Annie, the governess, smiled from her chair by the window where she helped Samantha – the oldest at almost five – to read a book open at the table. Samantha’s favourite wasA Description of Three Hundred Animalsof which Thea heartily approved and one she quite enjoyed herself. At least she had the first twenty or so times they read it together. It did contain a unicorn which made her question its accuracy, but it also brought back happy memories of a triumphant time with Martha at the Royal Society, so she ensured Samantha understood the difference between the animals by writing ‘real’ or ‘mythical’ in the margin. She’d left out the ones where natural philosophy was not yet sure.
She sat on the floor and took a wooden cow offered by Edward. ‘Moo,’ she said loudly as she made it prance along the rug on the floor. Edward laughed as always, and Abigail clapped her hands. Thea liked to see the children in the mornings as well as the evenings. Many thought she overindulged them with too much of her time, but they brought life and enthusiasm to her days. If she forgot about the surprise horror that had been childbirth, at least.
‘What’s on the cards today?’ she asked, bopping Abigail on the nose with a carthorse while her cheekiest daughter pulled at Musket’s ear. He sat stoic in his duty to entertain.
‘Mr Fenwick’s first day,’ said Annie, injecting excitement into her voice for the children’s benefit. ‘He is coming for his first lessons with Edward.’
‘Of course,’ said Thea, the carthorse falling to her lap. ‘I had almost forgotten. ‘And for Samantha.’
‘Naturally,’ smiled Annie.
George had been keen to start Edward on French and mathematics to give him a head start for Eton. Thea had suggested that she pick the tutor, and he had agreed. One less job for him. Thea had convinced her old tutor, Mr Fenwick, to take on the role and knew he would do a great job of a scientific education for the girls and Edward, in addition to the usual subjects of languages, maths and English which she supposed would be a benefit. If she couldn’t offer her girls autonomy, she could offer them a reasonable education at least.
They played for a full hour with a break for the children’s breakfast, before there was a knock at the door. The reassuring form of the butler appeared.
‘Morning, Fletcher,’ she said as she stood, always delighted to see him.
‘Good morning, Your Grace,’ he said with his usual stoicism, but she saw the ghost of a smile flit across his lips as Samantha barrelled into him. She had always had an affection for the gruff but kind butler, and Thea knew it was reciprocated. He patted her on the head fondly but respectfully as she clung to his leg. ‘I have Mr Fenwick, Your Grace’ he said. ‘Should I see him in?’
‘Indeed,’ said Thea, almost feeling a prick of excitement. ‘The children are dying to meet him.’ Fletcher bowed, looked down at his leg, and then ushered Mr Fenwick into the room. The tutor had put on a little weight since she had last seen him andwas greying at the temples but that was to be expected, Thea supposed. He must be over fifty now. He had never been a particularly tall man but held himself well and was assured in his actions. He was always immaculately dressed in a three-piece suit and today was no exception. He strode into the room and bowed to Thea.
‘Your Grace,’ he said. ‘What a pleasure it is to see you again.’ Unlike most of the people who had to say this kind of thing to her day in, day out, she knew he was genuine.
‘And you, Mr Fenwick, she said, ‘although it feels strange for you to bow to me, I do wish you wouldn’t.’
‘You were always destined for great things.’ She found his familiar voice so soothing. A little gruffer than it had been, but still the voice that had taught her the basics of physics, chemistry and botany that continued to delight her.
‘Oh, not great by my design,’ she said, feeling self-conscious. ‘There is little easier than marrying into a rich family when you have a name.’
‘And nothing harder than making it a success,’ he said kindly.
Thea glanced at Fletcher who was in the process of gently disentangling himself from Samantha. ‘Indeed,’ she said quietly, wondering if she would have someone else in the house who understood her difficulties. Sometimes she would like to confide in Annie, but she was rarely without the children.
‘The duke has requested your presence at breakfast, Your Grace,’ Fletcher said, standing neatly by the door. Thea looked at him, careful not to give anything away – George rarely required her presence anywhere they weren’t out in society, but she couldn’t let the staff see her surprise.
