The Melody of A Lady's Heart: A Historical Regency Romance Book

by Aria Norton

  "Of course, my dear. Of course. However, I will finish the folding, and Tom will take your letter down the manor when you’ve finished.”

  ***

  It did not take long for Elisabeth to receive an answer from Hensol Manor. A Mrs Taylor wrote to her saying that they would be eager to interview Elisabeth at her earliest convenience. Elisabeth put on a shawl and decided to walk down that afternoon. She did not want the position to go to someone else.

  Her mother sent Tom to walk down with her, and he described the beautiful mansion to her as they went. She instructed him to wait for her at the gate and was struck by the great house's magnitude. It was an imposing stone structure, which she assumed had been a castle at one point. She could tell that new sections had been added in recent years. It was a beautiful house, although she could see some improvements to the roof were being made.

  She knocked on the door and was greeted by a stern-looking butler. “Yes, what is it?” He looked her up and down as if she were a stray kitten.

  “Hello, sir. My name is Elisabeth Steele. I was told to come for an interview by a Mrs Taylor.” She handed him the letter to show that she spoke the truth, but he had no chance to examine it.

  “It is alright, Mr Becket. Miss Steele is here on my invitation.” A tall woman dressed in black came to the door and extended her hand. The butler huffed and handed the letter back to Elisabeth, mumbling for her to come in.

  Mrs Taylor motioned her to follow, taking her down the hall and a flight of stairs to her office near the kitchens. “I am sorry for Mr Becket. He has been here for more years than either of us have been alive. Old age has made him grouchy. Please do sit down.” She motioned to a chair before her small desk and then was seated herself. She folded her hands in her lap and took a moment to glance at Elisabeth’s dress.

  “You come from the village, I presume? It did not take you long to get here.”

  “No, Ma’am. I live only over the next hill. I hope it is alright that I have come so soon.”

  “Of course. We are quite eager to find someone to fill this position. Tell me, Miss Steele. What is your story? You do not seem like a young lady that should need a governess position.”

  Elisabeth had been expecting this question. She took a deep breath before diving in. “It is a matter of necessity, Madam. My father was a barrister, but we fell on hard times. I was away at school when he fell ill. I had finished my schooling and had been helping as a teacher’s assistant. Then my father lost his clients, and we had to move out to the country, to a small cottage that had belonged to my aunt, God rest her soul. My father died shortly after the move from town, and my mother and I have been struggling to make ends meet ever since.”

  “I am sorry to hear that. But you say you were a teaching assistant?”

  “Yes, Mrs Taylor. The headmistress of the school was going to give me my own class, as well, if I had not had to leave to help my mother. She has been taking in extra washing to help make ends meet.”

  Mrs Taylor studied her, shaking her head. “I am sorry this has happened to you and your family. I need to be sure you will rise to the challenge, though. The Masters Talbot can be quite headstrong boys.”

  “Do not have any fears in that, Mrs Taylor. I have two brothers who are quite rowdy. As far as my qualifications, I can send a letter to the headmistress and ask for a reference if you like. I am sure she would vouch for my skills in teaching the little ones. How old are the young Masters Talbot, may I ask?”

  “William is seven, and Matthew is five. I think it would be wise to send off for a referral from the headmistress, but I can handle that if you will give me the name of the school.”

  Elisabeth told her and gave her the address, also. When she was finished jotting it down, Mrs Taylor stood and shook her hand. “It was very nice to meet you, Miss Steele. I see no reason not to hire you, on a trial basis, that is. Lord Hensol will want to conduct his own interview. Can you come back in the morning? I’m sure he will find your skills satisfactory.”

  “Thank you, Mrs Taylor! Yes, I will be here bright and early tomorrow morning!”

  Mrs Taylor smiled and showed her to the front door, waving as she walked briskly down the drive to meet Tom.

  When Elisabeth and Tom returned, Elisabeth burst through the door. "Mother! I have been hired for the position!” she squealed as they came into the house, their cheeks rosy from the long walk and the excitement.

