LITMIR.BIZ

       Chapter Five

      Late that afternoon, Olivia settled her two tired charges back in the nursery to rest before dinner. She’d just gone to her own room to tidy up when Mansfield knocked at her door and informed her that the Colonel wished to see her at once.

      Sighing, Olivia nodded. ‘Inform him that I shall be down directly.’

      Most likely, after their acrimonious exchange this morning, her irate employer intended to formally discharge her. When, as furiously angry as she could ever remember being, she’d stalked from Colonel Glendenning’s library that morning, she’d been single-mindedly focused on providing for the children the warm blankets and clothing the caretakers of Somers Abbey were unprepared to furnish. Once that task was performed, she had resolved to resign—if the Colonel didn’t discharge her first.

      But over the course of the day, her anger had cooled and her compassion kindled. Who would look after brave little Elizabeth and silent Sophie, who had yet to speak a word to her, if she left Somers Abbey?

      Knowing how they were situated, she couldn’t just walk away—not until the Colonel found some kind female relation to take over their care—someone who showed a willingness to actually care for them.

      So, as little stomach as she had for the idea, she was going to have to apologise to the Colonel. In terms humble and contrite enough to persuade him to keep her on.

      She would have to be—how had he described the governesses in India?—meek and retiring.

      If she kept before her the vision of the fear in little Sophie’s face when Mrs Wallace had looked at her accusingly this morning, maybe she wouldn’t gag on the words.

      Her face washed and her hair and gown straightened, Olivia took a deep breath and took herself to the library.

      Looking stern and contained, but much better than he had in the early morning light, when he’d been unshaven, bleary-eyed and obviously the worse for a night of hard drinking, the Colonel nodded to her as she entered. ‘Take a chair, please, Miss Overton.’

      He wanted her to sit? Perhaps he intended to berate her at length before dismissing her. Wanting to head him off, Olivia said, ‘I’d rather stand, sir, if you don’t mind.’

      Quirking his lip, the Colonel shook his head. ‘Are you always contrary?’

      Belatedly realising she’d once again failed to be an obedient servant, Olivia said hastily, ‘Sorry, sir. I don’t mean to be.’

      ‘I don’t suppose you do. However, I’d like to inform you—’

      ‘Please, Colonel, if I might speak first?’ Without waiting for permission, she rushed on. ‘I... I must apologise for my conduct this morning. It was not my place to criticise the way you are discharging the responsibilities you generously agreed to shoulder in the raising of your cousin’s children, especially when you are already burdened with the heavy task of restoring your own estate, and have no wife or sister to assist you with their care. I let my...distress over their situation lead me into being much too impetuous and outspoken. I hope you will forgive me and let me begin again anew.’ Not at all sure she could make good on the promise, she made herself add, ‘It will not happen again.’

      For a moment he stared at her unsmilingly. ‘Are you sure?’

      Innate honesty warred with her determination to remain the girls’ protector. ‘I shall do my utmost to prevent it,’ she said at last.

      She thought she saw the tiniest hint of a smile on his face. But surely she was mistaken, for he said, ‘I understand you were...impetuous and outspoken with my head groom this morning. Commandeering a vehicle? Taking the girls with you to Bristol?’

      She swallowed hard. ‘Yes, sir. Since...since you referred me to Mrs Wallace to obtain necessities for the girls, necessities she had already refused to provide, I felt compelled to go to the city and buy them myself. As the day was warm and fair and the girls have seldom been allowed to leave the nursery, I decided to take them with me. After all, how can they come to love their homeland if all they know of it is a rainy field seen from the nursery window? And you had not given any orders that the children and I were specifically forbidden to venture away from Somers Abbey.’

      ‘No, I had not expressly forbidden it, Miss Overton. But I am not in the habit of having those in my care taken away without my knowledge. Nor did you think to take a groom along to protect them, should anything have happened on the road.’

      ‘I... I know the house is short-staffed, sir. I didn’t want to pull any of the other servants from their tasks. I can manage a team quite competently, the road is well travelled and, in broad daylight, I didn’t expect to encounter any malcontent who couldn’t, if necessary, be discouraged by the use of my driving whip.’

      ‘Deciding and managing once again, Miss Overton?’

      Her cheeks heating, her eyes flew up to meet his gaze. It was for their good! she wanted to insist. But rather than voice the protest hovering on her lips, she made herself lower her eyes and say, in the most penitent tones she could manage, ‘Yes, I suppose I was. I’m sorry, sir.’

      ‘And you promise not to do that again, either?’

      Eating humble pie was harder than she’d imagined. Keeping the image of Sophie’s face firmly in mind, she said, ‘I will earnestly try not to, Colonel.’

      She heard something that sounded like a choked laugh. Surprised, she looked up—to find the Colonel chuckling.

      She wasn’t sure what was more shocking—his sudden mirth, or how the smile made his blue eyes sparkle and transformed his stern features into something unexpectedly appealing—and undeniably handsome.

      She was still trying to make sense of those startling observations when he said, ‘I’ve tortured you enough, Miss Overton. I can only imagine how difficult it was for you to hold your tongue and abase yourself to apologise, especially knowing you were right.’

      ‘I—I was right?’ she repeated, caught off guard.

      ‘Yes. Actually, I’d summoned you here so that I might apologise to you. I am not normally so churlish, but you caught me with the devil’s own headache—and, yes, I’d indulged far too much, so you needn’t add that scold.’

      Then, as understanding dawned, she said indignantly, ‘You were going to apologise to me? And yet you led me on...’

      ‘True.’ He nodded. ‘It wasn’t well done of me, but I think we both have a...managing bent. As I know only too well, it isn’t easy for a person of that nature to apologise—especially when one knows one was in the right. I’m afraid I couldn’t resist encouraging you to go through with it. You were hoping a display of penitence would dissuade me from firing you, I suppose. Because you felt you must stay on and protect the girls from their evil, uncaring guardian.’

      ‘Not evil. But you did seem rather...uncaring.’

      Some sort of anguish briefly crossed his face, gone before she could even be sure she’d actually seen it. ‘I shall have to do better. Once I’d calmed down after our confrontation—and some strong coffee and beefsteak had made me feel human again—I went up to the nursery and found it just as you described. I don’t recall what was on the beds when my brother and I were boys, but those threadbare cotton rags wouldn’t warm a flea. Somers Abbey’s finances may

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