Читать книгу A Nanny For Keeps - Janet Lee Barton - Страница 11
ОглавлениеThe next morning after breakfast, Georgia hurried upstairs to neaten her hair and put on a hat before she and Mrs. Heaton went to meet with Sir Tyler Walker.
“He sounded so relieved, Georgia. I’m sure you’ll be able to find Sir Tyler willing to work any schedule you please. He seems desperate and is now afraid he might lose his cook,” Mrs. Heaton had said after speaking with him the evening before.
“Oh, the poor man,” Georgia had answered. It seemed as if he had more than his share of problems at the moment.
Now, as Georgia came back downstairs and entered the parlor to wait for Mrs. Heaton, she told herself to relax. She’d not agreed to anything yet and she didn’t have to take the position. Still, the thought of those little girls being left with no mother—and now no nanny—twisted Georgia’s heart, and the nurturer in her wanted to help them. And besides, she truly needed a paying position.
Mrs. Heaton entered the parlor and smiled. “You look lovely this morning, Georgia. Don’t be nervous and please do not feel you have to take this position, if you don’t think it right for you. Also remember, Sir Tyler may be a baronet in England, but he lives here now and we are not English citizens. Even with pay, you’ll be doing the man a great favor if you accept the position and he should treat you accordingly.”
“Thank you for that reminder, Mrs. Heaton. I’m glad you’re going with me. I’m feeling a little jittery.”
“There’s no need to be. But let’s be on our way. You’ll feel much better once you’ve spoken with him and made a decision.”
They headed out the door and were on the steps of Walker House, as they called it, in just over a minute.
Mrs. Heaton rang the bell and a man Georgia assumed to be the butler opened the door instantly.
“Mrs. Heaton, and Miss Marshall, I presume?”
At Georgia’s nod, he said, “Do come in. Sir Tyler is waiting for you in his study. Please follow me.”
They fell into step behind him and Georgia couldn’t help but notice how tastefully decorated the home was. Had Sir Tyler hired a decorator or—
“Mrs. Heaton and Miss Marshall have arrived, sir,” the butler said.
“Very good, Tate. Would you bring us some tea?”
“Certainly, sir.”
He seemed to disappear as his employer crossed the room to greet them.
“Welcome to my home, ladies,” Sir Tyler said, motioning them to have a seat.
Georgia knew he’d said “Mr. Walker” would be fine, but it was hard to think of him as that, knowing he was part of the gentry in England. He might not be royalty, but still...
“Thank you, Sir Tyler,” Mrs. Heaton said, seeming to have no problem addressing him as they did in England.
“Yes—thank you.” Georgia joined her landlady on a comfortable couch across from two chairs and a round table. Sir Walker—Tyler—took one of the chairs. The room was warm and masculine, with book-filled shelves lining the walls. It reminded her of Mrs. Heaton’s study, only it was larger.
“I can’t tell you how relieved I was when Mrs. Heaton telephoned last evening,” he said. “Even more this morning, as my cook still hasn’t assured me she will stay, and I might be needing to find a new one any day now.”
“Oh, you have had your share of bad news, haven’t you?” Mrs. Heaton asked.
“It certainly seems that way to me,” the baronet said before turning to Georgia. “Miss Marshall, Mrs. Heaton has told me that you are a teacher by trade?”
“I am.”
“Would you mind adding some lessons to the duties of being a nanny?”
“Of course not, if we come to an agreement. What exactly would my duties be?”
“Well, mostly making sure my daughters are cared for, eat proper meals, have a schedule of sorts.” He shrugged and looked her in the eye. “To be quite truthful, I’m not totally sure. My wife handled everything like that and then I just let the nanny carry on as she always had, until she left.”
“I understand,” Georgia said. Only she really didn’t. Her mother had a cook and maid to help out from time to time, but she’d raised her children without the help of a nanny. And now Sir Tyler looked so forlorn she couldn’t tell him that his explanation gave her no idea of what would really be expected of her.
“Mrs. Heaton and I spoke last evening and, well, I wonder... Would you be willing to come in of a morning and get them dressed, see that they have breakfast and lunch and decide what their activities of the day might be? Then making sure they have dinner and baths at night and perhaps staying to put them to bed before you leave? Would that work for you?”
