"Don't be silly," another voice chimed, "she's our new governess."
Lord Arvill smiled as he gestured for Alicia to come inside. "This is Alicia Sempill, children. Say hello."
Nervously creeping further into the room, Alicia managed a smile. The two children in the middle of the room were surrounded by a multitude of toys - dolls and wooden toys and little pretend horses. The girl, all bright eyes and dark hair just like her brother, clutched a blonde- haired doll in a matching dress to her own powder blue one.
"Alicia, this is Jenny and Samuel. I apologize for the mess." He sent Samuel a narrowed-eyed look. Clearly, he knew just who was behind it all.
Samuel only grinned and fell back to the floor, where he scooped up a little painted horse and set it on his knee. "Would you like to play with us?"
Alicia's gaze flickered to Lord Arvill, looking for permission. It wasn't that she didn't want to, of course. She simply didn't know if that was allowed. The job of a governess wasn't to play, it was to teach and care for, and she didn't want to step out of line before she even knew if she had the job.
His answer surprised her, though. He broke into a beaming smile, beautiful on his full lips, and said, "Just for a while. We don't want to keep Miss Sempill here for too long."
Jenny darted over to slip her small hand into Alicia's, her grin wide with delight. "We were playing farmers," she said cheerfully, and then proceeded to all but drag Alicia to the spot they were playing in. The carpet was faded here, suggesting that they played here often. Then Jenny plopped down on the floor beside her brother and handed Alicia a wooden horse.
Until this moment, Alicia didn't quite know just how out of her depth she was. She glanced down at the expectant children, gnawing on her lower lip, before gently settling down across from them. The floor was hard and uncomfortable, and her dress got in the way when she tried to adjust her legs. She felt so out of place here. Not just on the floor, but in this house, too.
She felt even worse when Lord Arvill sat beside her. Although his legs were crossed neatly and his back was straight, the very picture of proper, Alicia couldn't help how strange it felt to have him so close. So informally perched beside her.
He didn't pick up a toy to join the play but instead fixed his eyes on his siblings with a stern frown. "Now, do you remember what I said last night?"
Jenny and Samuel shared a look. Then Jenny piped up, "You said that when you got a governess, we were to be polite and respectful," she answered with a grin, "and not to cause any trouble."
"What else?"
"That she's here to teach us, not to be our friend."
Lord Arvill relaxed, although until now, Alicia hadn't even noticed how tense he actually was. "Yes, good," he replied softly, "so while you can play together today, don't expect it to happen frequently. Next time Miss Sempill is here, it will be under contract as your governess. If I decide to hire her, that is."
Alicia's eyes flickered to him, a frown furrowing her thin brows. It was becoming more difficult to remind herself that she wasn't in the clear yet, that there was still no decision made about her chances of becoming a governess. Swallowing down her nerves, she turned back to the children. "So, you were playing farmers? Have either of you ever been to a farm?"
"Of course not," Samuel laughed, his eyes sparkling. "Farms are dirty and loud. They sound fun, but James won't let us go."
Hearing Lord Arvill's first name aloud gave Alicia pause, green eyes swiveling back to him. James Arvill. It had a nice ring to it, she had to admit.
He only smiled and climbed to his feet. "We've no need to go to such places," he replied, "not when everything we need is here in town. Besides, I'm much too busy for impromptu trips these days." He shrugged, and Alicia didn't miss how he put some distance between them. As if remembering his place and hers. "Regardless, there is something I have to attend to. Please, carry on. I'll be back in a moment."
With that, he vanished into the hall.
* * *
James hovered in the hall for a moment before beginning to descend the staircase. Archie remained studiously by the entrance after reminding the various other staff to give James space today.
"Any other latecomers?" he asked, nodding towards the door. It was really too much to hope that some other aspiring governess had turned up while he was away, and he knew as soon as he looked at the empty sitting area that the truth wasn't what he hoped for.
"I'm afraid not," Archie replied with a shrug, "It would seem that all of your prospective new hires have already arrived, my lord."
"Only two," he murmured with a frown. "What kind of impression did you get from them, Archie? You know I always value your judgement." It was true - Archie had worked here since even James was a child; a constant and never changing presence in his life. Father had treasured his advice and ability to see people for who they really were, and now James did, too.
Still standing with his hands clasped behind his back, Archie relaxed only a touch. "I think," he said slowly, "that Mrs. May knows how to keep children in line. She is a little... brash, however."
That was one way of putting it. The woman had been snippy and short as if she were the one in charge. She was old-fashioned, too, and not in a sense that James appreciated. "What about the girl upstairs? Alicia Sempill?"
"She didn't say much to me, but I do get the impression that she is desperate for this job." His eyes flickered to the stairs, but of course, Alicia was nowhere in sight. "She's a touch younger than I expected but soft-spoken and modest. You could ask for worse, my lord."
That was certainly true. Earlier that morning, when interviewing Mrs. May, it had become clear to him that a governess was not in his future. With the arrival of Alicia, however, things had changed. She was indeed softly spoken, kind - and from what he saw of her, excellent with children. Whether she had the skills and knowledge, he couldn't tell, but she had the determination.
"Thank you for your time, Archie. I should get back now."
