“No. The carriage will be made ready for you at dawn. You may collect your salary from Mrs. Farnsworth.”
Painfully aware that the children were just behind her and hearing everything their mother was saying, Julia nodded, meeting Mrs. Atherton’s disdainful stare. “Thank you, Mrs. Atherton. Would you like to explain the situation to the children, or shall I?”
Mrs. Atherton looked momentarily nonplussed and then waved her hand in the air. “Just as you please. Tell Nellie to look after them.” With that, she turned and walked away.
Taking a deep breath, Julia closed the door and faced the children. They were all reacting to the news according to their dispositions. Some of their expressions were blank, as if they had already stuffed down and hidden their feelings about having to say good-bye to another governess. Elizabeth was starting to cry, the first big tear rolling down her cheek. Julia gathered her up in her arms and sat on the floor with her in her lap.
“Come here, children.” Some of them sat with their heads down, but Timothy drew closer to her, as if hoping she would hug him too. She reached out and put an arm around him, holding him to her side.
“I’m so sorry, but I must leave you.” She felt the tears damming up behind her eyes. “You are all intelligent, wonderful children, and I want you to know that I have come to care for you all very much in the short time I have been here. You are very important, and I will be praying for each of you, every night before I go to sleep, that you will grow up strong and healthy, and that you will be kind and good adults who care about other people, just the way God cares about you.”
They stared at her as if she were speaking another language, their eyes round and bright.
“Why are you leaving us?” Timothy asked. “Were we bad?”
“No, of course not. You weren’t bad. I don’t want to leave you, but I must. It is not your fault. If I could, I’d take you all with me.”
“You could take me.” Timothy’s face suddenly lit up. “No one would know I was gone. I once fell asleep in the cupboard and slept there all day, and Nellie didn’t even notice I was gone. You could take me with you, and I could come back when I was a grown-up man.”
Julia smiled. “I do wish I could, Timothy. Your mother and father wouldn’t allow it. Besides, your brothers and sisters would miss you.”
The others chimed in with either agreement or disagreement with her statement.
Julia got their attention again. “I want you to promise me that you will study diligently and obey your new governess, and be respectful of your nurse and your parents.”
Nellie came in and clapped her hands. “Come along, then. It’s a fair day to run around in the sun. Don’t waste it.”
Reluctantly, it seemed, the children stood and went to find their hats. Little Elizabeth put her arms around Julia’s neck. “You were my best governess of all,” she whispered next to Julia’s ear.
Julia smiled at her. “You are a brave girl, Elizabeth. I hope to see you again, perhaps when you are a young lady, all grown up. Yes?”
Elizabeth nodded. Julia wiped the girl’s chubby cheeks with her handkerchief, and the child went to find her things. Julia stood and watched them all leave with their nurse.
Julia had the rest of the day to pack up her things and say good-bye to the other staff members. Most of them hadn’t been very friendly to Julia, so she only bid a few of them farewell.
This was her last chance to speak to Mr. Langdon. She could not go away without telling him good-bye. And even though she was only a teacher at a girls’ school now, part of her longed to tell him how much she cared about him.
Julia stood at her window, absently staring at the stable yard. She saw a man dismount and hand the reins of his horse to a groomsman. There was something familiar about the man. As he spoke to the servant, he turned his head and looked up at Julia’s window. She gasped and covered her mouth.
Hugh Edgerton grinned up at her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Nicholas hung back, hiding himself just outside the door of the drawing room. How had Edgerton wrangled an invitation to this already overcrowded house party?
Edgerton started toward the door, glancing around as if making sure no one would see him leaving the drawing room. Nicholas quickly ducked into the library, waiting in the shadows until Edgerton passed, and then he followed him, making his footsteps as silent as possible and staying as far back as he could without losing sight of him.
Edgerton headed for the back stairs. Nicholas stayed well behind him, letting him go around the curving wooden steps. He started up after him, stepping gingerly so as not to make any loud footfalls with his boots. He soon realized Edgerton hadn’t stopped on the first floor, as he could still hear his boots on the stairs above, but had headed up the next flight, to the rooms. When he heard him knocking on someone’s door, Nicholas flew the rest of the way up.