A Dangerous Melody, page 3
“I am quite well,” I said. “It is an honor to meet you, Miss Elizabeth. I hope you know that I am greatly looking forward to—”
But Miss Elizabeth’s attentions suddenly seemed to be directed elsewhere. She turned and wandered over to a shelf along the wall beside the fireplace and pulled a book down. She sat down where she stood, curling up her legs beneath her, and began to read.
“My deepest apologies,” Miss Brown said. “She is so very young.”
“It’s quite all right,” I asked. “How old is she, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“She will be eight next month,” said Miss Brown.
“She is quite tall for her age,” said Aunt Patience.
“Indeed she is,” said Miss Brown. “We have been working a great deal on her social graces as of late. She has not quite matured at the same rate as other young girls her age have, and Mr. Thorne says that she is simply learning at a different pace than other young ladies do.”
I watched as the young girl focused intently on the page she read, her brow furrowing. Was she doing her best to pretend that we weren’t in the room with her?
She did seem rather aloof for someone her age. By the time I was eight, I had been caring for my younger sisters, the youngest of whom was two at the time. I helped with the cooking, the cleaning, the errands to town for necessities…
“She is extraordinarily gifted,” said Aunt Patience. “Isn’t that right, Miss Brown?”
“Indeed it is,” said Miss Brown. “Which is something that Mr. Thorne would very much like to encourage in her.”
The more I heard about this Mr. Thorne, the more I wished to meet him. I was to be teaching his daughter, after all.
“Well, why don’t you play something for Miss Brown, Juliana?” Aunt Patience asked. “I am certain that she would enjoy hearing what you will be teaching young Miss Elizabeth?”
“Oh, well, I have nothing prepared,” I said, glancing nervously up at my aunt. Why would she think it wise to put me on the spot in such a manner?
“I would very much like to hear you play,” said Miss Brown. “It need not be something complex. Music is something that the Thorne family loves dearly.”
My heart was caught in my throat as I stared over at the piano. “I suppose I could try something,” I said.
The piano was polished and beautiful. The bench was dressed with silk, and the keys were worn, but not overly so. The piano I was so used to playing at home had long since worn down from years of pressing down on the ivory. It was evident just by glancing at it that this piano wasn’t played nearly half as much as mine back at Father’s house.
I laid my hands on the cool keys, and a shiver ran down my spine. I never imagined I would play in such a setting and with an audience.
“I shall play… the song of the crane,” I said.
Just as I did every time I played, I did my very best to push the whole world out from my thoughts. I didn’t wish to have any distractions, and it was the best way for me to ensure that I played well.
It had been some time since I had played for anyone that was not my family. I had played a few times during church on Sunday mornings, especially when the organist was ill. And I could only remember ever playing once for Aunt Patience when we were visiting her at her estate once.
“Isn’t she just wonderful?” Aunt Patience said to Miss Brown.
“Yes, she certainly seems quite talented,” Miss Brown said.
“She has been playing since she was a little girl,” Aunt Patience went on. “Every time I would go to visit them, she would be playing her piano off in the next room. It always helped the house to feel so joyful.”
I tried my best to not allow their conversation to fill my mind, but it was difficult when they stood directly behind me. My finger slipped on the key, and it caused my heart real pain to miss a note. Flustered, I pushed on.
“Does she have experience instructing her sisters?” asked Miss Brown.
“Oh, yes, indeed,” said Aunt Patience. “She not only gave them lessons, but she also has given lessons to the people in her father’s parish as well. Haven’t you, Juliana?”
I was just about to look up when another pair of hands rested against the keys beside me. A much smaller pair of hands.
I glanced over and saw Miss Elizabeth had slid onto the bench beside me, her hands waiting on the keys.
I continued to play, and not a moment later, she began to play right along with me in duet.
“Well, would you look at this?” Aunt Patience said with a wide grin.
Miss Elizabeth didn’t say anything as she played along with me. The song of the crane was a relatively easy song to learn, though I was surprised that she seemed to know it as well as I did. I would have thought it was a song that only poorer families learned as a means of entertaining their children.
“Very good, Miss Elizabeth,” Miss Brown said.
I tried to hide my smile as we played the final notes of the song and couldn’t contain a small laugh when she added her own flair to the end by adding a few notes. “Well done, Miss Elizabeth. I’m quite impressed.”
She blinked up at me, her large eyes a lovely blue-green, like the ocean in the summer. “You play quite well, too,” she said.
I smiled at her.
“I think this is going to work out quite well,” Miss Brown said.
“Indeed it is,” said Aunt Patience, giving me a firm nod and a smile. “I think it is going to be positively wonderful.”
4
Shortly after our time in the school room, I was walking Aunt Patience to the door with Miss Brown.
“You have a wonderful gift,” Miss Brown said. “I think Mr. Thorne was right in choosing you to be her music instructor.”
“Thank you very much,” I said.
We reached the foyer, and the butler was there waiting to see Aunt Patience out.
“You have everything you need?” Aunt Patience asked me as the butler helped her to shrug her cloak back on.
