[Full] Miss Pendleton - Chapter 71

Mrs. Fairfax, standing nearby, clicked her tongue.

“It seems Daniel scared his brother again. Sir, George is so innocent like that.”

Laura couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. Only then did George, realizing the situation, turn red in the face. Daniel, standing nearby, chuckled.

“Fool, you believe that?”

George glared at his brother. Daniel stuck out his tongue at his younger sibling. In response, George lunged at his brother. The two began wildly throwing punches at each other.

What if one of them gets hurt? Laura, anxious, looked at Mrs. Fairfax. But Mrs. Fairfax only watched her sons’ fight with a nonchalant expression.

After exchanging blows several times, the fight ended with the smaller George getting thoroughly thrashed on his arms and back by his older brother, whimpering.

“Have you fought enough? Then both of you, go back to your rooms. As punishment for fighting, no snacks this afternoon for either of you.”

The two boys’ faces twisted with indignation. Especially George’s.

“But, Mother! He teased me first!”

“And you rushed at him and threw punches. I didn’t expect you two to act like this even in front of the new governess. What would your uncle say if he knew?”

At the mention of their uncle, George’s face turned pale. Mrs. Fairfax said calmly,

“Go to your rooms now. Or you’ll go without dinner too.”

They hung their heads and returned to their rooms. Mrs. Fairfax smiled at Laura.

“My boys are quite well-behaved, aren’t they?”

In an awkward position to respond, she quickly changed the subject.

“The uncle the children fear must be Mr. Dalton, I presume?”

“How did you know right away?”

“I didn’t think the children would be afraid of Mr. Fairfax.”

“Ho ho, you’re right! William is like their playmate. My brother, on the other hand, is like a devil to them.”

Laura smiled.

“But Mr. Dalton is actually a very good uncle, isn’t he?”

“You’re right. The only reason those rascals listen to me at all is because of Ian. If their temperaments were even half as gentle as Henry’s, Ian wouldn’t need to be so strict.”

“Henry, you mean your eldest son?”

“Yes, the one at Cambridge now. He’s so mild-mannered that Ian didn’t have to play the villain with him. Before he went to college, Ian doted on him. When he was little, Ian gave him piggyback rides every day, visited him every holiday, and when Henry went to public school, Ian sent him gifts every month so he wouldn’t feel lonely. In some ways, he cared for him more than the boy’s own father did.”

“I knew it from my interactions with him in London. He’s a good man.”

“Hmm, I thought his reputation in London would be quite bad.”

Laura smiled gently.

“Mr. Dalton is indeed a rare find in London.”

“In what way?”

“London’s social circles are places where honesty is scarce. Behavior like Mr. Dalton’s often shocks people. But that’s why I became friends with him. I prefer bold sincerity over hypocrisy.”

Laura called Ian a rare man, but to Mrs. Fairfax, Laura herself was the rare one. She had never met a lady who truly appreciated her younger brother’s true nature. Most people approached him for his looks and wealth, only to flee from his blunt behavior.

‘Oh my. I’m already wanting to give her high marks.’

Mrs. Fairfax suggested that Laura, who must be tired, rest in her room for the afternoon. Laura gave a slight curtsy and left the drawing room.

A butler was waiting outside the drawing room. Laura followed him to the room assigned to her. As Laura and the butler ascended the stairs, they encountered a girl coming down from the first floor. She had fine blonde hair and was wearing an ornate dress, about a head shorter than Laura. Laura recognized her immediately as Olivia Fairfax.

The girl stared at Laura, her eyes full of curiosity.

“Who are you?”

Laura smiled and said,

“Hello. I’m the new governess.”

Olivia’s eyes widened as she stared at Laura. She seemed utterly surprised, even a bit flustered. Laura was puzzled.

‘Didn’t she know a new governess was coming?’

Olivia, regaining her composure, gave a slight nod.

“I’m Olivia Fairfax.”

Her tone was quite haughty. Laura stifled a laugh. The young girl, still with a touch of baby fat, acting like a dignified lady was almost too adorable to bear.

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Mr. Dalton. He said he has a refined little niece. Let’s get along well.”

“There’s no need for us to get along. I’m not your pupil.”

“Still, we’ll be living under the same roof, so it’d be nice to be friendly. I might even be able to help you with something, Miss Fairfax.”

Laura spoke kindly. Even though her charges were only Daniel and George, she intended to pay attention to Olivia as well, being a Fairfax child. As a lady who had already navigated society, she surely had something to offer a young lady preparing for her debut.

