The staffing agency coordinator greeted Ed when he arrived for his appointment. “Good morning, Mr. Lynch. I’m Beverly Brown, the director of Elite Staffing Solutions. I understand that you are looking for a full staff for your home. Please have a seat. In order to fulfill your needs, I’ll need some information about both your family and your home.”
Ed spent the next half hour telling her about his family and describing the size and layout of the new house. I wonder what kind of household staff she’ll recommend.
“Now, Mr. Lynch, you have a large family, with four children under four years of age. You have also said that your wife will be going into the hospital for surgery, and will be recuperating for several weeks at home. For the size household we’re talking about, here are my recommendations. You will need a butler to coordinate the smooth running of the house, as well as a housekeeper, who will be in charge of the indoor staff; and a cook. Those three should live in. You want a nurse for your twins. Since they are so young, and there are four of them, agency policy requires that there be two nurses. The nurses should also live in. They can be off on different days and on one nurse’s day off, the other can assume charge of all four children. But four children of their ages are too much for one nurse to handle full time. For a house of this size, standard staffing includes three maids and either a laundress or a laundry service. Two groundskeepers and a chauffeur should be able to take care of the cars and grounds of the home. I recommend that the chauffeur live in, but the maids and groundskeepers could come on a daily basis. Uniforms are to be provided by the employer. All the details relative to uniforms, first and last pay checks, days off, etc. are included in the appendix to our contract. Do you have any questions?”
Ed was silent. During her recital he had been a little stunned at the size of the staff that she recommended. There will be more of them than there are of us! But Margaret has got to take it easier. I don’t want her to worry about a thing while she is recuperating from her surgery. He cleared his throat. “No, that sounds fine. You go ahead and line up the candidates, and my wife and I will interview them.”
That evening, as he told Margaret about the staff recommended by the employment agency, she protested against the number of strange people who would be in the house working. “I’ve never dealt with... uh, servants... um, employees before. That seems like too many to handle and I’d rather add them gradually if they think we really need so many.”
“Margie-girl, the agency says this is the minimum for the size of our new house and the number of children we have. You’re going into the hospital the first of the year and you’ll be out of commission for several weeks. You’ll need to concentrate on resting and recovering. Miss Brown assures me that every person who works through the agency is fully qualified and professional.”
“But Eddie, they’re still strangers to us. They don’t know our family.”
“Miss Brown will locate the candidates for each position and check out their backgrounds. We’ll have the opportunity to interview each one, and we’ll have the final say on who is hired.”
“I’m just afraid they will try to take over. You’re talking about more staff living here than our family!” Margaret’s hands twisted in her lap.
Ed pushed the hair back from his forehead. “It will ease my mind to know that you aren’t wearing yourself out trying to do everything, and the kids will be in good hands. We’ll need the chauffeur to pick up Diana from her after-school activities and take you where you need to go. I can drive myself to the station when I need to go into the city to my office there.”
“Ed, it makes sense and I understand what you’re saying. I just wish I didn’t have to have this surgery right now. If I could spend more time with the serv... ah, staff, I think I’d feel more comfortable. But Dr. Tremaine says I shouldn’t put it off any longer.”
“Miss Brown said she should have a list of candidates ready for me within a week. The contractor expects the house to be ready two weeks before Christmas, so we should be able to tell them a start date as soon as we make our decision.”
“Yes, Christine says her people can get in and deliver all of the furniture, hang the drapes and pictures, and have everything ready for us within a week, as soon as the contractor is finished. All right, Eddie. You are so good... and you think of everything. It’s just like I’ve always said... you’re the nicest guy in the world.” She reached over and stroked his face before giving him a passionate kiss.
Later that night, though, Margaret lay in bed awake long after Ed had fallen asleep. I hope I’ll be able to deal with all of these people working for us. I just don’t have any experience with that kind of thing. I wish I knew what Maddie Wheeler would do. She was probably born knowing how to deal with employees.
