by Regina Darcy
“I am seven, Miss,” she said.
“It’s Miss Williams,” Charlotte corrected her gently, smiling again, before turning to her older sister. “And you, Eliza? How old are you?”
The girl looked as though she was considering not answering, and Charlotte waited patiently, not showing any annoyance, until the child sighed heavily and said,
“I’m ten.”
She spoke grudgingly, as though she couldn’t afford to spare the words, and Charlotte chuckled, startling them. All three looked suspiciously at her, but she ignored their curiosity and turned to the nursemaid.
“Molly, as tomorrow will be my first day of working with the girls, I would like them to be brought in at breakfast time. When is breakfast?”
“It’s at ten, Miss,” the nursemaid said.
Charlotte refrained from correcting her informal address, and continued. “Tomorrow, I shall let you know how much before then I will need the girls to be ready.”
Turning back to the girls, she said, “We will begin immediately after breakfast, and I will test you in reading and writing. We shall see where we are from there.”
Smiling at them, she ended, “Well, thank you for bringing them to meet me, Molly. I appreciate it. I will see you young ladies in the morning.”
The nursemaid shepherded her charges out of the sitting room, and Charlotte poured herself a cup of lukewarm tea. She saw at once that she would need to win over the older girl, and hoped it would not be too hard a task to do so. When she finished her supper, she took herself back up the stairs to the schoolroom, taking the books with her, and set them on the shelf by the pianoforte. She noted what books and other articles she would need to have brought in so that she could best teach the girls. There was a plentiful supply of writing paper and ink, and three brand new quills. The pianoforte was well used but as she trailed her fingers over the keys lightly, she could tell that it was well tuned. Satisfied, she took herself off to bed. She fell into a dreamless sleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.
By force of habit, she awoke next morning before the sun began to show its face over the horizon. As she made her morning ablutions, elsewhere in the household the servants were awake and on the go. Mrs Thomson dispatched the maids to their labours, and as she and Milton consulted regarding the day’s activities, they spared a word for the newest member of the household.
“What a beautiful young thing she is!” Mrs Thomson said.
“But completely unaware of it,” Milton intoned, “which to my way of thinking is a good thing. We do not need any flirtations between the master and any other women, especially ones under his roof.”
They both sighed, thinking no doubt of the scandals attached to their master’s reputation. He had twice left women at the altar, and was becoming known as something of a rake in polite circles.
“It will certainly do him no good to fool around with the hired help,” Mrs Thomson said. “In any case, he is hardly likely to see her, unless he calls for the girls, is he?”
“I’m feel certain that he will at least want to meet the woman he has given the charge of his nieces over to,” Milton said, and then broke off to address the footman who was standing too close and obviously trying to listen in on their conversation. “Is there something that I can help you with, Thomas?”
The footman shuffled guiltily away without responding. Milton shook his head disapprovingly and then turned to the housekeeper and said, “We shall see how it goes, Mrs Thomson. His Grace has asked to see me after breakfast. I will let you know what transpires.”
They parted ways to continue the chores which awaited them, while the subjects of their conversation were above stairs variously employed in their usual morning rituals. His Grace the Duke of Marbleton was being helped into his riding boots by his valet, to whom he was giving strict instructions regarding his morning attire.
“When I return, I wish to wear the grey suit. I must meet the new governess and then I have some business to attend to in the village.”
“Yes, Your Grace,” the young man replied, brushing imaginary lint from his master’s shoulders.
The Duke strode from his chambers and went out into the early morning air, while Charlotte for her part, having completed her ablutions, went up to the schoolroom to begin to ready it for the arrival of her charges. She had saved the apple from her supper, and once she was done arranging the room to suit her needs, she went to stand by the window and bit into it.
Movement caught her eyes and she looked down to see a tall, broad-shouldered man striding quickly towards the back of the manor house. His hair was golden in the lightening glow of morning, and he cut a fine figure of a gentleman. She wondered idly if this was her new employer. No doubt she would find out soon enough. She had quite a list of things she would need to request that he purchase for her, so that she could provide the best education for his nieces. Turning away from the window, she finished her apple and went back down to her rooms, to read until it was time to return to start her day officially.
THREE
When Edmund Roland strode into the schoolroom after breakfast that first morning, a number of things immediately became abundantly clear to him. First and foremost was the fact that he had brought a seductress into his house to teach his nieces. Her back was turned when he walked in, as she aided Mary Anne with some task, but she turned as she heard his approach, and his heart seemed to stall in his chest before galloping off in a frenzied beat once again.
The young woman before him was a stunning beauty, with auburn hair that she had tamed into a severe bun at her nape. By the thickness of the bun, he could tell her hair was long, and by its shine he knew it would be lush, if he ever had the pleasure of seeing it unbound. He shook himself, aware that he was staring, because the second thing he noticed was her smile, which shone out like the sun at noon.
“Good morning,” she said politely, smiling at him as she curtsied. “You must be the Duke of Marbleton. It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace.”
