Death Comes to the Nursery

by Catherine Lloyd

  “Thank you.” Robert nodded and stepped back into the stable yard, where James, Polly, and Ned awaited him. “Good day to you, Mrs. Jarvis.”

  * * *

  Lucy looked up from her sewing as Robert came into her sitting room, shut the door, and proceeded to pace up and down the room, a frown on his face.

  “Whatever is the matter?” she finally inquired.

  “It’s Polly.” He turned to face her, his expression grim.

  “Don’t tell me that you have succumbed to her charms and are planning on running away with her after all,” Lucy teased.

  “No.” He sighed and sat opposite her, his hands clasped together in front of him. “She is a pleasant enough girl, but everywhere she goes, she causes chaos.”

  “How so?” Lucy set her embroidery aside.

  “I went to get your package from the inn this morning and found out that one of the ostlers has been following Polly home.”

  “That is hardly her fault,” Lucy pointed out.

  “I know.” Robert paused to ponder his words, which was rather unusual for him. “James got into a fight with the man yesterday when he was escorting Polly and Ned home. If I hadn’t intervened today, I suspect James would have started another fight, warning this Bert Speers to stay away.”

  “Oh, dear,” Lucy sighed. “The other day I caught James and Mr. Fletcher arguing about who should be accompanying Polly and Ned on their walk down to the stables. And it isn’t the first time I’ve seen such quarrels between the male staff.”

  “You see?” Robert flung up his hands. “Chaos wherever she goes. I don’t like it, Lucy. I don’t like my son being placed in such a vulnerable position.”

  Lucy considered his impassioned words. “I cannot help but agree with you about Ned, but I am loath to blame Polly for the lack of respect the men around her are showing. She is excellent with Ned, gets along well with Agnes, and performs her duties well. It seems unfair for her to lose her job over something she cannot control.”

  “I agree. But surely Ned’s safety has to be our priority?”

  “Of course it is.” Lucy hesitated. “Perhaps you could speak to James and Mr. Fletcher privately, and ask them to leave Polly alone?”

  “I can certainly do that, but I have no control over Bert Speers or any other man who fancies his chances with the new local beauty.”

  “Polly wants to stay on after her month’s trial.” Lucy said. “And I . . . I practically assured her that the job would be hers for the next year.” To her astonishment, her voice wobbled. “I was hoping she would be here when the new baby was born.”

  “ Why?”

  “Because I like her, and—” Lucy swallowed hard and couldn’t continue.

  “Lucy.” Robert reached for her hand. “Are you crying over a nursemaid?”

  “Yes.” She searched frantically for her handkerchief. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s all right.” Robert considered her. “If Polly is truly important to your current state of well-being, then I’m loath to get rid of her.”

  “Thank you.” Lucy dried her eyes. “Perhaps I could offer her a shorter term of employment—to next quarter day?”

  “That’s a good idea.” Robert nodded. “In fact, let me speak to her so that she understands that it is my decision, and not yours.”

  Lucy stood and went over to put her hand on Robert’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

  He looked up at her. “For what?”

  “For being so understanding.”

  “Me?” His smile was pained. “Mayhap I’m mellowing with age.”

  She kissed his forehead. “One can only hope so, seeing as you will soon be worrying for two children instead of one.”

  “Understand me, though, Lucy.” He met her gaze, his expression resolute. “If there is any hint of her bringing further trouble on Ned, or if he is caught up in any violence, she will be turned off.”

  Lucy nodded. “I wholeheartedly agree.”

  He reached up his hand to clasp hers. “Then let’s just hope I can knock some sense into James, Dermot, and any other of my employees making sheep’s eyes at Polly.”

  * * *

  “I’m sorry, Sir Robert.” Dermot Fletcher repeated as he faced his employer across his desk. “But I cannot agree with you on this matter.”

  “I beg your pardon?” Robert stared at the flushed face of his land agent. “You can’t agree that it is improper of you to chase after my nursemaid?”

