Chapter 8. Impossible to Deny
Watching Lady Madalene push her dolls around in her doll buggy was a delight the Ladies Colton indulged in each morning after breakfast. The young Viscount, Edmund, seemed more than relieved to not have this responsibility. He preferred to meander about the conservatory or explore the stable and carriage house after breakfast or take an apple as a treat and ride Jasper, his horse. Within a few days, Lady Selina soon found it equally enjoyable to follow the Ladies Colton at least for a few turns in the garden. It was sunny enough that they each carried a parasol, with the exception of Madalene. With Nurse Lottie’s help, Georgiana made sure her youngest charge wore a lace trimmed, linen, summery bonnet, securely tied beneath her chin. She was thankful Molly or Lottie usually had it ready on one of the hooks in the cloak room near the entry just outside the dining room. Little girls seldom remembered their bonnets.
Nathaniel had not forgotten any of the tours he had promised her. She was his private audience for viewing the school room the very next day, as promised. He had even sent a scullery and parlor maid up to the third floor to be sure everything was clean and in order. On the one side of the long gallery room, there were six custom sized tall wooden desks and tall chairs with backs and arms for pupils, in two rows of three each. A platform about four inches off the ground held the teacher’s desk and chair. Behind it, a large blackboard and plenty of chalk was secured to the wall and in the corner, a globe of the world sat on a wooden stand. Against the wall with the door were three sets of shelving containing volumes of books, floor to ceiling, and a step ladder to reach the highest shelves. Three recently cleaned and shiny windows with not a single fingerprint or smudge let in plenty of sunlight and the windows were open a little to let in the fresh air. The floor was wooden with no carpet but swept and scrubbed clean, the smell of soap still lingering. A project table with eight chairs about it claimed the other side of the room. A small trunk with a few interesting toys sat in a corner not too far from the project table, probably meant to serve as a reward for younger pupils who behaved well in school. She was delighted to find a laboratory table held a telescope and a microscope near one of the windows. Several comfortable cushioned reading chairs created a rather cozy area to read with a table, oil lamp and candles. All that seemed missing was perhaps a rug for added warmth and comfort to make the reading nook complete.
“Is everything to your satisfaction?” the Earl asked, studying Lady Georgiana closely as she inspected the ink wells and pens at each desk, thoroughly checked a stack of slates for cracks and a supply of slate pencils, leafed through the most recent grade book on the teacher’s desk and sought out a supply of paper. She located pencils, erasers and a bucket with cloths for cleaning the chalk board. With her hands clasped behind her back she quickly perused the library to see what books would be available. The Earl busied himself pushing aside the freshly laundered and crisply ironed, pastel blue, linen curtains and opening each of the windows wider to let more of the fresh air inside.
“From the looks of this classroom, it is well suited to include science in our studies… ” she stated as she peered through the scope on the laboratory table.
“Indeed,” he agreed. He had not forgotten how much Edmund enjoyed science? Had he forgotten to mention that subject to be included when they had spoken yesterday?
She smiled; content to find everything she would need for the time being, including a large King James Bible. “I’m certain I will have a list for Briggs, as you say, in a few days or so. We will probably need more paper, a few more books at some point and candles. I am happy to see there is a lamp for my desk.”
“Briggs will be delighted to order anything you need,” he said, feeling flustered for feeling like a school boy around her. There it was again, his heart beating more rapidly just from being near her it seemed. How did she do that to him? No one ever unnerved him!
She knew she would spend a great deal of time in the classroom grading papers and planning lessons for the children. She ran her fingers along the lines in the teacher grade book until she found the most recent entries. Selina, age sixteen; Edmund, age fourteen; Madalene, age seven... it had been seven years since this man had been with his wife. Someone, one of the servants, had said she had died in childbirth, leaving the Earl destitute. In less than sixteen years, the children had been through four governesses, assuming schooling had begun around age five for the eldest. Again, her heart went out to this man and his children. As she read the information, she could feel the Earl watching her and it caused her to blush. She had been bent over the book in such deep thought that many of her curls had tumbled to fall alongside her shoulders. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she reached for her ivory summer shawl trimmed in pale, minty-green silk to cover her pink, rose-sprigged, day dress.
For a brief moment he was near her looking at the marks in the book and reading the notes, scanning the book for the most recent information regarding the progress of his children:
“Selina is struggling with her French lessons and needs help with arithmetic…enjoys literature…has beautiful penmanship. Loves art. She is progressing well with piano… encouraged to keep a journal.”
“Edmund is distracted in class but excels in science, history and mathematics. He especially likes science. Give him something to examine or discover and he will tell you all about it with zeal. He is remarkable on the violin. Needs to study spelling and grammar...”
“Lady Madalene is a pleasure to have about. Her reading, writing and spelling progress is good for her age. She continues to learn to read from the Bible and enjoys art class. She loves to read.”
“It seems … we need to add an art class,” she whispered, afraid to move from the nearness of the Earl. Could he hear her heart beat as she did his? Or was it her imagination?
For several moments, he remained absolutely silent but just studied the lovely governess beside him. How had he come to stand this near to her? “Yes, yes, we do…” he finally consented, his voice barely above a whisper. Was that the scent of lavender she wore?
She broke away first, sitting down in one of the pupil desks and silently staring back at him, her hands trembling. He wanted to say something, anything, but could not. She looked so lovely sitting there in the rose patterned frock in the desks, leaving him on the platform at a loss for words.
He prayed silently, “Lord, have you brought her here to torment me daily then? And what about Juliana?”
“Where do you keep the art …supplies?” she finally asked, gingerly. She couldn’t focus very well on art supplies any more than he, but it was a welcome relief from the subject of what had become so transparently unspoken between them.
“Art supplies?” he repeated, as if he had no idea what the words meant.
She nervously moved to the shelves again… there had been some baskets on the shelves that contained something she supposed. “Ah, here we are…” She held up several containers of paint and brushes.
His feet were frozen to the ground. Finally he’d stepped down from the platform but he held himself a safe distance away and remained quite near the door in case he needed to make an escape.
“Have we any easels?” she inquired. Lord, I’m not ready to fall in love again, or am I? Is this really happening? Is he lingering near me for a reason? Are you really bringing me a new husband? But hadn’t one of the servants said he was informally attached to a Lady Juliana?
“Uh, easels…yes, we do. I know we have those,” he said, fumbling around for the right words, smiling a little. “I just happen to lack the knowledge of where we have those…” He was grinning then and then they were both laughing. How was it she had managed to make him smile more in the past two days than he had in years?
She was wondering how a man could be so wealthy that he did not know where all of his possessions were. It reminded her of the wealthy and noble families Papa Duncan had painted.
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. Proverbs 31:10 Authorized King James Version
The Redemption of Lady Georgiana Page 9