Page 28 of The Trouble With Her Duke
“I’m not sure I can promise about the governess. That depends,” Michael said.
“Depends? On what?” asked his Aunt Eloise.
“If we like her,” Mandy finished. “And I doubt we will. They boss us around, but they aren’t nice like a mother would be.”
The dowager glanced up at her son and back to the children. “Aunt Eloise and I will visit soon! And we will have fresh adventures. You should climb into the carriage and settle Rosie down. This will be a long ride for her.” She passed a letter to Damon. “The butler handed this to me, saying it had just arrived for you. I almost forgot to pass it to you, son.”
Damon took the letter and put it in his pocket. He would read it once they were away.
“We’ve talked to Father about Rosie, and he plans to stop a lot for her,” Michael explained. “We are to keep her leash on.” The little boy held up the leash, showing the dog was already attached to it.
“Well done, nephew,” Gavin said, ruffling Michael’s blond curls.
“It’s time, children,” Damon said. He clasped his brother’s hand and hugged him before giving hugs to his mother and sister. Then, he climbed in after the children and waved to Hargus, Elsa, and Colleen, who stood back from the carriages, waving. With a lurch, their carriage started forward, followed by a second carriage and two outriders, who would soon join the ones in front. Damon never took chances when his children traveled with him.
Mandy leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes. He would like to do that, too, but had too much to think about. The letter was from Jenkins. In it, he said his wife had hired Miss Lydia Hammond as the governess and would give him more information when he arrived home. My God! Is that the same young woman I met outside the club before I came here? He rubbed a sudden bead of sweat from his forehead.
A pair of arresting violet-blue eyes on an oval face framed by loose blonde curls captured his imagination. He leaned back and closed his eyes, remembering the meeting. A month hadn’t diminished his memory of that day. Miss Hammond had been wearing a greyish, blue-striped walking dress, navy kid gloves, and a navy wool pelisse. He recalled thinking that the color seemed dull on such a vibrant woman and fleetingly wondered what a rich red would have looked like. As a companion to the Dowager Duchess of Featherly, she probably was required to dress demurely.
Damon reread the note. It had to be the same person. Blake Hammond’s sister. By now, she would have told her family, he supposed. It wouldn’t do to dismiss her before she started, and it would be poor form to override his butler and housekeeper’s decision. Maybe he should think about this differently. She’s younger than the others and may connect with the children, he thought, tucking away the note in his pocket. He had no choice but to try her.
Lydia was glad she had returned from London the week before. The dowager had insisted she allow Annabelle to serve as a lady’s maid while on holiday, claiming it was helping Annabelle. Lydia had to admit, she enjoyed the pampering—something she had never had in her life. And it gave her time to plan.
If she was going to teach two seven-year-olds, she needed to create lesson plans and recreation plans. The children couldn’t stay cooped up in a classroom. They would need fresh air. As she worked on the first two weeks’ worth of lessons, Lydia tried to balance time outdoors with time in the classroom.
With the reputation of the twins, Lydia needed to be prepared.
* * *
By the fourth of January, she had two weeks of lessons, including French and Science, and she had thanked her father over and over for reminding her to take some books from his library. The duchess had lots of books, but her tastes tended to run towards the arts.
Lydia found a book in the bookstore that had some outside activities, including making fishing rods and making small fairy houses. Surely, one or both activities would appeal to the children.
The day before her new employer would return from Scotland arrived, and Lydia took up an invitation from the Jenkinses to move into her room. Honestly, she felt more nervous about the duke than the twins, despite their reputation.
“It’s wonderful to see you, Miss Hammond. My husband and I thought you would enjoy an evening to put your belongings away and relax before you begin your new duties,” Mrs. Jenkins said as she greeted her in the entryway. “I have a good feeling about you, Miss Hammond.”
The housekeeper showed her through the house, introducing her to the kitchen staff, the upstairs maids, and the staff in the stable.
“Do you ride, Miss Hammond?” a stableboy asked.
“You are Peter, right?”
“Yes, ma’am. My pa is the stable manager. I’ve lived here all my life. Been practically raised on horses.”
Lydia smiled. “My brothers taught me to ride. I prefer a stallion but will ride anything you give me.” She paused. “Do the children ride?”
“The duke got them ponies for their birthday this year. There’s been some progress,” Peter replied.
“Could you show me their ponies?”
The stableboy showed her two beautiful black and white ponies—the only difference between them was a black nose on Michael’s pony. But that was another activity she could offer them. Children needed to be challenged and outdoor activities helped them focus.
“If you’d like to see the grounds, I would be happy to accompany you,” Peter offered.
Lydia nodded. “I will ask about that. It sounds like a wonderful idea, and I appreciate your generous offer.”
“Are you sure this is my room, Mrs. Jenkins?”
