Mr. Warrington swept in and gathered the child in his arms, attempting to redirect the determined girl from the grass and dirt.
Rachel tilted her head to the side, and a glint glimmered in her eye. “Did you not say that you were a teacher? It would be so nice for them to have a teacher—a governess—like you.”
“I’m not a governess. Anyway, I’m sure Mr. Warrington will make arrangements for them on that front when the time comes.”
“Mrs. Towler has already selected one, a fancy one, or so I’m told. But she will not arrive for several months. Apparently she is traveling with the family she’s currently engaged with.” Rachel raised her brow. “But I know my brother would like a governess for the children sooner rather than later. And besides, isn’t a governess really a teacher who lives with a family?”
It was impossible not to interpret Rachel’s meaning.
How had Cassandra not at least thought of it? She was in need of a position. Mr. Warrington had said that he owed her a favor. Could it even be a possibility?
It would not do to raise false hope. “I very much doubt that I am the sort of person your brother and Mrs. Towler have in mind.”
Rachel shrugged. “I meant nothing untoward by it. Anyway, I must be off, but will you come to call at Briarton Park presently? My brother has expressly forbade me from leaving the grounds without his permission, but he’s said nothing about not having visitors.”
The girl exuded eagerness. How could she tell her no? She’d beenthrough a great ordeal. If Cassandra could help her, it would make her feel like she was doing something worthy. Plus, she really would cherish the company. “I should like that very much.”
“Good. Tomorrow, perhaps late afternoon?”
Cassandra nodded and watched as Rachel rejoined her family. She said something to Mr. Warrington, and they both looked in her direction. Mr. Warrington bowed from a distance.
She watched him with the youngest girl. She could help him. She was capable of being a governess. She needed a position. And it was right in the village where she needed to be.
The crowd that had gathered began to thin, and she spotted Betsy, who motioned for her to join her. “My, my. Speaking with the Warringtons. The next thing you know, you will be speaking with the Prince Regent himself.”
“Don’t be silly. Miss Warrington is my friend, just like you are.”
Betsy clicked her tongue. “She’s kin to the owner of a mill. Most people here work in a mill or are related to someone who does. Lines are drawn very quickly. Just be cautious as to which side you are on.”
Chapter 14
Cassandra lifted her face to the sunshine, allowing its bright light to flood over her face and cloaked shoulders. She closed her eyes and let its subtle warmth caress her cheeks.
At this very moment she felt free. Here, outside in the fresh air, she could pretend it was an early spring day back in Lamby and nothing at all had changed. That she was surrounded by the children in her care and confident in her role.
And then she opened her eyes.
The rosy memory faded into her current reality.
She was not surrounded by the girls at her school, but by the other female boarders who were scattered over the hill on patchwork blankets and clad in dark cloaks. There was no green grass or cheery spring buds, only the muted colors of an autumnal terrain, a colorless sky, white sun, and bare, gray trees.
Their picnic was situated on a hill at the end of the high street near the road that turned off to the mills and other buildings. From where they sat, not too far from the church, they overlooked the village of Anston. A stone wall separated them from the high street and the activity that bustled along the cobbles.
Cassandra shifted her gaze to her companions. She was grateful to be included in the outing, but despite the kindness from Betsy,she felt like an outsider. She’d belonged to one place for so long, would she ever really feel comfortable anywhere else?
“Did you ever go on picnics in Lamby?” Betsy removed a piece of bread from their basket sitting between them.
“All the time.” Cassandra leaned forward to select a slice.
“With your family?”
Cassandra stiffened. It was a simple question—one that any friend might ask another. Given her current confusion over Mr. North’s character, she decided to disregard his warning about sharing too much of her personal life. “No. I don’t have any family in Lamby. I was a teacher at a girls’ school. During the warm months I would often take my pupils on picnics after church.”
Betsy took a bite of the bread. “Ah, a girls’ school, was it? Very fancy.”
Cassandra could not help but chuckle. “I’m not surefancyis how I’d describe it, but it was my home.”
“Where is your family then?”
