herzen was, of course, an excellent mistress.
The Herzen estate had become a hundred, even a thousand times better than before she arrived, and as such, all the staff loved and respected her.
Beth treasured even a single almond if it was chosen by the Duchess. Conversely, if she didn’t like something, no matter how valuable, it was relegated to the corner of a storeroom.
However, the Duchess’s recent opinions had become increasingly difficult for Beth to respect.
“With all due respect, Madam, may I ask what you didn’t like about this one? If you tell me, I can ensure the next candidate doesn’t have such shortcomings.”
For days now, they had been interviewing wet nurses.
Perhaps the Duchess was concerned because of her own past working as a wet nurse here. Even though the situation was entirely different, it still weighed on her mind.
Beth was worried about her mistress, but Evelyn responded unusually coldly.
“I don’t like her tone.”
It was not a reasonable complaint, but the mistress’s word was final. Beth simply bowed her head in silence.
After a lifetime of working at Herzen, it would be strange to argue over such an issue. However, there were only three candidates left, and Beth was worried.
Evelyn stood up with a somber expression. Despite being heavily pregnant, her limbs were still slender and graceful, swaying slightly as she walked.
Beth watched her leave with a sense of gloom.
* * *
The next day, the interviewee was also heavily pregnant, looking as if she could give birth any day. It was generally preferable for a wet nurse’s child to be close in age to the one she would care for. The woman appeared healthy and young, making her an excellent candidate in Beth’s eyes.
In reality, when hiring a wet nurse, her manner of speaking or refinement was not considered important. Typically, wet nurses were hired only for the duration of the child’s nursing period. Once the nursing period ended, the household would employ a well-educated nanny, and as the child grew older, they would also have a tutor.
It was true that Evelyn had been an exceptionally refined and elegant nanny to Johanson. However, it was Evelyn’s own child now, and finding another Evelyn was neither necessary nor possible.
“Well then, I’ll be in touch once all the interviews are completed.”
Beth dismissed the interviewee with a polite farewell and then looked at Evelyn with hopeful eyes.
“What did you think, Madam?”
But Evelyn’s expression was gloomy once again.
“It seems like she’s about to give birth soon, but there’s no guarantee she’ll recover in time for my delivery.”
“But she’s not a first-time mother, and usually, they recover within two months…”
Beth trailed off as she noticed Evelyn’s displeased expression.
“I understand, Madam. There are still two more candidates left, so take your time.”
Despite her words, Beth felt anything but relaxed.
The Duke’s playroom, which Beth had found distasteful, had long been cleared out. The Duke’s remaining hobby was now limited to horseback riding, and even then, he rarely ventured far beyond the estate.
Hestina’s premature birth had left the Duke with considerable fear. As the Duchess’s belly grew larger, he stayed home with her, almost in seclusion
It was a rare fine day, and the Duke had apparently gone out for a leisurely ride. As Beth was passing through the gallery hall, she encountered her returning master and quickly bowed her head.
“Welcome back, Master.”
He removed his riding hat and asked, “And my wife?”
Beth replied with a gentle smile.
“Other than interviewing wet nurses this morning, she’s been resting comfortably.”
“Hmm, how did the interviews go?”
Beth hesitated for a moment, looking at her master’s calm face. She felt it was something she should ignore, but she couldn’t help but confess.
“My lord, to be honest…”
Carius listened silently as the head maid revealed the story.
Evelyn sat through the interviews with wet nurse candidates, her face somber as she dismissed several young and healthy applicants for seemingly no good reason. Beth worried that it might be due to her own past experiences as a wet nurse.
It was a sensitive issue, difficult to bring up, and as uncomfortable as it was to hear, Beth knew she had to address it. Carius understood that Beth was genuinely concerned about Evelyn.
“I see. I’ll talk to her about it.”
Beth added anxiously.
“She might get upset and blame me for bringing it up…”
Carius chuckled.
“If she gets upset, just bear with it. It’s the least you can do for my wife.”
Despite the rare jest from her master, Beth couldn’t bring herself to smile. No matter how she tried to see it, the Duke’s tone wasn’t particularly gentle or comforting, making her worry even more that her words had caused unnecessary trouble.
However, the Duke had already disappeared, leaving Beth with only two remaining candidates for the wet nurse position.
“Phew…”
The old head maid’s sigh was heavy with concern.
