No matter. Whatever she’d been in the past, she was on his level now and would make an excellent wife. She would be able to instruct their children on proper deportment, and he could be proud of them. Now all he had to do was convince her.
The tricky part was to get her to see things his way. She obviously adored the duchess and might be reluctant to marry and leave her service. But surely the woman wanted a family of her own, didn’t she? Didn’t all women? She could live in a nice little cottage, and could run it as she saw fit. When the duke and his wife came to London, Jeanne could remain in Lincolnshire with the children.
Finished with her meal, Jeanne rose. Robert left the rest of his meal and rose as well. He caught up with her just as she reached the stairwell.
“Miss Brown.”
She froze before turning. Surely she wasn’t afraid of him. The expression she presented to him was pleasant enough.
“Yes, Mr. Townley?”
“I truly appreciate your assistance with the children in the chapel class,” he began.
“Of course. You provide the knowledge, and I am there to ensure the children are treated well.”
Robert’s jaw dropped. The rest of his planned speech left his mind. Jeanne’s expression remained placid, but behind her quiet voice was a thread of steel, and he felt as if he’d been cut down. “Whatever do you mean?”
“Forgive me, but it is painfully evident that you are not comfortable working with the children. They have questions you don’t answer. They have needs that you’re not willing to listen to. And they’re not neat and tidy, like everything else in your world. They know you would rather be anywhere but with them.”
“I — but—”
“Excuse me, Mr. Townley, but I must attend to my duties.” She disappeared before Robert could utter another word.
Her puzzling comments halted him in his tracks until someone coughed quietly behind him.
“Begging your pardon, Mr. Townley, is something amiss?”
Robert realized he blocked the stairwell, so no one could get around him. Giles Newsome, recently promoted to first footman, waited to pass.
“Pardon me, Newsome. I was just — woolgathering. The late evening at the school rather put me behind.”
Giles nodded. “I understand. I don’t quite know why, but the duchess has been passionate about the school since before her marriage to His Grace.” Like Jeanne, Giles had been employed by the former Lady Amelia’s family and had come with her to the Bartlett home after the duke and duchess had wed. “It’s a good thing you were able to fill in for Her Grace while she’s, er, confined.”
Robert’s eyes narrowed. “If you’ve been accompanying the duchess since the beginning, you should know how it’s done. Why didn’t she ask you to teach the urchins?”
Giles cheeks colored. “I never learned to read. Everything I know about letters and numbers is what the duchess and you taught the children.” He nodded and went on his way.
“Giles, wait.”
The footman stopped and waited as Robert caught up to him. Not wanting others to hear, Robert bent close and kept his voice low.
“Do I mistreat the children?”
Giles’ eyes opened wide. “No, sir. I’ve never seen you raise your hand to any of them.”
“But, do I treat them poorly?”
Giles paused, and Robert suspected he wanted to choose his words carefully. “You — treat them as they will become accustomed to. The way nobles and gentry would treat them. They haven’t quite learned how to be obedient and unquestioning. I’m sure their parents will sort them out.” He trotted up the stairs before Robert could question him further.
What Giles told him made sense. He treated the children the way people in their station expected to be treated. That should be enough.
Shouldn’t it?
Still, he felt Jeanne’s dark eyes piercing him, accusing him of wrong-doing, and knew they would haunt him the rest of the day.
~~~~
Jeanne knew she should feel guilty over the way she’d spoken to Robert. What she’d said to him might be seen as disrespectful, but she was trying to be honest.
Taking the stairs to her mistress’ chambers, she thought again about little Andy Sommers. She worried about him often. The bruises on his face and arms last night were fresh. His father must be home again. When she and Robert had arrived at the church, Andy was already there. He’d likely spent the entire day, and probably the night before, hiding in and under the pews.
How she would love to take Andy home and watch over him herself. Unfortunately, there was no place for him in the Peartree household, unless they hired him. But what would he do? At the estate, he might be put to work with the groundskeeper or with the animals, but in town there was no room in a domestic servant’s life for a family.
As horrible as his life was, he still had a mother who loved him. She protected him as much as she could — by sending him away. As soon as his no-good father was gone, Mrs. Sommers would go to the church to get him.
She’d seen the way Robert eyed Andy with disgust. He hadn’t wanted to get within arm’s reach of the boy. How dare he turn up his nose that way? It was no fault of Andy’s that his clothes were dirty and ill-fitting. The boy didn’t even have enough layers to keep warm. Robert had been surprised when she’d proposed a contest, and he’d seemed even more surprised when Andy had won, but she’d needed a way to give him more food. The uppity Mr. Townley might not have liked it, but she’d do it again. The boy had been so hungry he shook.
If only she could check on him. Maybe she’d make some inquiries and go on her next half-day off.
Upstairs, she found Amelia, Duchess of Bartlett, pacing in her sitting room. The duchess had always been an active woman, and society’s insistence on confinement didn’t suit her, despite her advanced stage of pregnancy. Her steps paused when Jeanne entered.
