The Governess of Highland Hall (30 page)

She guided the children downstairs to the great hall. Sarah waited for them there, along with several members of the staff.

Sir William exited the library and joined them. He frowned and glanced toward the stairs. “Lawrence, did someone send word to the young ladies?”

“Yes sir. Perhaps they’ve forgotten the time. I’ll send a maid up to remind them.” He turned away and quietly issued the order to Lydia, who quickly trotted up the steps.

Nelson walked in the front door. “Mr. Ramsey’s car has just entered the gate.”

“Very good.” William led the family outside. The staff followed and lined up on the right, looking a bit like soldiers on parade, ready for inspection.

Julia, Sarah, and the children moved to the opposite side of the entrance. Julia adjusted Millie’s hair bow and instructed Andrew to stand beside his father, then she slipped to the end of the line as the car approached up the gravel drive.

Sarah leaned toward Julia. “I am so looking forward to seeing my brother. It’s been more than five months since our farewell dinner in London.”

Julia smiled, glad to hear Sarah had a good opinion of David Ramsey, even though Andrew did not. Perhaps the boy had not spent enough time with his uncle to develop a strong bond. Hopefully, celebrating Christmas together would draw them all closer.

The car rolled to a stop. Nelson strode forward and opened the rear passenger door. David Ramsey stepped out, wearing a charming smile and an expensive hat, coat, and silk scarf. He resembled William, but he was a few inches shorter, with darker hair and eyes and a trim moustache.

“Welcome to Highland, David.” Sarah offered him her hand.

He leaned forward and kissed her fingers. “My dear Sarah, it’s so good to see you again.” His expression dimmed slightly as he turned to his brother. “Thank you for inviting me, William.”

“We’re glad you’ve come.” But William’s stiff posture as he shook his brother’s hand cast doubt upon that sentiment. He turned to the children, prompting them with a nod.

Andrew stepped forward. “Hello, Uncle David.”

David shook Andrew’s hand. “My, you certainly have grown since I saw you last.”

Andrew glanced up at Julia, a silent question in his eyes.

She smiled and wished she could supply the polite words he needed to respond.

“Thank you,” Andrew mumbled and stepped back.

Millie curtsied and smiled up at her uncle. “Papa said we had to wait until you came before we could cut our Christmas tree.”

David chuckled. “I’m sorry I’ve kept you waiting.”

“It’s all right. I’ve been sick, but I’m better now.” She looked up at William. “Can we go soon, Papa?”

“We’ll go tomorrow morning if the weather is clear.” He turned to David. “Shall we go inside?”

Before David could respond, Katherine and Penelope rushed out the door at the same time, jostling each other in the process.

Katherine shot a glare at her sister, then she straightened and turned toward their guest. As her gaze settled on David, her eyes brightened and her smile warmed several degrees. “Cousin David, how wonderful to see you again.”

Surprise flashed in David’s eyes. “Why, this cannot be our cousin Katherine, can it?”

“Yes, it is.” She extended her hand to him.

“You were just a little girl the last time I visited Highland.”

“That was several years ago. I’m eighteen now, and I’ll be going to London for the season this year.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll have a parade of suitors eager to make your acquaintance.”

Katherine blushed, obviously pleased by David’s assessment.

William cleared his throat. “And this is our cousin Penelope.”

The younger girl stepped forward and greeted him with a shy smile. “It’s a pleasure to have you visit us again, Cousin David.”

He nodded to her and smiled, though his response was not as warm as it had been for Katherine. “The pleasure is mine.” He shifted his focus to Julia. “And is this another charming cousin?”

Julia pulled in a quick breath, and William glared at his brother.

Sarah took Julia’s arm. “This is Miss Foster. She is the governess and has become a dear friend.”

David lifted one eyebrow. “My, the children are certainly lucky to have such a lovely young woman oversee their education.”

Julia’s face warmed, and she shifted her gaze away. David Ramsey was certainly quick with compliments.

“Let’s go inside.” Sarah motioned toward the door. “Tea is ready in the library.”

Mr. Lawrence dismissed the staff, and they filed around the side of the house, while the family, led by William, entered through the front door.

Julia hung back with the children, intending to go in last, but David waited for her under the arched portico. “I hope I didn’t embarrass you by my comment, Miss Foster. That wasn’t my intention.” He seemed sincere, but there was a hint of humor in his eyes.

Her face flushed. “No, of course not.” She glanced at the children. “We should go in.”

“Yes, we don’t want to keep everyone waiting.” He smiled again and motioned toward the door. “After you.”

Julia nodded, then took Millie’s hand. “I hope you enjoy your visit to Highland, Mr. Ramsey.”

“Thank you. I’m sure I will, especially now that we’ve met.”

With her cheeks flaming, she ushered the children inside.

NINETEEN

Ann hurried down the backstairs, Miss Ramsey’s letter to Mr. Dalton tucked safely away in her apron pocket. If she took care of her errand quickly, she might be able to steal a few moments with Peter in the stables. She pressed her hand against her fluttering stomach and quickened her pace.

At least Miss Ramsey’s letters weren’t a secret anymore, and she didn’t have to worry about being caught by Mrs. Emmitt. But even if the stern old housekeeper caught her, what could she say? Miss Ramsey was the mistress of Highland, and Ann was only doing her bidding.

She pushed open the back door and stepped out into the cool, misty morning. Rain rushed down the gutters and splashed on the paving stones of the back courtyard. She lifted her gaze, longing to see a bit of sun peek through, but the clouds hung low over Highland. Perhaps the mist would burn off by afternoon. Too bad she wouldn’t be allowed out to see it. Unless, of course, Julia took the children out for a walk and brought her along. But Julia hadn’t taken them outdoors since their bout with scarlet fever.

