“That is remarkably astute, Miss Jane, as it happens, I agree with your assessment. Indeed, I am counting on it, if I am to regain my rank and pay.”
“Then, sir, you will not have long to wait. I have studied history, so believe me, Napoleon is not finished yet.”
“Have you ever taught?”
“No, but I have broken a wild horse.”
He laughed again.
“Please. Miss Chauncey, you may remove your cloak.”
I pulled my hood down and he gasped.
“My word. You are a handsome woman. May I know how old you are?”
“I am three and twenty, sir. But I am more than capable at looking after myself.” I smiled, partly because it came naturally to me, and partly at my pre-programmed voice, syntax and accent. It was so weird, as my mind was the same as Ed Ryan, US Marine, but somewhere between formulating what I wanted to say and actually saying it, something made me sound so different.
“I do not doubt it. It is rare to find a woman of a good height. I rarely have the privilege of finding a woman on a par with myself.”
“I hope, sir, you will not be disappointed with me,” I said, returning his stare.
He laughed.
“I like a woman who stands up for herself. I have little time with these simpering violets who seem to spend most of the time with the vapours. Have you any luggage?”
“Alack, no sir. I am as you see me, without a bean. I fully intend to spend what little remuneration I earn on my wardrobe.”
“Hmm, that may take some little time, on what I can afford to pay you. Tell me, how would you deal with a strong willed girl?”
“Is she spoiled?”
“How so?”
“Has her father and grandparents given her everything she ever wanted?”
He smiled. “Perhaps.”
“Then sir, I would un-spoil her.”
“How, pray, would you do that?”
“I would teach her discipline, and how that self is not the centre of the universe.”
“Go on.”
“I would teach her that people are important, not things. I would teach her how to give of herself, and the rewards that this can bring. I would teach her to give, in every way, so that she would receive, in love, for who she is, and not for what she stands.”
“How?”
“By example and through love.”
“Would you beat her?”
“Do you beat your horse?”
“No, only a fool beats a horse.”
“Then you ask a foolish question. For only a fool beats a child.”
He burst out laughing.
“Faith, Jane, I like you. You are neither afraid, nor foolish. The job is yours, but sadly, I cannot afford a huge stipend, perhaps three shillings a week. I will feed you, and pay your expenses and, of course, you shall have rooms here in the Manor. You may have Sundays off.”
“Thank you, sir. That will be more than sufficient.”
He stared at me for a moment.
“You really have just those old clothes?”
“Yes sir, and these are borrowed.”
“Then, you must come to the attic with me. I had all Marjory’s clothes placed there after she died. I hoped perhaps that Katie would like them when she was old enough, but I fear that fashions will be much altered by that time. I would be pleased to have you select whatever you can use. I fear, however, that you may be slightly, ah, um, larger than Marjorie.”
“Sir, I am adept with a needle, I am sure I can alter what I need.”
Roger turned and rang a bell.
Groves appeared.
“Sir?”
“Miss Chauncey will be joining the household. As the daughter of a naval officer, she is not to be considered part of below stairs, but will eat upstairs either with my daughter, or with me. You will please have the bed made in the green room, next to the nursery, and she will be commencing duties as governess immediately.”
“Yes sir. Will she be taking luncheon with you today, sir, or alone?”
“I will have luncheon with my daughter and her new governess.”
“Certainly sir,” Groves said, and slipped quietly away.
“Where is Katie now?” I asked.
“My sister, her Aunt Maud, has taken her shopping. Maud is a pain, but does help when I need. Her husband is a dreadful bore. He is something to do with the law, Coroner, that’s it, he is the local Coroner. He has a legal practice here, and is also the clerk to the Justices. Thus, my dear sister believes herself to be someone of importance in the community. Unfortunately, she is the only person who does.”
He chuckled, so I smiled.
“Do you have many staff?” I asked.
“There is Groves and his wife, who does most of the cooking; my valet, Symes; the maid Abigail, and the nurse. My son, William is but a babe, so is in the nursery at present. Oh, and then there is Grant and his son, they tend the garden.”
“Will my duties be to teach him in time?”
“Perhaps. I have in mind to send him away to school eventually.”
I followed him up the wood panelled staircase. It was a nice house, clean and well laid out. More functional than decorative, yet I could see a woman’s touch had been absent for some time. He showed me my room, where the maid was making the bed. She had already set a fire in the small fireplace, so the warmth was beginning to spread to the room. She curtseyed when we entered.
“Abigail, this is Miss Chauncey, the new governess.”
“Miss,” the girl all but whispered, lowering her eyes.
Then we went to a pleasant nursery, where young William sat on a rocking horse, while a rotund woman was singing a song as he rocked.
“This is Nurse Riggs. Nurse, this is Miss Jane Chauncey, she is to be Katie’s governess.”
We nodded and smiled to each other. She had a very nice smile. Young William saw his father and shouted “Dada.”
Roger’s face melted into a big smile, as he went and ruffled his son’s hair. The man was a devoted father, and I could see he loved his son deeply. We spent a few moments there, while he played with his son. Finally, he let the nurse take his son from him, turned and left the room, so I followed.
He went up a folding ladder into a spacious, but very dark attic. He lit a candle in a lantern, illuminating the space, allowing me to see that there were numerous chests, which he lugged under the skylight.
“I tell you what, why don’t we take them all to your room, that way you can pick and choose at your leisure?”
I agreed, took hold of the first chest, lifted it off the floor and carried it down the ladder. I returned to the attic to see him staring at me.
“My God, woman, that was no mean weight!”
I suddenly realised that I had carried the trunk without any thought as to its weight. My enhanced strength meant it was nothing to me and yet, with hindsight, I appreciated that even as Ed Ryan, I might have struggled slightly.
“Sir, it was a trifle. I have been lifting weights like that, as there has been no male in our household for many years. And my sisters were useless ninnies for the most part.”
I was careful, however, to be slightly less butch with the other two chests, but Roger kept looking at me strangely.
He left me alone in my new bedroom, as I took stock of my surroundings.
The room was south facing, over a lovely large garden, with mature shrubs and trees. I had two windows and a fireplace, in which the coal fire was giving off some reasonable heat now.
A large canopied bed was against one wall, with a wardrobe and chest of drawers against another. There was a small writing desk in the corner, with a delicately built chair next to it. A porcelain basin was in its wooden stand, with a jug nearby. I assumed that running hot water was a thing of the future, but the fire had warmed the air nicely. The dressing table with a mirror was against the last wall, with a stool tucked into the recess. A nursing chair was in the window, and altogether it was a very pleasant room.