As much as he wished to toss her bodily from the house, it was not the correct course of action. Yet, it was the only one that came to his thoughts. With a silent prayer, he begged Miss Delmonte to return posthaste, for he would need her assistance if he was to get Ruth to see sense before his temper got the better of him once more.
Chapter 27
Years of honing her demure governess facade was proving quite useful at present, for it allowed Judith the ability to smile and take Helen by the hand without giving the child any sign of temper. It helped that poor Helen was not the one who deserved to receive the set-downs bubbling in Judith’s thoughts. And so, she comforted and teased a touch, leading Helen back to the safety of the hall while trying to shift the child’s attention away from the disaster taking place in her father’s study.
Handing Helen to Alice, Judith returned the way she came, her footsteps moving faster as she considered what awaited her. Chin jutting out, her fists swung at her side as she hurried through the house. Though irritation simmered in her heart, to say Judith was angry would be incorrect. Today had tested the whole of her emotional strength, leaving her without a single shred of patience for the squabbling adults who ought to know better. Judith was finished with this battle between Mr. Byrnes and Mrs. Slade.
She stepped into the study, ignoring the flash of relief in Mr. Byrnes’s expression when she closed the door behind her.
“We have no need of you, Miss Delmonte,” said Mrs. Slade with a dismissive wave.
“As she is an expert in childhood education, I would say we need her greatly,” replied Silas.
Mrs. Slade’s brows furrowed, her nose wrinkling as she considered her brother-in-law. “I hardly think we need the help’s input—”
“She is notthe help,” snapped Mr. Byrnes. “She isMiss Delmonte. I will not countenance you speaking to her with anything but respect, Ruth, so keep a civil tongue. She is a godsend to my household, and I trust her opinion on this matter implicitly.”
Despite the self-control that allowed her to maintain a stoic expression at such a declaration, Judith’s cheeks rebelled; they burned bright, revealing to all the world just how much those words meant to her. Mrs. Slade’s gaze narrowed as her eyes darted from her to Mr. Byrnes, and though Judith could not rein in those wayward cheeks, she did not let any other sign of her discomfort or pleasure show. Standing there with her hands clasped, she looked as every governess ought—if the governess had just finished a brisk walk on a biting winter’s day.
“Miss Delmonte, please, we would like your opinion on the matter of my eldest son, Felix.” Mr. Byrnes’s tone and expression were more honest than his words, for though he said he wished to discuss the matter, everything else about him said he did not.
Judith glanced at the study and turned the two chairs facing the desk around to the fireplace opposite. Mrs. Slade’s lips pursed, and her arms folded tighter around her, but she did not argue when Judith herded them into the seats. Refusing to find a seat for herself, Judith stood before them; Mr. Byrnes looked as though he were going to rise again, but she waved his chivalry away. She couldn’t sit at present.
“Certainly, it would be best if—” began Mr. Byrnes, but Judith held up a staying hand.
Mrs. Slade straightened, her imperious brow rising at that liberty and doubly so when Mr. Byrnes followed the prompting. Judith turned to the mantle, studying the painting above it. The landscape was the type of mediocre adornment so many families used when they had money but no taste for art; it was neither inspiring nor skillfully wrought, but it provided Judith a moment to think before she acted. As much as she wished to leap, it wouldn’t do to act hastily.
Besides, the silence allowed the squabblers a moment to calm themselves and reflect. Judith doubted it would do much good, but at the very least, it would unsettle them. In her experience, naughty children were always more amenable to confessing after a drawn-out pause. The longer, the better.
Judith knew what was needed—for the children’s sake if nothing else.
“Are we—” began Mrs. Slade.
Mr. Byrnes scowled. “Hush, Ruth.”
“Oh, really, Silas,” she continued. “This is ridiculous!”
“No,” said Judith, spinning to face them. Clasping her hands before her, Judith looked at the two, holding their gazes as she had never done with a master or mistress before. “‘Ridiculous’ is two adults shouting at each other like street vendors on a busy London thoroughfare. The entire household heard every word, and yet, you gave no heed to the callous things you bandied about. What sort of example are you setting for those children?”
Mrs. Slade rose to her feet. “I do not have to explain myself to the—”
“Ruth.” Mr. Byrnes’s tone held more than a note of warning.
The lady drew herself up, her nose rising to the heavens. “You may wish to be dictated to byMiss Delmonte, but allowing your governess to run roughshod over you will lead to your children’s ruin.”
Judith scowled, holding her gaze as she replied, “And teaching the children to despise their papa will ruin them as well. Do you truly believe shouting and bullying Mr. Byrnes will get you anything but heartache? What sort of example does that set for them?”
Mrs. Slades’ brows rose at that, her mouth dropping into the sort of gape that would’ve earned a reprimand from the young Mrs. Slade’s governess.
“Can you not see it, Ruth?” added Mr. Byrnes with arms thrown wide. “You are hurting—”
“No.” Judith did not shout. She did not need to. Years of practice had given her a tone that inspired silence from unruly children, and the pair before her was nothing more than larger versions. “You do not get to gloat or condemn, Mr. Byrnes. You are no better. I’ve heard you speak to Mrs. Slade and of her, and your conduct is shameful. Whether or not Mrs. Slade has behaved poorly, it does not justify you calling her ‘a spiteful crone.’ Not ever.”
Mr. Byrnes’s mouth slackened as well, his brows pulled together as though trying to recall when he’d said such a thing.
“Whether or not you wish to admit it, the children were lost and alone when their mother passed. They needed family, and you were absent. Mr. and Mrs. Slade opened their home to them without question or hesitation, upending their lives to care for their nieces and nephew.” Judith held Mr. Byrnes’s gaze, hoping each word was the proper one, infusing it with all the feelings in her heart.
Motioning to Mrs. Slade, Judith added, “She gave them the attention and affection the children required at that difficult time, and all while shouldering her own grief. She had just lost her sister, but she set aside her pain, stepping into her sister’s shoes to care for her children—only to be shunted aside the moment you arrived home. You rarely extend an invitation to the Slades nor bring the children by for visits, and so she has lost yet more family. Can you not see how much this must pain her?”
