by Abigail Agar
Once more, Victoria hoped that Miss Franklin was being honest and not overly kind about the charge. After all, she knew what sort of student she had been back in those days of fortune and having everything at her fingertips.
Yes, she had studied and been intelligent. But only because she wished it. She had also been quite troublesome at times when she wished for that instead.
Whatever was to come ahead, Victoria knew that she ought to be ready. This life that she was entering into was new and rather frightening. But she could do it.
More than anything, she hoped that she could do it well.
Chapter 2
With Miss Franklin leading her inside, Victoria was unsure exactly what was to come next. She had learned a small portion of things from the housekeeper at the door, but there was still something inside her that felt unsettled.
“Miss Franklin…” she started.
“Yes, Miss Jamison?” she asked in reply, appearing somewhat anxious.
“Am I wrong in suspecting that there is something I’ve yet to be told?” Victoria asked forthrightly.
Miss Franklin froze and looked at her guiltily before her shoulders slumped and she looked at the ground.
“Perhaps, Miss. I’ve told you what I know I’m supposed to say. But I cannot pretend that it was the full and honest truth,” she said with a sigh.
Victoria eyed Miss Franklin who looked away, unwilling to fully make eye contact. Her gut twisted, wondering what it was that had been hidden from her, and hoping she might be able to handle it.
“All right, well, I should like to know what this full and honest truth is then. What is it that has you so skittish and evidently uncomfortable?” Victoria pushed.
“Well, Miss, I think you shall be meeting the Earl and his daughter right after you sort out your room and change into something more comfortable for you,” Miss Franklin began.
“Yes, and then?” she continued to press.
“Well, and then you might see that we’ve all been less than forthcoming about things,” she replied vaguely, still avoiding eye contact
Victoria was growing frustrated. She wanted answers but all she was getting from Miss Franklin was dancing around the subject and being told that she’d been lied to. Whatever the truth was, Victoria wished to know it. She was tired of people telling her that everything was allright and would be wonderful if that was, indeed, not the case at all.
“Can you please be out with it?” she asked, her irritation showing.
“It is what I’ve said to you about Marian,” she confessed.
“Marian? Is that my charge?” Victoria asked.
“Yes, Miss Jamison. Miss Marian Fairfax is the young lady for whom you are meant to be a governess. And what I’ve told you about her being sweet and whatnot? Well, I cannot say that I was entirely honest about that,” she confessed.
Victoria’s heart began to sink. The truth was, apparently, that she had agreed to be the governess for a child who caused trouble and was not the angel that everyone would have had her believe. Just as she had secretly wondered.
Regret filled her chest and Victoria wondered if she ought to have applied for different positions even if they did pay less than this one. She had no desire to be the governess for a troublemaking child. Once more she thought back to her own days as a wealthy brat, and about how she had treated those put in care over her.
If Marian was anything like Victoria had been, it would mean that she was somewhat difficult, but that she would still be able to handle her. If she was worse than Victoria had been, she would forever live with the regret of having accepted this position.
“I see. And will you please tell me the full extent of the truth and how difficult this child is going to be for me?” she inquired rather openly.
“Don’t you think it’s best if I get you settled in your room first?” Miss Franklin offered, anxious that they might be overheard.
“I think I should like to be prepared,” Victoria replied.
“Right Miss, but why don’t we get you to your room first? It is quiet there,” Miss Franklin suggested again, adding the last part in a whisper.
Victoria sensed that Miss Franklin was too nervous to tell her the full truth out in the middle of the hallway, and wished for privacy if she was to divulge this sort of information.
More anxious than ever, Victoria sighed and agreed. She followed as the housekeeper led her up the staircase for two floors and down the hall where her room was.
“This is your room,” she announced, showing Victoria the small space.
“It will do just fine,” Victoria replied, looking at the desk and dresser that accompanied the bed.
There were two large windows which she was glad for. More than anything, Victoria hated to be in the darkness. And while she didn’t mind the small space so much, the windows made it seem a good deal larger.
Her bags rested on the bed and she knew that she would have plenty of time to unpack later. For now, she had questions and they were far more important to her than anything else.
“All right, so will you now tell me the reality of what this child is like?” she asked, pressing her eyes towards Miss Franklin who fiddled with her hands.
