She hoped the children were making the most of this glorious weather, and she wondered how they were getting on back home. Home?Thiswas her home now. Again, she reminded herself of her resolution. She was going to carry out her work dutifully. Her conscience obliged her to do her best.
* * *
“Come in.”
Mr. Fletcher opened the door and led the way, “Your Grace, allow me to present Miss Meyer, Lady Cecilia’s new governess.” Nervously, Meredith stepped into the spacious, well-lit drawing room. The Duke and Lady Cecilia rose to greet her.
Meredith—who was expecting the Duke to be Lady Cecilia’s father, not her brother—was suddenly acutely aware of her posture and her manner of walking. Even young Lady Cecilia seemed to walk with more grace and elegance, and she did so effortlessly.
Meeting each other in the middle of the room, the Duke gave a polite bow and spoke first, “Miss Meyer, it is a pleasure to meet you. Fletcher says that you come to us highly recommended. We are honored. Allow me to introduce my sister, Lady Cecilia.”
Meredith was starting to get tired of feeling so small. First, the giant house with its giant grounds made her feel puny. And then the same thing happened as she regarded the high ceilings and extravagant furnishings. And she felt small even now standing in front of the Duke, who was himself tall and broad-shouldered.
But Meredith regained at least some of her confidence looking at Lady Cecilia’s petite and delicate frame. “Welcome, Miss Meyer.” she quietly said, with a quick and simple curtsy.
With all of the strength she could muster, Meredith replied, “Your Grace, thank you very much for the generosity and kindness you have shown to me thus far. I feel very welcome.” Turning to Lady Cecilia, she continued, “It is so wonderful to have finally met you, Lady Cecilia. I look forward to our lessons.” The little girl gave a polite, but somewhat insincere smile. She was clearly feeling just as apprehensive as Meredith herself.
With the introductions done, the Duke immediately got down to business. “Indeed. Speaking of lessons, I was hoping we could clarify some points of note. If you’ll both please join me in the library…”
He led them out of the drawing room, across the hallway, and into the breathtaking family library. Like every other room Meredith had been to, it had several tall windows, which allowed for the sunlight to paint the room in such a delightful way. The bookshelves extended from the floor to the ceiling, covering the walls completely, while carefully styled flower arrangements filled the room with a pleasant fragrance.
To Meredith, it was heaven on earth. The Duke stopped in front of the bookshelves on the left wall of the room and explained, “These books are to do with history and geography. Those are the subjects we would like you to focus on with Cecilia, in addition to being in charge of her overall development, of course. I’ve been told that she already has separate tutors for French, deportment, embroidery, singing, and painting. So there is no need to concern yourself with any of that. Although, I’m not quite sure of the exact schedule of those lessons. Cecilia?”
After sucking in a deep breath, Cecilia answered, “Deportment is 10 o’clock every Monday. Singing is at 11 o’clock every Tuesday. French is at 2 o’clock every Wednesday. Embroidery is at 10 o’clock every Thursday. And painting is at 11 o’clock every Friday.”
With a simple nod, the Duke acknowledged this and turned his attention once more to Meredith.
“There we are then. Naturally, you will have to schedule your own lessons around those. I wouldn’t dare tell you how to do your work, Miss Meyer, but please feel free to consult these books. You may use the schoolroom upstairs or this library to host your lessons. However, please be mindful of the fact that my own office is adjacent to this room.” Meredith acknowledged all of this and reassured the Duke that they would do their utmost to not disturb him.
Satisfied with her answer, the Duke decided to bring their meeting to a close.
“Splendid! Well, I do believe that is all. Please take your time settling in today, your first lesson is not until tomorrow morning. Or rather, tomorrow afternoon, perhaps? Pardon, what time did you say you had painting lessons, Cecilia?”
Meredith noticed Lady Cecilia’s aristocratic charm slip ever so slightly as she very subtly narrowed her eyes at her older brother. Perhaps Lady Cecilia believed the Duke hadn’t really paid attention to her as she listed her lessons. Her words were perfectly civil, but her tone was unbearably cold, “Pardon me, Brother. Tomorrow is Monday, so I have a deportment lesson with Mrs. Ramsbury.”
A knock on the door caught everyone’s attention.
Fletcher entered and said, “Excuse me, Your Grace. I do apologize for the interruption, but Lord Farellshire and Lord Gillianghamshire have arrived. They are seated in the drawing room awaiting you.”
Seeming very surprised to hear this, the Duke replied, “Very good, Fletcher. Have them wait in my study, please. I will be with them shortly.”
And thus concluded Meredith’s first meeting with her new employer. The Duke took his leave, after welcoming Meredith one last time. And Lady Cecilia shortly after, did the same. But she climbed up the stairs—presumably to her own room—rather than follow her brother. This left Meredith standing alone in the library. She selected a few books on Egypt before making her way back to her room. She needed to figure out how to plan her first proper lesson.
She was already vaguely familiar with Egypt and its contributions to world history. But she hoped to do more than simply provide Lady Cecilia with some general information of a country for use in conversation. Rather, Meredith hoped to interest Cecilia in the many larger lessons and truths that are found in historical events and figures, that she could then apply in her own life.
With this noble goal in mind, Meredith sat down at her writing desk and got to work devouring the books. However, her mind kept going back to the eerie coldness with which Lady Cecilia treated her own brother. Initially, Meredith assumed that the formality that the siblings spoke to each other with was because Meredith was present. But could it be that they were just as reserved and frosty with each other even when no one else was around?
What a most peculiar household.
A few minutes later, a young housemaid brought Meredith her luncheon. She saw this as her chance. Just as the maid turned to leave, Meredith asked, “Might I ask what your name is?”
Visibly astonished by Meredith’s sudden personal interest in her, the maid replied, “Philippa, Miss Meyers.”
After a quick glance at the door, Meredith offered, “I’d be happy to split my luncheon with you, Philippa, if you’d care to answer some questions.”
Chapter 3
After leaving the library, Anthony arranged with one of the maids for some chocolates and an assortment of fruit to be brought to his study for him, Kenneth, and Colin. A passing glance at the grandfather clock in the entrance hall said it was only half past eleven, far too early for either Kenneth or Colin to even be awake.
