Mr. Gardiner and the Governess - Sally Britton Page 0,41
Billings said, standing back to take in Rupert’s appearance one more time. “There you are, sir. I will clean up this mess after I have settled matters with the basket.” He gestured to the disorder in the room. “Good luck to you, Mr. Gardiner.” Then he vanished out the door with only the slightest, most hurried of bows.
Rupert turned to the mirror hanging above the chest of drawers, then grinned to himself. “I think Billings approves of Miss Sharpe.”
For some reason, that made his heart lighter. Perhaps he was not such a fool in seeking out her company.
Despite her initial misgivings—Mr. Gardiner could not really wish to spend his time with her, could he?—excitement rose in Alice’s breast with each passing hour of the morning. She sat in the schoolroom with the other governesses and children, a book open in her lap. But she could not concentrate enough to read more than a single line without drifting away in thought.
“I cannot believe they give you your half-day even when the family has guests.” Miss Felton had proven sourer by the day, especially after Alice and Mr. Gardiner had taken charge of young Geoffrey. “One would think your duty to the family more important than wasting time.”
Even Miss Felton’s horrid disposition would not quell Alice’s anxious happiness. She gifted the woman a smile. “I am most fortunate that Her Grace insists upon her staff being well rested, so that we may serve her and the family better.”
“It is not as if we are infants,” Lady Isabelle added from where she sat at the school table, picking at a sampler.
Color appeared in Miss Felton’s cheeks. “Of course not, my lady. I am certain you are quite a capable girl.”
Lady Rosalind looked up from the game she played with one of the other guests. “Truly, Miss Sharpe deserves a little time to herself. She is our favorite of all the governesses we have had.”
The defense from her charges both surprised and gratified Alice. She tried to hide her smile but made certain to offer them a wink when they looked her way. Treating the girls as ladies, capable of thought as well as choosing their own interests, had apparently endeared them to her.
Lord James was another story. He was across the room, doing sums with two other boys under the direction of their governess. Alice had no doubt he would get into some sort of mischief the moment they left him unsupervised. He still had not quite forgiven her for removing the frogs from his room, though he had seemed to understand the need for it.
Alice turned a page, then checked the watch she had hidden in her lap beneath the book’s cover. Her half-day had begun.
Closing the book, and pinning the watch to her bodice, she went to stand between Lady Isabelle and Lady Rosalind. “I am going to my room now. I trust you two will look after things.”
“Miss Sharpe, Isabelle and I wondered if we might speak to you in private for a moment?” Lady Rosalind stood, casting a glance to her elder sister.
Isabelle stood, too, dropping her embroidery into her empty chair. “Yes, please. We have something of great importance to discuss with you. In private.”
Startled, Alice could only nod and gesture to the door. “Of course. Accompany me to my room. We may speak there.”
The sisters followed her out the door and down the narrow corridor to her room. She allowed them to step inside first before entering and closing the door behind her. They both looked around with curiosity for a moment, Isabelle deciding to sit upon the bed while Rosalind took the only available chair.
They both fixed Alice with serious stares.
Her excitement ebbed away, replaced with concern for the girls. “Dear me. Whatever is the matter? I have never seen you both appear so solemn. Have I done something wrong?”
“Not at all,” Isabelle said, exchanging a look with her sister. “But we heard Josephine and Emma talking about yesterday. When Mr. Gardiner took you away.”
Alice’s cheeks immediately gave her away, heating up like bricks tucked into embers. “Oh—he only wished to show me the bees. And flowers. So I might better assist him.”
“That isn’t what Josephine said,” Rosalind announced, her smile appearing. “Josephine said he practically rescued you from the others, and you were gone for more than a quarter of an hour, and that when you came back you could not stop smiling.”
“Emma thinks you like him,” Isabelle added, a triumphant gleam in her eye.