“I believe so, yes,” I said.
“Whatever you might need, don’t hesitate to ask,” Miss Brown said. “Mr. Thorne is very agreeable, and I am certain it would not be too much of an imposition.”
“Within reason, of course,” Aunt Patience said. Then she smiled genteelly at me. “Don’t you worry about your father. Your sisters shall look after him. And I shall look after them, never you worry.”
“You are too kind, ma’am,” I said.
“Nonsense,” Aunt Patience said. “I shall write to you soon to see how you are settling in.”
“I look forward to it,” I said.
Miss Brown and I waved at the carriage as it made its way down the drive, the horses trotting along happily.
“There now, I daresay your aunt was an answer to our prayers,” Miss Brown said as we turned to return indoors. “I was very nearly at my wits end with Miss Elizabeth. You see, I don’t have much experience with music, nor much talent. But it seems to be the one thing that Miss Elizabeth seems to enjoy the most. I was the one who suggested we seek another tutor for her, one who could focus on music more frequently with her.”
“Well, I certainly hope that I will be able to meet your expectations, Miss Brown,” I said.
“You have already surpassed them,” she said with a smile. “Come. Why don’t I show you to your room? Mr. Gibbs has already taken your belongings there for you.”
My face turned pink. “All right, then.”
We made our way up to the third floor of the manor. I expected us to continue even higher, toward the servant’s quarters, but Miss Brown turned down the hall and stopped at one a short ways from the stairs.
“This is to be your room,” she said with a smile, gesturing inside.
I stepped up to the doorway and peered in.
It was a much larger space than I had envisioned. Going to work in a manor, I had expected to be placed in something akin to a closet or perhaps something even smaller. I imagined I would have to share a room with someone else, as well.
“Is it to your likings?” Miss Brown asked.
“It’s wonderful,” I said, stepping inside. “Never in my life have I had a room to myself.”
“’Tis true when one has sisters,” Miss Brown said with a smile. “My room is just across the hall, and further along down the hall is the housekeeper’s quarters. If I were you, I would do my very best to stay out of her way. She does not like to be disturbed while she works.”
“I see…” I said.
“Well, I shall leave you to it,” Miss Brown said. She pulled a small, silver pocket watch from a pocket in the front of her dress. “It is nearly time for Miss Elizabeth’s arithmetic. She will be undertaking a test today. I daresay she will be quite distressed come dinner.”
“You may inform Miss Elizabeth that arithmetic was never my favorite subject, either,” I said. “But I learned it was quite useful as I grew older. It is useful for many things, including how to balance a budget, though now that I say that, I can imagine that a budget is of no interest to a young lady, is it?”
Miss Brown smiled. “Perhaps not. Though I am pleased to see you are in agreement with me about the value of her education. It will certainly help us to be able to work better together.”
“I agree,” I said.
“Dinner shall be served soon,” she said. “And I shall see you down in the school room by seven tomorrow morning?”
Seven? That was far later than I was used to beginning my day. “Certainly,” I said.
She nodded. “Very good. Have a wonderful evening,” she said and stepped out of the room.
I turned to stare around the room. It was hard to believe it was all for me.
My bed was situated in the middle of the room, which to me seemed unnecessarily elegant. It would be far better to slide it to one side so that another bed could be brought in and set up along the opposite wall. There was a wardrobe along the wall with the door, as well as a fireplace with a mantle. Side tables sat on either side of the bed, with candlesticks and a box of matches. Fresh linens had been spread across the bed, which was easily twice the width of the one I slept on at home.
It was lavish and far more space than I ever had in my life and had ever expected to have.
And in a sense, it was rather lonely, too. Every night since I was a little girl, I had shared a room with someone. As each sister was born, they would all come take turns snuggled up in my bed at night.
It would be strange not sharing stories with Amelia at night.
I noticed a small writing desk in the corner, and my heart skipped. Well, at least I would be able to easily keep in contact with everyone back home.
Ten miles hadn’t seemed all that far when Aunt Patience had first told me about Northington Park, but now, I knew it was quite a ways away by carriage, and it was not going to be a distance I could travel soon.
A heaviness settled over my heart, and I tried my best to find some hope somewhere deep inside of me.
I reprimanded myself for not being grateful to find myself in the situation in which I did. I was quite fortunate to be here, especially when I knew there were a great many more people who would have been floored to have received this position in the first place.
I was not ungrateful, but I would be lying to myself if I did not admit that it was going to take some time getting used to living in a new place, all alone.
The trunk that I brought with me had once belonged to my mother. Amelia insisted I have it. I thought it might be better for all of them to have it, as a way of remembering her. Amelia told me that we all had our ways of remembering Mother and that she would want me to have something like this in order to help me to transition to my new life.
I hefted it up onto the bed and opened the lid, staring down at the few belongings I had brought with me.
I lifted out a few books, some of my favorites. One of them was filled with songs that I thought Miss Elizabeth might enjoy learning. They were songs that my mother had played with me when I was about her age.