  "Praise the Lord! It seems things are finally starting to turn around for us. When do you start?" Her mother shooed the younger children out of the house and made Elisabeth sit at the table.

  "Tomorrow morning. The housekeeper, Mrs Taylor, interviewed me and said I was perfect for the job."

  "That's wonderful."

  "And I get every second Tuesday off, so I will be able to come home and visit you all." Elisabeth was beaming with pride. She had known that holding out for a teaching job would be best, even though she had heard the life of a governess was quite lonely. No matter. She would have her books and her imagination to keep her company. And her new pupils, of course.

  “Do you think this situation will give us what we need?" her mother asked as she stirred the stew pot.

  “Mrs Taylor said that Lord Hensol pays every quarter. It will be twenty pounds per anum. You may expect the first installment in July." Elisabeth stood and hung her shawl on the peg. "We're positively rich!"

  Her mother shook her head. "Of course, it is a blessing. I only wish they paid by the week instead of having to wait a whole three months."

  "We shall have to make do, Mother. At least it is a job, and brighter times are on the horizon." Elisabeth, ever the optimist, put the whole idea of money out of her head for the time being and sat down to check the sums she had set her younger siblings to do. "Really, Tom. Two times two does not equal twenty-two. How do you expect to get anywhere in life if you do not take your studies seriously? Do them all again."

  He gave her a mischievous wink and wiped the slate clean. "Yes, Teacher."

  The next morning, her mother saw her off, tears brimming in the corners of her eyes. "Be a good girl, my pet. And do write to us from time to time to let us know how you're getting on."

  "I will, Mother." Elisabeth hugged her goodbye and walked out of the house, early morning mist swirling at her feet. She waved at the little wooden gate and headed down the lane.

  By the time she arrived at Hensol Manor, the sun had fully risen, lighting up the face of the elegant house. It was even more breathtaking in the warmth of the sun, the birds chirping as they hopped from branch to branch. She stopped for a moment and took in the scene. "Yes, I think I shall like living here."

  She went up to the front door and knocked. The butler opened the door with a scowl. ”Servants’ entrance." He pointed round to the left side of the house and closed the door in her face.

  "Well, it seems the butler is not a morning person," she said under her breath. She found the servants’ entrance and went in without knocking. Finding the cook at the stove, she cleared her throat and gave a cheery "Good morning!"

  The woman turned around and smiled at her. "You must be the governess. I'll let Mrs Taylor know you've arrived. Set your bag down on the chair if you like. Maggie, pour Miss Steele a cup of tea."

  Maggie came over with a steaming hot kettle and poured the water over a tray of leaves.

  "Thank you." Elisabeth sat down and placed the carpetbag at her feet. The hem of her dress was damp with the early morning dew. She had taken a shortcut across a field, hoping she would have time to change before meeting her charges.

  "Ahh, Miss Steele. Prompt, just as you said you would be. Come with me," Mrs Taylor said as she came into the room. Elisabeth took a quick sip of tea and followed her.

  "Thank you for the tea," she whispered to Maggie as she followed Mrs Taylor into the hall.

  "I'll take you in to meet Lord Hensol now, and then you can go up and get acquainted with the boys."

  Elisabeth looked down
at her dress. "I had hoped to change before I met Lord Hensol, ma’am. First impressions, you know."

  "He expressly asked that you be shown in as soon as you got here." Mrs Taylor continued her upstairs climb, her brisk walk forcing Elisabeth to trot to keep up with her.

  "Oh, well. I hope he doesn't mind my appearance. I walked across a field and ..."

  "Straighten up. Answer his questions as succinctly as you can. He does not like waste, least of all with words." Mrs Taylor looked down at her hem and frowned. "Oh, well. You'll have to do. Come along."

  Mrs Taylor knocked and opened the door to the study, announcing that the new governess was here. Elisabeth did her best to swallow the lump in her throat, pushing down her nervousness. Lord Hensol stood as she came into the room. He nodded in greeting, and she dipped a slight curtsey.