December 15, 1967
Ed pushed his chair away from the table. “Margie-girl, you’ve outdone yourself! That was a fabulous meal. It will be hard to top it when I finally do graduate!”
“Just wait, Daddy! There’s still dessert. And I helped make it.” Diana’s eyes sparkled. She helped Margaret to clear the remaining food and stacked the used dishes in the kitchen sink.
“Yes, Ed. It’s your favorite – chocolate cake with chocolate icing. We had to celebrate the end of the semester. I’m so proud of you. With everything that’s happened, you have kept up with your class.” She stood behind her husband and rubbed his shoulders. “I’m practicing for May. I’ve got to perfect my techniques to get ready for the graduation feast.” Giggling, she dropped a kiss on his head.
“I’m getting pretty anxious for that day. I can’t believe the end is finally in sight! That’s why I was able to concentrate on this class; if I wasn’t almost finished, I don’t think I could have done it. You spoil me, Margie. I just hope our new cook is half as good as you are. Of course, if she’s not, at least maybe I’ll lose some weight.” Ed stood and turned to hug his wife, but a brief squeeze was all he could manage, as he noted from the corner of his vision that Barbie had managed to remove the top to her sippy cup. He reached over to take the cup, just as she was tilting it over her empty tray.
“Mama! I need to go to the baf-room!” Larry was struggling to get down from his chair, where he sat on a booster seat. While Diana carried a stack of saucers to the table, Margaret quickly wiped the faces and hands of her sons and took both to the bathroom.
When everyone was settled back into their places, Margaret served the cake while Diana dished out vanilla ice cream. Margaret looked around the table at her happy family, and felt a twinge of foreboding. Ed talked about the new cook – there will be a lot of new things to get used to. I hope we’ll be able to stay as close and happy as we are now.
December 19, 1967
“Hi, Sam! We’re having a lucky break on the weather this week, aren’t we?” Margaret greeted the grocer as she pushed her shopping cart into the produce aisle. The Lynches were moving into their new home this week, and she intended to do her weekly shopping before the move consumed all of her attention. I suppose the housekeeper will do the shopping after today. I like to see and touch my vegetables and meats before I buy them, she thought.
“Hello, Margaret. Yes, we’re lucky that there’s no snow in the forecast for the rest of the week. Of course, I believe the weatherman is wrong as often as he is right. Are you driving the Batmobile yourself, today?” Sam Lewis’s eyes twinkled. Diana’s comment about the new Cadillac had tickled Ed, and he joked about needing to buy a new house in order to keep the car in the Bat Cave. Although the source and extent of the Lynches’ newfound wealth was not public knowledge, it was quite obvious that they now had a source of income over and above Ed’s job as a delivery truck driver.
“Yes, I don’t usually drive it. But I told Ed I wanted to do the Christmas grocery shopping before we move, and he offered the Batmobile because its trunk is so big. I’m afraid I don’t do a very good job of parking it, but I did park as far away as I could, so I wouldn’t block people who need to be close. Say, where are your freshest cranberries?”
Sam showed her where the latest shipment of cranberries was on display, and Margaret continued her tour of the store. She checked her list frequently, tearing the margin each time she added an item. Fifteen pounds of potatoes, six sweet potatoes, five loaves of bread, six cans of green beans, five pounds of white sugar and a pound of brown…
In the meat department she caught the eye of Jerry Daniels, the butcher. “Jerry, I’m looking for a nice semi-boneless ham – I guess it should be a big one, because we’ll be having some extra people.” Planning meals to include feeding the... um, staff... that will be something to get used to.
“Sure, Margaret. Is Kay coming for Christmas?” Jerry had been in school with Kay and Margaret, and she had always teased Kay about him. Kay would only toss her head and say that she wasn’t getting tied down to anyone who bagged groceries for a living.
“No, she usually works Christmas in order to give people with families some time off. We’re expecting her at the end of January for a week or so, after she visits my in-laws in Virginia. Let’s see, I need five pounds of ground beef, a couple of sirloin tip roasts, and a whole chicken, too.”