Her voice was sweet and pure, like the water flowing over the stones in the brook that bordered his gardens. And to hear it was to be stroked in all the places where a hand could not reach, and some where it could. He cleared his throat, trying to get his fuzzy brain to function, and returned her greeting, his own voice hoarse with his unexpected and apparently uncontrollable reaction to her.
“Good morning, Miss Williams,” he said. “Welcome to Marbleton House. I trust you had a good journey.”
“Oh, yes, thank you, Your Grace, it was a beautiful day for a drive in the country.” She smiled again, and his gut clenched.
Edmund shook himself inwardly. This sort of physical reaction was inappropriate, first because she was a stranger, and second because she was employed to work in his household. A woman of no rank would also be the last person he should show any interest in, no matter how devastatingly beautiful she was. He knew she was the older daughter of a vicar, and that she was said to be an accomplished young woman, despite her youth. She was fifteen years his junior, and at thirty-five, Edmund had met and mated with a few women both older and more experienced than this young slip of a girl. He owed it to himself and his family to remain aloof, though he would treat her well, particularly if she could manage to rein in his young charges and train them well.
Which brought him to the fourth thing that he noticed. He swept his gaze across the room. His nieces were quietly undertaking their lessons, obviously working hard on whatever it was that she had given them to do. The sight was both amusing and enchanting to him, and bode well for the new governess’s time in his household. It had been more than six months since the girls had arrived at Marbleton House, and in all that time, he had not managed to find a governess who seemed able to handle the challenge they presented. His brother had not been in the best of health before his death, and his nieces had been allowed to do as they pleased.
It seemed they had met their perfect match, and he was suddenly glad that he had not chose
n the older woman whom he had been considering for the position. Aside from the fact that she had not been anywhere near as attractive as the beauty before him, he began to think that her age might have been a factor against her. Charlotte Williams was young enough to be able to remember what it was like to be his nieces’ age, and limber enough to keep up with their antics. Amused at the thought he turned back towards his new governess.
“I seem to have interrupted the children in their studies. Perhaps I should return at another time?”
Although it was the last thing he wanted to do, he made the offer, as it seemed the right thing to do under the circumstances. Happily, she did not send him away. Though her reasons for delaying his departure would have nothing to do with any desire to retain his company, and everything to do with her charges.
“Please, Your Grace, if you can spare a few moments,” she said, stepping away from the children to the other side of the large room, and indicating that she wished him to follow her, “I would like to request some supplies, and permission to arrange the girls’ days a little differently.”
“Please sit down, Miss Williams,” he said, realizing that she would remain standing unless invited to sit, even in her own schoolroom. Something about that made him smile.
“Now tell me how I can help.”
“Well, firstly, I think the girls need to rise earlier than they currently do each day. I would like to begin their lessons earlier, before a formal breakfast. If this revised arrangement meets your approval. I can ensure that they have a snack to tide them over until then, whilst we take walks or go riding. But I will need your permission to address the groom regarding the horses.”
Her face had taken on a deep concentration as she consulted a list she had apparently made since her arrival.
Her efficiency was both charming and admirable.
“I shall instruct him to be ready to do your bidding whenever you need him to do so. However, regarding the walks, Molly already takes the girls for a walk each afternoon, at my insistence.”
Charlotte smiled at him. “I understand, Your Grace, but my walks will be rather more of an educational rather than a constitutional nature. They will not last above half an hour, and the girls will have notepaper or drawing paper with them during these promenades.” Edmund almost laughed aloud at the way she brushed his objection aside and rolled right on with explaining her plans.
“With that in mind are there any areas of the estate that I should avoid?” Edmund had to admit that he liked her plan a lot. Indeed, he could almost guarantee that this young woman would cause major upheaval in the little girls’ lives, and he embraced the idea wholeheartedly. They needed a change, and he only hoped she would not find their resistance too exhausting, and he prayed they would not resist for long.
Still, he had to ask, “How do you propose to get the cooperation of my nieces in the matter of an earlier rising, Miss Williams?” He tried to inject sternness into his voice.
Her smile lit up her face again. “Rewards and punishments, Your Grace. They worked for me and my younger sister, and I’m sure they will work for your nieces.”
“Punishments?” he asked sharply. If she were the kind of woman to raise a hand to children, he would see her returned to her home at once, no matter how beautiful he found her.
As though she knew the path his thoughts had taken, she said quietly, “My parents never raised a hand to either me or my sister, Your Grace. Rest assured I have no intention of harming your nieces.”
The Duke realised then that he had hired a gem of a woman, even as he felt her withdrawing, building a wall of cool reserve between them. He had offended her with just one word, and reminded her of her station in his household. He knew she would never forget it from this moment on, and the thought that he had somehow spoiled something good that might have grown between them made him uncomfortable. He opened his mouth to apologise, but she forestalled him by continuing,
“Punishments may include anything from withholding a promised treat to extra lines, to an earlier than normal bedtime. And if you will permit it, it may also include not being allowed to visit with you as planned. The severity of the punishment will, of course, be dependent on the seriousness of the infraction. Rewards can include extra time working on a favourite task or activity, an extra half hour before bedtime, or a treat for work well done. Do these meet with your approval, Your Grace?”
