Virtue of a Governess (31 page)

“And he proposed to you?”

“Yes, last Sunday, after we went to a musical performance. I’ve been thinking it over and this morning I sent him my reply.”

“So you have thought about this very seriously? You haven’t accepted simply because you see no alternative?”

“Oh, no. Indeed, I haven’t thought about anything else. I haven’t been able to sleep because of it weighing on my mind. But I reasoned that this is a good chance for me. I’d have the security of marriage, my own home and a family. Mr Greenwood senior said I could send for my mother, if I wished, but I doubt she”ll come.”

“Well, that is generous of him indeed. When is your marriage to take place?”

“At the end of June. Is it possible for me to stay here until then, or must I leave now since I’m no longer looking for a position?”

“We are not so full that we are turning people away for lack of beds, so you are welcome to stay until your marriage. You might find the other women will enjoy having such a happy diversion to think about.”

“Thank you, Mrs West, you are very kind.” Miss Bent stood, seemingly more relaxed. “I shall go tell Mr Greenwood of my staying here.”

“You may also tell him that I wish you both well.” Nicola grinned. “And you may hold your wedding breakfast here if you wish. Mr Belfroy loves nothing more than a good wedding. He will probably offer to give you away, if it pleases you.”

Miss Bent’s eyes widened. “Oh, you are generous, Mrs West, thank you, and to Mr Belfroy, too.” She dashed from the room.

Nicola let out a long breath, content to hear some good news. She opened the account books and checked the figures. A pile of correspondence sat next to the ledgers and she idly picked up one or two. Most were invitations for various dinner parties, but some were letters from previous women who had stayed at the Home. Normally, she would be eager to read the mail, but today her mind was occupied with the arrival of Nathaniel’s mother. Her ship was due to dock within the hour. She knew she should be at home, preparing her welcome, but the quietness of the house this morning had driven her mad. Both Nathaniel and Frances had left early to clear their schedules for the afternoon meeting, leaving Nicola alone to worry. In the end, she had ordered the carriage and visited Mr Belfroy for an hour before coming here to the Home.

A tap on the door heralded Florence. “Nicola,” she whispered, her face wan. She crept closer to the desk, glancing back over her shoulder.

“What is it?”

“It’s old Mrs Patterson. I’m afraid she’s died.”

“Oh good heavens.”

“I went in to her room, to give her a cup of tea and thought she was asleep. But she wouldn’t wake up. Then I realised.”

“Dr Armitage did say she might not recover from her chest cold. She was frail and weak.”

“And old.” Florence sighed, her smattering of freckles stark against her pale skin. “Imagine dying amongst strangers. How intolerable.”

“The poor woman. I only met her a few times, hardly got to know her at all.”

“She was kind, knowledgeable and happy to listen to anyone who ventured into her room.”

“We must let Dr Armitage know.”

“Yes. I’ll see to it.”

“I’m sorry to leave this on your shoulders, Florence, but my mother-in-law arrives this afternoon from England.”

“Of course you must return home. I am capable of dealing with this.”

“You deal with everything.” Nicola gave her a brief smile of thanks. “This Home couldn’t run without you. I used to think I was the main force here, but not any longer. You’ve filled my role with ease.”

“I never intended—”

Nicola held up her hand. “No, don’t apologise in any way. This was obviously meant to be. I will tell you that I am with child. So, your position here will only grow in importance.”

“Oh, Nicola. I’m so pleased for you. A baby, how wonderful.”

“It is wonderful. Can you just keep it to yourself for a little while? I’ll tell the ladies another time.”

“I’ll not mention it, I promise. You know, I will never take your place, Nicola. You are too much the essence of what this home is about, what it is built from.” Florence gave a mischievous smile. “Besides, once the child is born I know you’ll be back here, even if it’s only for an hour a day.”

“I confess this Home is a part of me and I can never relinquish my love of it.” She raised her head proudly. “We do good work here.”

“And it’ll become more important as the orphanage and school grows.”