Two dozen eggs, five cans of frozen orange juice, two pounds of margarine …
Finally Margaret pushed the groaning cart to the checkout lane. “Hi, Betty, how is little Joey doing? Diana told me he broke his arm last week.”
“Oh, it hasn’t slowed him down much. After a couple of days he was back on his bike, delivering his papers. So, are you ready to move yet?” Betty Nelson was a former tenant in the apartment building where the Lynches lived, and Margaret had known her for many years.
Margaret laughed. “I don’t know if I’m ready, but we are moving tomorrow. In fact, I’m taking this food out to the new house. The refrigerator is hooked up, and there’s even a deep freeze. I’ve been trying to use up the food at home so we won’t have to move as much.”
“Johnny, I read in the Sun that you scored 12 points for Sleepyside in the basketball game Friday night.” Margaret spoke to the bagboy, Johnny Moore, as he pushed her cart out to the car.
“Thanks, Mrs. Lynch. Croton has a tough team this year, but I think we have a good chance in the district.”
After tipping Johnny, Margaret drove out to the new house, where Mrs. Carmichael, the new housekeeper, awaited her. The remaining staff was supposed to arrive by evening. I can’t remember, did Beverly Brown say to call the housekeeper by her first name or her last name? And the maids... Oh, I hope I don’t make a fool of myself with these people. Why is it that I can be so comfortable with people most of the time, but so unsure of myself about this?
Dec. 20, 1967
At last, it was moving day for the Lynches. Margaret and Ed had stayed up late for several nights packing the family’s clothing and the children’s toys. Several empty boxes awaited the nonperishable food, and Ed would return for the perishables after the family was settled into the house. Nearly every piece of furniture in the new house would be brand new, and had been delivered several days earlier. Christine Allenton and her staff had been busy for the past three weeks hanging wallpaper and drapes, overseeing the installation of carpeting and lighting fixtures, and arranging the rooms as planned by Christine and Margaret. The only things that would be moving with the family were their clothing, food, books, and the children’s toys.
“Ed, it will seem strange not to have our old, familiar things with us at the new place. Our things are pretty worn, but they’ve been with us for so long!” Margaret stroked the back of their slipcovered couch with a wistful look on her face. “We’ve had some good times, here, haven’t we?”
“I know how you feel, Margie-girl. I’ve arranged with Goodwill to pick up our furniture. I hope someone else will be able to get some use out of it. But I wish I didn’t have to be here to see it loaded onto the truck.” Ed gave his wife a quick hug and called to the children. “Kids! Come on and get in the car. We’re going to take a few boxes of clothes and toys to the house, and then you all will stay there with your mom while I come back for the rest of the stuff.”
The five children came running into the living room from Larry’s and Terry’s room where they had been helping Terry to locate his favorite car. Somehow it had rolled completely under his chest of drawers. Margie and Barbie, now seventeen months old, were walking with confidence and beginning to say a few understandable words. Larry and Terry, three and a half years old, were quite proud of their relative grown-up status. They frequently tried to teach their younger sisters how to do things. All four of the young ones idolized their older sister, and Diana loved spending time with them. It was she who had coached her sisters in walking and saying “Mama” and “Daddy”. It was she who had taught her brothers to tie their shoes already. She had great patience as well as a sense of humor. During the past few months as her parents had been increasingly busy with the new house, business obligations, and meetings with decorators and attorneys, she had spent more time with the little ones, outside of school time, than Margaret had.
“We’ve really got to do something good for Diana once we’re settled in the house. She has been such a huge help with the kids,” Margaret told her husband after making sure all five of them were sitting in their seats. The three girls were in the back, and Larry and Terry had claimed the two jump seats between the front and rear seats.
“Yes, I’ve been thinking the same thing,” Ed replied. “She’s had too much responsibility. Her after-school art class is about to end, and I called Harison Petie last week to see if he would consider giving her private art lessons after the first of the year. Unfortunately, he’s leaving the area and won’t be available. But he gave me the names of several art teachers and there’s a Mrs. Crider whose husband teaches at the high school. She’s willing to take a private pupil.”