‘Thank you, Fletcher,’ she said, and then turned to the recently arrived tutor. ‘Mr Fenwick, I do hope you enjoy your time here. Annie will ensure you are well informed as to the ways of the household, and the children will be attentive students I am sure,won’t you all?’ she said, directing a firm look at both Samantha and Edward.
‘Yes mother,’ they chorused, and Mr Fenwick bowed to her as she left.
George glanced over his paper and nodded in greeting as she entered the breakfast room. He returned to reading with no further acknowledgement. She knew better than to interrupt his concentration. He looked a solitary figure, at the head of the table surrounded by silverware and fine porcelain. The wallpaper was still the sickly yellow florals that his mother had chosen because he didn’t want to upset her. Thea sat at the opposite end of the table to her husband. He remained silent, so she resolved to enjoy her breakfast.
Somehow Fletcher was already in the dining room and came to pour her coffee. He was assisted by two footmen, and a girl Thea didn’t recognise bringing in more bread buns and scattering some cutlery. George scowled. Mrs Phibbs, the housekeeper, shooed the girl out and shot Thea a look of apology.
‘New?’ mouthed Thea, trying to interrupt George as little as possible.
Mrs Phibbs, obviously supervising the new girl, widened her eyes as she nodded, and Thea smirked into her coffee, breathing in its satisfying aroma. As she broke into a bun, the fresh, warm scent of carraway lifted her spirits and she said thanks for her supportive household staff who knew just how to provide the moments of fortitude she needed in her day.
Both Fletcher and Mrs Phibbs had been a great comfort when she had joined the Crowe Household. The first time she saw the country estate at Hawkdean was the day she moved in. The scale of it, the history of George’s family displayed in thechapel and the house, the abundance of staff and the ostentation of decoration had been overwhelming. Thea’s mother had experienced either a fit of generosity or a doubting of Thea’s abilities as a wife and allowed the Milford housekeeper Mrs Phibbs to join the Ducal household. Fletcher had been Martha’s butler, and as Martha travelled, she needed only a skeleton staff. Thea found the link to Martha brought her relief. She could share stories with Fletcher and knew he enjoyed hearing about Martha’s travels. Or had enjoyed it, at least, when they used to have news. The Hartford’s London house in Whitehall, where they currently stayed for the London season, was lavish, modern, and perfectly situated by the river. Happily its size meant that she and George could lead separate lives as much as possible.
Sanders, one of the footmen, entered the room and bowed. ‘The post, Your Graces,’ he said, before handing a letter to Thea. She recognised the seal immediately as her family’s and knew it would be from Ursula. That drew some comfort at least; the distance from her family was harder than she had imagined. She popped the seal and folded open the parchment as she sipped her coffee.
Ursula always began with an appraisal of what had changed in the collections. Without Thea at home, the natural philosophy collections weren’t her father’s focus, but growing was, and Ursula helped him to record and classify the many specimens he grew and dried, and that she painted. He had a new variety ofStapelia, Thea was pleased to hear, aSanseveriaand theGerberashad flowered for the third-year running. Thea knew that Ursula would enjoy painting those with their brightly coloured blooms.
Their father and mother were both well – thank goodness – but their other sister Tabitha was a problem as always. She and her husband were on another tour of Europe, gambling theirway through cities and causing Thea to have to support them out of her own purse. She just prayed that George never found out. His inattention to estate matters did have some benefits.
Then a paragraph which made Thea’s heart skip.
I was out with Jane Harker and Scip pushing me in the chair, and we passed the entrance to Denbury. I know how keen you have been to have news of Martha, but I am sad to say I can provide you with none. We circuited the whole house and saw nobody – not even the gardeners although they are evidently not gone entirely as the place is kept up pleasantly. I cannot think they would be doing it without Martha’s instruction or remuneration and so I am heartened that she is well. Perhaps not the news you wished for, or I hoped to bring to you, however, I hope you are reassured of her safety.
