THE SERVANTS

ven the Baron can’t really go to footmen in this day and age, parlour maids (as the Baron insists they are still called) assist the butler at table. Most of the staff in the house either have been with the family for many years and are of fairly venerable age or are young local school leavers who cannot get any proper job (there is very little alternative employment in the area); the latter mostly have the more menial tasks and there is a fair turnover of them as they are mostly neither good nor interested in their job. Some of them live out. Nowadays other staff have to be hired through a London agency, especially for special occasions

Gaythorpe first started working at Crapulent Towers in the Baron’s grandfather’s time. He became butler under the late Baron and continued with the present Baron. In later years was inclined to spend any spare time drinking port in the butlers pantry, an obvious but overlooked trait. He had genuinely loved the family for three generations, but had a rather poorer opinion of the present Baron, although he naturally did not show it. After an unfortunate accident in which he hit his head, a result of a children’s jape, he had to be retired and died soon afterwards.

The present butler, Carruthers, who replaced Gayethorpe, is an exception to the general rule of age as he is in his late thirties. Adequate, very correct and loyal, although he has now been at the Towers some years, he remains fairly aloof. Possibly he is biding time until he can obtain a higher profile position elsewhere.

Downstairs could not function properly without Cook, she is a very good reason to be the Baron’s guest to dinner. Coming straight from an orphanage when she was 14, she started as a scullery maid between the wars long before the Baron was born. She behaves rather tyrannically especially to the kitchen maids, not an ‘Angela Baddeley’ character at all. She had a reasonable rapport with Gayethorpe but is far more formal with Carruthers. Her name is Rose, and she has unaccountably a doubled barrelled surname. Now in her approaching eighties, she is always referred to as ‘cook’ by upstairs and downstairs alike.

Having been at Crapulent Towers all her adult life, it is unthinkable that she would ever leave. In view of cook’s advancing years however, several attempts were made to employ an undercook, with a view to eventual replacement after cook’s demise. Cook was very hostile to all until Hortense arrived. Cook not only approved of her but now often leaves her in charge, retiring to her room. Unbeknownst to the Baron, Hortense is Cook's illegitimate daughter, fathered by one of the servants at the time. Lady Honoria is aware of the situation, of course.

Nanny has also been employed for many years and when the children were all grown up took over as Housekeeper, although she is still called Nanny by all upstairs. She doted on Gervase, the eldest son, and loved all the children in her own way, but was strict with them and anything remotely appertaining to sex was assiduously avoided. She disliked the Schoolmistress, who was responsible for all the childrens’ primary education, and was glad when her job was done and she moved on. The Baroness has a lady’s maid who is devoted to her.