Her Secondhand Groom (16 page)

Miss Farrell rubbed her hands along the length of her skirt again, then used her thumb to soothe the tender spot on the side of her finger. “Well, I am quite an accomplished painter,” she said, beaming. She leaned forward and put her elbow on her knee, and propped her chin on her palm, mindlessly tapping her nails against her teeth as she thought. “Oh, and I had three Seasons in London, so I’m very well versed in social etiquette and such, which they’ll need to learn.”

“
What of music. Do you have any musical abilities?”

Miss Farrell gulped. “No.” She closed her teeth around one of her nails and chewed the end. “But I do know how to dance!”

Juliet responded, but Patrick didn’t hear her. His attention was consumed by the image of Miss Farrell’s sharp, white teeth biting down on the end of her fingernail. If she kept doing that, wouldn’t she eventually bite it off? If she did, what would she do with the nail clipping? Swallow it?

He had to wait only three seconds before he had his answer.

Eyes focused solely on her mouth, Patrick had an eagle’s view of Miss Farrell’s knifelike teeth as she bit down one final time while she was talking, severing the tip of her fingernail from the rest. His eyes shifted to her throat, waiting to see her swallow the clipping once she ended her sentence. But she didn’t. A second later, the tip of her pink tongue shot out to lick her pink lips, and in her attempt to moisten her lips, she deposited her fingernail right in the center of her top lip. Then, heedless to the new decoration she was now wearing on her lip, she continued her explanation.

Patrick inwardly cringed. He swallowed and considered tearing his eyes away just long enough to catch Juliet’s expression, but couldn’t. He was too enthralled with what she’d do when she stopped speaking.

And then it happened.

Concluding some explanation about her former dance tutor, Miss Farrell licked her lips again, this time catching her fingernail clipping. Her eyes went wide, and she placed her fingertips just above her upper lip and with a faint but still distinct blowing sound, expelled the bit of nail right onto the skirts of her forest green day gown. Then, with a nervous smile, she used the back of her hand to brush the nail off her lap and onto the floor.

“
All right, Miss Farrell,” Patrick said, jumping to his feet. “I believe that’s all the questions we have. We’ll be in touch with Mrs. Rawlings at the staffing agency.”

After Miss Farrell exited, Patrick sighed. Miss Farrell wasn’t fit to be a governess, let alone a maid.

Juliet wagged a finger in his direction. “She was just nervous.”

“
How did you know what I was thinking?”

“
Having seven younger siblings does have its advantages.”

He chuckled. He’d always wondered what it’d be like to have siblings. He opened his mouth to ask her about her younger brothers and sisters when suddenly she spoke again.

“
Are there any others?”

“
One more,” Patrick said. He sat down next to her.

“
It’s not Miss Grant, is it?”

Patrick groaned. “No it’s not Miss Grant.”

She twisted her lips. “Why is it you won’t even consider her? Surely you don’t find her education lacking or her manners deplorable, do you?”

Patrick met her piercing grey eyes straight on and thought carefully of what he’d say. Miss Grant was one of Juliet’s former schoolmates’ older sisters, and what he said about her education or manners could very easily be applied to Juliet as well. “No. I don’t find her lacking in those scores. However, I worry about the possible jealousy that Miss Grant could develop toward you.”

“
Pardon?”

He shrugged. “You’re a viscountess now. She’s not. Surely you see how that could lead to jealous feelings?”

“
If you say so.” She crossed her arms and averted her gaze, mumbling something.

He crossed his arms, too. “Well, I say so.” Truthfully, Miss Grant sounded perfect for the post, but he’d be damned if he knowingly invited more miserable tension into the house. That was the
last
thing Briar Creek needed. As it was, tension was slowly choking the life out of everyone who lived here, this particular moment was no exception.

Finally, an unsettled Links walked through the door and ended their silent torture.

“
My lord, Miss Cordelia Sharpe is here for her interview.”

Patrick nodded for Links to let her in. What could have happened to have shaken Links’ solid resolve?

In less than five minutes’ time, he knew.

Miss Sharpe, stepped through the door and attempted a curtsy, nearly tipping forward as she did. Straightening, she mumbled a word that Patrick could have sworn sounded a lot like “bugger”. He shook his head. Surely not, she was applying for a governess post, after all.

Miss Sharpe attempted another curtsy, this time placing more weight on her back foot, and nearly falling backward. Juliet moved to help her up and cast compassionate eyes at Patrick, which he took to mean he better not let her inability to curtsy properly be a strike against her.

Once up, Miss Sharpe attempted yet
another
curtsy and halfway down muttered, “Oh bloody hell, bugger it all.”

Juliet’s mouth gaped, and so did Patrick’s.

Without a word of invitation, Miss Sharpe walked into the middle of the room, plopped down on the settee, and kicked off her slippers. “Shall we start this interview?”

Patrick studied this woman. He already knew there wasn’t even a particle of a chance he’d allow his daughters alone with this woman, but he owed it to Juliet to at least attempt to interview this woman. He took a seat and looked to Juliet to start the interview.

