Said he preferred to face Boney himself than old Mrs P.’
‘Aye, Lawrence is right,’ agreed Mrs Churwell, shaking her head. ‘The Pettigrews is a miserly family and no mistake.’
‘And that makes it all the more imperative that I find employment,’ said Juliana, sinking down into a chair by the table.
‘Well, that’s a problem for the morrow,’ replied Mrs Churwell comfortably. ‘Poor dear, I dare swear you have had no end of worry these past few weeks. Now you sit and rest, dearie, and these two youngsters can make themselves useful by shelling peas for dinner.’
Juliana rose early the next morning to find that Mrs Churwell had brought a pile of the master’s newspapers to the kitchen, smiling as she put them down on the table.
‘I thought you might find a suitable post advertised in here, miss. Sit yourself down and study these news-sheets while I take up the master’s breakfast. And don’t you worry about Thomas and little Amy, I’ve set them to folding sheets upstairs, so you can have a bit o’ peace.’
When the housekeeper returned to the kitchen some time later, Juliana was still sitting at the table with the newspapers spread out before her.
‘Well, dearie?’
Juliana sighed.
‘It seems there are far more advertisements for those seeking employment than requiring someone. Listen—“Governess seeks position, no salary required.” What straits must that poor creature be in?’
‘The same as you, Miss Juliana,’ responded Mrs Churwell. ‘You are not to be letting that kind heart o’ yours worry about everyone else’s problems. You have your family to consider, and if you let the master send you all off to Hinton Slade you’ll be stuck in the middle of nowhere, and don’t think old Mrs Pettigrew will help you to better yourself, because she won’t, not when she sees she can have the three of you doing her bidding for a pittance!’
‘I suppose you are right. Oh, Mrs Churwell, it seems a hopeless case.’
‘Not a bit of it,’ came the robust reply. ‘Now, miss, what you must do is to place your own advertisement in the newspaper. And you must write down all the things you can do, just like you told them to me, so that everyone will know what an accomplished young lady you are and they will come begging you to teach their children.’
‘That would certainly be very welcome!’ laughed Juliana. ‘I suppose I could advertise.’
‘Of course you could! Mr P. will be in his office by now, so there will be no one in the morning room, and you’ll find paper, pens and ink there. You go and write it now, my dear. Strike while the iron’s hot, as they say.’
‘I will, Mrs Churwell.’ Juliana rose. ‘I will go and write the best advertisement you have ever read!’
She ran up the stairs, but checked as she reached the top. She could hear voices in the hallway and guessed that Mr Pettigrew was meeting a client. Peeping around the door, Juliana saw her cousin making a deep bow to a tall gentleman. The visitor had his back to her, so that all she could see of the man himself was his black hair and his many-caped driving coat which added even more width to his already large frame.
‘Major Collingham—’ Cousin Alfred’s nose was almost touching his knee ‘—I am most honoured by this visit, sir, following on from our conversation yesterday. But you should not have come out in this rain, sir—I should have been quite happy to bring the papers to you.’
‘No need, Pettigrew. I had to come this way this morning. I needed to place an advertisement and thought I could do it myself and call upon you on my way. I want to get everything signed and sorted before I leave town next week; thought I was doing well, too, until the children arrived yesterday evening, with the news that their governess had given notice!’
‘How unfortunate for you, sir. Come into my office and I will find those papers for you.’
Juliana drew back behind the door as her cousin led the gentleman on, but before the door closed on them she heard the stranger say bitterly,
‘Unfortunate? It’s damned annoying, man! Particularly now, when I need to take the children into Lancashire with me. That’s the third damned woman I’ve hired in as many months! What can be so difficult about looking after a couple of brats? I tell you, Pettigrew, I’d give a king’s ransom to find a governess who could stay the course…’
The door closed upon the two men and Juliana stepped slowly into the hall, nibbling the tip of her finger. She looked at the footman, who was shaking out the man’s greatcoat.
‘Lawrence, that man—do you know him?’
‘Major Collingham, miss?’
‘Yes. Is he…is he one of Mr Pettigrew’s clients?’
The footman shook his head as he laid the greatcoat gently over a large chest.
‘No, miss. But he is trustee for one of ’em.’ He added knowledgeably, ‘He is the sort of well-set-up gentlemen that people like to appoint as executor to manage their affairs when they turn up their toes.’
Juliana smoothed her hands over her gown and said as casually as she could, ‘And, do you perhaps know where he lives?’
‘Oh, aye, miss. I’ve taken papers to his house in Burlington Street many a time.’
Juliana nodded, then turned and made her way back to the kitchen, where Mrs Churwell was busy making pastry.
‘Well, now, that was quick!’ exclaimed the housekeeper, up to her elbows in flour. ‘Have you written your notice already?’
Juliana shook her head, and sat down at the table.
‘No, but I think I have found a solution to my problems!’
Chapter Two
Later that afternoon Juliana put on her best walking dress of holly green with its matching bonnet and set off for Burlington Street. She was fortunate that the rain had stopped, but it remained overcast, and a chill wind stung her cheeks. Following Lawrence’s directions, she found herself staring up at an imposing double-fronted façade. For a moment her courage failed her. Then, squaring her shoulders, she marched up to the front door and knocked loudly.
‘Oh, come along, Juliana Wrenn,’ she muttered to herself. ‘He can’t eat you, after all.’
A liveried footman admitted her to the house and showed her into a small study on the ground floor while he went off to carry her message to his master.
Too nervous to sit down, she stood in the middle of the room and looked about her. The walls were lined with oak panels from floor to ceiling in the same manner as her cousin’s drawing room, but there all similarity between the two houses ended. The panelling in Major Collingham’s study gleamed and several lively hunting scenes hung on the walls. She was just wondering if any of the figures depicted could be the master of the house when a deep voice sounded behind her, making her jump.
‘You wished to see me, madam?’
‘Oh—I did not
