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Henry found himself rather impressed by Agnes’ high praise of the woman and her services. While Agnes was usually agreeable with most individuals she met, the sheer enthusiasm in her voice was quite surprising. It appeared the young lady had taken to the new governess quickly.
Henry had never liked his teachers much when he was Agnes’ age, rendering his schooldays long and tedious.
An air of certainty surrounded Agnes, which lifted her brows matter-of-factly.
“I am quite glad I chose her!”
“You mean, thatIchose her, don’t you?” Henry corrected, his own brows rising, humor in his gray eyes.“I do believe I was the one who hired the woman.”
“Technically speaking, Uncle, we both selected her. We chose well, to be sure!” Agnes beamed.
Hefelt a surge of pride as he saw his sweet niece, confident that she was in capable hands and enjoying herself. He wished for Agnes to have only the best people in her life to support her and soften the blow of her orphanhood. Fortunately, Henry believed he had accomplished this without even meeting this new governess.
“You seem quite taken by the woman; I suppose that is a good thing. However, don’t confuse Miss Murray with some old friend of yours. Your final year as a student is imperative for molding you into a fine young woman suited for life as a wife and mother,” Henry lectured, Agnes feigning disinterest in the discussion.
“Yes, yes, I’m aware of it all, Uncle. You never let me forget,” she jested, arms folded over her chest.
Henry stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Hmmm. I do hope Miss Murray’s lack of experience won’t affect your knowledge of homemaking and childrearing.”Agnes nearly bristled at Henry’s vague questioning of Miss Murray’s ability to guide her, and the young lady was quick to defend her.
“Florence has already taught me many valuable things about such matters. She is very knowledgeable, even if she has no children of her own.” Henry wanted to take Agnes’ word for it. However, he still hadn’t acquainted himself with the mysterious and highly acclaimed woman.
It was then that Henry realized his day was still not finished. He needed to speak with this Miss Murray. He had not had the chance to properly assess the woman for himself, and there was no time to put it off any longer.
As if Agnes had read his mind, the girl looked hopeful. “Would you like to meet her?”
Henry nodded and waved Agnes off. “Very well, go and fetch her, then.”
Agnes dashed out of the room in a flurry of excitement, and Henry imagined she had been waiting for that exact moment. When Agnes met someone new and stimulating, she would often share her overwhelming joy with anyone who would listen.
Henry took another deep breath and sat on the edge of the desk to wait. He was relieved sheseemed content with her new governess, but Henry couldn't help but be wary. Putting aside the fact that they had never met, he wondered if herenthusiasm might not be a bad thing. If, let’s say, Miss Murray were the rebellious type, how would she affect Agnes' disposition as a young lady?
He wondered additionally if Miss Murray felt compelled by Agnes’ sweetness to be slack with her. In that case, would his niece retain anything at all? Would Agnes view Miss Murray as more of a companion than a tutor? He could only hope the woman had Agnes’ best interest in mind, as he always had.
After a brief moment, Agnes appeared on the threshold and entered the room, trailed by a figure standing much taller than his niece .She appeared to be taller than most of the women Henry knew. It was the first thing he noticed about her.
Henry allowed his gaze to drift across Miss Murray in her entirety, and didn’t miss a single inch. He was pleasantly surprised by her beauty. Quite stunned, in fact, if he was being truthful. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties. He suddenly wondered why she was not married. He thought to himself that if he’d had a teacher who looked like Miss Murray, then perhaps he would have liked school more.
The governess stood before him with an uncommon sort of mysterious confidence about her, apparently completely unintimidated by him. As if she truly had nothing to lose. She held herself like a well-born woman, wise from many years of building and running a household. Her thick, red hair was pinned up neatly, with only a few loose curls framing her pale, flawless face. She looked at him steadily through her long lashes, and suddenly, he could hardly remember why he had summoned her there at all.
“Uncle Henry, this is Miss Murray,” Agnes said with a silent gesture of introduction. She smiled at the governess, adding, “Miss Murray, may I present my Uncle Henry, the Earl of Ingleby?”
“Please, call me Florence,” the governess said pleasantly, a polite smile turning up the corners of her full lips. She curtsied briefly but not deferentially. Her bright blue eyes gazed imperturbably upon Henry, and he felt as if he was the only man left in the world. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Gray.”
While Henry took in every one of her words with care so as not to miss them, it was as though he heard nothing at all. He was much too distracted by the woman’s perfect, almost translucent complexion to speak. It was quite clear to him that Miss Murray had spent little time outdoors. Certainly, she had never labored in the sun. She was likely a sheltered woman, he concluded, spending her time indoors, busy with her household duties.
Even so, Henry was more curious about her credentials as a governess. She had listed such things in her application, yes, but just from looking at her, Henry wanted to know more. His interest was beyond piqued, and that almost irked him. He was impatient to know more about Miss Murray and her circumstances.
The longer Henry’s eyes rested on the young woman, the more he questioned what could be wrong with her—what enormous fault did she possess that rendered her unworthy of marriage? Surely any prospective suitors, if they existed, weren’t blind or sorely misinformed about feminine beauty? It seemed a shame to waste such a beautiful face and body in a secluded position like this.
Henry’s intense assessment of the governess was suddenly halted the moment she seemed to become uncomfortable. In fact, she almost visibly squirmed. It appeared as though she suddenly wanted nothing more than to be swallowed up by the floor and relieved of the awkward situation she found herself in.
Worry flowed into her eyes, and she clasped her hands before her, seemingly more nervous with each passing moment.
“Is everything to your satisfaction, my lord?”she asked, a slight tremor in her voice.
Henry became aware of his extended silence then, and he cleared his throat at once. He stood to his full height and adjusted his waistcoat. He kept his eyes on her, but, he hoped, with more intention in them this time.
His words came out much more sharply than he intended, yet they served him well all the same.
