I thank my two new voters for getting me back on the charts of Wattpad. I hope that you would continue to like the forthcoming chapters as well, and vote (and perhaps comment?) if they meet with your approval.
And now we meet someone new, and rediscover someone we saw earlier (and perhaps didn't like too much).
CHAPTER 9
The weeks passed peacefully by without much incident as Rachel swiftly became entrenched in the ways of the Herringford household. Though Sally still continued to give her a sniff and preferred not to converse with the governess unless necessary, the other people had taken the friendly young girl to their hearts. She developed the habit of indulging in early morning rides around the estate since the girls preferred to walk in the evenings rather than equestrianism. By the end of the first fortnight, even the horses and dogs in the stables had learnt to recognize the swish of her riding skirts and would wait for her eagerly every morning.
Her companion on such rides was usually the stable-boy since Andrew (she could not but think of him as such) would be busy doing sundry odd jobs in the house at such an early hour; but she managed to have a handful of perfectly impersonal conversations with him which would leave her smiling for hours. And this dangerous tendency bothered her greatly. Since the night she understood her attraction towards the man, Rachel often tried to break the fascination by showing herself that he was simply a commonplace pleasant young man.
“For heavens’ sake girl, he is a mere coachman, a person who works in stables for a living,” she admonished her traitorous mind whenever she caught it slipping into improper daydreams. “Even if he were higher-born than his position, it still would be foolish to consider him your equal. You are investing him with a silly and unseemly glamour. You can snap out of it.” She attempted to prove it by spending as much time as she could in his company, talking about all kinds of subjects.
In the deepest corners of her heart, she cherished each memory of Andrew with a fervor which would have frightened her if she ever tried to analyze it.
She got on fine with her employers as well. Mr. Herringford liked to converse with her and therefore, Rachel was occasionally invited to become a third party at the dinner table on quiet evenings. She had requested an audience with him at the first opportunity and asked about procuring a music teacher for Diana and perhaps a drawing master for Alicia. To her surprise, he was not very supportive of the idea, and instead suggested that the girls should get used to studying under Rachel before moving on to advanced studies in their preferred fields.
Catching the surprise on her face before she could erase it away, he smiled kindly and explained himself further. “It is not that I don’t want to hire the tutors, Miss Warren. I want my daughters to develop their skills to the maximum of their abilities, and I promise that they will have all the professional help they require by next year. But I believe that since their regular studies have suffered to some extent with their past governesses, they should be got back on the academic track before further advancement can take place. They are still young…there is time enough for specialization later. Do you not agree?”
Rachel was struck with his well-thought out argument and agreed wholeheartedly with his assessment. It reminded her anew that though she might have understanding born of learning, she was still young in the ways of the world and people like Mr. Herringford had wisdom born of experience. She was very lucky to have someone intelligent like him to interact with.
Though Mrs. Herringford was not as forthcoming or welcoming as her husband, she was nonetheless as gracious as a lady should be towards a dependant – and Rachel accepted it to be such. She was aware that they would never become intimate since their natures were too different, and she knew not to ruffle Norma Herringford’s temper.
Rachel found her nemesis in the oddest of places – the little boy Brian. She had always got on well with small boys thanks to her twin brothers, and Brian was only a year younger than them. How hard could it be? But he was really, in Mrs. Hutchens’ words, ‘another kettle of fish’. He was, simply put, the most ill-behaved child she had ever encountered in her life.
The first time she had been left in charge of Brian, he ran away within two minutes and could not be found for a whole hour despite Rachel’s agitated efforts. When he finally sauntered out of the buttery, Rachel had to undergo the ignominy of being scolded by his mother for letting the ‘poor dear’ gorge himself on cream just before dinner-time and getting so ‘bored’ that he upset all the buckets of milk in search of diversion. Rachel got the chance to see exactly why the household was in dread of its mistress, for she was unfortunate enough to rouse the sleeping tigress in Mrs. Herringford’s heart with her ‘callous neglect’ of her darling son.
When Rachel followed Brian to his room after enduring twenty minutes of such disconcerting reprimand, she found him calmly chipping away at the bed-post with a pen-knife as if nothing had happened. She faced him squarely. “Brian,” she said, “Now that I am living in this place we will be in each other’s company quite often. I want to look after you like a friend, not an enemy. Don’t you think that would be advisable?”
The child looked back at her with uninterested eyes, before returning his attention to the defacement of the wood before him. “Why should I care?” he asked curtly. “You will have to leave if I don’t feel like being with you. I will have another nursemaid. It does not concern me at all.”