“Well, Miss Marian has been difficult with other governesses,” she confessed finally. “In fact, she has been difficult enough that they have all quit. The Earl has to put an ad in the paper every four or five months because no governess has lasted beyond that. Actually, I think that is probably the longest that Marian has kept one for.”
Victoria’s shoulders sagged in defeat. Of course she had happened upon such a difficult child as this to be her charge. It seemed that nothing in life would ever turn out for her again.
“I see.”Victoria released a breath she had been holding. It did little to settle the tension in her muscles.
“But perhaps you might be able to change her, Miss Jamison. All she needs is a strong hand and someone to care for her long enough that she gives up on her behaviour. You might be just the thing for her,” Miss Franklin tried to encourage.
“Yes, well, that is what I shall strive for. Thank you for being honest with me about this, Miss Franklin. I do suggest in the future that you refrain from lying to me, however. I do not take kindly to untruths and I should prefer to be prepared for a difficult charge than caught off guard by it,” she said in reply.
“Yes, Miss Jamison,” she conceded.
Victoria considered her options for a moment. It was not going to be easy. But in the end, she knew that she had few other options.
This had been the most profitable opportunity she had found and she was confident that she could make an effort to connect with Marian and possibly overcome the child’s behaviour. Indeed, she felt confident it would work.
And if it didn’t, she would push through nevertheless. She needed this position and would not abandon it easily. There was very little that could keep her from getting past all of this and being the sort of governess that she knew herself to be capable of.
“Well, now that all of that is out of the way, do you think I might have an opportunity to meet with the Earl and my charge?” she asked.
“Do you not wish to arrange your belongings?” Miss Franklin inquired.
“I shall deal with all of that later. I think it is best that I meet with the two of them now and get a handle on things before moving into the house. I should like to know my employer and have an opportunity to meet with Marian at their earliest convenience,” she replied.
“Well then, I believe they are in the parlour. Come with me,” Miss Franklin said.
Victoria followed behind, wondering what it was going to be like to meet these two new people who were going to be such a large part of her life.
Would the child give her problems from the very first moment? Was the Earl truly kind or had they lied about him as well? She would learn the answers soon enough.
Miss Franklin knocked on the door of the parlour and they heard the low voice
instructing them to enter. When they did, Victoria noticed the beauty of the room, but was far more struck by the Earl and his daughter.
The Earl of Hanover was a tall, broad-shouldered man with an elegant stance. His hair was dark and shadowed his face, which held such perfect features as she had scarcely seen. With a jaw that was edged sharply and grey eyes that seemed like ice amidst his face, she was caught immediately by the distinction of him.
There was a large, jagged scar along his cheek, but it did nothing to detract from his appearance. In many ways, it only caused her to find him even more fascinating and handsome.
Tearing her eyes away, she saw the child, an exact image of her father. Marian was beautiful with the same dark locks and light eyes. She bore a pretty, feminine face in comparison her father’s masculinity, but there was no doubt at all that the two were father and daughter.
Victoria curtseyed and the Earl bowed. He looked at his daughter in disappointment and harshly whispered for her to curtsey, which she did with a rapid descent and spring up. It was clear that she had no desire to show any sort of respect to Victoria. Victoria didn’t mind so much, for she knew that things would change soon enough.
“Miss Jamison, it is lovely to finally meet you,” the Earl greeted.
“And you, my lord. And Miss Marian, I am glad to finally make your acquaintance as well,” she said to the little girl, who rolled her eyes and pretended to yawn.
The shocking rudeness of it hardly impacted Victoria and she tried not to laugh at the attempts of Marian to cross her. She knew that the girl was still a child and that this behaviour was her way of attempting to push her boundaries.
Looking Marian in the eye and speaking directly to her, Victoria continued her dominant, yet friendly manner.
“I think we shall get along very well and that under my tutelage you will understand how a young woman is meant to learn and to behave,” she said in a clear, concise manner.
A smirk that had begun on the child’s face faded as she apparently understood the gravity and sincerity of Victoria’s words. It settled in Victoria that the child was already recognising that this would not be such an easy situation to assert herself over.
“And what makes you certain of that? Do you have the proper credentials for being my governess? The others have all proven quite unworthy,” she retorted, openly and crossly.
