“I am sure there is one in my study you can borrow,” he replied, glancing up from the morning paper.
Although Frances got the sense that he had not actually been reading it, for he had been on the same page for rather a long time. Rather, it felt as if he were there to observe, like she was being assessed on her teaching as much as Harriet was being assessed on her learning.
“What shall we do today?” Harriet asked excitedly, her hand creeping around her teacup into old habits as her enthusiasm took over. “The pianoforte? The viola? The flute? I can perform my best pieces.”
Frances softened. “You can play as a reward, for I already know you are a gifted musician. That will serve you well, but only in certain situations.” She kept Dominic in her periphery, watching his expression. “Rather, I thought we might rehearse a promenade, out in the gardens, so you will have some idea what to expect if a gentlemen should ask to promenade with you.”
“Yes!” the girl shrieked, clapping her hands together. “Oh, yes, that is far better than playing my instruments! Shall I enlist one of the footmen to help us? Shall I send for Uncle Hugo?”
Laughing at the girl’s contagious excitement, Frances shook her head. “There will be no need for that. You will see what I mean once we are out in the gardens.” She nodded down to Harriet’s half-empty plate. “Now, finish your breakfast so we can begin… but do not rush. Even the small, seemingly mundane things are important, and you must practice until it feels effortless.”
With a slight grumble of indignation, Harriet resumed the delicate eating of her eggs, though Frances was not oblivious to the lingering gleam of excitement in the girl’s eyes.
The hardest part of all of this, I fear, will be ensuring you do not fall in love with every gentleman you meet.She had seen countless young ladies fall foul of their tender hearts, easily manipulated by wily men who flattered and dazzled. She had seen countless young ladies fall in love with the magic of society, losing their minds with all the dancing and parties and balls and events, until they could no longer see danger.
For many girls, it was the first time they had enjoyed any freedom, especially when they were on a dance floor, away from a chaperone. It could lead to mistakes, and Frances hoped she could teach Harriet well enough that the girl would avoid the majority of pitfalls.
But she has been stuck in the countryside for so long that, perhaps, nothing I teach will be enough to protect her once she is out in society.To this lively girl, Frances was worried it might be like letting a bird out of its cage with the futile hope that it would come back of its own accord.
Suddenly, Dominic folded his newspaper, smacked it down on the table and announced, “I think I will join you.”
“What?” Harriet gaped at him. “Father, no! I cannot pretend to promenade if you are there!”
Dominic met his daughter’s horrified stare with a hard stare of his own. “And when you promenade in real life, where will I be?”
Harriet closed her mouth, a scowl creasing her brow.
“Exactly,” he remarked, as he raised his hand to summon a footman for more coffee.
He did not even glance at Frances. If he had, he would have seen a similarly displeased glint inhereyes, too.
The rose gardens were some of the prettiest Frances had ever seen, white gravel pathways marking the perfect guide for a promenade, high sandstone walls separating each part of the gardens into their own private worlds.
It will be beautiful here in the summer, when the roses bloom.She smiled at the sprouting buds, so full of potential.
Dominic stood by the rose garden gate, as though he were a statue. Meanwhile, Harriet swayed nervously, her hands clasped, awaiting instruction. A short distance from her,Catherine had her head bowed, her gaze fixed on the ground, looking as out of place as she no doubt felt.
But that was about to change.
“Let us begin,” Frances declared. “Harriet, you go and sit on that bench over there with Catherine. Pretend you are a young lady and her chaperone, deep in conversation, discussing what you overheard last night at a dinner party.”
Without hesitation, Harriet hurried over to the bench and sat down, though Catherine was slower to move. Perhaps, she might have refused, her shyness too overwhelming, had Harriet not eagerly beckoned to the lady’s maid.
“Come to me, Catherine,” the young woman urged. “It shall be such fun! As I have no notion of what anyone says at a dinner party, you shall be the perfect help.”
Catherine raised her head, a flush of pink blossoming in her cheeks, a faint smile upon her lips. “Of course, my lady. I shall… do what I can.”
She joined Harriet on the bench, and, to Frances’ delight, they began to talk as if they really were so well acquainted with one another. Indeed, Frances could almost imagine them in Hyde Park on a lovely spring afternoon, confiding secrets, conjuring stories of all the people who walked by.
Bolstered by the first part of her scheme, Frances cast a sly look at Dominic. “Your Grace, I have a request.”
He turned to her, wariness lifting his eyebrow ever so slightly. “What request might that be?”
“I need to borrow your tailcoat,” Frances replied.
“Pardon?”
“Your coat. I need to borrow it.”
