“Thank you, sir. Your appearance was timely.” Her smile was beautiful. Uncommonly so. But it meant nothing to me. I had had my fill of beautiful things, and they no longer satisfied me. Her eyes snagged mine. Deep brown on the outside and amber near the center. They were indeed remarkable. Almost enough to tempt me.
The woman’s ivory cheeks bloomed into a soft pink blush.
Her gaze dropped to our hands. Curious, mine followed.
Blast! I had forgotten to release her hand.
Disgusted with myself, I pulled back and absently wiped my now tingling fingers on my trousers. “I suggest you leave the cat rescuing to someone else next time.” Softening my words with a smile, I turned to my sister, handing her Gingersnaps. “Augusta, Mother sent me to fetch you. Should I inform her we have a guest?”
“Augusta?”
I glanced back as the woman in front of me pinned my sister with a stare.
Augusta rushed forward. “Yes, you are quite a mess, aren’t you? Let me help.” My sister pulled a leaf from the woman’s hair, while the stranger smoothed the raven curls by her face. They were the perfect contrasting shade for her fair complexion.
Perhaps I was not so immune to a pretty face as I had convinced myself to believe.
I waited for Augusta to introduce us, as manners would imply. I had not heard of anyone new to our neighborhood, or any visitors for that matter, but I was not as in tune to the comings and goings of Society as I once was.
Augusta linked her arm with her friend’s. “Not a guest, Atlas. You can tell Mother that we have a newgoverness.”
I coughed to hold back my surprise. “Governess? Her?”
“Yes, her. Is she not perfect? She already loves Gingersnaps.”
But she was so young. If I wagered a guess, I would think her no older than Augusta’s eighteen years. Governesses were supposed to be old and dowdy, with their hair pulled back tight. Not loose curls dangling by rosy cheeks, or tender eyes framed by thick lashes. “Forgive my confusion,” I muttered. “Of course if you love Gingersnaps, you come highly qualified.”
“So it would appear.” The raven-haired beauty blinked rapidly, and I wondered who was more startled over this haphazard meeting, me or her. “You must forgive me. It has been a rather confusing morning.”
“Falls like yours can do that to a person,” Augusta told her, tugging her arm and pulling her toward the path. “My brother fell from a horse once and was laid up for months. You should have heard the perplexing words he muttered.”
The smallest wave of guilt over Augusta’s mention of my horse accident washed over me and made me forget about introductions. The opportunity passed, with my sister and her much-too-young candidate for governess walking ahead.
I trailed behind, catching snippets of conversation. Something about a test and how our guest had passed with her appreciation of snakes and her valiant rescue of Gingersnaps. I had walked out to find my sister, only to discover she had met someone exactly like her. Should I worry about such a woman for a governess? Could she better Augusta, or would the two of them mean twice the trouble?
Thankfully, it was for Mother to decide. I left the running of the house and the running of Augusta completely to her—only interfering when I had to.
Entering the back door, we made our way to the drawing room. Mother was called for and we waited for her arrival, the women taking a seat together, while I chose to stand. To avoid studying our guest, my eyes traced the wainscotting along the walls to the billowing royal blue damask drapes. Mother had recently done the room over, and it seemed it was to excess. Matching royal blue pillows with a pink floral pattern decorated two tufted sofas with ornate mahogany backs. Two new Grecian statues sat on either end of the mantel, with a new painting just above it. If that was not enough, a new rug was on the way too. Wehad sufficient funds, but the changes were lavish and unnecessary. The money could have been put to better use. I had begun avoiding this room to hide my annoyance. As soon as introductions were made, I intended to excuse myself.
“What do you think of the house?” Augusta asked, settling onto the sofa with Gingersnaps. “Does it suit you?”
The young lady opened her mouth to answer just as Mother swept into the room. Her sudden presence made the room feel noticeably smaller, and not at all because of her physical size.
“Finally!” Mother cried. “I thought the road cursed. You must be Miss Applebee.”
“No, my lady. I am Miss Estelle L—Lewis. I have come to interview for the position of governess.”
Lewis? The name was unfamiliar to me. Had she stumbled over it because of nerves? I had not noticed any other proof of a stutter.
“Oh dear, were you not in receipt of my letter?” asked Mother.
Miss Lewis nodded. “You recommended this day and time as convenient to meet.”
“Not that letter,” Mother said. “The one following it, where I said that I had been mistaken and not to come.”
Miss Lewis’s eyes widened, and I knew I could not escape the room just yet. Mother’s tact could be lacking, and this poor young woman did not deserve to take the brunt of it.
“Mother, she is here, isn’t she? And clearly, she has come a long way.” I looked expectantly at Miss Lewis, waiting for her to fill in the details.
