"Harriet May, yes?" James asked coolly, regarding her with a blank expression.
"Yes, my lord. I heard about the governess position in the newspaper. Children need discipline, not to be left running wild like animals."
A pang of annoyance lit up James' chest as he sucked in a breath. He had mentioned only briefly that his siblings were on the rowdy side; this woman had no right to judge his family. He was a marquess, for goodness sake, and she didn't even know him. A headache was already forming in the back of James’ skull, and he pressed a hand against his left temple. "Mrs. May, do you have any experience with children?"
"I have four of my own, all adults now, and they grew up into good, respectable people." She sounded so offended at the very concept that James thought otherwise, even though he had only asked a simple question.
He was starting to wish that he had turned her away at the door, but she had been the only one to show up for the governess position, and his options were slim. Slim being the kind way to put it. Injecting false cheer into his voice, James asked, "And have you ever cared for other people's children?"
"No, but my methods are simple. A strict schedule, good education, and a slap around the ears if they misbehave."
James felt the blood drain from his face. Never, not once in their entire lives, had his siblings been hit. Not by his father and certainly not by him. If only Edwin was here, he was so much better with people...
"It sounds harsh," Mrs. May continued with a firm nod, "but it has to be done, my lord. Children can't grow up believing that the world revolves around them, you know."
He liked her less and less with every word she spoke. Already, he was resisting the temptation to ask her to leave. He hadn't even wanted to hire a governess in the first place and was only trying to do so because it was becoming clear he had no choice. James had to wonder if it was worth the hassle.
"Mrs. May," he said calmly, even as irritation rose in his chest, "if you are going to be governess for my siblings, you will follow my rules. I will explain it all should you get the position, but you are not to lay a hand on either of them." His voice took on an icy tone, but he couldn't help it; nor did he make much of an effort to control it, either.
Mrs. May sat up in her chair, back rigid, and let out a huff. "With all due respect, my lord, you must not know what is best for these children, otherwise you wouldn't look to hire another to care for them."
James felt his eye twitch; it was a nervous habit that he couldn't control, the eyelid flickering over his bright blue gaze. "With all due respect," he repeated back to her, "this is my family, not yours, and I won't have you disrespecting me in my own home."
Although she paled, Mrs. May didn't flinch nor apologize. He had to give her credit for that, at least, considering that usually, his harsh glare was enough to send people running. Really, he should have been grateful that she arrived at all. Most people weren't willing to go near Warwick manor; considering most of the town thought he was a murderer and all.
Shaking his head free of those thoughts, James straightened in his seat. "Now, you said that you had four children of your own - where are they now?"
"Why do you need to know, my lord?"
Oh, she was giving him a headache! This whole ordeal was like pulling teeth - painful beyond belief - but unfortunately necessary. "So that I might have an idea of how you raised them and have an expectation of how I should assume Jenny and Samuel will turn out, should I hire you."
Her watery blue eyes narrowed; her arms folded stiffly across her chest. "I can assure you they all have high-paying jobs in good fields and that I raised them to become only the best. I don't accept less than perfection, you see."
That wasn't the answer he had asked for, but James had resigned himself to the fact that he was wasting his time. He didn't want this woman, all harsh edges, anywhere near his siblings. He had hoped for someone soft and kind, with the patience of a saint - not some old woman who thought she was doing a service by acting rudely under the guise of discipline.
"Well, Mrs. May, thank you for coming in today. I have your address, and I'll be in touch via letter as soon as I've made my decision."
She looked about the room with a raised brow, wispy and white. "Really. I thought I was the only one to arrive?"
"I'm expecting more later," he replied evasively. Then he stood, gesturing to the study door with one sweep of his long arm. "Now, I would hate to take up more of your day, and I'm a very busy man myself. The doorman will see you out."
Mrs. May grumbled as she hauled herself to her feet. So unsteady were her spindly legs that James reached out to help, but she waved him away with a scowl. "I'm perfectly capable, thank you."
That was hardly the way to speak to someone of his standing, but James was so thankful to see her go that he couldn't even muster the energy to care. She wandered into the foyer, careful of the slippery tiles. When the doorman, Archie, offered assistance, she waved him away too.
Allowing the door to fall closed, James returned to his desk. The room overlooked the garden outside, with huge floor-to-ceiling windows that provided the perfect view of the beautiful flowerbeds filled with half a dozen different kinds of lavender. Usually, watching the scenery eased him, but now it was almost impossible to manage even a smile. He wasn't going to hire Mrs. May, that much was obvious, but if not her, then who? Nobody else had turned up for the position, and with each passing day, it was more and more difficult to control his unruly siblings.
That wasn't to say that they were bad children. Samuel was sweet and generous when he wanted to be. It was just a shame that he loved to cause so much mischief. Jenny was no better, so full of energy that getting her to sit still was nearly impossible. Yet James knew them to be intelligent, gifted children who only missed their parents and didn't know what to do now that they were gone.
Squeezing his eyes shut against the oncoming headache, James took a deep breath to try and calm his thudding heart. He wouldn't allow himself to panic. What good would that do? He just had to try again and again until he found somebody trustworthy and kind enough for his siblings. And if that didn't happen... well, he would worry about that when the time came and not before.
A knock at the door alerted James, and his head darted up. "Come in." Who was it now? He had specifically asked not to be interrupted today.
The doorman, Archie, slipped inside. The door clicked closed behind him, but not before James caught sight of a dark-haired figure in the foyer. "There's a woman by the name of Alicia Sempill here to see you," Archie said softly, "about the governess position, my lord."
"Oh." Brows furrowed, he cast his blue gaze to Archie. He was getting old, but he was still a loyal employee and had been here since James' father, Richard, had been marquess. He knew how things worked here, and if he was willing to interrupt James despite specific orders, well, this Alicia Sempill must have been worth it.
"I know she's late, my lord, but she asked me to let you know she's here. She seems quite desperate, in fact."