Victoria felt a smirk of her own rising at the corner of her lips.
“My dear Miss Marian, I trust that it shall not take you long at all to learn that I am the sort of governess who sees to it that her charges learn quickly and without difficulty. I believe you and I will understand one another better than you might expect, and certainly better than your former governesses,” she alluded.
“”I can’t see how you’re any different,” Marian accused.
“Marian!” her father scolded.
“Do not worry, my lord, I am not concerned in the slightest. As I said, it shall not take long for Miss Marian to understand me and she shall prove herself to be an excellent and worthy student,” Victoria said with a grin.
“A worthy student requires a worthy governess,” Marian retorted again, defiantly. Victoria saw something in the girl’s eyes; a longing to be scolded. It was not the rude defiance that was easily visible; it was a desire to be spoken to.
Indeed, Marian Fairfax did not seem simply to be driven by her brash behaviour, but rather to be wishing for someone to give her the sort of attention, affection even, that she had been stripped of.
“And what do you believe makes a worthy governess?” she asked with genuine curiosity about what the child might value.
Marian’s expression told Victoria that she would never have anticipated that question. She was shocked and at a loss for what to say.
“There is nothing to worry about, you needn’t strain yourself. Just inform me once you have thought it through and I shall evaluate my methods according to your expectations, then we can decide whether or not we are a good fit for one another. How does that sound to you? Is that agreeable?” she asked, a hint of compassion in her voice. Victoria sensed the silence in the room and saw that even the Earl was in awe of her handling of his daughter.
“I must say that I have never seen my daughter at a loss for words when facing a governess before. I shall have to learn the secret of your wit,” he laughed.
Victoria smiled in reply, trying once more not to be distracted by the Earl’s appearance, but she was delighted at having impressed him. She hoped only that she might manage to continue and prove her worth.
Perhaps this position was right for her, after all.
Chapter 3
“Miss Franklin, would you mind ever so much taking Marian upstairs?” Reginald Fairfax, Earl of Hanover asked.
“Yes, my lord. Come,” she said to the Earl and then to his daughter.
Marian crossed her arms and looked at Miss Franklin with an attempt at disdain, and Miss Jamison mimicked the motion while keeping her eyes trained on the girl’s face until she conceded and took Miss Franklin’s hand to depart from the room.
Yes, this new governess was intriguing indeed. There was something about her that held him quite at interest. She was respectful to his daughter, yet unwilling to accept the attitude which she so frequently chose to give. It was fascinating. It was as though she recognised that his daughter needed more than just a governess. She needed a caring woman in her life.
Once the two of them stood alone together in the room, he felt he had a bit more freedom to try and get to know her. He could ask her the abundance of questions he had just formed in that short period of observation. But more than that, he was caught by the way she held such a frank gaze.
Miss Jamison was not like most governesses who would look away shyly or keep their eyes down. She held herself with a strength and poise that was more akin to a noblewoman. Indeed, she was nothing at all like what he might have expected from her.
And then there was the matter of her beauty. Hardly the first thing that caught his attention about her, it also could not be denied.
“Miss Jamison, I am glad to have seen you interacting with my daughter. I have to admit that I did not expect such frankness from you,” he remarked.
“I hope that does not disappoint you, my lord. I am not the sort of woman who backs down easily when she sees that a different track might be useful,” she told him.
“You are apparently an excellent judge of behaviour, for it seems that you knew exactly what might cause my daughter to show a bit of respect. That is a skill in which she is generally found lacking,” he remarked.
“Then I do believe it is time to right that small flaw,” she replied, as if forgetting herself. Then, with a sudden realisation, she spoke again. “Forgive me, my lord. I did not mean to suggest that your daughter is flawed. Only that there are certain aspects of her character which we might find ourselves able to work through.”
Reginald laughed.
“Of course, Miss Jamison. I understand what it is that you meant and I do not take offense at it. The truth of the matter is that my daughter does, indeed, need to work through her behaviour and poor manners,” he said.
“It would seem that there is something underlying it. I understand that children have their ways of behaving, but I must ask if something has happened to cause a change in her?” Miss Jamison inquired openly.
Reginald was further impressed by her. She was extremely observant of behaviour, and it made him slightly hesitant about showing his own character.