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Yes. You look like the most dangerous woman I’ve ever met.
“No,” I said. “But looks can be deceiving.”
“My methods are unusual,” Bianca said. “But they work. You have to understand how children think and work with them.”
“Work with them how?” I said.
“You talk to them in a way they understand,” she said. “You tell them stories that engage their interest. Difficult kids are often very smart. They need to be taught differently to how most kids are.”
She was asking me to trust her with the son of my dead sister. But I couldn’t take that risk. He’d already seen three governesses come and go. He needed some stability in his life and I didn’t think she was the one who would provide it.
I got to my feet.
“Thank you for coming today,” I said. “We’ll be in touch.”
“Oh,” she said.
She scooped up her bag and shook my hand. She must have sensed something was wrong.
“If I said something wrong, I apologize,” she said. “If I could give you references, I would.”
“I know,” I said. “It’s just… he’s a very special boy. He’s had a hard time of it lately. Him acting up like this… It’s just a phase. He needs someone who’s going to be firm but fair with him. He needs to be forced into shape and I’m afraid your style of doing things isn’t going to do that.”
Bianca nodded but the look in her eyes was cold and hard.
“I see,” she said. “Well, thank you for your time. Don’t worry about showing me out. I know where the door is.”
She moved for it and froze when she reached it. She spoke without turning around.
“The governess you hired before me, the one who left abruptly? She was strict, wasn’t she?” she said.
“She could be at times, yes.”
“And he didn’t respond well to it.”
“No,” I said.
“And the governess you had as a kid, she was strict too? And you were a little wayward as a child and she straightened you out?”
I was gobsmacked.
“How did you know that?” I said.
She turned to face me.
“I’ve spent my life studying people,” she said. “I know them, understand them. I’ve seen how the experiences they had as children molded the adults they became. Maybe the approach that worked on you all those years ago isn’t the right approach to use with him. Maybe he needs more than just a governess.”
“What does he need?” I said.
“A friend.”
She let the word hang between us. I thought I was sizing her up for this position and instead she’d been the one sizing me up.
“Thank you for your time,” she said. “I hope you find the person you’re looking for.”
Her insinuation was clear: “It isn’t me.”
“Thank you,” I said distractedly.