Edmund felt the weight of her hurt like a blow, but nothing in her demeanour changed, except that she no longer smiled. He did not know how to correct what was clearly a grave insult, and he did not like how she made him feel like a chastened schoolboy. He resorted to cold aloofness, which had always served him well in the past when he was unsure of how to respond in an awkward situation.
“I am sure you know best what works, Miss Williams.”
He saw her recoil, and he relented. She meant no harm, and he had been wrong to suppose she would hurt his girls. He continued more gently.
“Please continue. You said that you needed supplies.”
She consulted her list again, and when she was done explaining why she needed the things on it, he asked if he could have it so that he could send for the items. Then she stood up, and he knew he was being dismissed. Torn between annoyance and amusement, he wished her a good morning and departed, leaving her to the two little girls who were still hard at work. Back in his study, he summoned Milton, and before he spoke of the matters needing their attention, he handed him the list.
“See to it that these items are procured and delivered to the schoolroom as soon as possible,” he told the butler.
“Miss Williams has need of them.”
“Yes, Your Grace,” Milton replied, pocketing the list.
“Now to the household matters. My great aunt will be paying us a visit in a few weeks, and I will need her rooms to be aired and cleaned by then. And because she has a special diet, you and Mrs Thomson will need to sit with cook to decide on menus.”
“Rest assured Your Grace,” Milton said, “Lady Agnes’s visit will transpire without any incidents. I will, of course, keep you informed of all the arrangements as they are made. Will there be a formal dinner party?”
“I rather think Great Aunt Agnes would enjoy a party when she gets here, so yes. She so rarely goes out, these days.”
“It will be arranged, Your Grace. I will provide an invite list based on the last gathering, for your perusal.”
“Yes, thank you, Milton. Oh, and add Miss Williams as well.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Edmund did not miss the look that came and went in his butler’s eyes, and he sighed inwardly. His reputation had become a source of some concern for his household staff, particularly the upper servants, and he knew he would have to tread very carefully where his governess was concerned. He would allow no breath of scandal to touch his house now that she and his girls were living under his roof.
FOUR
Eliza Roland was a little spitfire, and over the next two weeks, Charlotte found herself having to hold onto her temper as the little girl tried her patience to its limit. She refused to get up at the required hour that first morning, and when Charlotte told her that her punishment was to miss the afternoon walk with Molly, so that she could do the work she had missed, she sulked and spat at her little sister, who was the epitome of childlike charm.
Her actions warranted further punishment, and she was sent to bed an hour earlier than her little sister. On another morning, she appeared when requested, but refused to go out for the ride Charlotte had planned. Charlotte had Molly sit with her in the schoolroom where she was required to write out the entire first two pages of the next story they were to read that day.
“In your best handwriting, mind, or you won’t be allowed to have tea with your uncle this afternoon,” she told the sulking child before leaving her alone with the nursemaid.
Later that afternoon, Eliza and Mary Anne enjoyed a gentle ride, during which Charlotte got the little girl
to describe her old home, and to say what she liked about each place where she had lived. Afterwards, Charlotte gave her an apple to feed to the pony she was riding.
The little girl had picked a posy of wildflowers for her uncle, and Charlotte asked Mrs Thomson to ensure that it was in his study when the girl went down for tea with him later.
She took herself off for a walk during teatime, to stretch her legs, get a bit of exercise, and shake the cobwebs free. The girls were resting before dinner, and Charlotte had the remainder of the day off, until it was time to read to them before bed.
Rounding a corner in the gardens, she found herself on the other side of a tall hedge from members of the Duke’s house party, who had been in residence for the past three days. She had not seen nor heard any of them until this very moment, and the subject of their conversation was troubling to her.
“So Lady Henrietta, what do you think, now that you are in his home at last?” a very high-pitched voice asked the invisible Henrietta.
“What a lovely home he has! And what a handsome gentleman he is, to be sure!” Henrietta replied. “So elegant and charming!”
“Ah, but a bit of a rake, according to rumour,” a third voice chimed in. “A proper heart breaker!”
“Indeed,” the owner of the high-pitched voice said. “It is being bandied about that he has left two women at the altar!” She sounded as scandalised as Charlotte felt at that piece of gossip.
“How dreadful, if it is true, Miss Tillie!” exclaimed the third voice.
Tillie murmured her agreement, adding, “I cannot fathom how such a handsome man could be so cruel, can you, Lady Lydia?”
Lydia, the owner of the third voice, sadly concurred with Tillie’s opinion. Henrietta interjected.
“Even if that were true though, I’m sure he has changed. See how sociable he has been with us! I cannot think that he would behave so reprehensibly after showing such hospitality?”