Victoria blinked, taken aback by the blunt question.
However, she quickly recovered herself and answered, “Well, my lady, I am well educated, patient, and have a genuine love of children. I would be able to educate them properly, and you can be certain I would care for them as though they were my own.”
Was that what the lady wanted to hear? Victoria was not certain and began to second-guess her answer. Should she have included details of her education? Given more insight into why she enjoyed children? Ah! She should have mentioned her siblings and the care she had given them over the years.
Her thoughts spiralling, she barely heard Lady Dumas say, “You are English, Miss Clifford. Why are you seeking employment in France?”
Blinking, Victoria blurted, “My father was a diplomat to the French court, and my family has been living here for most of my life….”
The woman’s eyes widened. “I beg your pardon, but…was your father, Mr Anthony Clifford?”
Dread settled in Victoria’s stomach. “Yes, my lady, he was.”
“I see.” Lady Dumas looked her up and down once more, clearly reassessing her. “I had heard of his passing, but…I did not realize his family had fallen to such a state.”
Victoria clenched her teeth but managed to keep her temper at bay as she replied, “What state do you mean, my lady?”
Lady Dumas scoffed. “If a family of your standing is sending their eldest daughter to find employment rather than a husband, you must be in dire straits.”
Victoria had to curl her hands into fists to keep herself from reaching out and slapping the woman across her face. It would not help her situation. Unfortunately, she did not have the luxury to walk out of the interview, as she had no other options before her at present. Still, did she really want to work for such a woman?
Remember Henry and the girls. They need you now.
Forcing her shoulders to relax, she maintained her polite façade. She said, “Well, I can assure you, my family is just fine, and they did not send me out to seek this position. I have chosen this of my own free will.”
Lady Dumas raised her brows at that. “Oh, is that so? How…interesting.”
Victoria could see that this interview would not end well for her. Lady Dumas made no attempt to hide her distaste for Victoria. She had even tilted her head back so as to quite literally look down her nose at her. Disappointment crashed through Victoria, but she did not let the woman see her distress. If nothing else, she still had her pride. She would not let anyone take that from her.
The rest of the interview was a painful affair but blessedly short. Lady Dumas gave her the courtesy of a few more questions, and they both pretended as though there was still a chance Victoria might be hired. She knew better, though.
There was no chance of her finding a position in that household, or likely any home in France, as she was coming to find out. Her mother had been wrong. There was no favour left for them among the French nobility. They might sympathize with her family’s loss but not their fall.
When the interview finally ended, Lady Dumas stood and said in a crisp tone, “Well, thank you for coming in, Miss Clifford. It was…enlightening speaking with you.”
“Thank you, Lady Dumas,” Victoria murmured, dropping into a curtsy. “I appreciate your time.”
The butler suddenly appeared at the door to the room, and Victoria followed him without glancing back at Lady Dumas. When she walked out the front door, she kept her eyes locked straight ahead of her and continued down the street until she was certain she was out of sight of the house. Only then did she release the frustrated breath of air she had been holding.
What was she going to do? That was likely her last chance. No other inquiries had come in. She had no other interviews to look forward to. She stopped walking and took a moment to consider what options lay before her.
What if she could not find a position in France because of her family’s fall from grace? It was hardly fair, but she knew well that the aristocracy and elite were not merciful groups. For them, social standing was everything. Even if her family’s current state was not their fault and had only come about because of tragic circumstances, the nobility did not care. They no longer saw her family as useful or beneficial, so that was it.
What was she to do?
A sudden idea struck her, and she blinked, caught off guard by her own thoughts.
If not France…perhaps England was the answer. Her family was not as known there. She would be able to find a position. They would not turn her away just because they did not want to be associated with her.
She felt a surge of hope rise up within her as the idea rooted in her mind. Though she had not been to England since she was a girl, they still had family there. Her mother still had friends. There were enough connections that she could be introduced around.
The only trick would be convincing her mother to let her go. It had been difficult enough getting her to agree to let her be a governess. To leave her and go to England?
It was going to be nearly impossible…but she had to try.
She was just going to need some reinforcements.
Chapter 4
