The child shook her head.
“Thank you for speaking up for me,” Grace pressed a kiss upon Sophie’s forehead. “That was kind and brave of you.”
First Phoebe, now Sophie—not since her friends at school had others come to her defense like that. Surely she owed them and herself the same. She only hoped that standing up to Charlotte would not cost her this opportunity to care for children she was rapidly growing to love.
After a tumultuous week in Parliament, Rupert was more eager than ever to get back to the peace of the countryside and the loving company of his children. Having ignored the danger of Napoleon’s return to power, the government had finally come to its senses and committed to putting troops in the field. Rupert feared their reluctance to act might have given the little tyrant a worrisome advantage.
As his carriage drew up to the house, he spied Charlotte waiting by the front door. She must have been watching for his arrival so she could come out to meet him, bless her heart.
When he climbed out of the carriage, however, he was not greeted with the warm smile he expected but by a pale countenance and flashing eyes.
“What is wrong, dearest?” He held his arms open to her. “Is one of your sisters hurt or ill?”
The thought of harm coming to any of his daughters threatened to rip his heart out.
“Oh, Papa!” Charlotte hurled herself into his arms, her slender frame heaving with sobs. “It’s M-Miss Ellerby. She’s... h-horrible! Why did you h-hire her?”
So this tearful outburst was Miss Ellerby’s fault? All Rupert’s earlier misgivings about the governess came roaring back.
“There now,” he sought to comfort his daughter. “What has Miss Ellerby done to upset you so?”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and ushered her into the house. It took little encouragement for Charlotte to unburden herself. The upshot seemed to be that the governess had denied her the opportunity to visit Dungrove.
“Surely it was not her place to say whether I could go. You were the one who accepted the invitation for all three of us, weren’t you, Papa? Miss Ellerby should never have forced me to stay home without consulting you.”
What could Charlotte have done to merit such punishment? In the past, his eldest daughter had always been impeccably behaved, never giving Mademoiselle Audet any trouble. Missing out on that visit would have been a severe deprivation for her. Charlotte had talked about little else since Mrs. Cadmore extended the invitation.
Pulling out a handkerchief, Rupert pressed it into his daughter’s hand. “Never fear. I will get this sorted out. Go tell Miss Ellerby I wish to speak to her in my study.”
“Thank you, Papa.” The child wiped her eyes and immediately brightened. “I knew I could rely on you.”
Rely on him to do what? Rupert wondered.
Charlotte ran off up the stairs at a pace for which she might have scolded her younger sisters. Meanwhile, Rupert headed to his study with a sigh. He had hoped to escape all the trouble in London by coming home to peaceful Nethercross, but it seemed there had been conflict brewing here as well.
He had barely reached his study when Charlotte returned, followed by her worried-looking governess.
“You wished to see me, sir?”
“I did, Miss Ellerby.” He rose and gestured for her to take a seat.
When Charlotte headed away again with an ill-concealed air of triumph, he motioned her to stay. “I understand there has been some... difficulty in the nursery this week, which resulted in you forbidding Charlotte to accompany the other girls to Dungrove. Is that correct?”
Miss Ellerby’s brow furrowed deeper. “Not entirely, sir.”
“Then perhaps you could explain what occurred.”
“Very well.” Miss Ellery shifted in her seat. “For some time, I have felt that Charlotte resents my presence at Nethercross. She often complains of my teaching methods and finds fault with much that I do.”
“That’s not true!” Charlotte cried. “Besides, it has nothing to do with what happened.”
Rupert was inclined to agree, but Miss Ellerby spoke up with quiet insistence. “I beg your pardon, sir, but I believe your daughter’s attitude toward me has a great deal to do with this situation. May I continue?”
When Charlotte tried to protest, Rupert silenced her. “You were able to tell me your side of the story without interruption. Your governess deserves the same opportunity. Pray go on, Miss Ellerby.”
She gave a nod of thanks. “Matters came to a head on Monday evening, when I overheard Charlotte criticizing me to her sisters and urging them to disobey me.”
“Did you hear that, Papa?” Charlotte demanded. “She admits to eavesdropping on us.”
“The girls were supposed to be asleep at the time,” Miss Ellerby explained. “But their whispers grew so loud, they became impossible to ignore.”
While Rupert kept Charlotte quiet with a sharp look, Miss Ellerby explained the choice she had given his daughter. When she finished, he stood silent for several tense moments, digesting all he had heard from both sides and deciding what to do.
At last he spoke. “I must apologize, Miss Ellerby, for my daughter’s conduct.”
It was difficult to judge which of the two was more shocked by his words, Charlotte or her governess. Both regarded him with open mouths and wide, wary eyes.
Taking advantage of their silence, he continued, “Perhaps I also owe you an apology, Charlotte, for placing so much responsibility on your young shoulders that you became reluctant to surrender it. That was not fair to you.”
“But Papa,” Charlotte wailed, “how can you take her part over mine? She has turned you against me, just as I feared she would!”
Rupert shook his head. “Nothing could be further from the truth, my dear. This is not a case of taking sides. I am trying to do what is best for everyone. You are a clever girl and mature beyond your years, so I hope you will understand that I am thinking of you as much as anyone. I do not want you to be unhappy, but as Miss Ellerby tried to make you see, that will be your choice. From now on, I expect you to obey her as you would me and respect her likewise.”
“But Papa...”
“Is that understood, Charlotte?”
“Yes, Papa.” The child’s obedient but resentful tone made Rupert hope he had not lost her affection altogether. “May I go now?”
“You may.”
Charlotte rose and curtsied to him, then to her governess, like a wooden puppet. Her features were frozen in a neutral expression that he feared might mask turbulent feelings. It reminded him of Miss Ellerby. Might that be another reason the two had gotten off to a difficult start—because they were too much alike?
As soon as his daughter left the room, her governess let out a shaky breath. “Thank you for what you said to Charlotte. I know it cannot have been easy for you to disoblige her.”
Rupert made an effort to chuckle but it came out more like a sigh. “I only hope I have not made matters worse for you.”