The Impossible Governess (6 page)

Raynor was pleased by Marissa’s display of pretty manners and began to enjoy himself.  He relaxed and leaned against one side of his chair, crossing a booted calf atop his knee.  Observing Marissa’s doe eyes slewing back and forth between Miss Forsythe and himself, he asked, “Is anything amiss, Marissa?”

Before answering, the child looked expectantly toward her governess.  “No, Uncle Tony.”

“Then, why are you staring at me?  Have I grown horns?” he prodded gently.

Again the little girl’s eyes cut to Georgeanne before she answered half under her breath.  “Georgie wouldn’t let Mr. Rabbit slouch in his chair.”

“Mr. Rabbit?”

“Mr. Rabbit is you, Uncle Tony, when Georgie and me practiced how to sit and drink my tea.”

This time Raynor’s eyes joined Marissa’s as they turned to the furiously blushing governess.  “I see.”  Raynor smiled, and immediately corrected his posture.

As Raynor concentrated on entertaining his niece, Georgeanne quietly willed her frantically beating heart to return to normal.  She recognized the deepening blue of his eyes as an approving and warm assessment of her person.  Still, she had to remind herself of her position as governess rather than an equal paying a social call.

Too soon the afternoon came to an end, and Georgeanne thanked Lord Raynor for inviting them to tea.  With Marissa echoing her every word, he smiled and remarked how pleasurable it had been for him as well.  “In fact, I would be honored if you ladies joined me again tomorrow.”

“Oh, yes, Uncle Tony!  Do say we can, Georgie!”  Marissa said, pouncing from one foot to the other.

With Georgeanne shushing the little girl’s squeals of delight, Raynor hastily added, “But you must understand, Marissa, that this cannot be a daily affair.  There are many afternoons I am away from home.”

“I do. I unders
tand. I really do,” said Marissa, capering about Georgeanne’s skirts as she tried to usher her toward the door, quieting only when a booming male voice was heard hailing Bivens.

“No need to announce me, Bivens.  I can do that myself,”
said Lord Townsend, coming through the door with a broad smile.

Georgeanne found herself once again facing the handsome, fashionably dressed gentleman whose heel she’d stepped on the day before.

“I say, Tony, I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” asked Townsend, though his gaze never wavered past Georgeanne.

Raynor scowled at his friend.  “Allow me to make known to you my niece, the Honorable Miss Marissa Raynor, and her governess,” he said, stressing the last word, “Miss Forsythe.  Ladies, this gentleman is Lord Townsend.”

Townsend stretched an elegant leg to Marissa.  He made a great show of kissing the little lady’s hand, bravely ignoring the sticky raspberry jam between her fingers.  He also possessed himself of Georgeanne’s hand, though he did not bring it to his lips.

Totally charmed, Georgeanne could not prevent herself from bestowing a dazzling smile on him.  As he still held her hand, she wondered how long the gentleman intended to stand there before Raynor’s bark broke the spell and Townsend released her
and moved away.

“You may take my niece back to the schoolroom, Miss Forsythe.  Now,” said
Raynor in a clipped voice.

Having taken an instant liking to the gallant gentleman, Georgeanne was tempted to demure but, after one look at her employer’s expression, thought better of it.  With Marissa acting as her shadow, Georgeanne dipped a hasty curtsy and quit the room with her charge in tow.

Townsend glared at Raynor.  “You didn’t have to run them off,” he said and turned back to the door through which Georgeanne had disappeared.

“They were on their way out when you arrived.”  Much to Raynor’s disgust, Townsend stood with his back to him, glazed eyes still fixed on the closed door. “What are you doing here, Will?”

“Huh? Oh, came by to see you, old man.  Wanted to lend you my support and have tea with you.” He sounded distracted.  “I remembered how yesterday you were not particularly happy over the prospect of today’s tea.  By the way, how did it go?  Must say, Tony, your niece was very well behaved just now.”

The compliment pleased Raynor.  “Yes, I have to admit she has come a long way in a couple of weeks.  It must be Miss Forsythe’s influence
, for Marissa verily dotes on her.”

“Can see why.  Dash fine looking chit, that one.”

