“Oh, pooh to that,” she muttered. “I refuse to speak in a polite, well-modulated voice if one of my siblings annoys me. They will laugh hysterically.”
“So, I cannot talk to a gentleman first without being introduced by someone?” Matilda mused. “That sounds excessively silly.”
“Do not talk like a man is another silly rule,” Anna added. “How is a lady to talk like a man when she’s not one?”
“It’s not easy, I’ll give you that, and while some of the rules do sound silly, unfortunately, they are the rules that govern you when you enter society, so if you don’t adhere to them, it will be quite scandalous.” Eliza winked at the girls, and they giggled.
She’d been at 11 Crabbett Close for ten days now, andother than the large, gruff, and extremely rude Mungo, who she did her best to keep her distance from, her life was simply wonderful.
The ugliness of her arrival was a distant memory, and now she woke each day happier than she had ever been and ready to spend more time with these amazing Nightingales.
Open and generous, they were a real family, unlike any of the others she’d worked for. These people actually seemed to care for one another. It was a wonderful thing to witness.
Eliza didn’t know all their history, but knew something had happened to force the older members out of society. Fred had told her that the family had once been disgraced, but Eliza didn’t wish to pry further.
And the young adults she was in charge of were wonderful. Headstrong, but Eliza secretly loved that, when for so long, she’d looked after vapid young ladies who had been raised to be perfect society members.
“Fred, you will enter society next season, if you wish to do so.” That had been another surprise to Eliza. Bramstone and Ivy Nightingale would not force their nieces and nephews to enter should they not wish it. “But do you wish to feel comfortable or stand out for all the wrong reasons?”
Fred, Matilda, and Anna all thought about that.
“I don’t think I want to enter because I’m an orphan and I don’t have the right blood,” Anna said matter-of-factly, as if she was discussing the weather.
“It’s red, isn’t it?” Matilda asked.
“Of course it’s red, but I don’t know who my parents are, so that’s not good, surely?”
“Oooh!” Fred cried suddenly. “You could have royal parents.”
Anna rolled her eyes at that but laughed.
“Or they could be actors in a traveling show. Or circus folk,” Matilda said, looking excited over the prospect.
Whatever Anna decided would be supported by every member of this family. That was never in doubt to Eliza.
Which was the opposite experience to what had happened when Eliza moved into her uncle’s household, things were not discussed. They were swept under the rug to fester. But not here. In this household, things were gnawed on until there was a resolution. She’d heard the arguments and heated debates, but there was always a conclusion, and any unhappiness was dealt with.
They were all different in their own ways. While Fred and Matilda were sisters and shared facial features, Anna was most like Matilda in nature.
Eliza caught her looking out the window.
“How about a walk around the close?” A break would help, as they appeared to be at an impasse.
She loved teaching them but knew they enjoyed their time with their tutor more, as they loved maths, geography, and similar subjects. What she was teaching them, as far as they were concerned, was silly. Eliza secretly agreed, and yet it was necessary. She would ensure these three entered society and were noticed for all the right reasons.
“Yes, let’s walk,” Fred said.
“Excellent. You collect your outer clothing, and I shall meet you downstairs,” Eliza said.
She then hurried to her room on the floor above, and as she reached the stairs, Mungo was approaching.Damn, she didn’t have time to get up them before he arrived.
“Good day to you.”
He nodded.
“It’s polite to return a greeting,” Eliza said, gritting her teeth as she stood on the first step. It was better if she was at least looking at him directly and not tilting her head.
“You’ve been here for ten days and not worked out that I’m rude.”
