Captain Jones's Temptation - Audrey Harrison Page 0,11
position? In my life? I should be at ease by now. I am. Well, I was until they arrived.”
“It is a temporary upheaval. Soon life will return to normal and you will feel secure once more. This won’t spoil what you have built up over the last years. You are well respected in the town, Esther. You must know that to be true.”
“You are perfectly right. I am being foolish. Thank you, Lydia. I shall be down shortly, if you wish to check that Lizzy has readied Isabella,” Esther said of the maid who helped the children dress and undress, teaching them such tasks as how to care for clothing, skills for use in later life, as some would be required to earn a living when they left the school.
When returning downstairs, Esther smiled at Lydia. “Whilst we are gone, could you please speak to Cook? I think we should have a meal tonight with all the staff, to officially introduce my brother to them.”
“Of course.”
Esther did not look at Samuel nor Matthew, not wishing to give them the opportunity of commenting, but carried on walking to the door and out to the stables.
The ride out was always going to be trying for Samuel. He had little experience with children and little inclination to remedy that, but it seemed that Isabella, after having spent the first part of the journey being the very shy child they had been told about, came out of her shell after half an hour with Matthew.
The naturally gregarious man had teased Isabella gently, making her laugh time and again, until she started to speak to him. Samuel had to admire how Matthew could charm her, but there was no regret in Samuel’s feelings; the less he had to interact with a child the better.
The horse ride was a perfect opportunity for the two men to patrol the perimeter of the establishment without causing any raised eyebrows or suspicion from the servants, so he concentrated on his task, looking for vulnerable areas.
They rode as a separated group: Esther, Matthew and Isabella, with Samuel at the rear. Esther relaxed as they travelled around the estate; she could hardly remain annoyed when Matthew was being charming and funny. He was even bringing Isabella out of her shell.
Samuel followed behind, shaking his head at Matthew’s ridiculous stories but using the time to assess the estate boundary. He was impressed at the well-kept land. It was clear that Esther ran things smoothly and efficiently. The crumb of curiosity increased as he watched her laughing. She was beautiful; he could admit that easily. Why she had chosen the life she had just did not make any sense. A woman choosing spinsterhood when she had a fortune and good looks? Never in his experience.
After an hour, the riders had finished their excursion and Isabella was returned to the care of Lydia.
Matthew watched her being taken into the room in which Lydia was teaching. “It’s an unusual situation to have her not seated at a desk in lessons as the other children are.” Isabella had a desk near the front of the classroom, facing away from the other children and close to the teacher’s large desk.
Esther took off her hat, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “It is. She was terribly upset and withdrawn when she came to us three years ago. I don’t know what her situation was at the start of her life, but it wasn’t a happy one. If we had forced her to remain in the classroom all day, she would have sat and cried. I can say that from experience, for we tried it initially. She’s treated more like a child of our own than a paying pupil at the moment, but I have hopes that one day she will be confident and secure enough to attend school as every other child.”
Both men had listened with interest, but only Samuel’s jaw clenched. “You know nothing of what happened to her, or where she was?”
“No,” Esther answered. “Sometimes it’s best not to know, and with her complicated circumstances I thought it prudent to ask as few questions as possible. I knew we could offer her care in which she would feel secure over time. That is what we’ve been concentrating on in the main.”
It seemed as if Samuel would say more, but after what seemed like an internal struggle, he simply said, “You are probably right.”
Esther chuckled. “My goodness. The great Captain Jones agreeing with me?