Gallery Samples Stories of our Ancestors | Page 51

There were various family legends about Rebecca’s relatively short working life at Government
House but while there she certainly absorbed the knowledge of etiquette of the Upper Classes.
She herself was always a natural ‘lady’ in any case, whether from those few years or from
something integral to her being. It is rumoured that she was promoted from Housemaid to
Lady’s Maid and also to companion to the Havelock’s daughter, Lady Rachel. I am unable to find
out anything more about the ladies of the family as they appear not to be considered worthy of
Google!
While Rebecca is busying herself in Government House we leave her to get on with her work
and continue our story which started with a photograph. Here is
EPISODE 2: THE LEGEND OF THE NO-LONGER-SAD-SOLDIER AND THE SOON-TO-BE-NOLONGER-LONELY-YOUNG-GIRL

Be prepared for an interesting read ahead. As the Legend goes, sometime soon after Rebecca
started her duties at Government House there came a regiment of soldiers from Fort Napier
just up the hill, to be dined and wined at a celebratory dinner. There was much preparation to
be done and Rebecca was required to wait at table as all staff was obliged to help. She was a
little nervous and shy of the soldiers as she hadn’t had much to do with young men before and
was intimidated by all these large, noisy, uniformed creatures.
She took a deep breath and focused on remembering what she had to do and getting all the
rules of serving right. She was relieved that they had not yet had too much wine to drink and
were largely ignoring the girls handing plates and food to them. After passing a ?????????????)????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????+?q$?????????t?????????I?????????????????????????q ?????????e??????????t??????????q$)???????????????????????????t?]???????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????1???????????????????????+?q!????t?????????????????????????????q%??e?????????t?I???????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????1??????)M??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????M?????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????e????M????????????????????????????????????)???????????) ???????????e?????????????????????)????!???????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????Q???????????????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????????????????????1???!???????)??????????????????????????????????????????I?????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????e???????????????????????????????1????!???????????????????)?????????I????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????????????????!???????????????1????M???)??????????????????????????M?????9??????????????I?????????????????)???)??????????????????????????????M?M?????e?????????
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