Chapter 6: ENGAGEMENT
Johnnie and Gertie announce their engagement
Like the Dorsets, the Winters used a smaller, much more intimate family dining room where they enjoyed their family luncheons and evening dinners, and it was to this room that Maisie led the couple, even though Johnnie clearly knew the way there already.
"Mr John, begging your pardon, Sir," Maisie said, as she led the happy hand-holding couple to the stairs, "but we still have a reduced staff here at the minute and it is one of us jobs to supplement the waiting staff, in particular to any of Miss Gertie's needs but also help serve if the number of guests is larger than today. It is a simple and informal family luncheon today, just the two light courses, and I am informed that Miss Gertie has been trained by Miss Eveline in the rudiments of formal dining but I will be on hand to help if I see a need or if I am called upon by her for any reason. I will stand by the wall out of the way until needed. When you all retire to the sitting room, where I believe Lady Standhope wishes to speak to you both privately, I will catch up with dealing with Miss Gertie's soiled morning clothes and laying out what she needs for the afternoon, when I understand you will be wanting to use the motor car to show Miss Gertie around the village and the church and churchyard."
"Thank you, Maisie," Johnnie smiled at the girl's back as she led the way down the staircase and, unseen by the maid, he winked at Gertie, "I will acquiesce to your interpretation of your particular duties with regard to my fiancée, but beg your indulgence if your duties impinge upon the time I wish to spend with Miss Gertie."
"Of course, Mr John, I am sure that I will find other occupations to engage me when either of you consider necessary," she replied, "just tell me and I will disappear."
"I'm sure you will, thank you, Maisie," Johnnie smiled in return.
Maisie stopped at the open doorway of the luncheon room and waved the couple through before following, closing the door and moving to stand by the wall near the door.
"Ahh, Johnnie, you are late, we have held back luncheon to await your arrival," said his mother as she rose from the table where she sat next to her husband and walked towards them. Her husband smiled crookedly at the newcomers but did not rise.
"My apologies, Mama, but I must take all the blame," Johnnie owned up to his mother, "I was totally engaged in discussions with Gertie which prevented us from readying ourselves after our morning ride and I allowed the time to escape us until the luncheon gong caught me by surprise. Even then, I was rather tardy in getting changed and Gertie and her efficient lady's maid were patiently waiting on me."
"Well, that's what happens when you refuse to have a man assigned to help you get dressed and properly set out and look after your apparels," his mother gently admonished. She then turned to Gertie and walked towards her, her own arms outstretched to hold both Gertie's hands, "And look how well turned out you are, well done, Gertie, my dear, and how rosy cheeked you are from your riding this morning, having witnessed how well you sit ahorse from the rose hill beyond the west garden."
"Thank you, Ma'am, I did enjoy the horse ride, but I'm a little stiff now."
It was then that Lady Standhope noticed the ring about her neck and turned her head to where her husband, Lord Standhope remained sitting, "Oh look, my dear, our grandmama's engagement ring is hanging around Gertie's neck, our young man has finally chosen his bride."
She took Gertie into her arms and embraced her warmly, then kissed both her cheeks. "Well, my dear Gertie, welcome to the family, you better start calling me Mama from now on. Now, come and meet Papa."
"But, Ma'am, we are only unofficially engaged."
"Of course you are my dear, as far as the public are concerned, they would consider five weeks of courtship most improper for any couple to consider preparation for a lifetime spent together, but we are not ordinary people, are we not?"
"No, you are extraordinary, really extraordinary," Gertie admitted, "But I am but an ordinary girl, not extraordinary in any way. I mean, I am perfectly happy but... how can I possibly carry this off? How could I be accepted into this, this exalted company, or society at large? I'm the daughter of a boilermaker and was brought up in the East End of London, near enough to the Bells of Bow that they could keep me awake at night just from the wind blowing through the tower...."
"And I," Lady Standhope retorted, "was born the fourth daughter of a poor journeyman watchmaker the that very East End and I sang and danced in a chorus line for my supper long before my Charles saw something in me that he liked and learned to love. We may be Earl and Countess, Lord and Lady, Gertie, but first we are human beings with feelings and, because we count ourselves among the other Lords and Ladies, and are only a couple of steps from royalty, so we can do just what our hearts tell us to do. Now tell me, did my son Johnnie here ask you to marry him and at the same time offered you this ring to wear around your neck?"
"He did, he placed on my finger first, to check the fit, it is a little loose," Gertie smiled at Johnnie who stood quietly smiling, now standing next to his seated father, who Gertie now realised was in a wheelchair, a rather grand one, but a wheelchair all the same.
"And you accepted his proposal? Now, why did you do that, my dear?" Lady Standhope asked her gently.
"I did accept, and I did so because I love him and I believe he loves me."
"You couldn't say no, then?"
"No, not then I couldn't, but now we're not alone in our little bubble and declaring... well, now I have to face the world and the euphoria wears off, I suppose--"
"You suppose nothing of the sort, my girl." Lady Standhope was firm. "Johnnie loves you, you love Johnnie, we, all of us will love you. You're family now and you will call me Mama and my husband Charlie here, you will call him Papa, all while you're here at the Manor, or at our London home, or we are together alone or with the staff here. You are unofficially family to the general world, but that will change in time. The staff are all close-lipped and will maintain your cover until the official announcement is made at... mmmm... Christmastime, I think, that will be the perfect time, a gift for us all. Is that all right with you, Johnnie, dear?"