“But don’t you want to get along with those around you? Life will be much more comfortable for all of us if we can live in amity.” Rachel pleaded with him some more in the same vein, trying to make him see reason. But Brian kept on chipping away serenely, simply adding, “But you won’t be around me if you get thrown out, you know. And so you will be, if I don’t like you.” He looked at her triumphantly and Rachel suddenly shivered, feeling all the misery of a paid servant who can be dismissed at the whims of a mere boy.
Still then, she was lucky. Since she was not specifically appointed to look after him, Brian’s disapproval could not get her dismissed from the house where her real pupils showed such progress. It also could not make that protective mother, Mrs. Herringford, look around for a new nurse-maid even though she sympathized that the ‘angel’ could not take to Miss Warren like his two sisters; it only made her absolutely forbid the harassed governess from punishing her darling baby. All of Rachel’s efforts to interest him in productive activities and to understand his thought processes resulted in resounding failure. Tantrums often occurred without any cause, and would continue till Brian grew bored with his own antics; then he would simply get up from the rug on which he had been asphyxiating himself with howls and walk off.
Thus, Brian remained the one serious canker in Rachel’s garden. She just blessed her stars that she had been hired as a governess for Alicia and Diana rather than a nursemaid for the terror, and dreaded the times when she was put in charge of him.
The girls had fulfilled all Rachel’s expectations, and showed themselves to be apt scholars. Since their curriculum underwent Rachel’s drastic modifications, they became more attentive towards and happy with their studies; and they simply loved the music sessions. Both mastered the breathing exercises necessary for playing wind instruments and, after rapidly learning the mechanics of the wooden flute and professing themselves keen to do more with the instrument, coaxed their indulgent father into sending for the coveted crystal flute. They were already practicing one of the new duet songs on the two flutes, and the pianoforte was getting equally regular exercise with the inclusion of English folk airs, Italian compositions and works by the Austrian composer Mozart in their repertoire. Their handful of performances during formal parties had been successful in gaining public applause and Mrs. Herringford’s approval. Rachel felt foolishly vindicated.
And that’s drawing room popularity for you Miss Timbley, she thought gleefully.
Diana liked to debate about current affairs, and the slavery conditions of faraway colonies became a pet subject ever since she understood the hardships which the natives were facing over there. Alicia was getting quite good at writing stories, though she managed to find time for creating endless streams of etchings as usual – and Rachel was shyly presented with a charcoal likeness of herself a week after their trip to London. It depicted her sitting on the schoolroom window-seat with her hair being whipped about her face by the evening breeze on one of the rare occasions she had left it untied, and the gifted artist had captured her dreamy expression and fine profile with accuracy. This picture was hung over the schoolroom door, and always brought a smile to the face of its subject whenever she caught sight of it.
Xxxx
new footman named Albert Hargrove was appointed about a fortnight after Rachel had joined the place. He was a silent man who kept to himself, though he had a bad habit of staring keenly at people on first acquaintance…the first time he had seen Rachel he had stared at her for over five minutes before he could be recalled to his place by Mr. Garner lifting a noble eyebrow at him in silent rebuke. He soon settled down into anonymity and his arrival barely created a ripple in the daily affairs of Carillon Hall, all the while greatly easing the load of the maids, James and Andrew.
Strangely enough, the last named did not seem to be very thankful for this respite. Indeed, Rachel got the feeling that Andrew did not like Hargrove much. The coachman tried his best to keep out of the new footman’s way, but he also made sure to hover around in dark corners whenever Rachel had any of her communications with Hargrove. His manner could only be labeled disquieting. Did he suspect the man of spiriting her away the moment her back was turned? It became irritating after a point.
Finally he came out in the open, so to speak, and warned Rachel about the newcomer during one of their morning rides. He had been on edge from the beginning, and once they had entered the privacy of the woods Andrew pulled his horse over and approached Rachel’s mount, which had been following him till then.
“Miss Warren, there is something I need to discuss with you without delay. I hope that you would not think that I’m imposing, but I would strongly recommend you to keep your distance from the new footman Hargrove.”
Astonished, Rachel could only stare at him for a moment. Then she collected herself and inquired coldly, “And am I to be provided with some reason for this amazing… suggestion, or just left to follow your words in the dark?”
Andrew flushed. “I wish that I could provide some solid proof Miss, but I only have my instincts to fall back upon. Yet, I must repeat that he ain’t as innocent as he seems. Often have I caught him trying to gather information about the people in the house, and I fear …he may be a plant by criminals hoping to burgle the house. Pray, do not talk with him more than necessary – he...I can't explain it better than saying that his very presence feels wrong.”
