“Why not? Robin’s fine at the village school.”
“He isn’t learning anything there, as you well know. You said so yourself, a thousand times. Which is why you’re giving him extra lessons, with the result that he’s very advanced in mathematics, but knows next to nothing about anything else.”
“Of course he is advanced in mathematics,” Philip said proudly. “I am an excellent teacher and Robin is an excellent student. With those brilliant brains that he inherited from me, I wouldn’t expect anything less of him. It’s working out very well.”
“Papa!” Katy stomped her foot.
“What? It’s true. Robin is ten, so what’s he going to learn from a governess, by Jove? Deportment and elocution?”
“Fine, so it’s not for Robin. You can continue tutoring him yourself. But consider me and Joy!”
“Joy is not even five yet. And she is doing very well. She’s already mastered basic arithmetic, bright girl that she is.”
“And me? What about me? I don’t want to learn mathematics all day, even if it’s with you. And I am tired of copying theHistory of England. It’s boring. And I’m too old for the village school.”
Philip scratched his head as he looked at his daughter. Her cheeks had flushed red and tears sparked in her eyes.
“My friends are all going to proper girls’ academies and learning how to sew, sing, and paint pretty pictures.”
Philip sighed. “I’ve taught you how to paint pretty paintings.”
Katy snorted at him through her tears. “Technical drawings, not proper watercolour paintings.”
Philip had to concede his daughter had a point.
“You also said we’d only stay here for a month or two and that we’d return home to London, so I could also go to the academy. And now we’ve already been here four months, and we are not ever returning to London, are we?” Huge tears rolled down Katy’s face. Philip’s heart wrenched as he took her in his arms and hugged her tight. She was his eldest and ‘pon his soul, he loved her. She was precociously grown up in one moment and a child still in another. And she was right. Katy was learning all the wrong things, and he was rubbish at instructing her in what she’d have to know to get through life as a proper young lady.
He looked over his daughter’s head at the woman, who stood by the forge, looking pointedly into the other direction.
“What the blazes are we going to do with a governess?” He hadn’t meant to say it out loud. He could see by the twitch of her jaw that she’d heard him.
“She can teach us to be ladies.” Katy sniffed.
“I’m sure neither Robin nor I want to be a lady,” Philip grumbled. He took out his handkerchief and wiped her face. She took it and blew into it noisily.
“We have no manners at all. Least of all you.” Katy was composed again. “Your behaviour is dreadful. And you know it. It’s fine if you want to be like that, but I don’t want to go through life like a b–b–boor. I want to learn how to be a l–lady.” She hiccupped.
He grumbled even more because there was nothing he could say to counter that.
“But deportment and elocution? Bah. How useful is that to a Merivale? I can’t with any good conscience agree to that kind of curriculum. Your intelligent mind will degenerate in no time, and I can’t have that.”
“If I may interrupt,” the woman’s gentle voice intruded into their conversation. “I have been educated at Miss Hilversham’s Seminary for Young Ladies. It’s one of the best academies in England. It is not just a finishing school that teaches the gentle arts, but also real subjects of depth. Miss Hilversham believes in educational reform for girls.”
“See?” Katy’s face brightened. “She went to this superb academy in Bath and got excellent grades. I saw her report card.” She set her mouth in a mulish line. “If you don’t hire the governess, then I want to go to the seminary.”
“Seminary?” Philip scratched his head again. “This requires further discussion. I suggest we continue this inside over some tea. With biscuits. Or whatever Peggy left for us. Provided my children haven’t munched it all up already. Insatiable brood.” He affectionately tugged at one of Katy’s braids and led the way to the cottage.
The thing to do was to invite his guest into the parlour. That’s what those rooms were apparently for. Except the parlour was his working space and looked like it had exploded. Every inch of the floor was covered with parchments, papers, books, and the table equally so.
He frowned at the mess. “To the kitchen,” he proclaimed.
In the kitchen, he proceeded to rummage about the cupboards in search of some food.
“Sit down, sit down, make yourself at home.” Philip pointed at the rickety chair. The woman sat and watched with round eyes as he set the table with mismatched crockery. “It’s Peggy’s day off.” Dash it, there was no reason at all why he should feel compelled to explain his lack of servants. It was normal for him to work in and about the house. He actually enjoyed it. Well, aside from washing tremendous mountains of laundry in the brook nearby. That he’d gladly leave Peggy to do.
He handed a teacup with pretty red roses to the girl, the best teacup in the house. It had a chip in the rim but then, it was not as though this was a tea salon at Prinny’s Royal Pavilion. If she was going to be in his employ, she’d better get used to the fact that their household wasn’t the usual one. Not that he was seriously considering hiring her.
“No biscuits, but — ha! We do have some freshly baked bread.” He sliced a loaf of white bread into thick slices and placed a pot of jam with a knife on the table, as well as a plate with a slab of butter. Whistling a tune to himself, he boiled the water in the kettle, which Katy had already prepared.
