Relief spread through Alicia so strongly that the world spun. She clutched the banister, just like the maid, as a rush of embarrassment took over. "Could you please check the bed again?" she asked the maid, "and tell me if it's a toy?"
The poor girl shivered but did as Alicia asked. Carefully, she crept into the bedroom and disappeared out of sight.
"You're in big trouble," Alicia snapped, "You frightened the poor maid half to death."
"It's not my fault she's easy to frighten."
Alicia's hands clenched, but she forced a deep breath from her lungs and let it out in one long, slow exhale.
By then, the maid had returned holding a lump of matted gray fur, dangling by its tail pinched between her fingers. "It's not real," she said, cheeks flushed in embarrassment, "just a silly children's toy. I don't even know where they found this." She ducked her head, cheeks now scarlet. "I'm sorry for overreacting, ma'am."
Ma'am.It felt odd to be referred to as such, but Alicia wasn't going to complain. She was only glad that the panic was over. Not that there was any need to panic in the first place, apparently. "Jenny," she said coolly, "could you please find your brother and bring him here?"
Jenny's smile slipped, and she managed to look guilty as she crept into view. "Yes, miss," she replied before scuttling off down the hall.
"Please don't say anything to the lords," the maid murmured. Even though she was still staring pointedly at the floor, Alicia saw how her eyes squeezed shut. "If word gets out that I overreacted like this, I'll be ruined."
Alicia squeezed her hand, just a little, with a soft and reassuring smile on her lips. "It's all right," she replied, "you got a fright and reacted accordingly, that's fine."
She sniffled, wiping at her eyes before tears could fall. "You don't understand," she murmured, "Lord Arvill, Lord Edwin, I mean, he's back now, and he likes things to be in order. He doesn't accept any kind of failure of duties, even a little slip up like this could-"
"It'sall right," Alicia said again, cutting in before the poor girl could panic anymore. She was shaking even as Alicia held her hand, shivering as if the hall had suddenly dropped in temperature. "I won't breathe a word of this to anyone, nor will the children. I'll make sure of it."
The maid nodded, even managing a tiny smile. "Thank you," she said softly. Then, "you're the new governess, right? I never got your name."
"Alicia Sempill," she replied kindly. "And you?"
"Nora. Nora White."
"Well, Nora, it's lovely to meet you. You go do whatever you need to, okay? I've taken up enough of your time."
The girl only offered a wavering smile before reluctantly detaching herself from Alicia's side. She slipped into the bedroom, letting the door fall closed behind her, and vanished from view.
Well, what an eventful day. Alicia couldn't say she was happy about it, but the sudden burst of adrenaline had her wide awake. She turned, peering down the hall, but Jenny and Samuel were nowhere to be seen.So much for bringing her brother back here,she thought sourly. Apparently, they intended to make her work hard to discipline them, and Alicia had no idea where to start. It wasn't as if she had much experience, save for her few younger cousins and next-door neighbors. That didn't reallycount, or so she thought, because that was years ago when she used to babysit for other people, and it was for children that she already knew.
Still, Jenny and Samuel couldn't be allowed to get away with it, especially since poor Nora had been frightened half to death. So Alicia set off to find them both and give them a piece of her mind.
She found them ten minutes later, hiding under Jenny's bed and giggling wildly. Alicia made them sit on the bed with their hands folded, gave them a long and boring lecture, and made them promise to do better.
Whether they would or not, Alicia didn't know, but it was worth a try.
Chapter Eleven
It was evening by the time Alicia crept downstairs looking for a drink from the kitchens. Exhaustion clung to her as she trudged through the winding halls, scrubbing at her eyes, and begging herself to stay awake. Looking after Jenny and Samuel was even more difficult than she anticipated, and it had left its mark in the dark circles beneath her eyes. Still, she hoped that there would be no repeat of earlier today now that she'd given them a telling off.
The house was silent as she wandered into the kitchen, reaching for the glassware kept in one of the many cupboards. It felt wrong, somehow, to be creeping around at night, even if she was only trying to quench her thirst. James had said that the house was hers to wander, but it felt equally wrong to betray his hospitality, though.
Alicia was returning to the hall when she heard footsteps. So quiet they were easily missed, steps padded across the wooden floor. Then, voices.
"Edwin," James' familiar voice muttered softly from a living room next door. "How long will you be staying this time?"
There was a hum as if someone were deep in thought. "I don't know. A few weeks, maybe longer. There's nowhere that I need to be right now, and I'd like to take a break from traveling."
James sighed, and Alicia could just picture him running a hand through his thick, dark hair. It was a nervous habit, one that Alicia herself shared. "If you're going to stay, could you please refrain from making my staff uncomfortable?"
"I don't believe I've made anyone uncomfortable, brother."
Alicia cringed. They were talking about her, weren't they? She hadn't realized she was so obvious in her discomfort when she met Lord Arvill earlier. In fact, she had assumed she was doing quite an excellent job of hiding it. She frowned as she crept closer into the hall, ears straining to hear the conversation. It was none of her business, really, but now that she knew they were talking about her... well, she could be forgiven for her intrigue, surely?
