Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 73963 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73963 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 370(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
“Where is she?” Alice asked, placing a hand on her hip and scowling at me as if I had been the one to hide her. I motioned toward the drapes just as a small giggle came from them.
“Miss Emma, come out from behind those drapes at once!” Alice demanded. I wondered what the child had done now. It looked as if it were bad. Alice was not happy, but then she was not a happy person.
“No!” Emma shouted, but it was muffled from the thick fabric in front of her.
Alice sighed in frustration. “You were to be writing your name.”
“I don’t like writing. Tis boring,” Emma shot back at her Governess. “I want to wash my baby.”
“You’ve washed more than your baby. Come out from there so we can change your clothing. You are completely and utterly soaked.”
“You’ll make me write my name more!”
Alice shot me a look that was clear she required help.
I walked over to the drapes and pulled back the panel and my little trouble-maker was hiding behind. Emma stood there shivering slightly in a damp blue dress with her blonde hair in wet ringlets around her face. “What have we here? Did you decide to take a bath in your clothing?” I asked her.
She shook her head and her bottom lip quivered slightly. “No-oo-o” she said chattering her teeth. “I was washing May and I fell into the ba-ba--bath. It wasn’t o-o-on purpose.”
“I should hope not. It would be silly to bathe with your dress on then dart around wet and hide behind drapes. Why was there water still in the bath?” I asked, wondering who had been remiss at their duties.
Emma scrunched her nose at me then. “I had it drawn for May,” she admitted.
“I see.” I didn’t ask who had drawn a bath for a doll for I had a feeling Emma wouldn’t rat on them. I respected that in her. I held out my hand to her. “Come now, you need to go get on dry clothing and dry your hair before you catch cold.”
Emma leaned to the side and peeked around me. “She will make me write my name some more,” Emma said as if this were a grave issue meant to be dealt with.
“I should hope so. It would be a terrible thing for a young lady not to be able to write her own name.”
Emma looked up at me then. “Truly?”
I nodded. “Every princess I know can write her name brilliantly.”
Emma considered that a moment then sighed in defeat. “Very well,” she said then walked around me toward Alice. “Come, Alice. Let’s get me dry.”
Alice looked relieved and gave me a nod of thanks.
“Will you tell me who drew the bath for you?” Alice asked her then.
Emma shook her head no. “I am afraid not, Alice.”
“Of course not,” Alice replied sourly.
I grinned then as they walked from the office. There wasn’t a dull moment in this house with Emma. I had an idea who had drawn her bath for her and it wasn’t a house maid but rather a cook with a soft spot for the girl, no doubt. I wouldn’t be the one to reveal their secrets. No harm was truly done.
How would having a wife change this? Would she handle the situation like the one I just dealt with similarly? Was I doing anything wrong? How would it change our dynamic? Was I making a mistake by seeking a wife? So many questions and no answers. Who was I to ask?
I imagined Lydia Ramsbury dealing with a runaway wet Emma hiding behind drapes in protest. How would Lydia handle her and could she? Alice was stern, but even Alice struggled with Emma’s strong will. Was searching for a wife that was the proper picture of an English Lady the right thing? Surely it would help as Emma grew and introducing her into society, but what of now? I wanted Emma to keep that spirit and strong will. Breaking it wasn’t what I desired at all.
Against my will, an image of Miriam Bathurst appeared in my head. Without any struggle, I could see her handling the strong-willed Emma with ease. Miss Bathurst wasn’t proper, but she was from a respected family in society and there was no true scandal attached to her name. Perhaps I was being hasty by casting her aside as an option. Someone like Miriam may be exactly what Emma would need. Her ideas of a proper English home were not as strict as most and truly wasn’t that what I needed? The more gently bred the female, the more unlikely it would be that they would accept a bastard child as their own.
Miss Bathurst needed to marry to save her family from poverty at least that was the information I had received when I inquired of her. I needed a mother for Emma, one who was willing to protect her with the lies I had in place when the time came. A smile tugged at my lips and I picked my glass of brandy back up. The day seemed brighter now. I wouldn’t think too hard about why because I wasn’t searching for a wife that made me happy. I was searching exclusively for Emma a mother. There was no need to let my emotions get involved. That would be disastrous. Feelings only complicated marriages. Respect was all that was required.