Tempted by a Governess, page 2
Chapter 2
The gentleman who had written, expressing an interest in the collection was a scholar and gained the position as a fellow and tutor at Oxford, therefore, Katrina had assumed he’d be older, not someone closer to her own age. Though she shouldn’t have made such an assumption since her father had gained the same position at Cambridge, at her age and before he met her mother.
She’d also not expected him to be so handsome with thick blond hair and the greenest eyes.
Her pulse had even hitched when he stepped inside the shop, not that she’d admit such to anyone. Nor did it matter. This was to be a business transaction and Katrina was determined to gain the best price possible.
“This way,” she offered then turned and went up the narrow stairs to the second level of the shop. The walls were lined with books, mostly of historical nature, as well as Greek and Latin texts that were never purchased and rarely borrowed. It was likely that she and her father had been the only people to have read the tomes. She’d read some because her father required it of her, but once he determined her education was complete, Katrina spent little time reading them. However, she retained rudimentary knowledge, which she had passed on to the children in the households where she’d been a governess.
These were the books in which she thought Lord Timothy would have the most interest, given his position at Oxford.
She paused beside one of the smaller tables where customers could sit and study a book before deciding if they wished to purchase or borrow. These tables also had a slight layer of dust upon them as nobody from Blackrig came up here. They were more interested in the fiction novels on the main floor. “If you wish to begin at the end, then I suggest here,” she said.
Lord Strotham stood near the top of the stairs and did a slow turn, taking in the area that was more of a loft and open to the shop below. It wasn’t so large, not as large as below, because the set of rooms that made up her home was on the other side of the back wall.
“Is there a concern?” she asked.
“The task ahead is daunting,” he admitted. “As this will take some time, I’d like to secure lodgings and begin this afternoon.”
At least he hadn’t changed his mind on the purchase, yet.
“Nesbitt Boarding House is just down the way. It’s the closest Blackrig has to an inn.”
“I hope there is a room available.”
Katrina smiled. “I’m certain there are, especially since my cousins will be vacating their rooms.”
“Very well then. I’ll return this afternoon to begin my inspection.”
So long as he returned. Katrina’s biggest fear was that he’d change his mind. If nobody purchased the books, she’d need to find a place to store them. As she was likely to be a governess, she’d not be able to take them with her to an employer’s home, which left her with only one temporary option, and that was asking Broderick to store crates of books at his estate. The only books she would take with her were already in her chamber and they were for the education of the children when she found another position.
Katrina returned to the main level of the shop, Lord Timothy followed then went to the door and paused. “It is unlikely that I will be able to purchase them all, but I do hope to take a good deal of them off your hands.” Then he opened the door. “Until this afternoon.”
She knew it was unlikely she’d find one buyer for so many books, but if Lord Timothy purchased even half of them at the lowest price that she’d be willing to accept, she’d be able to pay the remainder of her father’s debts and still have well over a year’s salary that she had earned from being a governess. The funds would help her get by until she found another position. If he purchased them all, then Katrina would be quite comfortable, at least for a time, and if she were frugal. However, she’d rather save for a future than squander funds now, which was why she needed to find a new position. Not only would it provide a regular income, but she’d have a place to sleep, and meals provided so that she’d continue to save what she could. As it was unlikely that she’d marry, and Katrina wasn’t so certain that wished to, she’d need to save every shilling.
She’d placed an advertisement in the newssheets in London and Edinburgh last week, yet no potential employer had contacted her. Did she advertise again?
With a sigh, she lifted the newssheets that were delivered regularly to the book shop. She’d already canceled the subscription services, but as they’d been paid through the month, she might as well study them and hope there was a family advertising for a governess within.
Timothy unpacked his valise and stored his clothing in the dresser and armoire in the Nesbitt Boarding House. He’d never taken a room in such a place but found it comfortable. He learned from the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Nesbitt, that after their eight children were grown, they’d decided to designate the place as a boarding house since Blackrig did not have an inn. There were a few bachelors who lived here permanently, seeing no need to purchase a home of their own, but the Nesbitts rarely lent a room to travelers as there were few visitors to this village.
He also learned that he’d receive breakfast at eight in the morning and dinner at six in the evening, but no luncheon, and was directed to The McGree Coffee House if he was in need of repast before the dinner hour.
However, before he sought out sustenance, Timothy penned a note to his father and explained that the bookshop contained four thousand books and that he would like to purchase as many as possible as it would do well in helping him establish his own book shop and lending library. As neither one of them had planned on Timothy making such a large purchase, the funds that he’d set aside for the purchase would not be enough, especially since he’d already visited another bookseller in Edinburgh before he traveled to Blackrig and had purchased a collection from an estate.
Timothy wasn’t certain if his father would send a banknote to assist with the purchase, or if he’d be denied. Therefore, he would be considerate of each book and the likelihood of someone wishing to read it before he’d decide on the purchase of each.
