Chapter One
Edinburgh, Scotland
Two days later
Miranda took a deep, calming breath through her nose before releasing it slowly and forcing a calm demeanor. The footman extended his hand, offering his assistance from the carriage, and with a resolute step forward, she accepted.
Her eyes were drawn to the large manor before her. Gray stone rose high above the courtyard, with beautifully trimmed boxwoods that made her immediately homesick for London. Stepping from the carriage, her foot crunched along the gravel. She released the footman’s hand, and met the curious gaze of the elderly woman beside the door. Her back arched in a perfect posture that bespoke some English training. Miranda was drawn to her inviting smile, which was decidedly Scottish, not distant like most proper English servants.
“A pleasure, Miss Miranda.” The woman nodded kindly and stepped forward. “I’m the housekeeper, Mrs. Keyes. We’re quite delighted to have you on staff here at Kilmarin; you’ll be a blessin’ for sure.” A slight brogue leaked through the crisp accent.
Miranda nodded kindly, her mind whirling as to how to act like a governess when she had been raised the daughter of a duke. She gave a slight curtsey. “It’s a pleasure to be of assistance. Is the young lady I’m to educate in residence or still en route?”
Mrs. Keyes gave another smile, and a measure of Miranda’s tension melted. “She’s is most certainly in residence, Miss Miranda.”
Miranda wasn’t sure how her words were intended, but a shiver of foreboding trailed up her spine. Perhaps this wouldn’t be as easy as her sister, Liliah, had led her to believe.
Even as she thought of Liliah, her heart pinched with sorrow. How she missed her, and it hadn’t even been a fortnight! She quickly reminded herself that she would soon see her once again. As a newlywed, her sister surely deserved a measure of privacy.
A blush heated her face at the thought, but she pressed it to the back of her mind and focused on the task at hand
Blending in.
Being someone she was not—but that shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Hadn’t she done that most of her life?
“If you’ll follow me, Miss Miranda, I’ll show you to your room and give you some time to freshen up before dinner.” Mrs. Keyes signaled a footman with an efficient twist of her wrist, and Miranda followed the woman as she ambled up the marble stairs.
Mrs. Keyes nodded to the butler at the door. “Sothers, this is Miss Miranda. She is to be Miss Iris’s governess.”
The butler nodded his salt-and-pepper head and murmured a soft welcome.
Miranda curtseyed to him as well.
Her gaze lingered on the foyer. The flagstone tiles were a rich green color, one she would have associated with Ireland rather than Scotland, yet the color somehow fit. A coat of arms decorated a wall, along with an ancient-looking suit of armor. She eyed the sword dubiously, hoping it was anchored well to its position.
“Yes, Lord Kilpatrick keeps that old decrepit thing in the foyer. We’ve all done our best to encourage him to move it elsewhere, but it belonged to his grandfather, then his father, both of whom kept it in that very spot. A tragedy, if you ask me. So many other things would be far more welcomin’ for guests. Not tha’ we get them so often.” She shrugged and moved on.
Miranda bit her cheek to keep from grinning. Scotland was quite different from England; either that or servants spoke to other servants vastly differently from their betters. She had a suspicion it was the latter.
Even though it was acutely awkward to bypass the private quarters and follow Mrs. Keyes into the section of the house dedicated to the nursery, she reminded herself that this place wassafe.
It was strange how such a small word would mean so much.
As Mrs. Keyes opened the door, sunshine beamed through wide windows. Several tables were strategically positioned on the wooden floor, with several shelves of books lining the walls in between the windows. Miranda stepped into the room, her gaze taking in the vast view of the gardens that appeared to be behind Kilmarin. Green hills rolled in the distance, creating a picturesque scene before her. Hedgerows lined the gardens and stone archways led away from the middle courtyard into smaller ones, a fountain in the middle of it all.
“It’s majestic, is it not? Of course, I’m partial to the manor because I’ve been here since the master was in leading strings. But if I do say so myself, it’s stately enough.” Mrs. Keyes chimed in as she stood beside Miranda.
“It’s lovely,” Miranda agreed. “And the sky.” She blinked at the azure blue that seemed to be so much brighter than in London.
“Ach, that’s right. You’re from London. It’s a bit brighter here. Not always; we get our share of the rain, bein’ so close to the sea. But at least you’re not downtown Edinburgh. It’s more of the smoke you’re accustomed to. Though we’re only a mile out, it’s a bit fresher—yet you can still taste the sea.” She gave a carefree shrug of her shoulders.
Miranda inhaled through her parted lips, smiling as the tang of the sea teased her tongue, reminding her of the times when the wind blew from the sea into the City. “I do love the sea.”
“I’m sure Miss Iris will love an excursion or two.” Mrs. Keyes remarked, then stepped back away from the window. “Speaking of Miss Iris, you’ll be meeting her at dinner, and because none of the family are in residence, I’ve taken the liberty of setting the family table for just the two of you. I’m not certain how you’d prefer to take your supper, but being just the two of you, I figured you’d not want to eat alone.”
“Thank you, I’m sure that is preferable,” Miranda added, glancing to a nearby bookshelf.
“And do look over the volumes we have, then let me know if there’s anything you’re missing. Lord Kilpatrick wishes Miss Iris to have the best education possible, I’m sure you understand.”