I set the books on top of the desk and then curiosity lead me to open the desk up. I discovered some other books, some spare quills, and a fresh bottle of ink, still sealed. There was even a red wax candle and a small seal. When I lifted it to look at it, an ornate letter T was carved into the golden stamp. An official seal of the Thorne family, it seemed. That was a kind gesture and would certainly make sending letters from the estate much easier.
I unpacked the few sheets of parchment I had packed from home. I had not wished to take too much from my father or my sisters. It would surely be much easier for me to come by than it would be for them. I set down my favorite quill beside my parchment.
I returned to the trunk and pulled out the few dresses that I brought with me. I ran my thumb over the thin, dulled fabric. It was fit that I would be spending a great deal of time with the other servants of the house, as my dresses would not be any more suited to serving as the governess’s help.
I did not wish to be ashamed the clothes that my father had worked so hard to provide for me. I had stitched them each by hand, and I was proud of their quality. However, the circumstances in my life were making it clear to me that I might need to save some of the salary I would be receiving in order to purchase appropriate fabric for dresses I could wear here at Northington Park.
It was rather quiet in the house for so late in the day. I took a seat on the edge of the bed, staring out the window at the sprawling gardens behind the house, of which I had a perfect view.
Life had certainly changed drastically within the last few weeks. I had known that this change was necessary, but to experience it was another thing entirely. I had expected I would have been able to take it in stride, and I believe I had… except for when I was alone and my thoughts were able to wander without distraction.
I spent some time rearranging things in the room as I liked. Nothing would likely ever make it feel less cavernous to me, but I certainly did prefer the bed up against the wall as opposed to the middle of the room. I set my mother’s trunk at the foot of the bed, ready for whatever I might find to fill it with.
I was just arranging the dresses in my wardrobe from most presentable to the least when there was a knock on my door.
I spun and folded my hands in front of myself. “Please, come in,” I said.
The door swung inward, and a rather stern looking woman stepped inside.
“Miss Honeyfield?” she asked in a deeper voice than I expected. She planted her hands on her wide hips, her chestnut hair pulled back in much the same way that Miss Brown’s was.
“Yes?” I asked, suddenly frightened.
“Where have you been? Dinner was served nearly ten minutes ago, and I was informed that you never appeared,” she said.
I could only stare at her. “I was never informed—”
“It is your duty to remain informed,” said the woman crossly. “You will not be catered to during your time here at Northington Park.”
“I never expected to be,” I said. I curtsied. “My deepest apologies, Miss—”
“Mrs. Frampton,” the woman said, her already narrow eyes becoming like slits. “Yes, we haven’t had the pleasure of being introduced yet. Though I must admit, I heard you were quite the amiable young woman, but this first impression is truly something to behold.”
“My deepest apologies,” I said. “I will be going to dinner at once.”
“In that?” Mrs. Frampton asked. “You are to meet the master of the house, and the dress you have chosen is not only dirty, but it is far too informal for meeting him for dinner.”
“But I have nothing more formal,” I said.
Mrs. Frampton sighed, shaking her head. “Well, at the very least, go to the water closet down at the end of the hall. Wash your hands and face. Perhaps he will excuse your sorry state due to it being your first day here.”
Without another word, she turned and excused herself from my room.
I did not have time to be cross with her. I hurried down the hall and found myself in the nicest water closet that I had ever been in. If this one was as nice as it was, I could only imagine how glamourous the ones that belonged to Mr. Thorne and Miss Elizabeth were.
I made my way down to the dining room, which I had only passed briefly earlier today. The manor was so large that I nearly lost my way, taking a wrong turn down the eastern wing before quickly correcting it and making my way over to where I was expected.
My heart was in my throat as I stood at the door.
“There you are, Miss Honeyfield,” said Mr. Gibbs, the man who had greeted me at the door earlier this morning. “We have been expecting you.”
I attempted to compose myself, knowing there was nothing I could say that would make up for this impropriety. And to have happened on the first day of my employment… What an impression I will have made.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yes,” I said.
He pulled the door open and stepped inside.
“Miss Honeyfield, Sir,” said Mr. Gibbs, bowing and gesturing to his side.
Quickly, I walked into the room, careful to keep my gait steady and smooth.
“Ah, there you are. I was beginning to think I was mistaken about the day of your arrival,” said a man’s voice from across the room.
I curtsied as deeply as I could. “Mr. Thorne, I am terribly sorry for my absence. I have no excuse that is worthy.”
“It is quite all right,” Mr. Thorne said. “It is your first day, after all. I cannot expect you to know how this household operates all at once. You may lift your head.”
I did just that. When I looked up, there was a man much younger than I expected sitting in the seat at the end of the table. He was quite tall, with broad shoulders and a wide jaw. His nose, slightly crooked, was pointed and narrow. His eyebrows were thick and the same honeyed shade as his hair, which was as straight as silk and pulled back at the nape of his neck. His eyes were not at all the same shape as his daughter’s, instead deep set and narrower, though even from where I stood, I could see they shared one similarity, which was her eye color.