After leaving his missive with the Nesbitts to be posted, as Mr. Nesbitt also acted as the postmaster for Blackrig, Timothy made his way to the McGree Coffee House. Given the size of the village, he was surprised to enter and find no table available. Though not very large, each cloth-covered table was occupied by either women who were taking tea or men enjoying a light lunch. He’d expect to find such in London, just not here.
The aromas of bread and coffee filled the air and his stomach rumbled with hunger and he hoped that he’d not need to wait too long before a table became available.
Maybe he’d misjudged this village. Perhaps it was larger than he’d realized. He’d assumed all the shops were located on this street, but he should probably explore further before making such a determination. Even if the village itself was small, that didn’t mean that there wasn’t a larger community and likely estates nearby.
At a far table, near the back corner, Miss Carrick sat sipping tea and sampling the cold meats and fruit on her plate, while reading newssheets. He could join her, but it wouldn’t be proper, and she’d not asked him. Therefore, he’d wait until a table was vacated, and hoped it wasn’t long as he’d like to begin reviewing the books.
A young woman refilled Miss Carrick’s tea, and when she left, Miss Carrick looked up and tilted her head while she looked at Timothy with a rather quizzical expression upon her face. She then motioned him over and Timothy made his way to her table.
“Why are you standing there?”
“There are no available tables,” he answered.
Miss Carrick glanced about. “Oh, I suppose there aren’t,” she said in surprise.
“I’ll return to the front and wait until one has been vacated.” He stepped away.
“There is plenty of room at my table, Lord Timothy. Please join me.”
He almost declined but realized it would be foolish to do so. This would be the perfect opportunity for them to come to know one another since he would be spending at least the next sennight in her book shop. He’d also need to remain long enough to hear from his father and hoped that the post was as quick here as it was in England.
As he settled at the table, he realized that she didn’t have just one newssheet, but several. “Is your interest in business, politics, fashion or gossip?” As she was a woman who owned a business, he didn’t want to assume that her only interest was in the usual feminine pursuits.
“I’m interested in finding employment,” she said. Then he realized that she was looking at the pages where those seeking work advertised themselves and those in need of servants posted as well.
The young woman who had delivered Miss Carrick’s tea returned to the table and he requested the same meal and beverage as Miss Carrick. When she left, Timothy returned his focus to Miss Carrick. “What type of employment are you seeking?”
“A governess position. Though I’d like to be a clerk in a book shop or circulating library again. However, I am unlikely to be given such a position.”
“Why?” he found himself asking.
“It’s not obvious?” she chuckled. “I am a woman, thus limited in my endeavors.”
He supposed she was correct.
“I could serve in the coffee shop of a circulating library.” She leaned forward, her brown eyes lit with excitement. “Did you know that there is a circulating library in Liverpool with eight thousand books and a coffee shop?” She settled back. “I can’t imagine so many books that are not part of a university.”
He'd heard of the library in Liverpool but had not visited. “Have you visited a university library?” He assumed she hadn’t as women weren’t allowed to attend Oxford or Cambridge.
“No, but my father described the one at Cambridge,” she answered. “He had been a fellow, but then he met my mother, so he had to give up his position.”
One of the rules of being a fellow or tutor was that they couldn’t be married. It wasn’t a concern of Timothy’s because he hadn’t found anyone he wished to wed.
Though something struck him. “If you wish to work in a book shop or lending library, then why are you selling the one you own?”
Miss Carrick sighed. “It was my father’s book shop, left to me, along with a mountain of debt when he died.”
Her father must have been forward-thinking to leave her his business, especially when he had nephews. Timothy also made the assumption that there were no sons. “How long ago?” he asked.
“It’s been a little over a year now. I tried but it’s impossible to pay the debts without selling.”
Timothy hoped that he wasn’t putting himself in an impossible debt by purchasing the library, but neither could he return to being a tutor.
Chapter 3
Katrina had not expected to encounter Lord Timothy outside of the book shop, though there was no reason for her to make such an assumption.
“Have you been a governess before?” Lord Timothy asked after his luncheon had been placed before him.
“Twice. With the first family, the father had a position with the East India Company, and they were transferred to India. I could have gone with them, but I didn’t want to be so far from home for possibly years. If it had been for a specific amount of time, and for not so long, I would have loved to visit another country. It was not knowing when I’d be able to return that led to me leaving the position.” she explained. “I was with the second family for nearly two years when I got word that my father had died, and I returned home.”
“Do you enjoy being a governess?” he asked.
“Yes, so far at least,” she laughed. “The first family had two daughters. The second had six children.”
“Six? Were you in charge of the education for all the children?”
“Yes, and my days were quite full,” Katrina answered.
“What did you teach, if you don’t mind me asking.”
“I taught French to the girls and Latin and Greek to the sons. They were all learning arithmetic, history, geography, and literature. In the evenings, I also instructed the daughters in comportment and needlework.”