Juliet licked her lips. “Do you have any experience as a governess?”

“
Aye.”

“
Excellent. Did you happen to bring your letters of reference?”

Miss Sharpe scowled. “No.”

“
Do you have a letter of reference?” Juliet asked.

Patrick would have inwardly chuckled at her innocence if not for Miss Sharpe’s course response. “No, I don’t got no bloody reference. That bloody Lord Tarley couldn’t keep his bloody hands off me.”

Patrick frowned. He didn’t believe that for a second. He might not be that familiar with Lord Tarley, but he knew him well enough to know the man wouldn’t have relations with his staff, especially one such as Miss Sharpe.

Juliet cleared her throat. “And how long were you in his employ?”

“
Six bloody years.” Miss Sharpe crossed her arms. “Am I hired, or not?”

“
Pardon?” Juliet asked, drawing Patrick’s attention. He’d only heard that tone directed at him. He nearly smiled at the knowledge someone aside from him had the power to get her dander up.

“
I said, am I bloody hired?” she repeated as if it was the normal way of things for the potential employee to come into the interview using rough language and demand answers.

“
No,” Juliet and Patrick said in unison.

He glanced at Juliet. They may disagree about nearly everything else, but for once they were in perfect agreement.

“
And why the bloody hell not?’

“
Because your manners are better suited for that of a stablehand rather than a governess.” His eyes narrowed. “And no, I am not currently seeking an employee for such a position.”
Not that I’d even think of letting you near my prized stallion
.

“
Just as well,” Miss Sharpe said, jamming her feet back into her slippers. She stood and walked straight out the door.

Patrick moved to follow her. The least he could do was show her out. Just as he rounded the corner, he saw Links was waiting and gave the man a curt nod. Now he had a clear understanding of how his calm butler looked anything but calm when he showed Miss Sharpe in.

“
Are you willing to interview Miss Grant, now?”

His mouth formed a tight line. “No.”

“
Well then, I must be off, too,” Juliet said crisply.

Patrick blinked. “Is there a reason you’re unhappy with me?”

“
Yes. You refuse to see reason.”

He crossed his arms. “No. I see reason just fine. Hiring Miss Grant is not the solution. I’ll contact the staffing agency again.”

Juliet flicked her wrist. “Don’t bother yourself with such trivial details. We both know you have no real desire to hire a governess when I’m available.”

“
Now see here,” he thundered. “I’ve spent the last two days interviewing ladies for the post. You cannot fault me for who the agency sends.”

“
No,” she agreed. “But I can fault you for passing up two perfectly good candidates.”

“
And who would those be?” Surely she couldn’t be talking about Miss Farrell or Miss Sharpe, or the uneducated ladies from yesterday, Miss Smythe and Miss Temple.

“
Miss Grant for one,” Juliet said pointedly. “And Miss Farrell for the other.”

“
No and no. As I said, I will not knowingly invite more trouble into this house, nor will I have a lady who spits her fingernail clippings on her lap, then brushes them onto the floor, be responsible for educating my daughters.”

“
She was nervous.”

“
No. She was disgusting.”

Juliet threw her hands in the air. “Have you ever considered that you might make people uneasy, Lord Presumptuous?”

He bridled at her use of the nickname she’d given him. “No. And whether I made her nervous or not, that is no excuse for her to bite her fingernails and spit them out in my study.”

Juliet sighed. “All right. Fine. I agree she was unsuitable. But what of Miss G―”

“
No. Don’t even bring her name up again, Juliet.”

Juliet nodded curtly. “I see how it’s going to be.” She took a sidestep toward the door and he moved to stand in front of her.

“
And how is that?”

“
My opinions will never matter to you.”

“
Yes, they do.”

“
No, they don’t.”

He ground his teeth. “Why would you think that?”

“
Why
shouldn’t
I think that?” Her eyes were flashing fire.

“
Well, I invited you in here, didn’t I? I could have made the decision all on my own, but I asked you to help.” His eyes narrowed in on her, daring her to object.

“
Yes, you did. Though why you bothered to do so when you had no intentions of listening to my suggestions, I’ll never know.” She crossed her arms, and her eyes grew more intense, if such a thing were even possible. “Unless you brought me in here as a way to prove to me there was no one suitable so I’d continue to act my role as motherness.”

“
Are you implying, I would be so selfish as to request unsuitable ladies be sent, then invite you in here to witness their unsuitability as some sort of ploy to trick you?”

“
Absolutely.”

Chapter 13

Patrick tucked Caroline’s invitation into his breast pocket and stood. It had been more than a day since his argument with Juliet about the governess. After her last damning insinuation that he was some sort of heartless instigator in this whole governess mess, she’d swept from the room before he’d had a chance to ask her to attend Caroline’s dinner party. He hadn’t seen her the rest of the day, which had probably been for the best seeing as how neither of them had been in a mood fit for company. But he’d go see her now. If she stayed true to schedule, she’d be upstairs getting ready to take her afternoon tea with the girls. Which meant it was the perfect time to visit her.