But Olivia, for some reason, seemed displeased by her words. She replied sharply,

“I already have teachers looking after me. Mind your own business and focus on teaching my brothers.”

With that, Olivia turned abruptly and went downstairs. Her attitude was hostile. Laura couldn’t understand why. Had she made some mistake?

Laura tilted her head once, then followed the butler to the second floor. The hallway branched to the left and right, and Laura was led to the room at the very end of the right corridor.

Upon entering the room, Laura was astonished. The room was far larger than she had expected. It was as big as the drawing room where she had just met Mrs. Fairfax. But what surprised her more than the size was the furniture filling the room.

A large bed, a sofa with intricate carvings, a beautiful wooden table, a large fireplace, and a desk. A tall window reaching the high ceiling. There was even a separate dressing room attached to one side of the room.

Next to her bed was the trunk she had brought, looking out of place in its shabbiness.

Laura asked the butler standing nearby,

“Is this really my room?”

“Yes. The mistress personally designated it.”

“A room like this for a governess? I can hardly believe it. Did the previous tutor stay in this room too?”

“No. This is one of the finest guest rooms in the manor. It’s reserved for distinguished guests.”

Laura sent the butler away. Then she slowly looked around the room alone.

She walked to the window and opened the glass door. A terrace with stone railings came into view. Standing at the railing, she could see the garden of Dunville Park spread out below. The lush greenery refreshed her eyes in an instant. It was a room with a splendid view.

That wasn’t the only surprising thing. As she returned to the room to unpack, there was a knock at the door.

When she answered, a maid entered carrying a large tray. The maid curtsied politely to Laura, then placed the tray on the table. A gleaming porcelain teapot and teacup, along with an abundance of cookies and cakes, were set out. Seeing Laura’s puzzled look, the maid clasped her hands and said respectfully,

“The mistress said you must be hungry from your long journey and should eat and rest comfortably. She said you’d need something to tide you over since dinner is more than four hours away.”

“Thank you. Please convey my thanks to the mistress.”

The maid gave a slight curtsy and left. Laura sat on the sofa, feeling overwhelmed, and ate the hot tea and cake. It felt like a dream. She half-expected that pinching her cheek would wake her up in the carriage she had ridden in earlier. Such lavish hospitality! It was unthinkable for a governess. And from the mention of dinner time, it seemed she would be dining at the same table as the family. That, too, was unimaginable for a governess.

Since planning her independence, she had observed governesses in the households she visited for social purposes. Most of them had no presence. Their employers allowed them no such thing.

They were respected more than maids, but they could not mingle with the family. They quietly taught in a study tucked away in a corner of the manor or arranged flowers, and they always ate alone, with meals brought by maids. Theirs was a life of being on the fringes, never part of the family circle.

A governess dining with the family? She had neither seen nor heard of such a thing.

Four hours later, a maid came to fetch her. Laura checked her appearance and followed the maid to the dining room downstairs.

In the elegant dining room, lit by bright candles, the entire Fairfax family was gathered. There, Laura met the master of the house, Robert Fairfax. The robust middle-aged Mr. Fairfax had heard that the new governess was a friend of his cousin, Ian. He rushed to Laura, shook her hand vigorously, and greeted her with enthusiasm. He shook her arm so energetically that Laura’s slender frame swayed.

At dinner, she was treated like a distinguished guest. She was seated not at the end of the table but close to the master and mistress, and Robert Fairfax incessantly urged her to have soup, meat, and dessert. Whenever he saw her pause, he reflexively pushed whatever dish was nearby toward her. Laura, half-embarrassed and half-grateful, ate everything he offered.

During the meal, George and Daniel pestered the servants, asking for barbecue to be cut or inquiring about lemon cake. In contrast, Olivia was well-mannered. She ate with impeccable table manners and spoke only occasionally, asking a servant for more water. But Laura was keenly aware of Olivia. Throughout the meal, Olivia scrutinized her with an almost ferocious intensity.

Laura wasn’t particularly bothered by Olivia’s behavior. She was accustomed to the countless judgmental stares she had endured in society. Having been the subject of gossip among dozens, even hundreds, of London’s socialites, a young girl’s gaze was hardly distressing.

Still, Laura was curious. What was it about her that Olivia disliked? If there was a misunderstanding, she wanted to clear it up. Laura wanted to get along with Olivia. After all, she was a Fairfax daughter and Mr. Dalton’s niece.