  “Of course, that’s not proper, sir, but it’s not what I meant.” Dermot rushed to speak again. “I respect Miss Polly!”

  “Then you have a funny way of showing it,” Robert shot back. “Arguing with other staff, following her around like a lost sheep, making excuses to visit the nursery at all times of day, sometimes when you should be doing your own work.”

  “She is surrounded by those who are far beneath her,” Dermot insisted. “She is not what she seems, Sir Robert. She is very intelligent and well read.”

  Robert studied his land agent’s face. “Are you trying to tell me you might come to care for her?”

  “I do care for her,” Dermot said earnestly. “I have already considered asking her to be my wife.”

  Robert sat behind his desk and gestured for Dermot to sit as well. It was not in his nature to be circumspect, yet he would try his best.

  “With all due respect, Dermot, you have only known her for a few weeks, and she is hardly of your social class.”

  “What social class?” Dermot replied. “I’m an Irish Catholic who earns his living in the same house as she does.”

  “Has she given you any indication that she favors your suit?” Robert asked.

  “Not yet, sir.” Dermot frowned. “She is beset by many fools, and she tries to be pleasant to all of them.”

  “Then, perhaps you might allow her the chance to make up her own mind when she is ready,” Robert suggested. “From what I have observed, she treats all men the same.”

  Dermot met Robert’s gaze. “You think I’m being a fool, don’t you?”

  “It is hardly my place to suggest anything of the sort, but—”

  “You do think I’m a fool.” Dermot sighed.

  “I think that you are lonely, and that since Miss Anna Harrington became engaged to Captain Akers, you need to find a relationship for yourself.”

  Dermot winced. “Is it that obvious?”

  “Only to those who know you well.” Robert paused. “I just think it is too early for you to declare yourself to Polly Carter. She will be here for at least another quarter. Perhaps you should wait and see if she truly wishes to reciprocate your affections before you jump in and scare her off.”

  Dermot nodded. “I will think on what you have said, Sir Robert. Thank you for your counsel.” He stood up and tried to smile. “I’d better get back to work. I probably have been neglecting things of late.”

  Robert asked him to send Foley in and waved Dermot away.

  When Foley appeared, Robert gestured for him to sit down.

  “I wanted to talk to you about James.”

  Foley raised his eyebrows. “Has he displeased you in some way?”

  “Yes. Fighting with one of the ostlers from the Queen’s Head, arguing with Mr. Fletcher, and pining over Polly Carter come to mind.”

  “Miss Polly is a pretty lass.”

  “Indeed, she is, but that doesn’t mean my staff should stop doing their jobs. James is so busy defending her honor that he appears to have forgotten that his primary objectives are to serve this household and, more importantly, to safeguard my son from harm.”

  “He is a mite hotheaded about Polly,” Foley admitted. “I’ve never seen him anything but kind and gentle before. These days, he threatens to fight anyone who as much as looks at her.”

  “So I’ve noticed.” Robert shifted in his seat. “I want to speak to him personally. I’d also like you to address all the male household staff about their behavior around the female staff. Our nursery will be incre
asing in a few months, which will mean even more women in the servants’ hall. I do not wish to hear of any problems.”

  “I understand, sir.” Foley went to rise, which took him some time due to his rheumatism. “I was thinking James might make a fine butler after I retire.”

  “Until the last few days, I would’ve agreed with you. But I can’t have someone brawling with potential visitors,” Robert said. “Are you finally thinking about retiring then, Foley?”

  “I think so, sir.” His oldest retainer bowed his head. “You’ve settled down nicely now.”

  “I do believe I have.” Robert offered Foley one of his rare smiles. “Lady Kurland has me well in hand.”

  “She does, sir. Thank God, and with another youngster on the way, your line is assured, and I can retire happy.” Foley bowed.

