Page 6 of The Defiant Governess
A look of horror spread across Mary’s face as the import of Jane’s words dawned on her. “You must be mad! Oh, it would never do.Youas a governess!”
“It suits perfectly,” replied Jane. “I am more than capable of teaching an eight-year-old his lessons. And the situation couldn’t be more perfect. The marquess never visits his estate. The only ones there are the housekeeper and the servants, so there is not a chance of running into any houseguests who might recognize me.”
“I don’t know.” Mary shook her head doubtfully. “It doesn’t seem right—you, a servant.” She looked searchingly at her friend “Have you really considered what it is like to work for someone?”
Jane returned her gaze. “I have thought about what it would be like to marry someone I don’t care for. At least I may quit an employer. Besides, how truly awful can it be? The housekeeper is a friend of one of Nanna’s acquaintances and is said to be a kindly woman. It is she with whom I’ll have to deal. My biggest complaint will most likely be that things are too dull.” She exhaled a sigh. “Truly, I’ll manage just fine, so please say you’ll help.”
Mary nodded reluctantly. “Of course I will. You know I’ll not see you forced to act against your will. Now, I have a few gowns that will do. It’s lucky that I’m a Long Meg too, though fuller than you around the hips and the bosom. And you’ll need other things I’m sure you haven’t thought of. You’ll not have your abigail to take care of your needs, you know.” She began to get in the spirit of things. “I have a list I made for myself. We shall packa small trunk here. Martin can take it to Luddington next week and send it on by coach to Highwood.”
“How clever. I had been wondering how to get my things out of the house,” admitted Jane.
“Well, we’ll manage.” She eyed Jane’s blond locks. “We’ll have to do something about your hair.”
“My hair!” exclaimed Jane.
“I’ll give you a walnut leaf wash to dull its color. And spectacles. Yes, that will be a good touch.”
It was Jane’s turn to look surprised.
“No matter that’s it’s only a housekeeper instead of the marquess. There will still be other servants and it doesn’t do to be too … you know, attractive,” added Mary. “My mother has explained to me how Lords may look upon a governess.”
“Oh,” breathed Jane. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“And no doubt not a good many other practical things. We shall have to sit down and go over what is proper behavior ….”
“Not you, too,” muttered Jane.
“If you are going to pull this off, you cannot act like a duke’s daughter,” warned Mary.
“You’re right of course. I’ll be a quick study, never fear.” She gave Mary a quick hug. “Thank you. You are the best of friends.”
“Just see that this whole scheme doesn’t land you in deeper suds than you are already in or I’ll never forgive myself.”
“Oh, don’t worry. What possible consequences can come from a little harmless deception?”
Mary looked as she was thinking of how many times had she heard similar sentiments being uttered—in complete sincerity—at the start of some madcap adventure. But after a moment, she simply nodded. “Just make sure that the answer to that question is ‘none’.”
Late that night,after sitting through another dinner marked by the strained civility that had spring up between her and her father, Jane dismissed her abigail, sat down at her writing desk and took out a sheet of paper. She unfolded Nanna’s letter and, copying the familiar looping script, began to write a new one:
Dear Mrs. Fairchild,
I am happy to inform you that Miss Jane Langley will arrive at Highwood
on March 21, as expected. I trust she will prove satisfactory.”
Jane paused for a moment, then, with a mischievous gleam in her eye, added
I assure you she is a very biddable and well-behaved young woman, and a trifle
shy. I am sure that she will give you no trouble at all …
Dawn had not yet brokenwhen, a few days later, a lone figure clad in a nondescript hooded cloak and carrying a worn valise and reticule slipped out of the kitchen door of Avanlea into the shadows of the shrubbery. Like a ghostly specter, the figure passed through the gardens and into the surrounding woods.
The moon scudded in and out of the clouds, offering little light by which to see among the tangle of underbrush and brambles, but Jane was not deterred by the thorns that caught at the rough wool of her garments. She quickly found the path that the gamekeeper used to patrol the upper reaches of the estate and hurried her steps to an even faster pace. After perhaps a mile, she reached a broad meadow where she climbed over the stile and turned left, keeping herself close in the dark shadows of the surrounding stone wall.
At the far corner she heard a soft whinny and was relieved to see a rough cart silhouetted against the sky, a solitary young man stroking the horse’s head to keep it quiet. At the sound of her footsteps, the man moved forward to take the valise and help her onto the open seat.
“Everything all right, milady?” he whispered.
