Turning away, Mrs. Barton bustled off, though she paused and clarified, “The master did specify we make some modifications to your rooms. Please tell me if anything is not to your liking or if you desire any other furnishings.”
Judith nodded. “My thanks, Mrs. Barton.”
And the housekeeper hurried off to her work as the governess shook her head to herself.
“What is it, miss?” asked Alice.
Judith gave the nursemaid a wry smile. “If ever you hear an employer say they wish for you to tell them if anything is amiss with your quarters, keep your own counsel. That is not the first time I have heard such sentiments, and you would do best to learn from my mistake. Thank them for their generosity and tell them how perfectly comfortable your bedchamber is.”
Alice considered that with a frown. “I can’t imagine a master or mistress saying such things.”
Holding onto her smile, Judith nodded and led the way up. For all her sage advice, Judith had forgotten a key tenet of being a governess: she was not staff. Not entirely. Yes, she received a salary and was there at the behest of the family, but her gentility kept her from being counted amongst the ranks of the servants. Neither side viewed her as being one of them. She was something apart. Judith thought she ought to have become accustomed to such feelings, but it struck her at odd times just how out of place she was in the world.
And on its heels came a desire to escape into her quarters. Luckily, she did not have to wait long.
Leaving Alice to make her way to the nursery, Judith moved to the end of the hall where her bedchamber sat. Ready to drop her portmanteau and curl up on the bed, she pushed open the door. And paused. Judith straightened and cast her eyes about her room. Though she hadn’t stayed at Stowell Cottage for long before Mrs. Byrnes’s untimely passing and the children’s subsequent removal to their aunt and uncle’s home, Judith was familiar enough with the space to know precisely what had been here when she’d left.
The governess’s quarters varied somewhat from house to house, but there was a similarity to their simplicity. Four stark walls, a small window, and a bed. Most had a small fireplace (though the frequency with which she was allowed to use it varied greatly) and a chest of drawers or perhaps a wardrobe. Usually in good repair though plain. Her quarters here had been no different.
But now, her cot had been replaced with a proper bed, and it was shoved in a corner with two sides pressed against the walls, allowing enough space for a wardrobe and a desk along the wall opposite. All the furniture was simple yet far finer than any she’d had in her tenure as a governess. But to add to her shock, the desk had been supplied with candles, paper, and ink—a veritable treasure trove.
With a few quick steps, Judith dropped onto the bed and sighed. Today had been an interesting day to be sure and was bound to continue in that vein. A whole new household to acclimate to and a master who was too alluring for her good.
For a brief moment, Judith entertained the thought of finding a new position. Somewhere with a mistress of the house. A governess’s situation was all too fragile to risk taking a post with a widower. Her plain features were something mistresses prized and had served Judith well to keep her from garnering the attention of masters with wandering eyes. But a widowed man was an unknown entity.
She’d had such little interaction with masters that she hardly knew what to do with Mr. Byrnes. While Judith may be treated with warm civility, she was not the children’s mother nor did she have any authority outside of what the mistress bestowed. And though the occasional present might be given as a reward, for the most part, few mistresses would ever expend such funds on her comfort; Mr. Byrnes clearly did not understand how things ought to be, and though Judith appreciated how very soft the mattress was beneath her, she couldn’t help but think that it was yet another unknown and possibly problematic development.
It would not be difficult for her to find a different position.
But as quickly as she considered that, Judith dismissed it. The children had dealt with enough upheaval in their lives of late. In a six-month period, they had lost their mother, been uprooted from their home to stay with their aunt and uncle, and were now in the care of a man they hardly knew. The only constant they’d had of late was Judith, and she couldn’t bring herself to leave them. Besides, it was a cowardly course of action and only served to ease her embarrassment. No one knew of her feelings for Mr. Byrnes, and no one would. They were based on nothing but fickle attraction and a small kindness (which was quickly becoming kindnesses).
And there was something to be said of having no mistress. Perhaps Judith would have free rein to broaden Helen’s education. But that strain of thought led her back in the whirl of self-debate as to whether or not this change would be a boon or her doom.
There was still much of the day left, yet it had already proven a topsy-turvy thing, and Judith was grateful for a few minutes in her quiet quarters.
Chapter 5
Scowling at the correspondence scattered across his desk, Silas drummed his fingers against the polished wood. He supposed the reunion could have fared worse, but not by much. For all his fears about facing his children, he hadn’t expected such a cold reception. It was a good thing he’d brought so many presents. Griffith and Leah were amenable to a bribe, and with time, they might be happy to see him on his own merits and not his gifts’. Though Helen would be a more difficult puzzle to sort out.
The girl shared little of Deborah’s looks, other than their similarly pale complexion and dark eyes, but Helen had the same commanding air and inherent snobbery that looked down its nose at the world around her. Silas’s scowl deepened as he considered this obstacle. He’d never learned how to handle Deborah, but hopefully, there was enough of her papa in Helen to warm her to his charm. Unlike her mother.
A knock sounded at his study door, and Silas called for the intruder to enter, both irritated and grateful for the distraction; his children weren’t a problem he’d sort out right away, and fretting about them wasn’t going to give him any peace of mind or clarity.
The door opened, revealing the governess, and Silas motioned for her to take the seat opposite his desk. He hadn’t gotten much of an impression of her in the parlor, but he didn’t think she improved on closer inspection. The lady bore herself with the stiff formality Silas had feared he’d find. His children were too young for such rigidity; there was time enough for them to learn the strictures and constraints of society and so few years in which they could indulge in the freedom and whimsy of childhood.
“Miss Delmonte,” he said with a nod. There was something familiar about the lady, though Silas couldn’t decide what it was.
“You wished to see me, sir?” she asked in a clipped tone, and Silas groaned inwardly. Could she not even give a simple greeting without the cool aloofness of gentility? Though a crew maintained a strict order and decorum, it lacked the haughty pomp of society, and Silas preferred the former.
“As you have been given charge of my children’s education and well-being, I thought it best we become acquainted.”
Miss Delmonte maintained a schooled expression, but something hovered below the surface that caught his attention. Silas couldn’t put a finger on what precisely she was feeling or what about his statement inspired any sort of reaction, but it was there and gave him pause.
“I understand my wife employed you nearly a year ago,” he said.
Miss Delmonte nodded. “I placed an advertisement to which Mrs. Byrnes responded last spring. I have been with the family ever since.”
Going through the papers, he searched for the aforementioned correspondence, but there were too many sheets. Silas swore he’d had it not two minutes before.
