“Aye, I can.” Pride crept into her voice. “I can read English and Latin, and I can speak French. I ken how to do figures too, and—” she stopped abruptly, as if realizing she’d said too much.
Elijah’s eyebrows rose. “That’s… quite an education for a lass from a small village.”
“A neighbor taught me.” Piper’s hand went to the necklace at her throat. “Before she died. She said every woman should ken how to better herself.”
“Yer neighbor was a wise woman.” Elijah made a mental note to ask about that necklace later—it looked too fine for avillager’s daughter to own. “And her teachings give ye exactly the qualifications I need.”
“For what?”
“Be me bairns’ governess.”
Piper stared at him. “Yer… what?”
“Me bairns’ governess.” Elijah kept his voice steady, even as part of him questioned the wisdom of this plan. “I have two bairns—a daughter of twelve and a son of nine. They need someone to teach them, to guide them. Someone kind, patient, and educated.”
“Ye want me to teach yer children?” Piper said the words slowly, like she couldn’t quite believe them.
“Aye.”
“But ye daenae ken me. For all ye ken, I could be terrible with bairns. I could be cruel or neglectful.”
“Are ye any of those things?”
“Nay, but…”
“Then I’m willin’to take the chance.” Elijah took a step closer, carefully. “Look, Piper. I need a governess. Me bairns have been without one for too long, and I daenae have time to search for someone suitable. Ye need a position that gives ye independence and security. This solves both our problems.”
“And ye’d pay me? A real wage?”
“Aye. We’d draw up a proper contract—terms, wages, responsibilities, all of it in writin’. Ye’d have yer own chambers in the castle, access to the library, meals with the family if ye wanted. And ye’d be free to leave at any time, just as I vowed.”
Piper’s eyes narrowed. “There has to be a catch.”
“The only catch is that ye’d have to actually teach me bairns. And fair warnin’, they can be… spirited.”
“Spirited?”
“Me daughter thinks she kens everythin’ and has nay use for a faither who’s never around. Me son pretends he doesnae care about anythin’ but secretly wants approval he thinks he’ll never get.” Elijah ran a hand through his hair. “They’re good bairns, but they’ve been through a lot. Lost their maither when they were young. And I… I havenae been the faither they needed.”
There was a long silence.Piper looked at him with an expression he couldn’t quite read—part suspicion, part curiosity, part something that might have been sympathy.
“Why are ye tellin’me this?” she asked quietly.
“Because ye should ken what ye’re agreein’ to. If ye take this position, it willnae be easy. Me children need someone who’ll care about them, nae just go through the motions.” He held her gaze. “And I think ye might be that someone.”
“Ye barely ken me,” she repeated, but there was less conviction in it now.
“I kenye bit a man who tried to grab ye. I ken ye kept runnin’ even when ye thought ye had nay chance. I ken ye’re smart enough to question everythin’ I say instead of just acceptin’ it.” Elijah’s voice softened. “And I ken ye understand what it’s like to need someone to care, because ye had a neighbor who did that for ye once. That’s enough for me.”
Piper’s hand tightened on her necklace. For a moment, Elijah thought she might cry. Then she straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin.
“A contract,”she said. “In writin’. With me wages clearly stated.”
“Aye.”
“And me own chambers. With a lock on the door.”
“Aye.”