“I am so weary of doing nothing. Whoever determined that women about to give birth needed to stay at home must have been a man!” The way she spat out the last words highlighted her feelings.
“It’s a warm and sunny day,” Jeanne told her. “Perhaps we could walk in the garden behind the townhouse for a bit. We’ll put an extra scarf around your face and neck so that the duke won’t fuss about you catching a cold.”
Amelia’s eyes brightened. “What a lovely idea! If I spend another hour indoors I shall go mad.”
With Jeanne’s help, Amelia was dressed in no time.
Unfortunately, Robert was on his way up the stairs as they made their way down.
“Your Grace, was there something you need? I shall be happy to fetch it for you.”
“No thank you. Jeanne told me about… something she needs to show me.”
“Then Jeanne should bring it to you, not the other way around.”
“No, really. I need to have some fresh air.”
“I would be happy to open your windows for you. His Grace told me—”
The duchess stepped up to the valet and stood on her tiptoes to look him in the eye. “Robert. Let. Us. Pass.”
Robert slowly and quietly stepped aside. Jeanne managed to contain her laughter, but the moment they slipped out the door, she giggled.
Amelia turned to her with a grin. “Do you think I scared him?”
Jeanne’s mirth spilled out, and she doubled over with laughter. “Your Grace, you terrified him. But he deserved it. He was prepared to do anything to keep you in your rooms.”
“Yes, and that’s why Phillip values him so. He’s been a trusted friend all their lives.”
Jeanne sobered. “I’d heard that Rob— er, Mr. Townley’s father worked for the duke’s father.”
“Yes. And Robert grew up with Phillip, because Robert’s mother died when he was quite young. They were raised almost as brothers.”
Almost brothers, but not quite. Robert knew his place. As well as everyone else’s.
She wondered what Robert would think if he knew about her own past.
/> Chapter Three
“Tell me everything that happened last night, from beginning to end,” the duchess begged as she and Jeanne walked. “Were the children disappointed that I didn’t come?”
“Yes, Your Grace. They were quite concerned about your well-being.”
“They are such sweethearts. I hope you gave out all the little treats Cook sent.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“I’m so glad you and Robert agreed to take over the class. Some of the older students were progressing quite well. Martha should be nearly finished with the book I gave her for her birthday. Perhaps I should ask Phillip to search for something a bit more challenging. And then there’s little Andy. How is he coming along?”
“Very well, Your Grace. He correctly recited the entire Lord’s Prayer last night.”
“Wonderful. And the Cosgrove girls, are they doing better at forming their letters?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Excellent. Now, what went wrong?”
“Wrong?”
“Something happened that you were not pleased with. What was it? Was one of the children rude to you?”
“No! Not at all, Your Grace.”
“I know Robert is not entirely… comfortable working with children. He was reluctant to tutor Bertie Crabtree, but seemed to warm up to him, and Bertie has made so much progress that Phillip has offered to send him to boarding school and even university when he’s ready. But these little ones now…they just need someone to show them someone cares. They need encouragement.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” Jeanne agreed wholeheartedly. If only she’d had someone to encourage her for the past ten years.
“We do our best to feed them and teach them some skills that might help them to succeed, but they need more than that,” the duchess continued. “I feel bad that the school has to discontinue while we are at the Bartlett estate in Lincolnshire. And I feel even worse that I can’t be there now. If you and Robert hadn’t agreed to step in, I would have been at my wits’ end.”
“It’s our pleasure, Your Grace.” She wasn’t sure how she was going to put up with the pompous Robert, but for her mistress she would endure his snide remarks about the less fortunate. He truly had no idea what it was like to have absolutely nothing. He acted as if it was their fault that they didn’t have enough food to eat or clean clothing to wear. Sometimes she wanted to wring his handsome neck.
“Does Robert have a plan for the next lesson?”
“Er — I’m not sure. We have agreed that I will take the younger children for the reading and writing instruction. He seems to relate to the older students better. I’ve been working on forming letters — in the air, in the dirt, on the walls with their fingers — and then when they understand the movements I give them the chalk.”
“Excellent idea. How did you think of it?”
“That’s how my father taught me.”
“Your father was a wise man. And what does Robert do while you’re with the young ones?”
“He has the older students practicing the letter sounds and reading from the horn books.”
“I’m sure you and Robert are doing a wonderful job. I’m thrilled we were able to get the horn books for all the children this year. It’s a marvelous teaching tool.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“I’ve been thinking about the annual Christmas party. If this little one arrives as soon as the doctor thinks, I won’t be able to leave the baby. But I’d love to have the children here. I’m going to see what Phillip thinks. I’m sure he’ll agree to let me invite them. We’ll have a nice dinner for them, and gifts. I think it would be wonderful, don’t you?”
Wonderful wasn’t exactly the word she would use, but it wasn’t her place to disagree. The duchess truly loved her pupils and missed them dearly, despite her excitement about the baby.