  Mrs Taylor stood at her side, motioning for her to drop the carpetbag. She did so and then looked back up at Lord Hensol's foreboding features. He was much younger than she had imagined, with a handsome face and piercing hazel eyes.

  "Good morning, Miss Steele. Please do sit down." He motioned for her to take a seat before the imposing mahogany desk. She came forward and sat, smoothing her skirts. She folded her hands demurely in her lap and told herself that this was not an interview. She already had the position. All she needed to do was behave naturally.

  "How long have you been teaching, Miss Steele?" He gazed at her with such severity that she felt she was back at the girl's school being reprimanded by the teacher.

  "When I finished my education at boarding school, I was made an assistant. That is where I took my training as a teacher, My Lord."

  "And why did you not stay at the school to teach?"

  "My father died two years ago, and my mother needed me, sir."

  His tone softened at this. "My condolences." Taking a deep breath, he continued, "Now, how would you describe your teaching methods, Miss Steele? My brothers may be a bit behind in their studies. I'm sure Mrs Taylor has made you aware that we lost my mother earlier in the year?"

  "Yes, she did. My condolences, as well, My Lord." Elisabeth was starting to feel more at ease now they had found some common ground. The death of a parent, especially one that had been kind and good, was an ordeal to go through at any age. "As to my methods, My Lord, I prefer to use a hands-on approach with my charges. I find that my pupils can absorb the lessons better if they are taught in a fun and engaging way."

  Lord Hensol glanced at Mrs Taylor, a grim expression clouding his eyes. "Yes, well. I believe my brothers have had enough of fun and entertainment. They require discipline and structure now." He signalled that the interview was over. "I would like to hire you on a trial basis, Miss Steele, to see if you are a good fit for my brothers. The fact that you have never worked as a governess and have only worked teaching at a girl's school is of some concern to me. Let us see if you are up to the task of teaching rowdy young boys."

  She stood as well, curtsying as she had done before. "Yes, My Lord. I shall do my best."

  "Miss Steele. I must charge you to adhere to my wishes as regards your teaching style. My brothers have grown far too lax. William needs to prepare for going off to Eton next year, and Matthew will not be far behind him. No fairytales. Do I have your word on that?"

  Elisabeth swallowed. "Yes, sir. As I said, I will do my best to teach them everything they will need."

  "Very well. You are dismissed. Mrs Taylor will show you to your quarters." Lord Hensol turned his attention back to his work, seeming to forget she was even standing there.

  "Good day, Lord Hensol," Elisabeth mumbled and followed Mrs Taylor out of the room.

  "This way." Mrs Taylor took her to the third floor and then up into the attic where the servants' quarters were located. "This is your room. I know it does not look like much, but it's tolerably warm and clean."

  Elisabeth had only a moment to look around and deposit her carpetbag on the bed before Mrs Taylor whisked her away again. "Is Lord Hensol always so severe, Mrs Taylor?"

  Mrs Taylor smiled knowingly. "Lord Hensol is a very busy man. But he has a good heart. It takes a while for him to warm up to people. Don't take his severity too personally. Just keep your head down and mind what he says. You'll do just fine." They came out of the stairwell on the second floor, coming to the schoolroom door. "Now, I hope you are ready to meet the young Masters Talbot. They can be quite a handful."

  "I have two younger brothers, Mrs Taylor. I'm sure I can handle them."

  "I certainly hope you can. Good luck." Mrs Taylor turned the knob and left her at the classroom door. Elisabeth suddenly felt nervous, wondering if the boys would be more work than she had bargained for. She took a deep breath and entered the room, praying they would like her.

  Want to read the rest of the story? Check out the book on Amazon!

  Also, please turn the page to find a special gift from me!

  Sign up for my mailing list to be notified of hot new releases and get my latest Full-Length Novel “The Price to Pay for a Duke's Love” (available only to my subscribers) for FREE!

  Click the link or enter it into your browser

  http://arianorton.com/lilah