Rachel did not share Andrew’s heated opinion. She felt that Hargrove was a harmless person, and she could not understand why a man’s overtures of friendly gossip should be avoided. In spite of that, she tried to accept Andrew’s warning in good faith and kept her interactions with Hargrove to the minimum.
As it was, something occurred that put the man completely out of Rachel’s mind, except to remind her about trusting in instincts.
Xxxxx
Four days after her talk with Andrew Fairfax about Hargrove, Rachel was informed by Mrs. Hutchens during breakfast that there was to be an addition to the family soon – Mrs. Herringford’s cousin, the Viscount Edgerton, was going to come for a long visit that day. Mrs. Hutchens appeared harassed and, though she tried to explain it away by complaining about guests who would drop in with the shortest of notices, Rachel sensed that there was something else behind her demeanor. But since the older woman did not want to divulge any information about her anxiety, she decided not to probe. As it was, she had enough apprehension of her own; a man who had seemed to be inordinately interested in her, and whom she had hoped never to encounter again, was coming to live in the same house. For an indefinite visit. The situation had potential to become knotty.
The whole household seemed to be in an especial bustle the whole morning, and even Diana and Alicia seemed unable to hold still at any activity for long. Every few minutes Diana would burst into nervous babble, while Alicia seemed to be on tenterhooks – a highly unusual state of affairs for the usually-sedate girl. Finally Rachel shut the volume of Cymbeline in her hands with an exasperated sigh. “Well, if you both persist in acting so skittishly today, I can’t see much profit in trying to discuss the poetry of Shakespeare’s words any more. What has got into you two?”
The girls instantly became remorseful. “We are so sorry Miss Warren, we did not intend to show you any disrespect. It is just that Uncle Fred has not visited us in months, and the thought that he must already be in the house is very distracting!”
Rachel felt a stab of self-doubt on hearing this. Surely a man these girls loved so uninhibitedly couldn’t be as bad as she had envisioned?
“Why do you like him so much? I mean,” she hastily amended, seeing how rude her question might sound, “What is special about him that you are this eager to meet him again? You didn’t act like this when your Aunt Dubley visited last week.”
“Oh Miss Warren, he is our favorite relative!” enthused Diana breathlessly. “He has always treated us like ladies worthy of attention, even when we were just children. He is the only person who used to visit us in our nursery and schoolroom and stay there for long durations, instead of vaguely patting us on our heads and moving on like older people generally do. He would play the piano here and sing lovely songs for us, and our former governesses never complained because they liked him so much.
“He has no airs and mixes with everyone, though he is a baronet. Isn’t that a good thing, Miss Warren?” Her face fell slightly. “Didn’t you like him when you met him in London? He liked you a lot.”
Rachel debated about how to answer. Instead of calming her doubts about the house guest, Diana’s words only showed her forcibly that the man will be a constant visitor to the schoolroom. Could he be cultivating the company of his nieces in order to gain entry to their regions and interact with the governesses? she mused, and instantly accused herself of becoming unnecessarily uncharitable and paranoid. Understand this Miss Warren, she rebuked her suspicious thoughts firmly, everything in the world is not about you.
To Diana she offered a noncommittal reply which soothed her and set her agile brains on other tracks of thought, like learning their latest song properly so that they could perform for Uncle Fred – for he would certainly come to see them soon. Hiding her dismay at Diana’s cheerful prediction, Rachel led them to the pianoforte and let them practice with renewed zeal.
Xxxxx
He did visit them, of course; he came to the schoolroom later that morning when the girls were putting the finishing touches on their French essays and Rachel was studying one of Blake’s more complicated poems. She was startled out of her abstraction by a familiar drawl issuing from the doorstep.
“Well, well, so how are the studious ladies doing?”
They all sprang up from their tasks as one. “Here you are at last, Uncle!” Diana beamed. “Thank you for coming so quickly to meet us.” Alicia smiled shyly in welcome.
“How could I not, my dear nieces? After all, you are one of the main attractions of this old place.” He bowed low before them both and kissed their knuckles gallantly, before turning towards Rachel with those light, hypnotic eyes focused on her. Predator eyes, she thought distractedly.
“And how do you do, Miss…Warren? I presume the day finds you in good health?”
Rachel flushed a little, but held her head high and received him cordially. Throughout the visit he did not single her out at any point – a fact which reduced her uneasiness to some extent. Though the time seemed to be dragging, it was only a few minutes before he got up to leave with a promise to drop by again, and soon.
“And why would you need to do that, when you can see them every morning and evening with the family? Do you need to disrupt their study hours as well?” She grumbled to herself even as she noticed him pausing by her portrait. He turned to look at her one last time, but then bowed and went away without saying anything more, leaving all the girls behind unsettled for the time being – though for different reasons.