He didn’t put his own children to bed? Or eat with them? Oh, this might be more difficult than she’d first thought. And she didn’t want to upset him by asking.
“I realize it’s a very long day, but I’m willing to pay quite well.” He named an amount that left Georgia speechless for the moment, and she was glad when he continued speaking. “And my staff and I will manage on the weekends.”
“So this is from Monday morning until Friday evening? And I’ll still be living at Heaton House?”
“If that is what you want. Mrs. Heaton has explained that would be better, as you aren’t in service to me, only stepping in until I can find someone more permanent. Is this agreeable to you?”
“I— Could I meet with your daughters first? They might not take to me and I don’t want to upset their world any more than it’s already been.”
There was a look in his eyes she couldn’t quite read, but it made her wish she hadn’t reminded him of his loss. “I’m sorry. I—”
“No.” He shook his head and cleared his throat before continuing, “Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Miss Marshall. I should have thought of that myself. Of course you may meet them.”
Tate returned with tea just then, and after serving them, he turned to Sir Tyler. “Will that be all, sir?”
“Please have the maid bring Lilly and Polly down, Tate. Miss Marshall would like to meet them.”
“Yes, sir.” With that, the butler exited the room.
“How old are your daughters, Sir Tyler?” Mrs. Heaton asked. “I know they’re near my granddaughter Jenny’s age.”
“Yes, they are. Polly is five and Lilly is four. They like Jenny very much. And they like you, too, Mrs. Heaton. In fact, they were quite upset with me for going to see you at teatime without them yesterday.”
“Oh, please bring them over soon for tea. I’d love to have them.”
“That’s very kind of you. Perhaps Miss Marshall might do so—if she agrees to step in. My daughters mean everything to me. I pray I haven’t done the wrong thing by uprooting them and moving them away from all they know best. But they do seem to like it here. Or perhaps they don’t want to let me know that they don’t.”
Georgia’s heart softened toward the man who seemed so concerned about his daughters’ well-being. And yet he didn’t appear to know much about their daily routines or how they felt about the move. How could that be?
Suddenly she heard footsteps running down stairs and the sound of the sweet voices she’d heard from Mrs. Heaton’s garden. But they quieted just before they entered the room, appearing quite serious when they did. Though upon recognizing Mrs. Heaton, the corners of their mouths turned up in sweet smiles.
“Papa, Mr. Tate said you wanted to see us,” one of Sir Tyler’s daughters said. Georgia assumed she was the oldest, as she was about an inch taller than the sister who stood beside her.
“Yes. Mrs. Heaton has brought Miss Marshall to meet you. Miss Marshall, these are my daughters, Polly, the oldest and tallest, and Lilly.”
“I’m pleased to meet you both,” Georgia said as the blond-haired, blue-eyed girls smiled in her direction.
“Miss Marshall is considering helping out with you two until we can find a new nanny. But she wanted to know what you both think of the idea.”
“We’ve seen you coming in and out of Mrs. Heaton’s house,” Polly said.
“Yes, and we’ve peeked through the hedge and seen you in her garden, too,” Lilly added.
“I thought I’d heard you over there.” Georgia smiled to show she wasn’t upset that they’d been looking through the boxwoods.
“Would you live here?” Polly asked.
“No. I’ll still live at Heaton House. But I’ll be here first thing in the morning and until bedtime on the days I work.”
“You won’t watch us every day?” Lilly asked.
“No,” her father answered. “Miss Marshall isn’t a nanny, but a teacher here in America. She’s looking for a permanent teaching position while we’re looking for a permanent nanny. It is nice of her to offer to help us out, isn’t it?”
Both girls nodded, but Georgia couldn’t tell if they were happy or disappointed that she wouldn’t be living with them.
“But what if we need something in the night?” Lilly asked.
“You’ll come to me,” Sir Tyler answered. “I’m just across the hall.”
“You won’t mind?” Polly asked.
Sir Tyler’s brow furrowed as if he was surprised at the question. “Of course not.”
