How typical of a puffed-up, self-important military man to be so oblivious of everything beyond his duty to king and country. And, of course, himself.
“Perhaps start with their names and ages—assuming that you know them.” That flippant comment earned her another nudge under the table from Miss P.
“Yes… of course.” He shuffled in his seat momentarily. “Felix—my nephew—is the eldest. He is ten and likes insects and cricket in that order.” Bizarrely, the corners of the captain’s mouth curved upward slightly. Almost as if he actually possessed some human feelings.
“I know it is unconventional for a boy to be educated by a governess, Georgina, as they usually go away to school.” Miss P interrupted to pat Georgie’s arm. “But under the unique circumstances, I have assured the good captain here that you are quite capable of providing a suitable curriculum for him as well as for the girls.” Then she smiled at him. “Pray continue, sir. You were telling us about the children.”
“Yes… well… Marianne is nine and fancies herself both an opera singer and a ballerina.” The lips miraculously curved some more and drat him, the smile suited him. “Then the youngest, little Grace, is five and has so much energy she doesn’t quite know what todo with it all.” The wistful smile made him seem almost… tolerable, despite making him more annoyingly handsome. “Beyond bump into the furniture. Usually at speed. Fortunately, her bones appear to be made of rubber, so she hasn’t broken one yet.” As if he suddenly realized he was smiling, he sipped his tea to kill it stone dead. “Thank goodness.”
“They sound delightful.” Miss P said exactly what Georgie was thinking. Or at least part of what she was thinking because half her thoughts were still contemplating what Captain Kincaid’s smiles meant.
That he could smile at all was, in all fairness, a massive point in his favor, as the colonel hadn’t possessed any smiling muscles at all.
“They are.” His half smile wavered until he nailed it back in place—making Georgie wonder if he were being entirely honest. “Of course they are. They are perhaps a tad boisterous at times…” Then, there was a touch of panic in his eyes. “But I am sure they are nothing that someone of the experience of Miss Rowe here cannot handle. Miss Prentice assured me that all governesses from this school are masters in the art of disciplining the unruly and are sticklers for running an ordered ship.”
Before Georgie could respond, her mentor’s foot came down on hers in warning. “Miss Rowe will be the undisputed mistress of her classroom, Captain, so you’ll have nothing to worry about on that score. She is an excellent teacher. One of the best I have ever had the pleasure of nurturing. Your nieces and nephew will thrive under her tutelage.”
“Splendid…splendid.” His eyes darted to hers again—no doubt taking in her diminutive but depressingly sturdy stature and vivid, rebellious hair—and didn’t look convinced. She would have opened her mouth to reassure him that she was far mightier than she looked and nobody should be daft enough to judge a book by its unpleasant orange cover, but Miss Prentice’s slipper was still pressing down on her instep to remind her that she was supposedly mute. “Not that I have a classroom, or even a nursery for that matter, as I’ve never had any use for either. But of course I have the space for both if she needs them, and I shall equip them with whatever Miss Rowe sees fit.”
Georgie felt Miss P stiffen. “Is there a Mrs. Kincaid, Captain?”
“No.” When he saw the older woman’s eyes widen, he caught on quickly that his bachelor status was a potential fly in the ointment. “But I have a cook—Mrs. Rigby—who lives in. As does Polly, the maid, so Miss Rowe will not be the only female residing in the house. Plus Marianne and Grace, of course. Not that two little girls really should be considered chaperones, but…” Uncomfortable, he lifted his cup again rather than glance Georgie’s way in case even a glance would label him as a despoiler in Miss P’s eyes. “I can assure you everything in my house is above board. I am an officer and a gentleman, madam, as anyone who knows me will attest.” He took a sip of his beverage with the casual, commanding air of someone who was obviously beyond reproach, then almost choked on it at the older woman’s next question.
“Is there a lock on her bedchamber door? For if there isn’t, I will have to insist on the immediate installation of a sturdy one to which only Miss Rowe has the key.”
