boy, with straight dark hair and alert eyes; but conversation about
him
was not to be encouraged, either.
‘Tea will be served in the garden, under the cedar tree,’ said Juliana, breaking the awkward pause.
‘How delightful!’ Mrs Dearly adjusted her hat. ‘I am so longing to hear all your news!’
Chairs and a table had already been set out on the south lawn, beneath the cedar’s spreading branches. Alice brought tea, bread-and-butter and cake, crockery and hot water; Juliana had made arrangements with the domestic staff without consulting me, and I wondered whether she had also ensured their silence. My demure miss was revealing depths of deviousness I had never suspected.
We settled ourselves in the shade. Samuel proved to have an unexpected affinity with little Thomas, taking on the task of amusing the boy. Soon he got down on all fours behind his chair, hiding all of himself but his hands, which he shaped to represent various kinds of animal: elephant, donkey and chicken, eachaccompanied by the appropriate sound. The little boy stared, frowned, broke into disarming chuckles, and crawled behind the seat in evident expectation of finding a whole menagerie concealed there. Against my better judgement, I found myself smiling indulgently. It was unfair, of course, to blame this innocent child for the wantonness of his conception.
While Juliana gave her attention to this game, Mrs Dearly chatted on, eagerly questioned by Marianne, and I had no need to do anything but listen. Here was a young lady so pleased with herself that she felt everyone else must share her absorption; she talked endlessly about Rampions, the number of staff employed there, the gardener’s cottage (which she referred to as a villa), her vegetable garden, and how admirable a wife her husband found her. Before twenty minutes had passed, I had heard quite enough. Excusing myself, I said that I had matters to attend to indoors, and wished her a stiff farewell.
It was pleasantly cool in the house. Seating myself at the bureau in the morning room, I began to read Marianne’s French composition. Although the errors sprinkled liberally throughout her work made me tut, I was soon absorbed; so much so that I gave a start of surprise when a voice spoke close behind me.
‘What, back at your work already?’ It was Samuel, looking over my shoulder. ‘Surely you needn’t shut yourself inside on such a glorious afternoon?’
Recovering, I turned to face him. ‘Thank you, Mr Godwin, I am quite purposefully occupied. I tire of too much leisure. You seemed very taken with Mrs Dearly’sboy,’ I remarked. ‘Are you fond of small children?’
‘I am, rather,’ he replied, looking for a moment quite wistful. ‘A cousin of mine has a little boy of Tommy’s age – he reminded me of family days at home.’ He sat on the chaise longue, and reclined there for a moment without speaking; I steered my thoughts back to the composition, until Samuel asked me, quite without prelude, ‘Are you happy here, Charlotte?’
Startled, I replied, ‘I beg your pardon?’
‘Miss Agnew, I should say,’ he amended. ‘You appear – as Miss Agnew – to be the perfect employee: discreet, quietly mannered, considerate. Pardon my impertinence, but it is Charlotte I am enquiring about – not Miss Agnew the employee. What of her? Is she happy here?’
‘I hardly know,’ I replied, with an embarrassed little laugh. ‘It is not something I spend time contemplating.’
‘I sense that your own happiness takes second place to that of the two young ladies.’
‘What else is expected from a paid companion?’ I returned. ‘I am very fond of Marianne and Juliana, of course. Maybe excessively so.’ Immediately regretting this, I turned back to the page I was scrutinizing.
‘Please excuse me if I’m curious about you,’ Samuel persisted. ‘What keeps you here? What of your life before? You have told me so little. Do you have a family? In answer to your questions,
him
was not to be encouraged, either.
‘Tea will be served in the garden, under the cedar tree,’ said Juliana, breaking the awkward pause.
‘How delightful!’ Mrs Dearly adjusted her hat. ‘I am so longing to hear all your news!’
Chairs and a table had already been set out on the south lawn, beneath the cedar’s spreading branches. Alice brought tea, bread-and-butter and cake, crockery and hot water; Juliana had made arrangements with the domestic staff without consulting me, and I wondered whether she had also ensured their silence. My demure miss was revealing depths of deviousness I had never suspected.
We settled ourselves in the shade. Samuel proved to have an unexpected affinity with little Thomas, taking on the task of amusing the boy. Soon he got down on all fours behind his chair, hiding all of himself but his hands, which he shaped to represent various kinds of animal: elephant, donkey and chicken, eachaccompanied by the appropriate sound. The little boy stared, frowned, broke into disarming chuckles, and crawled behind the seat in evident expectation of finding a whole menagerie concealed there. Against my better judgement, I found myself smiling indulgently. It was unfair, of course, to blame this innocent child for the wantonness of his conception.
While Juliana gave her attention to this game, Mrs Dearly chatted on, eagerly questioned by Marianne, and I had no need to do anything but listen. Here was a young lady so pleased with herself that she felt everyone else must share her absorption; she talked endlessly about Rampions, the number of staff employed there, the gardener’s cottage (which she referred to as a villa), her vegetable garden, and how admirable a wife her husband found her. Before twenty minutes had passed, I had heard quite enough. Excusing myself, I said that I had matters to attend to indoors, and wished her a stiff farewell.
It was pleasantly cool in the house. Seating myself at the bureau in the morning room, I began to read Marianne’s French composition. Although the errors sprinkled liberally throughout her work made me tut, I was soon absorbed; so much so that I gave a start of surprise when a voice spoke close behind me.
‘What, back at your work already?’ It was Samuel, looking over my shoulder. ‘Surely you needn’t shut yourself inside on such a glorious afternoon?’
Recovering, I turned to face him. ‘Thank you, Mr Godwin, I am quite purposefully occupied. I tire of too much leisure. You seemed very taken with Mrs Dearly’sboy,’ I remarked. ‘Are you fond of small children?’
‘I am, rather,’ he replied, looking for a moment quite wistful. ‘A cousin of mine has a little boy of Tommy’s age – he reminded me of family days at home.’ He sat on the chaise longue, and reclined there for a moment without speaking; I steered my thoughts back to the composition, until Samuel asked me, quite without prelude, ‘Are you happy here, Charlotte?’
Startled, I replied, ‘I beg your pardon?’
‘Miss Agnew, I should say,’ he amended. ‘You appear – as Miss Agnew – to be the perfect employee: discreet, quietly mannered, considerate. Pardon my impertinence, but it is Charlotte I am enquiring about – not Miss Agnew the employee. What of her? Is she happy here?’
‘I hardly know,’ I replied, with an embarrassed little laugh. ‘It is not something I spend time contemplating.’
‘I sense that your own happiness takes second place to that of the two young ladies.’
‘What else is expected from a paid companion?’ I returned. ‘I am very fond of Marianne and Juliana, of course. Maybe excessively so.’ Immediately regretting this, I turned back to the page I was scrutinizing.
‘Please excuse me if I’m curious about you,’ Samuel persisted. ‘What keeps you here? What of your life before? You have told me so little. Do you have a family? In answer to your questions,
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