looked wiser than her years. She had a formal way about her, and yet there was softness, too. I wondered if we might become friends.
“Hello,” I said.
She smiled at me curiously. “Did you expect someone else?”
“No, no,” I stammered. “It’s just that, well . . .”
“I know what you’re thinking,” she said with a brief smile. “I am quite young to be the head housekeeper of such a great house. But I can assure you that I am well suited for the job. Her Ladyship, rest her soul, would have no one else running things.”
“Of course,” I said. “I don’t doubt that at all.”
Mrs. Dilloway’s face softened, a good-faith attempt to erase our awkward start. “Well,” she said. “I am relieved that you’ve finally arrived. I’m certain that one more day of overseeing the children might do me in.” She smiled again and turned to the staircase. “I’m afraid you have your work cut out for you.”
The light fixture above our heads began to rattle, which is when we heard the thunder of footsteps stampeding down the staircase. I set my hand on the side table to brace myself. “They sound like a pack of rhinoceroses,” I said nervously.
“Rhinoceroses would be easier,” she said under her breath. “Children!” she cried as they clamored their way down the stairs. “You know your father does not permit running in the house! And Mr. Abbott, remove yourself from the banister at once.”
A blond-haired boy peered around the corner.
“Mr. Abbott,” Mrs. Dilloway continued, “please come in and meet your new nanny, Miss Lewis.”
“We don’t want a new nanny!” another boy, this one younger and dark-haired, bellowed from behind his brother.
“Mr. Nicholas,” Mrs. Dilloway said, “that is no way to speak of Miss Lewis, who has traveled a great distance to see you. Please be polite and tell her hello.”
Nicholas stuck out his tongue before sinking into a wingback chair near the window. “I won’t tell her hello. And you can’t make me either!”
Mrs. Dilloway gave me a knowing look. “Miss Katherine and Miss Janie?” A dark-haired, serious-looking young girl appeared, with a towheaded tot waddling behind, a bedraggled doll clutched in her hand. “Will
you
greet Miss Lewis?”
I knelt down in front of the girls and smiled awkwardly. “Hello,” I said to the older one. “Tell me, how old are you?”
“I’m ten,” she said. “And Janie is two.” She sighed discontentedly. “And you are
not
our mother.”
“I’ll leave you now,” Mrs. Dilloway said, smiling to herself as she walked out the door.
Abbott kept his arms folded tightly across his chest.
I stood up and moved to the sofa. “I’ve come here to take care of you, and I hope we can be friends,” I said nervously. I hated misrepresenting myself to these children, especially after what they’d been through and knowing that I wouldn’t be staying long. But I needed their help to find the camellia in the orchard. “Do you think we can?”
“I don’t like to make friends with girls,” Nicholas piped up.
“Neither do I,” added Abbott.
I folded my hands in my lap and sighed. The old grandfather clock on the wall ticked and tocked. “All right,” I said. “I see.”
“I’m your friend,” little Janie said in a sweet voice, melting the icy silence. She walked over to me and planted herself in my lap, running a chubby hand along my cheek. I couldn’t help but smile.
“Thank you,” I said to the little girl.
Katherine shrugged with an annoyed look that far surpassed her ten years. “Janie doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” she huffed. “She’s only a baby.”
“No,” the tiny child protested. “I’m a big girl.”
“Katherine’s right,” Nicholas added. “Janie doesn’t even remember Mother.”
Janie looked at me and then down in her lap, crestfallen.
“It’s OK, honey,” I whispered before turning to the older children. “As you may already know, I’m from
“Hello,” I said.
She smiled at me curiously. “Did you expect someone else?”
“No, no,” I stammered. “It’s just that, well . . .”
“I know what you’re thinking,” she said with a brief smile. “I am quite young to be the head housekeeper of such a great house. But I can assure you that I am well suited for the job. Her Ladyship, rest her soul, would have no one else running things.”
“Of course,” I said. “I don’t doubt that at all.”
Mrs. Dilloway’s face softened, a good-faith attempt to erase our awkward start. “Well,” she said. “I am relieved that you’ve finally arrived. I’m certain that one more day of overseeing the children might do me in.” She smiled again and turned to the staircase. “I’m afraid you have your work cut out for you.”
The light fixture above our heads began to rattle, which is when we heard the thunder of footsteps stampeding down the staircase. I set my hand on the side table to brace myself. “They sound like a pack of rhinoceroses,” I said nervously.
“Rhinoceroses would be easier,” she said under her breath. “Children!” she cried as they clamored their way down the stairs. “You know your father does not permit running in the house! And Mr. Abbott, remove yourself from the banister at once.”
A blond-haired boy peered around the corner.
“Mr. Abbott,” Mrs. Dilloway continued, “please come in and meet your new nanny, Miss Lewis.”
“We don’t want a new nanny!” another boy, this one younger and dark-haired, bellowed from behind his brother.
“Mr. Nicholas,” Mrs. Dilloway said, “that is no way to speak of Miss Lewis, who has traveled a great distance to see you. Please be polite and tell her hello.”
Nicholas stuck out his tongue before sinking into a wingback chair near the window. “I won’t tell her hello. And you can’t make me either!”
Mrs. Dilloway gave me a knowing look. “Miss Katherine and Miss Janie?” A dark-haired, serious-looking young girl appeared, with a towheaded tot waddling behind, a bedraggled doll clutched in her hand. “Will
you
greet Miss Lewis?”
I knelt down in front of the girls and smiled awkwardly. “Hello,” I said to the older one. “Tell me, how old are you?”
“I’m ten,” she said. “And Janie is two.” She sighed discontentedly. “And you are
not
our mother.”
“I’ll leave you now,” Mrs. Dilloway said, smiling to herself as she walked out the door.
Abbott kept his arms folded tightly across his chest.
I stood up and moved to the sofa. “I’ve come here to take care of you, and I hope we can be friends,” I said nervously. I hated misrepresenting myself to these children, especially after what they’d been through and knowing that I wouldn’t be staying long. But I needed their help to find the camellia in the orchard. “Do you think we can?”
“I don’t like to make friends with girls,” Nicholas piped up.
“Neither do I,” added Abbott.
I folded my hands in my lap and sighed. The old grandfather clock on the wall ticked and tocked. “All right,” I said. “I see.”
“I’m your friend,” little Janie said in a sweet voice, melting the icy silence. She walked over to me and planted herself in my lap, running a chubby hand along my cheek. I couldn’t help but smile.
“Thank you,” I said to the little girl.
Katherine shrugged with an annoyed look that far surpassed her ten years. “Janie doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” she huffed. “She’s only a baby.”
“No,” the tiny child protested. “I’m a big girl.”
“Katherine’s right,” Nicholas added. “Janie doesn’t even remember Mother.”
Janie looked at me and then down in her lap, crestfallen.
“It’s OK, honey,” I whispered before turning to the older children. “As you may already know, I’m from
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