“There isn’t, madam, but obviously I will honor your request, as that is only proper.” He now seemed so mortified by the implication Georgie almost felt sorry for him. Especially as she sincerely doubted that a man who looked like him had to resort to barging his way into short, uninspiring, freckle-faced, ginger-haired governesses’ bedchambers to slake his urges. Not when some of the scandalous ladies of thetonwere probably queuing outside his already. A tall, dark, handsome, and wealthy man, especially one who hadthe right to wear regimentals, would probably have to beat them off with a stick. “However, I feel that I must also reiterate that as an officer and a gentleman, Miss Prentice, I take both of those responsibilities with the utmost seriousness. And always have. As Nelson himself once said, one cannot be a good officer without being a gentleman.”
Miss P pressed on her instep again before Georgie blurted out that the philandering Nelson was hardly the best example of gentlemanliness to quote from. “I am exceedingly pleased to hear that, Captain.” As much as she minded biting her tongue, it was impressive to watch her mentor in action. Somehow, she had managed to flip this situation on its head and had turned him into the interviewee. Without skipping a beat, Miss P changed the awkward subject. “It goes without saying that you would want the children to be taught a broad curriculum that embraces the essentials as well as the arts and sciences. Miss Rowe has a particular specialism in the sciences. She is also rather musical and can teach your nieces piano if you have one.”
“I’m afraid I don’t.” By his frown, he was now contemplating buying one of those, too, if it would help, but Miss P waved it away.
“Do you have any particular topics you would wish to see on her curriculum?”
“Er… apart from some much-needed decorum and discipline, not really.” There was a long silence which her mentor made no attempt to fill, and the foot at the end of his crossed leg began to bounce. “I should probably mention that the children have a… dog.” He stared straight at Georgie and there was that slight glint of panic again. “You are not afraid of dogs, are you, Miss Rowe? Only he is quite attached to the children and prefers not to be parted from them.”
“She adores all of God’s furry creatures, Captain Kincaid, so the addition of a faithful hound will hardly faze her.”
Georgie nodded, and he exhaled with relief until the upright naval officer returned again with a vengeance. He stood, no doubt intentionally to regain the upper hand. “Splendid. When can you start, Miss Rowe?”
The foot over hers pressed down harder as Miss P nonchalantly sipped her tea. “I think we should discuss terms first, Captain, beforeIdecide if Miss Rowe can be spared. One of my protégés doesn’t come cheap and one of Miss Rowe’s caliber comes at a premium—especially for a temporary position. There is a lot of upheaval involved, after all, for both this school and her.”
He pulled himself up to his impressive full height, which seemed to add several inches to his already looming presence, the ferocity in his gaze so intense Georgie felt it everywhere.
“Whatever the going rate is for someone with such impeccable and impressive credentials, I willdoubleit if Miss Rowe can move in by Wednesday.”
“Will she geteverySaturday afternoon off and alternate Sundays too?”
He did not bat an eyelid. “Yes, and I’ll even pay her for them.”
“Then congratulations, Captain Kincaid. Miss Rowe would be delighted to accept.”
Just like that, and after barely uttering any words at all, she was finally employed. But instead of experiencing relief or even joy at that miracle, all Georgie felt was off-kilter.
ChapterFOUR
His house was an oasis of uneasy and unsustainable calm as Harry welcomed his new governess into it. He knew that blissful state of affairs was doomed to be short, so he was eager to dispense with his part in today’s proceedings as quickly as possible. Before all hell broke loose again the second Simpkins returned with the mad Norbert, Harry wanted to be seated astride his horse and halfway to the Admiralty, blessedly unburdened by the unwelcome additional responsibility blasted Flora had saddled him with.
It was undoubtedly the coward’s way out that labeled him the worst sort of uncle, and yet, as much as he adored the destructive little monsters and was starting to loathe the Admiralty, he was entirely at peace with it.
