She thought with satisfaction that she had covered her tracks very cleverly.
With two trunks the servants would be convinced that she was staying with someone who would be giving a ball or at any rate someone with a large house in London or the country, which might be any direction from London.
‘Even my dear Papa with all his astuteness,’ Tasia mused, ‘will not guess for a moment where I am going or what I am actually going to do.’
CHAPTER THREE
Tasia arrived at Linsdale House and was greeted at the front door by Mr. Seymour.
He seemed pleased to see her, but she thought that he looked rather surprised at the way she was dressed.
However he said nothing.
As they walked into the house, Mr. Seymour began,
“Now, Miss Wicke, is there anything you wish to ask me before I take you upstairs to meet the two boys?”
Tasia was holding Jimbo by the lead and he looked down at him questioningly.
“I suppose the dog stays with you all day?”
“And he sleeps with me, in fact he goes everywhere with me, and I think he might be very useful.”
Mr. Seymour did not ask what she meant.
“I am sure, Mr. Seymour, it would be wise for me to meet the boys by myself. I think in a situation like this we might put the young people off the older, so to speak.”
Mr. Seymour smiled.
“I don’t think you would come into that category, Miss Wicke!”
“Nevertheless you promised me I could have things my own way. I was thinking as I was driving here that the schoolroom would doubtless be what used to be the nursery.”
“Of course. That’s where the boys have always had their bedroom since they were quite small and the nursery has now been turned into a schoolroom.”
“Just as I guessed and I think it a mistake.”
“A mistake!” he exclaimed.
“You are asking these two boys, who I have not yet met, Mr. Seymour, to have a man’s education, which, of course, is what they will receive at Eton and Oxford.
“Therefore the sooner they give up the environment and memories they had as little children, the better.”
“I don’t understand, Miss Wicke.”
“What I am suggesting is that they are moved to the first floor where I imagine their father will be sleeping in the Master Suite. You can give them a room there with a sitting room that has been used in the past as a boudoir by grown-up visitors.”
There was silence while Mr. Seymour stared at her in astonishment.
“I don’t know what his Lordship would say to your idea – ”
“I think if his Lordship realises that his sons have gone on strike and refuse to learn at all, he will be relieved if I can persuade them, in my own way, to do something totally different.”
When she used the word ‘my’, Mr Seymour looked most uncomfortable.
It was obvious that, seeing how young she looked, he was not expecting her to be firm with the boys
After a moment when no one spoke, he suggested,
“I think I had better send for Mrs. Donaldson, the housekeeper.”
He went to the door to tell one of the footmen in the hall to fetch her.
When he came back, Tasia remarked,
“If I am asking too much, perhaps you would prefer me not to take on this task, which I am fully aware is not an easy one?”
“No! No!” Mr Seymour exclaimed. “Of course, I want you. I was just surprised at your requests, but now I think of it – we should have thought of it ourselves.”
Tasia smiled at him.
“That is most generous of you, Mr. Seymour, but I am afraid I will be asking for quite a number of things if you want me to try and change the boys for the better.”
“It’s so important to his Lordship that they should be,” Mr. Seymour responded in a rather ruffled tone.
The door opened and Mrs. Donaldson entered.
She looked just as a housekeeper should in a black silk gown with a silver chatelaine hanging from her waist.
“You sent for me, Mr. Seymour?” she began in a rather refined voice.
“Come in Mrs. Donaldson, I want you to meet Miss Wicke, who has come to teach the young gentlemen in the place of the Tutor who left this morning.”
“When I learnt that he was gone, I was surprised. He seemed an intelligent man who would be able to handle the young gentlemen.”
“Well sadly he proved himself a complete failure, as I’ve been telling Miss Wicke,” continued Mr. Seymour. “She has new ideas, Mrs. Donaldson, which may seem unusual, but which I think myself are indeed very practical.”
Mrs. Donaldson walked over to Tasia, who rose as the housekeeper approached and held out her hand.
“If I am to succeed in the task I am undertaking, I hope, Mrs. Donaldson, that you will help me, because I am quite certain that I will need your assistance.”
Mrs. Donaldson’s rather hard expression softened.
“I’ll do my best, Miss Wicke, but as Mr. Seymour’s told you, they are difficult – very difficult indeed.”
“I am accepting it as a challenge and, if you and Mr. Seymour will help me, I feel certain we shall be successful where others have failed.”
“That’s the right attitude and I wish you luck.”
“What I want is that the two young gentlemen are moved from the nursery and brought into the best part of the house, so that they will feel they are growing up and his Lordship will no longer treat them as children.”
Mrs. Donaldson gazed at her quizzically.
“I understand what you’re saying, Miss Wicke, but what exactly are you suggesting?”
“I want them to be put on the first floor where their father is, and to have a bedroom that has previously been used only by guests with a comfortable sitting room and a bedroom nearby for me.”
Mrs. Donaldson gave a loud gasp.
“That’s never happened before!”
“I know, but I daresay the previous generations of Linsdales were not as difficult as this one.”
“That certainly is the truth.”
Tasia smiled.
“I am sure there are plenty of rooms here, and even when the house is full up, the two sons of his Lordship are really of more importance than anyone else.”
