‘I hope you will be successful, sir,’ I say fervently.
We reach the top of the stairs, and he smiles down at me. I’m struck again by how handsome he is—and much too young to be a widower. ‘I think I am close to finding one, Florence. Which is why I need your help.’
‘Of course, sir. I’m glad to be of service.’
He nods. ‘I’ve put you in the room nextdoor to Charlie. Sometimes he has bad dreams and needs comforting. I know it’s out of the scope of a governess’s duties, but as I conduct important experiments in my basement laboratory, I may be too busy to attend to him. I trust that you do not mind? You would only need to hold his hand and speak softly to him, and he will go back to sleep after a few moments.’
‘I don’t mind at all, sir.’
Poor little Charlie, he does sound in a bad way.
Now that I’m starting to get a feel for what’s required of me, I’m eager for us to get along.
I set down my suitcase outside Charlie’s room. Dr Dryden inches open the bedroom door and beckons me to follow him inside, then closes it behind us promptly. Charlie’s room is considerably darker than the other rooms in the house due to the tightly drawn drapes. It’s so dark in here that I’m struggling to make anything out. There’s a light floral scent that’s not unpleasant; it smells like rose water has been sprinkled around.
Taking a cautious step forward, I touch the edge of a rug with my foot and feel around in case there’s something there that might trip me up. I consider asking Dr Dryden to light a candle, but as soon as I think that, his hand is placed on the small of my back. He has touched my wrist previously, so it’s not too shocking. But still ... it gives me a funny tingle in my lowerbelly.
‘Let me guide you,’ he whispers. ‘I would light a candle, but we will only be a minute.’
‘All right,’ I whisper back, thinking that he must have excellent eyesight as I can’t see a blasted thing.
We inch forward slowly in the darkness, like participants in a blind dance ritual. The ridiculousness of the situation strikes me, and I smother a giggle before it can erupt. How awful if I laughed now! He would think me terribly rude and unfeeling when his son is so ill.
We come to a halt, and by then, my eyes have adjusted a little so I can make out the shape of a bed. I’m all at sea, but my searching fingers reach the comforting shore of a soft, plush bedcover. As soon as I’m anchored, Dr Dryden removes his hand from my back and whispers to someone at the top of the bed. There’s a rustling as a figure shifts beneath the cover, and a thin quavering voice calls out, ‘Is it evening, Papa?’
‘Shh now, not for a few more hours. But your new governess is here. Miss Hughes. I wish for you to meet her.’
There’s a silence for a few moments, as if Charlie is considering this.
‘Very well, Papa,’ he says wearily as if he would rather go back to sleep. ‘Please sit down, Miss Hughes, so I can look at you.’
Surprised by this request, I hesitate. Surely, there needs tobe a candle lit for that to happen?
But Dr Dryden presses lightly on my shoulder, and I sink dutifully onto the side of the bed, my heart thumping in my ribcage.
After a moment, there’s more rustling. Then a pale face emerges out of the darkness, so close to mine that I can’t help but shrink back in fear. But for some reason, I can’t seem to move my limbs, they feel heavy as lead.
‘Don’t be alarmed, Miss Hughes. It’s just me, Charlie.’ The young boy’s voice is as smooth as silk. A cool hand strokes lightly on top of mine, and a feeling of calm laps at the edges of my nervousness. I take a breath. ‘Pleased to meet you.’
I strain to see him better, but Charlie’s features are indistinguishable, except for a pair of glinting eyes that seem to be inspecting me.
‘Yes, she will do, Papa,’ he murmurs at last, and the pale face dissipates into the darkness, and there’s further rustling as if he’s lying back down. ‘I will see you later this evening, Miss Hughes, for our lessons.’ There’s amusement in his tone.
‘Y-yes, of course,’ I stutter.
He yawns; then there’s complete silence.
Dr Dryden has remained quietly by my side throughout this exchange and now puts a hand under my elbow,inviting me to stand.
‘We’ll go now,’ he whispers in my ear.
Feeling as if I’m in a trance, I let him guide me across the room to the door. As soon as he opens it, I stumble through in a panic, feeling like I’m being watched. He closes the door promptly after us.
The dim landing seems almost brightly lit after the suffocating darkness, and I’m mightily relieved to be out of that nightmarish bedroom.
Without awaiting my opinion on what just transpired, Dr Dryden picks up my suitcase and gestures towards the door to the right of Charlie’s. ‘This is your room, Miss Hughes. You may spend the afternoon as you wish. But we will partake of supper together this evening. As I mentioned, my son and I usually dine out, but we will make an exception this once—to welcome you to our home.’
‘So Charlie will be joining us?’ I enquire, twisting the handle and lingering in the doorway.