“I’m warning you, Will,” Raynor said, his tone ominous as his brows snapped together.

“No, don’t rip up at me.  It ain’t what you think.  By the bye,” he said.  “Heard Sarsfield’s planning on showing off his new chestnuts in Hyde Park this afternoon.  Swung by to see if you’d care to join me and have a look.”

“That windbag has got more hair than horse sense.  Rumor has it those nags are all show and can barely make the trip to the park and back without getting winded.”

“My phaeton’s out front if you care to check them out.”

“I’ll get my hat,” replied Raynor, ringing for the butler.

“Tea went pretty well, huh?” asked Will, slewing his eyes to catch his friend’s reaction to the question.

“So good, in fact, that we’re to repeat the event again tomorrow.”

“You don’t say.”

~~~~~

Georgeanne had her hands full trying to dampen Marissa’s exuberance.  The child awoke excited over the prospect of seeing her uncle again that
afternoon.  Through sheer willpower, Georgeanne managed to complete their morning studies, but quit early.  It was a constant chore recalling Marissa’s attention to her school work.  To make matters worse, the fine weather had given way to a dreary drizzle by mid morning and showed no signs of letting up.

Shortly before noon, a great commotion erupted in the front foyer.  But it was not until Hattie brought up the lunch tray a little later than usual that they learned of the unexpected visitor who’d turned the house in an uproar.  Lady Lillian Ashbury, Raynor’s aunt.

Her ladyship had arrived unannounced and with an inordinate amount of baggage.  This telling fact, Hattie said, Bivens had related to the housekeeper, Mrs. Harrison.  It was, Bivens said, a sure indication that her ladyship planned to make a very lengthy stay.

Marissa was pleased by the news and began anticipating the appearance of her great aunt.  She jumped up from whatever she was doing to check the doorway whenever she heard or imagined the slightest sound coming from the corridor.

Nor was Marissa disappointed.  Soon after lunch, an older woman of medium stature appeared at the schoolroom door.  She wore her almost white hair tucked up under a delicate lace cap that matched the trim at her throat and on the cuffs of her lilac silk gown.  Both the cut and the understated elegance bespoke the work of a Parisian modiste.  Though in her late fifties, her carriage was regal, making her appear taller, and her walk held a youthful spring.

Marissa immediately ran to her and was greeted with outstretched arms and an affectionate hug.  Marissa tugged on her
aunt’s hand and pulled her into the room as she proudly made the introductions.  “Aunt Lillian, this is Georgie, and Georgie, this is my very favorite aunt, Aunt Lillian.”  Having delivered these words, Marissa looked from one to the other, expecting them to complete the prescribed dialogue.

Both ladies solemnly regarded each other before bursting with laughter.

“I do apologize, my lady,” Georgeanne said between chuckles.  “Marissa, that was a lovely introduction.  I am proud of you.  You remembered to do everything just as we practiced.  But I cannot go around calling this lovely lady ‘Aunt Lillian.’”  Dipping into a deep curtsy, she said, “I am Georgeanne Forsythe, my lady.”

With an outstretched hand, Marissa’s great aunt said warmly, “And I am Lady Lillian Ashbury.”

“Uncle Tony did not say you were coming,” interrupted Marissa.

“No, dear, I dare say I have quite surprised him.  But when he wrote in his last letter that you were without a governess again, I decided my nephew was in definite need of my help.  But here I see you already have a new governess
.” She turned a sharp eye on Georgeanne once more.

“Oh yes, and she is the very best, too.  Georgie plays games with me, Aunt Lillian,” Marissa offered excitedly.

“That is splendid.”  The smile Lady Ashbury gave Georgeanne sparkled in her pale blue eyes.  It was apparent that very little escaped this sharp witted lady.

“Raynor told me you were doing exceptionally well.  But I had to see for myself.”  She placed a hand on Marissa’s head.  “I understand we will be taking tea together, dear.”

“We have the most wonderful tea parties, and I get to be a grownup,” Marissa said proudly.  “You will come, too?”

Eying Georgeanne, Lady Ashbury replied, “I would not miss it for the world.”  Then, declaring she intended to rest in the meantime, she gave her
grand niece a kiss and departed with another promise to see her at tea.