Georgia couldn’t quite grasp that his daughters might think he would be upset if they woke him during the night. Had they called only the nanny?
“Well, then, I think it might work out,” Polly said, sounding as grown up as a five-year-old could, and as much as the child she was could muster.
In that moment, Georgia knew she’d be taking this position if they agreed.
“What about you, Lilly?” her father asked. “Do you want Miss Marshall to help us out?”
Lilly looked from him to Georgia and then to her sister. Georgia saw the older sister give a little nod and Lilly smiled. “Yes, I think I do.”
“But you must mind her as you would your nanny. You understand that, don’t you?”
“Yes, Papa, we do,” Polly answered for the two of them. “May we have tea with you and Mrs. Heaton and Miss Marshall?”
Sir Tyler smiled. “I suppose, since you didn’t get to go with me yesterday, I can only say, yes, you may. Mrs. Heaton, would you mind pouring them a cup?”
“I’d be delighted.” Georgia watched as her landlady poured for the little girls and they took their first sip of tea.
“And, girls, be sure to mind your manners,” their papa said. “Miss Marshall hasn’t agreed to help us out yet.”
“Oh, please say yes, Miss Marshall!” Lilly said.
“Oh, yes, please do!” Polly added.
Georgia felt a tug in her heart at their pleas. She glanced at their papa and thought she saw hope in his eyes until he looked away. This family needed help and Sir Tyler was going to pay well. She needed work. There was only one answer she could give. “Yes. I’ll be here first thing Monday morning.”
The relief in Sir Tyler’s eyes and the smiles on his daughters’ faces made her feel she’d done the right thing. Now she could only pray that she had.
* * *
Promising to check on his daughters after the maid, Amelia, gave them their baths and got them ready for bed, Tyler headed out the door for a walk. He needed some fresh air. He’d been pouring over American law books in order to take the New York bar exam and it wasn’t an easy task, but this was to be his home now and where he did business. He had no choice but to learn the differences and make note of them. He didn’t want his clients complaining that he’d made any kind of mistake because of subtle variations.
Now he took a deep breath of the evening air and released a huge sigh of relief. The girls seemed happy that Miss Marshall had agreed to take care of them until he could find someone suitable, and he was quite pleased himself. Or perhaps relieved was a better word.
That Mrs. Heaton had known Miss Marshall all her life and recommended her highly, thinking so much of her that she wanted to make sure the young woman’s reputation would be protected under his care, said all he’d needed to know about her.
Georgia Marshall seemed to relate to his daughters on some level he didn’t really understand. They’d chattered away as if they’d known her all their lives after she’d said she would help out, and he’d been surprised at how well they’d minded their manners.
Making the move to America hadn’t been an easy decision for him, but his wife’s family had holdings here and they wanted him to look after them for their granddaughters’ sake.
As the middle son, he’d had no real reason to stay in England. His older brother would inherit the land and all there. However, Tyler wasn’t penniless, as his grandfather had bequeathed him a very nice sum on his death. Tyler had gone to school and become an attorney and could easily set up practice here—once he passed that exam.
Most important in his decision to make the move was that he’d be raising his daughters in their mother’s country, as she’d wished before she passed away. He felt that was the very least he could do for the woman he’d loved dearly.
Had it been just over a year since Ivy had passed away? Sometimes it felt like a lifetime and other times only as if it was yesterday. But always, there seemed to be an empty spot in his heart, and tonight was no different. Especially now, as he neared his home from his walk around Gramercy Park and heard people laughing as they approached from the opposite direction.
Somehow it didn’t surprise him to see a group of Mrs. Heaton’s boarders coming back from one of their outings. It was a mix of men and women, and he wondered if one of the ladies might be Miss Marshall.
He didn’t have to wonder long as they all reached their destinations at the same time. One of the women broke away from the group and he was taken by surprise as his chest tightened when he recognized her under the streetlamp.
“Sir Tyler?”
“Yes. Miss Marshall, how are you this evening?”
“I’m fine. We’ve all been to the soda shop for ice cream. It’s getting warm enough now to enjoy it.”