“What about piano lessons? I think she’d like to learn to play, and there are several piano teachers in town.” Margaret voiced one of her dearest wishes for her daughter. “I’ve always wanted to learn piano myself, and there was never a way before.”
“That’s a good idea. If Diana wants to, she could take dance lessons, too. There’s a studio in White Plains that teaches ballet.” Ed tapped on the car window to let his sons know he could see them bouncing on the seats. They became still and he grinned at his wife. “We’d better get in – the natives are getting restless.”
At the house, Ed carried the two toddler girls, while Diana took firm charge of her little brothers. Margaret walked next to her husband, one arm linked in his. They had parked in the circular drive in front of the house, since Ed would be leaving again right away. As they stood together on the small covered porch, she allowed herself to hope that the transition would go smoothly. I’m still not sure that we need so many serv... ah, staff - but both Ed and Beverly Brown insisted this is the minimum. I’ve never had anyone working for me before. How can I tell them what to do?
As Ed started to fit his key into the lock, the heavy front door was opened from the inside and a dignified, middle-aged man dressed in a dinner jacket stood there, holding it ajar.
“Welcome home, Mr. and Mr. Lynch,” he said in a clipped British accent, ushering them inside.
He sounds just like Sebastian Cabot! Margaret thought. She smiled shyly and responded, “Hello, Mr. Harrison. These are our children. Diana, our eldest daughter; L awrence and Terrence, our sons; and Margaret and Barbara, our youngest daughters.” She noticed that the little boys were staring openmouthed at this strange man who wore a fancy suit indoors, and Terry had actually reached out to pull on the tail of Harrison’s coat. Margaret grabbed his hand in the nick of time.
“Very good, Madam. It is a pleasure to meet you all.” Harrison bowed to the children. “Mrs. Lynch, it is customary to address a butler by his surname only. Now, if you will follow me, there is a light repast prepared for you in the family dining room. The children’s nurses will meet us there. Mrs. Carmichael would like to meet with you after your luncheon.”
Margaret felt her face grow hot. I hope I’ll be able to get it right when I talk to the housekeeper today. Try to remember: Harrison for the butler, Mrs. Carmichael for the housekeeper! I wonder what the maids, chauffeur, and nurses will expect? I should have asked Miss Brown when we signed all the papers at the agency.
Ed spoke up. “Harrison, I’ve got to get back to the apartment to meet some people who are taking our old furniture. I’ll take a rain check on that lunch. Margaret will tell you everything you need to know about our family routines.” He set the little girls down and Diana crouched down beside them, taking a hand of each one. “Now, kids, I’ll see you later. I’ll be back by suppertime, at least. Be good for your mom.”
“Bye, Daddy,” the children chorused. Harrison raised his hand and a maid appeared to take the coats of Margaret and the children. They then followed him to the family dining room.
The “family dining room”, although smaller than the formal dining room, was as large as the combined area of the kitchen and living room in their old apartment. Margaret was pleased to see the new highchairs for her two little girls, and booster seats for the boys. At one end of the room stood two capable-looking women, dressed in sensible royal blue tailored dresses with white collars, on each of which gleamed a gold pin. Margaret recognized the two nurses, Miss Kelley and Mrs. Carter. Mrs. Carter was slightly over middle age, but had come with a glowing reference from Matt and Madeleine Wheeler. Miss Kelley was in her early thirties, and had over ten years of experience as a pediatric nurse. This would be her first job outside of a hospital.
A maid wearing a black dress and white apron entered as soon as the family and nurses were seated. She carried a tray with an urn of vegetable soup and a platter of cheese sandwiches. Another dish held crackers, and a third contained an assortment of cut raw vegetables. A second maid carried a pitcher of iced tea and another of milk.