He stared at her. “You taught all of that?”
“Yes.” Wasn’t that what governesses were supposed to teach. She simply assumed it would be the same education as herself. It was her employers who decided that their daughters didn’t need to learn Latin or Greek.
“One would think with so many children, they’d engage a tutor for the sons,” he mumbled before he took a sip of tea.
“Did you have a tutor, Lord Timothy?”
“A governess until I was sent off to Eton. My mother decided that my early education should come from a female as men would teach me once I left home for a more formal education,” he explained. “Did you attend a boarding school, Miss Carrick?”
“No.” She chuckled. “My father taught me. He didn’t believe my education should be lacking simply because I was a female.” She studied him. “What was beyond Eton?” she asked, though the fact that he became a tutor at Oxford indicated that he’d received his education.
“Oxford until I completed my studies, then I began my position as a fellow and tutor.”
“You’ve been teaching all this time?” That was rather disappointing, though as a fourth son, he did have little choice.
“When Napoleon was sent to Elba, my brothers and I did set out for the Continent for an abbreviated Grand Tour. None of us wished to be traveling while Napoleon was on the march.”
That certainly sounded more exciting than life at Oxford from the age of fifteen or younger. Not war, but the Grand Tour. “Where did you go?”
“The same places as everyone, I suppose.” He shrugged. “We sailed to Naples, then traveled up to Rome, Florence then Venice.”
“Did you only travel through Italy?” Though she’d be happy to visit just one of those grand cities.
“From there we traveled to Vienna, Brussels, then Amsterdam before we came home.”
She sighed. “I admit to being quite envious of your travels.”
“Instead of becoming a governess, perhaps you should travel instead.”
Did he forget that she mentioned debt? “As lovely as that would be, it is not practical for a spinster who must prepare for her future.”
That was the first time that she’d admitted to herself that she was a spinster, thus officially moved to the shelf with no hope of marriage. Though such a designation would bother most young women, it did not upset Katrina. She’d always assumed that she’d not wed.
Timothy frowned. Why would Miss Carrick label herself a spinster? She was quite lovely and young. She’d likely land a husband within a month of her first Season. “You could travel to London,” he suggested.
“If that is where my future employers reside, I will do so.”
“I mean for yourself. Have you not attended a Season?” Timothy already knew the answer because he was quite certain he would have remembered her if she had been present.
“My father was a shopkeeper, his father a Scottish baron. One such as I do not attend Seasons.”
“Your mother was also the daughter of an Earl, and the Knights hold a respectable position within Society.”
Miss Carrick leaned forward. “Tell me all about your travels. What did you see and do?”
He blinked at her. It was as if she hadn’t even heard his comment about her mother’s side of the family.
“You see, Lord Timothy, I have quite a curious nature and wish to learn all that I can, and on every topic possible, especially if I cannot experience it personally.”
“Then you should have a Season,” he returned to the earlier topic.
“I have no wish to participate given that I’d need to give up my freedom and decisions to do so.”
“Very well,” he muttered, though he thought she was doing herself a disservice. A woman should be under the care of a gentleman, especially the powerful Knight family. But he would not argue it further as it wasn’t his place. He was simply there to purchase her books.
“So, are you going to tell me?”
“Tell you what?” he asked slowly.
“Start with Naples and leave nothing out.”
“Naples,” he repeated.
“Yes. Your travels.”
While he finished his meal, Timothy told Miss Carrack of Naples, and the art, architecture, and archaeology. Of their tour of Chiesa di San Gregorio, the Duomo di Napoli, and participating in the excavation of Pompeii, where he caught a guide burying a relic for a visitor to find.
What Timothy did not tell Miss Carrick of was his first experience with a courtesan, arranged by his oldest brother when he learned Timothy was still a virgin at the age of four and twenty, or that his education in all things that were sexual in nature had been quite thorough by the time he returned home.
She listened in rapt attention, as if he were telling the most fascinating story ever told, when it was simply a description of their travels. It was rather flattering since he tended to be dull, or so he’d been told by his brothers. No woman had ever listened to him so thoroughly with their eyes sparkling with delight before. Well, other than the courtesans, but they were paid to do so, and their eyes did not sparkle.
Timothy cleared his throat and then took a sip of his cooling tea. He’d forgotten himself. He wasn’t here to entertain Miss Carrick but to purchase her books, and he should get right to that.
Chapter 4
Katrina could have sat there all day and listened to Lord Timothy’s travels, but he told her only of Naples. Oh, how she wished she could see the world, but given her circumstances, she could only travel in her mind when reading in a book or hearing descriptions as Lord Timothy had shared.
He was not only the most handsome man of her limited acquaintance but also the most fascinating.
After they returned to the bookshop, she took her place behind the counter and pulled her chair to the end so that she could see into the loft above. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Lord Timothy, she simply wished to watch, as he was a curiosity.
