904
In the morning, Audrey woke in the Servants' Quarters, ready to begin another day's work.
There had to be servants on duty in a noble's mansion at all times. As personal attendants, no matter what time their masters rose, they had to wake even earlier, memorize their masters' entire schedule for the coming day, and handle the sending and receiving of invitations.
The next promotion available to a personal attendant was to become a butler, so they naturally had to understand social interaction and possess a range of skills.
Of course, becoming a butler was extremely difficult, and a butler's worth increased with age and the status of those they served.
From Audrey's observations, the deputy butler at Viscount Conrad's estate had at least another ten years before retirement. No matter how hard the few personal attendants with ambitions of competing for the position worked, their efforts would come to nothing over the next several years.
However, as an outsider's maid, Audrey neither would nor could qualify to compete. She kept a low profile and removed herself from the contest, content to watch the rivalries within this viscount's estate, which already showed signs of decline.
She only finished her duties and went to bed at one in the morning, then had to get up at five. Susie was merely a newly arrived "illegitimate young lady," and no one would take the initiative to establish social ties with her. However, Viscount Conrad wished someone would get engaged to Susie immediately so he could get his hands on the remaining hundreds of thousands of pounds. Thus, she still had to be taken out to tea parties and balls, where she could be introduced to others within a small circle.
*...Going out once a day, sending and receiving invitations, writing courteous replies,