our culture is a bit different here than in England.”
“Yes, it is. Not so much at his level as at ours, but he seems to want to embrace the American way of life. His wife was from here and he wants his girls to grow up in this country.”
“He must have loved her very much.”
“I’m sure he did. Perhaps he’ll find a suitable wife before long—one who will love him and his children.”
“He’s a handsome man,” Georgia said. “I’m sure that once the daughters of the wealthy in this city are introduced to him, he’ll have his choice of women.”
“Oh, but not all of those young debutantes will be interested in marrying a man with children. It may be more difficult than we think. In the meantime, I hope we can find someone to help out.”
“You mean until he finds a mate?”
“Yes, or a permanent nanny. I’m not sure he’s ready to find a wife just yet. I’ll think on things. But for now, I’d best go see how our dinner is coming along.” She gathered up the tea tray and started toward the door before turning back to Georgia. “If you come up with any ideas, I’d love to hear them.”
“I’ll think on it.”
Mrs. Heaton turned just before she left the room. “I’m sorry, Georgia. I didn’t have a chance to ask if you had any good news about procuring a teaching position anywhere.”
“No, ma’am. I believe I’m going to have to find a position of some kind but it won’t be teaching, at least not until the new term in the fall. My timing seems to be awful. I’d put my name in at several schools when I first came, but they have a long list of those looking for positions and I’m far down on it.”
“Perhaps you should try something else,” Mrs. Heaton suggested.
“I believe I’m going to have to.”
“You know, Georgia...I’m sure Sir Walker will pay very well and you want a job. Would you consider filling in for a short time?”
Only now did Georgia realize the same thought had been forming at the back of her mind, but she didn’t think she was qualified. “I don’t know. I’ve never been a nanny for anyone.”
“But you’ve taught young children, haven’t you?”
“I have.” And she was quite good at it, from what her letter of reference said.
“Oh, his little girls are so sweet,” Mrs. Heaton said. “I hear them outside playing on warm days. It’s so sad that they don’t have a mother.”
“It is,” Georgia said. “I’m sure that losing the nanny who’d always taken care of them must be almost as hard as losing their mother. Perhaps I should consider it. I don’t have anything else to do right now and—”
“You’d be doing a great favor for Sir Tyler. He has such sadness in his eyes.”
Yes, he did. And that sadness and worry about the care for his daughters had touched Georgia’s heart and made her wish she could help—even though she’d never thought about being a nanny. “But doesn’t a nanny live in? I don’t think I’d want to do that.”
“I’m sure you could come to an agreement. It would be temporary, after all. Perhaps you could offer to be there to get them up and dressed and stay until they ate dinner or were put to bed. And surely you could ask for some free time on weekends.”
“I suppose I could think about it...” Georgia said.
“It might be an answered prayer for you both,” Mrs. Heaton said. “But I must check on dinner now. I appreciate your giving thought to it.”
She hurried away and Georgia headed up to her room. Mrs. Heaton took helping others very seriously and Georgia knew she wouldn’t rest until Mr. Walker had what—or who—he needed. Perhaps this was an opportunity for her to have work and assist a neighbor in need at the same time. She’d have to pray about it.
* * *
Tyler took his leave, glad he’d gone to ask Mrs. Heaton for guidance. She was a kind woman and he felt sure she would do what she could to try to find someone to fill in as nanny.
And although he hadn’t been formally introduced to Georgia Marshall at the wedding he and his daughters had been invited to not long after they’d moved in, he remembered seeing her there. Since then he’d caught a glimpse or two of her going in and out of Heaton House.
One couldn’t help but notice her. She was lovely, with her dark brown hair and deep green eyes. But he hadn’t expected his reaction to being near to her. Her smile had warmed his heart and made his chest tighten in a way it hadn’t since his wife passed away.
And because of that reaction, Tyler quickly forced Miss Marshall out of his mind. He wasn’t looking for love or a wife. Not now and not in the future. All he needed at the moment was someone to take care of his daughters.
His butler opened the door the moment his foot touched the top step. What would he do without Mr. Tate? Thankfully, the man had no plans of desertion, at least not that he’d voiced to Tyler.
“How did it go, sir? Did Mrs. Heaton have any ideas about replacing the nanny?”
His butler was the one person Tyler felt he could confide in here in his new home. “Not right away, but she’s going to see if she can find someone to help. I’m glad I thought to go to her, since it’s obvious that the service I’ve gone through hasn’t worked.”
“Much as I dislike saying so, I believe that is true, Sir Tyler. And I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I feel I must tell you that the cook is making noises about leaving again.”
“Oh, dear, what have the girls done now?”
“It’s not Miss Polly or Miss Lilly, sir. They’ve done nothing to cause this. Mrs. Biddle just doesn’t like it here very much. Or so she says.”
Tyler sighed. He’d felt better after speaking with Mrs. Heaton, but he wasn’t confident even she could find anyone to help him. And now this. “I’ll speak to her.”
“That might help. It certainly can’t hurt at this point.”
Dear Lord, please help me. Now I might need a cook, too. I should have brought over a housekeeper to deal with some of these problems. Did I make the wrong decision in coming here? And what made me believe I could do this? I felt it was the answer, but perhaps I was wrong.
“Where are the girls now?”
“The maid gave them a snack earlier and they were in the playroom when I checked on them a few minutes ago.”
“Thank you, Tate. I can’t tell you how much your presence here is helping with this move. You aren’t thinking of leaving us, are you?”
“No, sir. It is a change to be sure, but my loyalties are with you and your family, Sir Tyler. I wish to work for no one else.”
“That puts my mind at ease. I’ll check on the girls and then go speak