“I took the girls there a few days ago and they loved it. I’ve been out for a walk while they are being put to bed.” He’d been introduced to some of Mrs. Heaton’s boarders at the wedding reception he’d attended, but there appeared to be new people in the group heading into Heaton House.
“Good evening, Sir Tyler,” the one he knew as Joe said.
“Good evening. It’s a nice night for ice cream, isn’t it?”
“It is. Georgia, are you coming in?”
“Yes, of course.” She turned to Tyler. “Good night.”
“Good night.”
She turned to where Joe was waiting for her and then back to Tyler. “Have a good evening.”
“You, too.” He tipped his hat as she hurried up the steps to Heaton House. Then she disappeared inside, leaving Tyler suddenly feeling lonelier than ever.
Tate opened the door as soon as Tyler’s foot hit the top step. “Good evening, sir. Did you have a nice walk?”
“I did, Tate. Thank you. I’m going up to look in on the girls. I’ll be back down in a few minutes. Would you bring me some coffee?”
“Certainly.”
Tyler headed upstairs, wondering if Joe was Miss Marshall’s beau. He’d seemed quite protective of her, but then, so did Mrs. Heaton. The thought that Miss Marshall might have a suitor didn’t sit well with him and that unsettled Tyler. He shouldn’t even be wondering about her personal life. It was none of his business. She’d agreed to help him out and for that he was very thankful. As long as his girls were taken care of, that was all that mattered. He had no business even wondering about Miss Marshall’s social life—none at all.
Tyler slipped into the room his daughters shared, even though there were plenty of rooms and each one could have had their own. However, since their mother’s death, they’d wanted to be together at night. He kissed them each on the forehead, softly so as not to wake them. Oh, how he loved them.
Tyler hoped all would go well with Miss Marshall until he could find a permanent nanny—and that the girls didn’t try to run her away as they had the last one. But they knew Miss Marshall was only temporary, so surely they wouldn’t.
Tyler slipped out of the room, leaving the door cracked open so he could hear them if they called out in the night, and went down to his study to find Tate just pouring his coffee. The butler must have waited until he heard his footsteps.
He sat down in his favorite chair and took the cup Tate handed him.
“Cook sent you a piece of cake, sir. She seems much better after you spoke to her.”
Tyler wasn’t all that hungry but he wasn’t about to hurt his cook’s feelings, especially when he was trying to keep her on. He took the dessert plate from Tate. “I’m glad to hear it. I hope she’s changed her mind about staying.”
“It appears so, at least for the moment.”
“I suppose we’ll have to be happy with that. Thank her for the cake, will you?”
“I will, sir.” Tate gave a nod and quietly took his leave.
Tyler finished the dessert he really didn’t want and took a sip of coffee, and then he leaned his head back against his chair. This time of night was never easy for him. It’d always been the time that he and Ivy had enjoyed together, talking over their day after the girls had been put to bed. She’d tell him funny stories about the things Polly and Lilly had said and done that day, and then she’d update him on their upcoming social engagements and family commitments.
It hadn’t taken Ivy long to win over his parents. A second or third cousin to one of his best friends, she’d come to visit her relatives and they’d fallen in love. At first Tyler’s family had voiced disapproval, but as he wasn’t the heir apparent of their estate, he was more able to obtain their blessing than his older brother would have been.
That Ivy came with a substantial wealth of her own certainly helped, although it’d had nothing to do with how he felt about her. He would have loved her had she been a pauper.
But tonight his thoughts weren’t just on Ivy. Instead they were also on Georgia Marshall. He wondered if hiring her was the right thing for his daughters. What if they became too attached to her before he found someone permanent?
And he really didn’t know anything about her personal life. What if she did have a beau who wouldn’t like her spending so much time here? Tyler hoped that wasn’t the case—for he had no idea what to do if she changed her mind. Something about her calmed him, made him believe that his girls would be fine in her care. They liked her and had talked of little else all afternoon.
She was quite appealing, of that there was no doubt. Her smile was contagious and he’d actually been aware of smiling that morning, seeing Polly and Lilly’s excitement about her coming to help out. Had it been that long since he’d smiled—that he’d noticed he was?