The maids served food and beverages to Margaret, the children, and the two nurses, and then stepped back to be available if needed. Stunned into silence by the unfamiliar environment and strange people, the little ones began to eat. Margaret did her best to force down some of the tasty soup – it’s a little different from the way I usually make it, but it’s good – but it was hard to eat under the eyes of strangers. She frowned at Terry, who was squirming in his seat. Instead of sitting still, he set his spoon down and announced, “Mama, I hafta go poop.”
The room had been quiet before, but now the silence was deafening. Margaret noticed that the younger of the two maids was having difficulty repressing a titter. She was mortified, but tried to maintain her dignity. After all, it was something that happened with regularity. One or the other of the boys had to leave the table every day since they had been potty-trained.
“I’ll take him to the bathroom, Mrs. Lynch.” Miss Kelley spoke up. “Come, Larry… or is it Terry?” She stood and began to pull Terry’s chair out.
“No! I want Di-di to take me,” Terry protested.
“Terry, dear, I don’t know if Diana knows where the bathroom is yet. You go with Miss Kelley this time.” Margaret crossed her fingers that this ploy would work. Terry could be stubborn.
“No, I want Di-di!”
“I need to poop, too.” Larry was now fidgeting in his seat. Everyone’s attention had been diverted by the two boys. Now a ping-ping-pingdirected the focus to their younger sisters. Barbie’s spoon had fallen to the polished hardwood floor and bounced several times.
“Uh-oh!” Margie was leaning over the side of her own tray, pointing to the spoon. “Mama! Spoon!” Her own spoon was clutched in one fist while she waved a piece of her sandwich in the air. Vegetable soup was smeared on each little girl’s face and hands, since they tended to pick the larger chunks out with their fingers.
“Mummy, I’ll go with Miss Kelley and help her with the boys.” Diana acted as if she would be happy to get away from the table. Margaret noticed that Diana’s plate had hardly been touched, either. Maybe she feels just as uncomfortable as I do, eating in front of all thesestrangers.
“All right, dear. Go ahead. Boys, be good for Miss Kelley. Di-di will help you this time.” She turned again to her youngest daughters. Muriel, the older maid, had replaced Barbie’s spoon, and Mrs. Carter was wiping her face and hands.
Margaret heaved a sigh of relief when the meal was finally over. The four younger children were rubbing their eyes and the nurses had taken them to the new nursery for naps. Diana had gone with them, since both Larry and Terry insisted they could not sleep without a story from Di-di.
Ed returned just as she and Mrs. Carmichael finished their meeting. He carried a box of food into the kitchen and set it down. “Only a couple more of these to go,” he commented cheerily.
Mrs. Carmichael immediately used the house intercom to summon the maids and assigned them to assist with bringing the remaining food inside. Once the car was unloaded, she shooed Ed and Margaret out of the kitchen. “Why don’t you and Mrs. Lynch go into the den and relax? I’ll have Muriel bring you a tray for lunch.”
Obediently, the Lynches went into the comfortable den. Although it, like the formal living room, dining room, master and guest suites, was decorated in royal blue and gold, this room was a little more subdued and suited to casual relaxation. It was Margaret’s favorite.
“Ed, I was terribly nervous and shy about giving orders to Mrs. Carmichael, but it was easier to talk to her than it was to Harrison.”
“I’ll be honest, Margie. Harrison intimidates me a little, too. But Beverly Brown assures me that Harrison is an excellent butler, and I think we’ll get used to each other. I hope Mrs. Carmichael will be easy-going. Beverly said her last position involved working for a family whose children were all in boarding school or at camp most of the time. She hasn’t been around small children much, although she told me it wouldn’t be any problem.”
“This is such a big change for us, Ed. I guess I’m a little worried. But I’m glad we’ll be able to do more for the children. This is sure to be better for our family in the long run.” Margaret smiled at her husband and reached for his hand.
“That’s right, Margie. We’re a team, and we’re going to make it work.” Ed kissed his wife. Just then, Muriel brought in a tray of soup and sandwiches, with a tall glass of iced tea. The conversation ended as Ed devoted himself to his meal.
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Part 4 follows...