Amelia stared, and Jeanne remembered she’d asked a question. “Er, I’m sure the children would consider it an honor to attend a party here. When and how would you like us to issue the invitation?”
~~~~
Ten children from Cheapside coming to a Christmas party at the Bartlett townhouse?
She understood why the duchess wanted to do it. With her confinement, it would be impossible to plan the annual event at the church. If there was to be a party, it would have to be here.
She could just imagine what Mr. High-and-Mighty would say about that. If he weren’t so wretchedly good-looking, she’d punch him. Maybe she would anyway. Then he wouldn’t be so handsome and she could stop thinking of him.
After going back indoors, the duchess decided to write. Jeanne gathered items to be cleaned and mended and went down the servants’ stairs to the laundry room. She worked quickly, finding comfort in the familiarity of her job. Getting stains out of hems and stitching minor tears were things she knew how to handle. Dealing with Mr. Townley was another matter.
Finished with her task, she made her way to the stairs.
Hearing footsteps behind her, she shifted to the right side of the steps to let the other person pass. But instead of going around, the footsteps slowed down and a sense of foreboding crept up her neck.
“Good afternoon, Miss Brown.”
Oh my. How can such an irritating man have a smooth velvety voice? “Good afternoon, Mr. Townley,”
“I must speak with you. The duchess has informed me of her plans for the holidays.”
Jeanne stopped at the landing so that she could turn and face him. “Which plans?”
“Her Grace’s plans to have a Christmas celebration for the children at the church school.”
“Yes, of course.” That wasn’t news. The duchess had hosted a Christmas party for her students every year since she’d begun teaching at the church.
“She plans to entertain them here.”
Jeanne simply nodded, waiting for him to get to the heart of the matter.
“I spoke to the housekeeper about taking extra precautions while preparing the house for their visit.”
Jeanne frowned. “Wouldn’t she go to the duchess for instructions?”
“Of course the duchess will decide how the house is arranged, but we must do our best to see that valuable items are not anywhere to be seen.”
Her jaw dropped. “I beg your pardon?”
“While the children are here, we must be sure they don’t touch anything. I’ll alert the rest of the staff to be on the lookout for any missing items.”
Alert the staff? Does he think of these children as nothing more than hoodlums? Jeanne took a deep breath, reining in her temper. She kept her voice low, knowing the tirade she wanted to deliver would serve no purpose. “If you’re concerned, perhaps you should speak to Utley. He would be the one to instruct the staff, not you.” She spun around and marched away before she said something she’d regret. Townley and the duke had known each other all their lives — one word from him and she’d lose her position. She would do well to remember that.
Chapter Four
Robert stared at Jeanne’s retreating figure, unsure where he’d gone wrong. He’d hoped they would be able to work together to secure the house for the invasion of the urchins. Interacting with them at the church was one thing; allowing them inside the walls of his life was quite another. They could smash things, deface them, take everything that he held dear… not to mention the duke and duchess’ lovely possessions.
Jeanne was an organized sort, and he’d thought she would understand the need for precautions. But she’d seemed perturbed by his suggestion. Almost… insulted. Why? Perhaps he needed to rethink his decision to pursue her as a potential mate. The perfect wife needed to be calm, level-headed, and certainly not prone to displays of emotion. In a daze, he focused on getting his master ready for today’s session at Parliament. Perhaps he should forget about marriage, especially to the fiery Miss Brown.
Except that she was so lovely. And she stirred something in him he didn’t quite understand. Shaking off his thoughts, he made his wa
y toward the duke’s rooms to see that his master was made ready for today’s session at Parliament.
“Townley.”
Robert blinked and quickly pushed thoughts of the intriguing Miss Brown aside. His employer, the Duke of Bartlett, stood in the doorway of his study.
“Yes, Your Grace?”
“Is something wrong? You look… troubled.”
“Oh, not at all, Your Grace. I… couldn’t remember where I’d put… my gloves. No matter, I’ll find another pair. Is there something I can do for you?” He straightened and faced the duke, careful to enunciate each word. His master had lost most of his hearing in a hunting accident but had learned to read lips.
“Er, yes. My wife shared with me her plan to have the children’s Christmas party here, and I support the idea completely. If you would, please deliver our invitations when you instruct the children tonight.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“The duchess misses those little ones so. I have to admit, I do, too.” He frowned. “There was one little boy who didn’t attend often, but when he did, he was quite clever. Andrew, I think his name was. Has he been there?”
“Yes, Andrew was in attendance last night.”
“Good. He comes from a — a rather rough home situation, I gather. Often came with bruises.”
“I noticed that. I assumed he was a clumsy child.”
“I’m afraid not. From what I hear, his father is rather — forceful with his discipline.”
“That’s not a bad thing, if the lad deserved it.”
“Perhaps not. But he’s such a well-behaved fellow during instruction, I often wonder… Anyway, I’ve delivered my reminder, so I’ve done my duty.”
“Yes, Your Grace. You are due at Parliament in one hour. Shall I summon a hackney for you?”
The Patricia Kiyono Christmas Collection Page 32