  Robert cleared his throat, aware that his butler was the last remaining member of his staff who had also served his parents. “You won’t have to move far, you know. I’ll find you a cottage on the estate, or in whichever of the villages around here you wish. Just say the word, and it will be yours.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Foley straightened with some difficulty. “I’ll think on the matter over the next few weeks. I’d planned to retire at Christmas, which gives you plenty of time to find my successor.”

  “Well then, let’s hope young James minds his manners and redeems himself, and is ready to step into your shoes,” Robert commented. “Send him to me now, Foley, and ask Agnes if she can spare Polly for a few minutes.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  While he waited for James to appear, Robert attended to the mail he’d picked up at the inn.

  “You wished to see me, Sir Robert?”

  “Yes, come in and close the door behind you.”

  He looked up as James entered and gestured for him to come forward. James’s apprehensive stance reminded Robert of the young officers he had bullied and counseled into staying alive during the recent war. He decided young James could do with some brutal honesty and looked him right in the eye.

  “I will not tolerate you fighting when you are in my employ, or tasked with guarding my son, or any member of my household. Do you understand me?”

  James gulped at his arctic tone. “Yes, Sir Robert.”

  “If there are any problems with Polly and other men, I expect you to ensure the safety of my son and his nursemaid without resorting to violence.”

  “Polly doesn’t encourage other men, sir,” James protested.

  Robert raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t say that she did.”

  “She’s a good girl, and one day, I hope she’ll marry me.”

  “Has Polly suggested that she reciprocates your feelings?” Robert asked for the second time that morning.

  “Recipro—what, sir?”

  “Has Polly suggested she returns your affection?”

  “No, sir, she hasn’t, but that’s because she’s a respectable woman who wouldn’t offer false hope, despite what Bert Speers says.”

  “If Polly is a respectable woman, she will not take kindly toward any man who gets into fights over her.”

  James nodded. “Yes, sir. She told me that herself.” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I promise I won’t let you down again, sir.”

  Robert met his gaze. “You’d better not, or I can assure you that you won’t be employed in this house for much longer.”

  “It’s just that she doesn’t ask for all the attention, sir, and I hate to see her being treated like she’s a barmaid in a tavern, or something worse,” James said earnestly. “There are people who mistake a kind word from her as something else entirely. Like Mr. Fletcher, sir, he—”

  Robert held up his hand. “Mr. Fletcher is none of your concern.”

  “Yes, sir, but—”

  “Rest assured that if the need arises, I will deal with Mr. Fletcher or any other man in this damn house who thinks he has a right to force himself on Polly’s notice.” Robert stared at James. “Are we quite clear?”

  James nodded. “Yes, Sir Robert.”

  “Then go about your business.” Robert waited until James had left before getting up from his desk and pouring himself a stiff brandy.

  “Good, lord,” he muttered. “I feel as if I’ve been thrown into a Drury Lane farce!”

  There was another knock on the door, and Polly Carter came in. She wore a plain blue gown with an apron over it. Her blond curls were drawn away from her face under a cap. She curtsied low.

  “You wished to see me, Sir Robert?”

  “Yes, please come and sit down.”

  He resumed his seat behind the desk and waited for her to settle into her chair.

  “I am concerned about the effect on my son of having you as his nursemaid.”

  Polly blinked her beautiful blue eyes at him. “How so, sir?”

  Robert was done with diplomacy. “The men who hover around you and their tendency to fight.”

  “I don’t know what you want me to say, sir.” Polly pleated her apron with her fingers. “I do my best to be pleasant to everyone who speaks to me, but I don’t tolerate no rudeness, especially in front of your son.”

  “I’m not accusing you of anything, Polly. I’m just saying that I don’t want my son put in a position where he has to run for his life when fists start flying.” Robert studied Polly’s anxious face. “I am aware that Lady Kurland wished to offer you the position of nursery maid for a full year. Due to the current situation, I have decided to be more cautious, and offer you employment only until next quarter day.”

  Polly stared at him for a long moment, a thoughtful expression on her face. “That’s perfectly acceptable, sir, and I quite understand your position on this matter.”

