Actually, now I think of it, Natalie also mentioned Cook at one point--maybe more than once. I would have loved to have seen her. A thin, vinegary sort is what I envision, as opposed to the Mrs. Hudson type.
It would be interesting to count out the bare minimum of staff for an establishment the size of (Old House) Collinwood. Both Mrs. Collins and the Countess would have had their own personal maids--of course, we had Angelique. Joshua, I'm sure, would have had a valet, and Barnabas and Jeremiah probably would have shared a manservant between them (lol, I wrote that sentence IN ALL INNOCENCE--are you listening, MB?). There would have been a housekeeper who would have been Mrs. Collins's go-between with all the other staff. Riggs probably worked in the stables in addition to doing heavy work, and the same with Ben. They might have kept on someone specific to take care of the horses (I have no idea how many a family like the Collins would have owned, but they would certainly have had a "trap," and perhaps a fine carriage for driving to Church). The Cook would have had at least one girl, possibly two, to fetch water, chop veg, etc.
So, you see, it does add up. The rooms, in real life, would have been crowded and noisy. I visited Herman Melville's home and they told us just how many people (mostly unmarried female relations) lived there and the incredible thing was that Melville had his own room--his study, where he did his writing. The door had a lock and he had the only key. Now that was luxury.
Dom, that house sounds fabulous. It makes me think of in PT 1970 when Barnabas shows Carolyn the coffin room in the cellar and she breathes, enchanted, "I never even knew this room existed!" which is hard to believe, given that the door to it is right off the entrance way to her house, but given Will and Carolyn, who knows? There were distractions...
G.