Chapter 2
We are delighted to hear from you regarding the position of the governess we are seeking for our two young girls, and we are certain you will be an excellent match for this position. You are well educated and have impeccable manners, and your father, Viscount Lockwood, was a very dear friend of my husband, Baron Kent.
Despite that, we believe that as a member of the peerage, it would be wrong of us to hire you in a working position that is definitely not meant for someone of your status and position. We prefer to hire someone from the working class who can tackle the position more professionally due to experience.
We value you immensely. Thank you so much for showing interest.
Regards,
Lady Mingrove
“What does it say?” Amelia asked as soon as Ophelia was done reading the letter.
“Another rejection.”
Ophelia sat on the sofa beside her sisters who had been helping her find a working position in the peerage to secure some level of financial stability for the family. Although where Ophelia had been sure that her position as the daughter of a viscount and connection to the ton would help her earn a place much quicker, it had been the exact opposite. Any position she had applied for, had resulted in a letter marking rejection without even interviewing her. Evidently, they had all been singling her out because of her former status as a lady of the ton.
“We have tried applying to every position in the nearby villages. I believe nothing is even left,” Sarah replied, and Ophelia knew her sister was right.
She had been so invested in finding a position as soon as possible that she had applied to every position within the closest distance. Despite that, no one had shown even the slightest interest in hiring her for any work. She had applied as both the governess and a nanny and even tried applying for the position of piano teacher. Her skills were rather decent at the piano despite her not having practiced for a while.
But she had only faced rejection after rejection.
However, Ophelia was not disheartened. She had already decided to find a job to make sure her siblings had a better life, and her mother felt no need to marry an odious man, and she was going to do just that. No matter how much harder and longer she had to try, she would continue the pursuit.
“What shall we do now, Ophelia?” Sarah asked as Ophelia picked up the newspaper in front of her again. She was determined.
“You will not find anything new in there. I have already looked,” Amelia said, but Ophelia still kept looking.
“Ophelia, you do not have to shoulder this responsibility alone,” Sarah chimed in, “we will all work small jobs, and together, we just might be able to afford a better lifestyle. We cannot let you slave away alone while we enjoy.”
“I will not be slaving away, Sarah.” Ophelia looked up at her sister, “I want to do this for my family so I can provide you two with bigger and better opportunities. Let me try to help you.”
“Ophelia, we do not have much choice.”
“We do!” she exclaimed suddenly, her hand falling on another advertisement in the newspaper.
Sarah snatched away the papers from her lap and looked at where Ophelia was pointing before beginning to shake her head quickly. Ophelia had already expected this reaction, but she was not worried. She knew she had to do something for her mother and was determined enough to do it.
“Ophelia, this nanny position is for a little girl at the house of the Earl of Sommers. That is much too far from home!”
“How does it even matter? As the nanny, I will have to live in his mansion anyway, so I will not be returning home. And if I only have to return after such long periods, how does it matter if I stay far or closer?”
“You will at least be closer to us,” Amelia said, sounding concerned.
“I have not even applied yet. We must first do that and then worry about all else,” Ophelia reasoned, sitting down straight with her quill and parchment on the table. She knew that this time, she would need to word the letter smartly. She had already made the mistake of being rejected by everyone, but she could not afford to be rejected here.
“What is it you are thinking?” Sarah asked, sitting down beside Ophelia as she began to write.
“How to make sure they hire me.”
The Earl of Sommers,
I am writing to apply for the position of nanny in your household for the child in residence. I happened to come across the advertisement in a newspaper and deem myself fit for theposition. I have never worked as a nanny before, but as the eldest sister of three siblings, I have cared for children of all ages and am adept at the task.
I am educated and compassionate and would appreciate this position to be of any possible help.
Regards,