Ann crossed the courtyard, and her thoughts returned to the letter in her pocket. It didn’t seem fair that Miss Ramsey and Mr. Dalton were allowed to carry on a courtship and she and Peter were not. But then, she was not an aristocratic lady, and Peter was not the head gardener. Still, even though she was only a nursery maid, shouldn’t she have the right to follow her heart and experience love like anyone else?

“Psst! Ann!”

She gasped as her hand flew to her heart.

Peter stepped out from behind the stable door. He smiled and opened
his arms. She ran to him, and he wrapped her in a warm embrace. She pressed her head to his strong chest and breathed in. My, he smelled lovely, like leather and hay and open fields.

“It’s wonderful to see you, Ann. I’ve been worried about you.”

“I’m sorry I haven’t come down sooner.” She stepped back and gazed up at his handsome face. “I’ve had more than my share of the load to carry lately.”

“But you’re all right?”

“Of course. Just a bit tired.” She looked into his golden-brown eyes and sent him a weary smile. “Wouldn’t it be nice to sleep in and not have to get up before the rooster crows?” She sighed and shook her head. That would never happen, at least not as long as she worked as nursery maid at Highland.

He clasped her hand. “Maybe that day is coming.”

“What do you mean?”

“I overheard Mr. McTavish telling Mr. Hardy that Sir William has money troubles, and he may have to sell Highland.”

Ann gasped. “What? How can that be? I thought he had loads of money.”

“So did I. But he owes the government a huge sum for inheriting the estate. If he can’t pay it by the first of March, he’ll have to sell.”

Ann stared at him, trying to sort it out in her mind. “What will happen then?”

“We’ll be out of a job, that’s what. Split up and searching for new positions.”

Ann’s legs suddenly felt weak, and she sank onto a crate. “Oh, that’s terrible!”

Peter knelt before her. “But it doesn’t have to be, not if we make our move first.”

“What do you mean?”

“Give your notice, collect your reference, and come away with me.”

Ann gasped. “I can’t do that. My da would kill me.”

“Not if you don’t tell him.”

“But I couldn’t keep a secret like that. It wouldn’t be right.” She wrung her hands while her stomach turned into a nervous pudding. “Even if I could, where would we go? How would we live?”

“My sister and her husband have a house in Oxford. I’m sure we could stay with them until we get jobs and find a place of our own.”

“Oxford?” She’d never been farther than Fulton and the surrounding farms. What would it be like to live in a big university town? Staying with Peter’s sister and her family might be respectable. It wasn’t exactly the same as running away together. “Do you think they’d really let us live with them?”

“Sure they would. Their place isn’t too big, but Sally would make room for us. Her husband, Charlie, works as a driver for a rich professor. Charlie knows everything there is to know about motorcars and driving. I’m sure he’d teach me, and in a few weeks I could be driving for a wealthy family.”

“Would you like that kind of work?”

“Of course. Horses and carriages are on the way out. It’s motorcars everyone wants now. And that means wealthy folks will need drivers.”

“But what about me? What will I do?”

Peter scratched his chin. “I suppose you could work as a maid again.” Then his eyes lit up. “Or maybe you could work in a shop. Wouldn’t you like that better than wiping kids’ noses and cleaning their boots? The hours would be better, and we could spend our evenings together.” He grinned and winked.

She sighed. “It sounds lovely, but it would be a risk to leave Highland when we have no promise of work.”

He stood and placed his hands on his hips. “Don’t you trust me, Ann? I’ll take care of you, I promise.”

She bit her lip and looked away. He hadn’t said anything about marriage.

Peter took her hand and gently pulled her up. “Listen to me, Ann. If Sir William can’t pay his taxes, he’s going to lose Highland. And if that
happens, we’ll have to find new positions, and there’s no guarantee where we’ll end up.” He gripped her hand more tightly. “But if we leave now, we can start a new life, a better life … together.”

“Oh, Peter.” She looked into his eyes as questions rushed through her mind. If only he would propose and promise they’d marry as soon as they left Highland. But she couldn’t force him to marry her. Those words had to come from his heart.

Julia’s warning flashed through her mind:
If he truly loves you, he should do what’s best for you, not just what makes him happy
.

But she loved Peter more than any other man she’d ever known. What should she do? How could she be sure of making the right choice?

Mrs. Emmitt pressed her back to the stable wall, her heart thumping in her chest. Surely Peter Gates was wrong. It couldn’t be true. Mr. McTavish would never tell Mr. Hardy such a lie about Sir William. The boy must have made it up to try and convince Ann to run away with him.

What a scoundrel! Wait until Mr. Lawrence heard what had been going on. This would be Peter Gates’s last day at Highland!

The wind shifted and blew a few raindrops across her cheek. She wiped them away. A sudden thought struck and snatched her breath. What if it wasn’t a lie? What if Sir William was headed for financial ruin and planned to take them all down with him?

She pressed a trembling hand to her chest, trying to calm her racing heart. It would be hard to find another position at her age. Sixty-one wasn’t ancient, but she had not aged well, and she didn’t have much energy these days.

A burning sensation rose in her throat. How could this happen? She’d always thought she would work at Highland until she was too old to manage her duties. Then the family would give her a cottage and pension and take care of her until she died. She’d never dreamed she would be out in the streets, searching for another position at this point in life. It could not be borne!