Standing, Nicola reached out for Florence’s arm. “Walk out with me. I cannot concentrate on the books today.” She grimaced. “I might as well go home and prepare to meet my mother-in-law.”

Florence fought a smile as they left the study and walked down the hall to the front door. “Is she so bad?”

“Apparently. I believe the word dragon and her name are linked, or so Fran tells me.”

Laughing, they headed out to the carriage, where Timms waited anxiously for her and Florence helped her to climb inside. “Oh, I forgot to mention that Miss Bent is engaged to be married.”

“I suspected something of the sort.” Florence frowned mockingly. “She was taking a great many walks.”

Chuckling, Nicola closed the door and leaned out of the window. “I am happy for her. I’m glad she will be settled.” She sobered. “Now, it may be a few days before I can escape my family duties, but send a note should you have need of me and let me know of the funeral details. Good bye.”

Timms set the carriage rolling down the drive and out into the street. Nicola smoothed out the skirts of her sky blue dress and fiddled with the white lace around the bodice. Should she change when she got home? The time it took for ships to dock and passengers to disembark was unpredictable. It could be hours before she arrived. The closer to home she got, the worse her nerves grew.

When Timms drew the horses to a halt in the drive, Nicola climbed down, her stomach tied in knots. She hoped Nathaniel and Frances were home. Mrs Rawlings scurried out of the front door, her actions so unlike her that Nicola paused.

“Madam, I am glad you are home.” Rawlings panted on reaching her.

“Is something the matter?”

“I don’t know where to begin.” Flustered Mrs Rawlings flapped at her face, but suddenly she tidied herself and became professional again. “Mrs West has arrived.”

“Mrs West?” For a moment, Nicola was confused. She was Mrs West. Then it became clear. “Mr West’s mother is here,
already
?”

Mrs Rawlings nodded, her expression one of aversion. “Yes, Madam, been here for twenty minutes, she has, and is most put out. I haven’t had the time to send for you as she’s run me ragged. I can barely draw breath from running to do her bidding and her uppity maid thinks she can tell me what to do as well, but I soon put her straight.”

“Good gracious me.” Despite her aching injury, Nicola hurried up the path and through the door. In the hall, she hastily unpinned her hat and smoothed her hair into place. “Where is my husband,” she whispered to Rawlings.

“I haven’t seen him since breakfast, Madam, or Miss West.”

Nicola paled. They hadn’t met their mother off the ship? She closed her eyes momentarily and prayed to some unseen deity to help her through this first meeting. Chin held high, shoulders back, Nicola summoned a smile and sailed into the drawing room.

At the window, a woman dressed in a glorious dress of dove-grey silk edged with black lace, slowly turned towards her. Silvana West gave Nicola a glacial stare from steel grey eyes, Frances’s eyes, only Frances’s were warm and soft, Silvana’s were cold and hard. “And who might you be?”

Ah, so the games begin. Nathaniel was right. Nicola hesitated. The woman would have seen her descend from the carriage and seen her speak with Mrs Rawlings, from those clues alone she would know Nicola was her son’s wife. “I may ask the same of you, Madam, since you are the stranger here, not I.”

“If this is how a stranger is treated on her arrival…” she glanced at Nicola’s wedding ring, “Then I would look to your role more diligently, Madam.”

“All guests are treated well in my home, especially when they are invited.”

The barb struck home and Silvana’s eyes narrowed. “Where is my son?”

“You mean my husband?”

“My God, don’t tell me he’s married
you
.”

“Who did you think I was?”

Lips squeezed tight together, Silvana drew in a deep breath, her nostrils flaring. “I’ll never understand that boy, never!” She looked around as if searching for an escape.

“I’m sure—”

“Why didn’t he meet my ship? Did you prevent him?”

“Not at all. Why would I?”

“He never could be relied on. I had presumed he’d changed at least in that.”

“Your son has changed in many ways and—”

“Don’t presume to tell me about my ungrateful child.”

Angered, Nicola gripped her skirt. “When Nathaniel left this morning I understood he would be going to the quay to meet you. Perhaps he had other more
pressing
business to deal with.”

