A Governess for the Brooding Duke(18)
“The master will not be happy about that,” Mrs Wells went on, quite determined. “He does not want Welsh spoken in this house, nor place names talked of. He is quite determined in it.” Mrs Wells sat back in her seat with an air of one who was entirely satisfied with herself.
“Bethgelert?” Georgette said, trying again and ignoring the children’s nurse entirely.
“That is right, Miss Darrington,” Eleri said, mightily impressed.
“Yes,” Ffion said simply but with a certain amount of determination.
“Well now, I have learned something already,” Georgette said with a smile.
“But perhaps not everything that you are being taught,” Mrs Griffin said, her voice coming out in rather a hiss.
“Perhaps I ought to deal with matters of the children’s education, Miss Griffin, and leave you to the no doubt arduous tasks of the housekeeper,” Georgette said, suddenly serious. “And perhaps any other such concerns you might have could be made to me outside of the children’s presence. After all, I am sure that none of us here would wish to upset Eleri and Ffion in any way, would we?” Georgette raised her eyebrows at the housekeeper and then turned to look directly at the nurse. “Would we?” she said again, her tone full of authority.
“Well, it is perhaps best we leave the schoolroom for it is almost time for you to meet His Grace,” the housekeeper said, quite determined not to give in to Georgette.
However, Georgette had expected nothing less and no longer feared antagonizing the woman. Obviously, her presence was enough to antagonize the sour-faced housekeeper and her rotund compadre.
“Yes, of course,” Georgette said, regaining her tone of neutrality. “Well, girls, it really has been a pleasure to meet you both, and I am very much looking forward to the time that we are going to spend together.” She turned to look at the girls and smiled at them encouragingly.
Georgette was pleased to see the two little faces brighten when she looked at them and knew that she had a way of getting into the hearts of the little girls after all.
“Well, it has been a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Wells,” Georgette said with a tight smile and little feeling. “If you will excuse me, Mrs Griffin tells me it is time to meet the Duke.”
“Of course,” the nurse said, the displeasure on her face telling Georgette most distinctly that the whole thing was not over.
Chapter 7
Georgette was surprised to discover that the Duke’s study was on the very same corridor as the schoolroom, just a few doors away. The housekeeper had chosen to speak not one word throughout their short walk and, when they came to a halt outside the door to the study, Mrs Griffin simply folded her arms across her chest and stared at the door frame.
“Are we not going inside?” Georgette said, becoming somewhat exasperated with the older woman’s childish behaviour.
“It is not yet ten o’clock. It is only ten minutes to the hour.”
“Then why did we leave the schoolroom?” Georgette said, not entirely confrontational, but neither was she in the mood to placate the woman.
“Because His Grace insists upon punctuality,” she said and looked away from her again to resume her study of the door frame.
Georgette decided to refrain from telling the woman that they were not punctual, they were simply early. She could not help thinking that for them to simply stand uselessly outside the Duke’s study door for the next ten minutes seemed entirely pointless. However, Georgette rather wondered if she had not pushed the woman quite far enough for one day and, in the end, kept her thoughts to herself.
When they had stood awkwardly for more than five minutes, the door to the Duke’s study suddenly flew open, and a well-dressed and rather thin man of middle age walked out. He held his head so very high and stood so very straight-backed that Georgette was curiously reminded of Mr Pearson, the butler. However, his clothes were quite different altogether, more or less those of a gentleman. For a moment, she wondered if it were the Duke himself. However, he simply looked her up and down, vaguely nodded at the housekeeper, and strode away.
Georgette looked at Mrs Griffin and raised her eyebrows in silent question.
“Mr Edward Camden,” Mrs Griffin said when Georgette continued to stare at her, determined for an answer. “The Duke’s steward.”
“Oh,” Georgette said airily and wondered if there was a single person, besides Daisy, in all of Draycott Hall who had five minutes’ worth of manners within them.
After all, if his staff were anything to go by, the Duke himself must be simply dreadful.