It could be said that in the pettiest way she was a family retainer.
She was very much the old family retainer and had to be treated as such.
I'd like to book passage for myself and a couple of family retainers.
For that matter, I didn't know there were family retainers in the world any more.
"Do you come from a long line of dedicated family retainers?"
She was not some family retainer, but a free woman, with her own life to pursue.
Those old family retainers who run the Montgomery, they know so many in our crowd.
It was kept by a little old man and his wife who had the air of being family retainers.
She was to hear this often, since the kitchen and the family retainers would be her solace for a long time to come.
Even if you pick a loyal family retainer, vet him.