Did the girls see him as serious all the time? Now that he thought about it, the times he heard them laugh and saw them smile were mostly when they were alone together playing, talking, just being with each other. Oh, they smiled at him when he came into a room, and occasionally giggled, but—
Dear Lord, please help me. I don’t want to be an unsmiling, unhappy father to them. I want them to be untroubled and to know how much I love them. Please show me how to bring those grins about that Miss Marshall seems to do so effortlessly. And if hiring her was not best for my daughters, for Miss Marshall, for all of us, please help me to know.
* * *
“Papa! Papa! Wake up, please! Lilly’s crying again!”
Tyler pulled himself out of a deep, depressing sleep to find his oldest daughter tugging on his pajama sleeve.
“What? What is it? Lilly is crying?”
“Yes, Papa. Hurry!” With that, Polly ran out of the room.
Tyler threw on his robe and rushed across the hall to the girls’ bedroom. Soft sobs drew him to Lilly’s bed, where Polly was trying to comfort her.
“Lilly? Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” He sat down on the bed and pulled the tiny figure up and onto his lap. Her sobs didn’t stop. “Lilly, it’s Papa. Tell me why you’re crying.”
“I m-miss Mama!” She sniffed and hiccuped before the sobs started again. Tyler rocked her back and forth, trying to hold back his own tears. Did she do this often? If so, why hadn’t the nanny awakened him?
He looked at Polly, but found she was sniffling, too. He held out an arm to her and pulled her up close, glad it was dark so that they couldn’t see the tears he was trying to hold back.
“I wish I could bring her back for you both. I know you miss her very much. So do I. But we have each other and always will. You know Mama wouldn’t want you crying, don’t you? She loved you with all her heart and wanted you to be happy.”
They both nodded as the sobs began again. Tyler had no idea what to do or say next. Dear Lord, I feel so out of my depth here. What kind of father am I that I don’t know how to comfort my girls?
He began to hum a nursery rhyme he didn’t remember the words to as he held his girls close. Suddenly Georgia Marshall came to mind. Maybe he could change the subject. “Miss Marshall begins work on Monday. Are you sure you want her to come to work here?”
Both girls nodded.
“Well, Monday will be here before you know it. That’s something to look forward to, isn’t it?”
“Yes, Papa,” they said at the same time.
The sobs had stopped, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he hummed another song. Soon Lilly slumped against him and he could tell she’d fallen back asleep.
“Let me lay Lilly down and then I’ll put you back to bed,” he whispered to Polly. She scooted to the end of her sister’s bed to give him room and he gently laid Lilly down and covered her up. Tyler kissed her on the forehead and then picked up Polly and carried her to her bed.
“Thank you for coming, Papa. I never know what to do when Lilly sobs like that.”
“You did fine, Polly. You’re a very good big sister.”
“And you’re not mad because I woke you?”
“Oh, sweet child, of course not. Why did Nanny never awaken me when either of you were crying?”
“I don’t know. She just said we weren’t ’posed to.”
“Well, from now on, we’ll make sure that any nanny we hire knows to awaken me, all right?”
“Yes, Papa. Thank you.” She hugged his neck tight.
“Will you be all right? Or do you want me to sit with you awhile?”
“I’m sleepy now. You can go back to bed.”
She sounded too grown up for a child her age. How long had she been dealing with this kind of thing on her own?
“And be sure to come get me or call out if you need me.”
“It’s truly all right?”
“It truly is.” He hugged his oldest daughter, who was too young to be taking so much on her shoulders. Then he pulled up the covers over her and kissed her on the forehead. “Sweet dreams.”
“Night, Papa. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Tyler turned and went back out, leaving the door open in case he was needed again. For the first time since Ivy had passed away, he felt he’d given his daughters a measure of comfort—if only in letting them know they could call on him when they were sad.
But how awful for them, that they were just now finding that out. Oh, dear Lord, please help me to be more attuned to their needs. I know that back home, nannies are the ones who take care of many of our children’s needs, but I never want my girls to fear coming to me for any reason.
Ivy had been much more attentive than most of the mothers in their group, and he knew she would not want him to leave everything to a nanny. But how was he to know what to do—or when to do it?
Tyler’s ego deflated like a punctured balloon. He had no idea.
