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Clearing his throat, Watson looked to Miss Percival and said, "Miss Percival, we would be pleased to have you at our dinner table this evening."
The shock flashed through Miss Percival's hazel gaze for only a moment before she finally dropped into a curtsy and accepted the invitation with a gracious, "I would be honoured, Your Grace."
"Oh, yes, you must!" Amy insisted as if the woman's acceptance was not quite enough to convince her. "We have much to tell Papa about, do not we, Miss Percival?"
Watson's heart swelled to see his daughter so happy. He leaned down and pressed his lips to his daughter's forehead. "Then you must hurry to go and prepare or by the time you have told me all you have to tell, our food shall be cold."
Amy looked most excited as she turned to her governess and asked, "Miss Percival, will you escort me up to my room, please?"
Still gob smacked by the friendly connection that had been made between his daughter and her governess in just one day, Watson stepped silently out of the way to let them both pass.
"Of course, Lady Amy," Miss Percival assured her and then she curtsied to Watson. "Until dinner, Your Grace."
"Until dinner, Miss Percival," he replied with a nod of his head. He watched the two of them leave the room, still utterly in shock as to what he had just witnessed. Then, as he heard their laughter receding up the stairs, he turned to Burns who stepped into the room beside him and asked, "Burns, have you been putting something in their food today?"
Burns looked absolutely horrified by the accusation but quickly he started to smile, clearly understanding that the Duke had been joking.
"I would never, Your Grace," the butler assured him with a shake of his head as though he felt the need to say the words aloud just to be sure there was no doubt.
"Well, whatever has happened," Watson sighed with deep relief, "I am certainly glad of it."
Burns nodded slowly as if in understanding and pure agreement. "It is certainly nice to have laughter in the house again," Burns admitted and Watson could not have agreed more. It had been several years since Watson had heard his daughter laugh with anyone but him and as she grew and grew those times became fewer and fewer.
"I think that perhaps Miss Percival was a wise investment indeed, if I do say so myself, Your Grace," Burns said, looking slightly embarrassed at having given his own opinion on the matter. Having known the man since he was his father's butler before him, the Duke felt as though Burns was a member of the family and so he felt no awkwardness as he laid his hand upon his shoulder and stated, "I could not agree with you more."
The two men smiled at each other warmly, the relief reflected in both of their gazes. Then, finally, Burns asked, "Your Grace, shall I send Quintin up to your room to help you dress for dinner?"
Ordinarily, Watson might have gone about dressing for dinner with his daughter on his own. It was not exactly a grand occasion that he needed to wear his finest clothing and look his best, yet something about this evening felt special. Clearly, Burns felt it too or he would not have suggested such a thing.
"Yes, Burns, I think that would be a very good idea indeed," he said with a nod, giving the butler one final tap on the shoulder before he stepped away and added, "Thank you."
The butler bowed and removed himself from the room, clearly going in search of the steward. Watson waited for him to go before he too removed himself from the room and began to make his way to his bed chambers to prepare for whatever the rest of the evening might hold.
Even as he passed by the bedroom of his daughter, even though there was silence, he felt as though the air was lighter and the mood not so dark. It was as if Miss Percival's presence had lifted the stress from the shoulders of every member of the household and Watson was not sure whether he would ever be able to thank her enough.
Dinner is most definitely a start, he thought, relieved that his daughter had come up with the idea all on her own.
He even paused at his bedroom door, turning back to glance down the hallway, half expecting to find everything changing in the blink of an eye. But instead, everything remained calm and peaceful, and Watson breathed it in, allowing it to fill him like he had never felt it before.
For the first time since his wife's death, he felt truly content. And when Quintin joined him in his room, he was relieved to see that even the old steward looked less weary.
"Can you believe it, Quintin?" Watson asked even as the steward arrived in his room. The old man limped in and shook his head, his face spread wide with a happy smile.
"I cannot, Your Grace," the man said, his voice gravelly as if he were emotional. "I knew when I met Miss Percival that there was something about her, but I never could have expected this and definitely not upon the very first day!"
Watson was nodding with agreement even before the steward had finished. "I believe we are truly blessed to have her here," Watson admitted, feeling his heart swell once more at the memory of hearing his daughter's laughter the moment that he walked through the front door. It was such a fine noise to return home to that he thought his heart might never sink again.
"Did they tell you that they have been in the drawing room right since noon?" Quintin asked even as he crossed the room to pour the warm water into a porcelain bowl that a maid had already delivered to his room upon the Duke's return home, always like clockwork.
"No, I had not heard!" Warson exclaimed. Just when he thought he could not be more shocked, the steward had found a way to do so.
"I know, I could not believe it either, but Burns assured me they have been studying all afternoon without break!"
Watson was utterly flabbergasted by this but he was determined to keep a strong head on his shoulders. "I shall have to speak to them both about making sure they eat tomorrow."
The steward smiled at him warmly and shook his head, "I am sure after all their studying they shall make up for it this evening at dinner."
"Perhaps," Watson mused, wondering what it would be like having a governess at dinner. He had heard of several noblemen having their children’s' governess at the dinner table though it was usually as an extension of her work rather than as a guest. Still, for his daughter to have even offered up the invitation was a shock in itself.