  Having braced himself for tears and maybe worse, Robert found himself nodding with relief. “Good.”

  “Mayhap I should stay more in the grounds of the hall and not venture into the villages?” Polly looked hopefully at him. “At least for a short while until things have calmed down.”

  “I suggest you discuss that with Lady Kurland and Agnes,” Robert suggested. “I would hate to restrict your movements.”

  Polly rose, straightened her skirts, and offered him an appraising smile. “You are a good man, Sir Robert. Most employers would’ve turned me off without even bothering to hear my side of the story.”

  Robert held her gaze. “And I will do so if my son comes to any harm.”

  She curtsied. “I can promise you that he will not suffer at my hands, sir.” She turned and went toward the door, her carriage erect and her head held high. She glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece and then at him. “It’s usually my half day, sir. May I still take it?”

  “Of course.” Robert said. “As long as Agnes is aware of your intentions.”

  Polly’s lips curved into a mischievous smile. “Agnes thought I was going to be dismissed, so she offered to pack my belongings for me. I’ll make sure she knows that isn’t the case before I go out.”

  Robert had noticed some tension between the cousins but had accepted it as usual between family members. Did Agnes resent the fact the Ned obviously preferred Polly?

  After Polly left, it occurred to Robert that the nursemaid was rather adept at managing the men in her life—including him—and that he had better not forget it.

  Chapter 3

  “What is it, Agnes?” Lucy looked up from her letter writing to find her son’s nurse hovering at her shoulder.

  “I can’t find Polly, my lady.”

  Lucy put down her pen. She was in her private sitting room at the rear of the house where she always started her day by interviewing the cook and her housekeeper, and then attending to the matters in her daybook.

  “Is she unwell?”

  “I don’t know. She’s just disappeared.”

  Lucy pushed back her chair and stood up, arching her back. “When did you last see her?”

  “Yesterday around noon, just before she was asked to attend Sir Robe
rt in his study.” Agnes paused. “Is it possible that he dismissed her from her position?”

  “He certainly didn’t mention it, and I would’ve told you if the nursery were to be shorthanded. From what I understand of their conversation, Sir Robert merely warned Polly not to involve Ned in any of her romantic entanglements and offered her employment until quarter day.”

  “She didn’t have the decency to tell me any of that.” Agnes frowned. “But it doesn’t surprise me.”

  Lucy headed for the back stairs, Agnes behind her, and ascended to the very top of the house where the servants had their bedchambers. The floor was deserted, as all the staff were already up and about. Lucy paused on the landing to catch her breath and waited for Agnes to join her.

  “Which is Polly’s room?”

  “It’s down here.” Agnes turned left into the woman’s section, walked down to the third door, and pushed it open. “Her bed doesn’t look as though it has been slept in.”

  “No, it doesn’t, but her possessions are all present.” Lucy surveyed the gowns still on their hooks on the wall and the open chest full of petticoats, stockings, and undergarments. A tray of pins was scattered over the dressing table, along with a hairbrush and a discarded ribbon. Lucy also spied a half-filled bag.

  “Yesterday was Polly’s afternoon off,” Agnes said. “When she returns, she usually pops her head into the nursery to say good night and to check on Master Ned, but last night she didn’t come in at all.”

  “Mayhap she didn’t return to the house,” Lucy mused. “Is it possible that she spent the night somewhere with a friend and merely overslept?”

  “She’s only been here a month, my lady,” Agnes pointed out. “She’s hardly made any acquaintances except those in the house and on Kurland land.”

  Lucy turned a slow circle, trying to understand what had become of Polly, her thoughts flying in so many directions that she felt quite unwell. “I must speak to Sir Robert.”

  “Yes, my lady.” Agnes hesitated. “Do you think she ran off?”

  “I don’t know,” Lucy said. “She’s your cousin. Do you think that is likely?”

  “She seemed to like it here.” Agnes grimaced. “Maybe it was too quiet for her, and she decided to go back to London.”