“I am Silvana West.” She tossed her head, nearly dislodging her magnificent wide brimmed hat, with its profusion of black feathers. “I refuse to be spoken to in such an insolent way by a former governess.”

“And I am Nicola West. This is my home, and I refuse to be spoken to this way also.”

“How did you snare my son’s affections?” Silvana’s contemptuous look made Nicola grit her teeth in anger. “My son had no wish to marry, he said it often enough. Yet, somehow, you’ve managed to secure him. From what I gather from the staff here my hope of Nathanial marry well is dashed. A governess. How will it be borne? What is your family, your connections?”

Nicola stiffened, the insults hitting her like darts. “That is none of your business.”

“Ah, so you must not have any otherwise you’d happily mention them.”

“I am not answerable to you. How dare you enter my home, uninvited, and insult me?”

Noise from the drive had both of them glance out the window. Nicola sagged at the sight of Nathaniel helping Fran down from the gig. Her first thought was to run out to them and beg for them to rid her of this awful woman, but when she glanced back at Silvana she found the woman had tears running down her cheeks. Nicola blinked, certain her eyes were playing tricks on her.

Silvana drew out a flimsy scrap of black-laced linen and dabbed at her eyes just as Nathaniel and Fran stepped into the room.

“Mother.” Nathaniel stopped and frowned. “We are sorry to have missed you at the docks.”

“Oh, my darling boy, and sweet Frances, my dearest daughter.” Silvana ran to them and embraced them to her, sobbing as though her heart would break.

Amazed at this turn around, Nicola simply stared.

“Come now, Mother, no more crying.” Nathaniel gently extracted himself from her, but Silvana clung on to Frances.

“Oh, my dear, dear children. How I have missed you so. It has been too long, much too long. Nathaniel,” Silvana turned back to wave her handkerchief at Nicola, “your wife has been so kind to me. I’m delighted by her.”

Nicola’s mouth gaped. She stared at Silvana as though the woman had lost her mind, maybe she had? Then she noticed that Nathaniel was beaming, the joy clear in his eyes.

“I cannot tell you how pleased that makes me, Mother. Nicola makes me very happy.”

“My dearest son.” Silvana simpered, gripping his hand. “Your happiness is so important to me.”

He smiled, his eyes at first wary, but then they softened. “I’m relieved you are not angry with us for missing you at the wharf. Business held me up, and I’m sure I missed you by only minutes, but I’m glad you managed to make it here without mishap.”

“Are you tired, Mother?” Fran murmured. She seemed stunned for words by her mother’s emotional display.

“A little, my dear, but I shall rest in a minute.” Silvana held Fran’s hands and sighed. “How well you look and so beautiful.” She led a bewildered Frances to the sofa. “Come sit by me and tell me everything about your life here. I want to know it all. I have missed you so very much, both of you.”

As if in a daze, Nicola reached for Nathaniel when he came to her side and slipped his arm around her waist. Together they watched mother and daughter talk as though their relationship had always been close and loving.

“Mother has changed significantly,” Nathaniel whispered, his expression clearly showing his confusion and shock. “She never shows emotion. I never would have believed it. Father’s death has changed her a great deal more than I expected.”

“It is early days yet,” Nicola warned quietly, wishing she could speak of what had occurred between her and Silvana only minutes before. How could she tell of Silvana’s horridness when now she was all sweet and loving? They’d not believe her. She hardly believed it herself.

“If she comes with the desire to make amends, I won’t reject her. She is after all, my mother. I think she might need me now.”

“Of course, but let us wait and see, yes?”

“I have a good feeling about this.” He kissed her cheek. “Mother,” Nathaniel stepped forward, “we have some excellent news for you.”

“Oh, what is that, dearest?” Silvana’s affectionate gaze swept over them.

“You are to be a grandmother. Nicola is with child. It is due in late October.”

Nicola, watching her mother-in-law closely, saw the flash of tightness around her lips at the news before her stiff smile widened and she rose to embrace them both. “Why darling, this is such splendid news, and well worth that terrible journey to hear. Now, is it possible to have some tea?”