At the appointed time later that afternoon, Georgeanne and Marissa descended the last set of stairs just as Bivens responded to a knock at the front door.  In walked
Lord Townsend.  The ladies watched him carelessly toss his hat and cane at the unflappable butler.  The moment he saw them near the bottom of the steps, he approached them with a pleasant smile.

“What a fortunate circumstance, Miss Forsythe.  Where are you and the
lovely Marissa headed?” he asked.

Accepting his hand, Georgeanne descended the last few risers.  She watched as he made an elegant leg for Marissa, who dipped a slightly shaky curtsy, then succumbed to a fit of giggles.  It would be easy to like this gentleman with his affable manners and smiling hazel eyes, Georgeanne thought.  Too easy.

“We are going to have tea with Uncle Tony,” Marissa announced proudly.

“Why, so am I!” he said with exaggerated surprise,
which set the little girl to giggling again.  He leaned down so she could take his proffered arm and, with a disarming grin, offered Georgeanne the other.

“We did not know his lordship was expecting guests,” Georgeanne commented.

“Well, it’s likely he isn’t, but I am counting heavily on the fact I’ve never been tossed out on my ear before now.  Raynor has always encouraged me to consider myself a member of the house, rather than a guest.”

Before Georgeanne could reply, they reached the drawing room.  The merry trio swept into the room and found Raynor already in his habitual stance by the fireplace.  His greeting was everything it should have been.  His smile, in contrast, was tight and failed to reach his eyes.  It occurred to Georgeanne that Raynor did not look pleased to see his friend.

Georgeanne suspected Townsend felt his host’s displeasure as well.  Townsend tended to rattle on, maintaining a congenial flow of what amounted to inane chatter.  Fortunately, Lady Ashbury soon arrived and seemed genuinely pleased to see Raynor’s friend.

When Bivens brought in the tea tray, everyone took a seat with Townsend slipping into the chair next to Georgeanne.  There was an assortment of cookies and sweetmeats, including one plate with Marissa’s favorite macaroon cookies.  Georgeanne wondered if Raynor had mentioned to Cook that his niece would be joining them. 

While Lady Ashbury poured tea and plied Lord Townsend with questions about his family, Georgeanne kept her eyes on Marissa as she eagerly plucked three macaroons off the silver tray Bivens passed around.  She would have grabbed more had she not glanced at Georgeanne and noted the infinitesimal shake of her governess’s head.  The child started to replace one cookie before again seeing Georgeanne disapprove of her actions.  After that, she sat quietly, completely absorbed in munching her cookies and drinking her own special concoction of tea.

But Georgeanne was not so contented.  Gone was the congenial host of yesterday, and she was confused by Raynor’s abrupt shift in mood.  She wondered whether she or her charge had unknowingly done something to incur his ire.

Georgeanne wasn’t the only one to take note of Raynor’s cantankerousness.  Lady Ashbury also observed the strained atmosphere that existed between the three adults.  But unlike Georgeanne, she was not the least confounded by her nephew’s disgruntlement.  In fact, she was amused by the revelation and decided to throw more oil on the troubled waters.

When Marissa began to fidget after finishing her repast, Georgeanne deemed it time they went back to the schoolroom.  The little girl accepted her governess’s cue to neatly fold her napkin and lay it by her plate.  After saying good bye, she executed a lovely curtsy, then skipped to the door to take Georgeanne’s hand.

Lady Ashbury was not surprised when Townsend suddenly remembered an appointment that he had forgotten.  As he rose to make a hasty adieu, she invited Townsend to come again the next day.  “Marissa really does enjoy your company.  You are so less intimidating than her prosy Uncle Tony.”  Glancing at Raynor, she was gratified to see a ruddy flush heat up his face.

“I hardly think Will wants to spend his afternoon partaking a nursery tea, Aunt Lillian.”

“Oh, but I do,” Townsend quickly replied.  “That is, I have greatly enjoyed your company, my lady, and am honored to accept your kind invitation.”

“Then it is settled.  We will expect you for tea tomorrow,” she said and dismissed him after offering her cheek for his salute.