“Of course they are,” Mr. Seymour said before Mrs. Donaldson could speak, “but we’ve never thought of them until now as being anything but children.”
“If they are indeed old enough to have a Tutor, then we must forget all about nannies, rocking-horses and toys.”
“You are right, Miss Wicke, but Mrs. Donaldson and I have never thought of it before.”
“Then please will you organise a really nice suite for me? And take my luggage up to the bedroom next to it. I want the sitting room, which I expect you will convert from a boudoir, to look as delightful and distinguished as it was for his Lordship’s friends. I do not want anything that is in the schoolroom upstairs to be brought down.”
Mrs. Donaldson drew in her breath and then when Tasia rather suspected she might oppose the idea, she said,
“It’s certainly an experiment, Miss Wicke, that has not been tried before. If you’re successful I feel sure his Lordship’ll be very grateful.”
“I intend to be successful,” Tasia answered, “but, as you both appreciate, I will not achieve it without new ideas and new methods. I have always believed the environment we live in affects us all strongly in one way or another.
“Now I must go upstairs and I would be grateful if you will guide me, Mr. Seymour. At the same time I wish to go into the schoolroom alone.”
Mrs. Donaldson moved towards the door.
“I’ll see that a suite’s got ready for you, Miss Wicke, and I’ll have your luggage unpacked by one of the housemaids.”
“That is very kind of you and I am most grateful.”
She knew as she turned to walk upstairs that Mrs. Donaldson was looking at her clothes and sh
e was sure that her elegant dress from a fashionable shop in Bond Street had achieved the effect she had hoped.
It was quite a climb up the front stairs and then up the staircase to the second floor.
In the top landing there was a row of doors and they looked, Tasia thought, exactly like the nursery doors had looked at home when she had been a child.
She was certain that the rooms inside would be very much the same as the rooms she had been brought up in.
Perhaps there would be more tin soldiers than she had played with, but the toy cupboard, the rocking horse and the screen covered with cards would all be identical.
She was still holding on to Jimbo and she noticed that Mrs. Donaldson had looked at him questioningly.
She felt that she was wondering if he was clean in the house, but she had not protested at him being there.
They stopped outside the third door on the landing.
“The boys are here,” announced Mr. Seymour. “Are you sure you don’t want me to come in and introduce you?”
Tasia shook her head.
“No, I wish to go in alone and perhaps it would be a mistake for my clothes to be unpacked before I am quite certain I am able to stay.”
“Oh, please, don’t talk like that, Miss Wicke. I am depending on you to help me and, if you refuse, Mrs. Lines has made it clear that she has no one else on her books.”
“Then wish me luck and we’ll see what happens!”
She smiled at him before walking over to the door, opened it and went on in.
It was exactly as she had expected.
The large nursery was furnished in the same way as her own had been.
The two boys looked rather untidy – having thrown off their coats, they were playing some game on the floor with a wooden gun that shot small wooden bullets.
They were aiming at a toy fort that showed it had been somewhat roughly treated since it was new.
As Tasia entered the room, the boys looked up.
They stared at her in amazement for a moment and then rose to their feet.
It was not through politeness, but because she knew that they guessed why she was there and were instantly on the defensive.
They moved back to the windowsill and then they linked arms and stood as if defying her without speaking.
“I expect you are surprised to see me,” Tasia began. “I must introduce myself and one of even more importance who is here with me.”
She bent down and undid Jimbo’s lead.
“I want you to meet Jimbo who is a lovely boy, as you will learn later.”
She patted Jimbo and ordered him,
“Sit!”
He sat down immediately and Tasia told him,
“These two young gentlemen wish to meet you, so please shake hands.”
Jimbo steadied himself and held out his paw.
Tasia looked at the two boys.
“He will be disappointed if you don’t shake hands with him.”
Just for a moment she thought that they were going to refuse and then curiosity was too much for them.
One boy stepped forward and the other followed.
He bent and shook Jimbo’s paw and his brother did the same.
“Now that you have met each other, I have to tell you that Jimbo has brought both of you a present.”
She searched in her handbag and took out two bars of chocolate – they had been in her bedroom at home and she had taken them with her just as she was leaving.
The two bars of chocolate were covered with silver paper and she put one carefully into Jimbo’s mouth.
“Give it to the gentlemen, Jimbo.”
Slowly and carefully so as not to bite what he was carrying, Jimbo took it to the first boy.
He took it, saying rather awkwardly as he did so,
“Thank – you.”
Jimbo went back to Tasia’s side and she gave him the other chocolate bar and he took it to the second boy.
He came back and looked up at Tasia, wagging his tail and then she put a small piece of chocolate on top of his nose.
“On duty!” she commanded in a strict tone.
Jimbo sat still without moving and then she said,
“All clear!”
Jimbo threw the piece of chocolate up into the air and jumped up to catch it in his mouth.
The boys clapped.
“That was clever,” one said. “How did you teach him to do that?”
“There are lots of other things he can do, which I hope to show you. But first I want Jimbo to look round this schoolroom and your bedroom in order to see if he approves of them. Open the doors for him.”
The boys looked bewildered, but they hurried to do as she asked.
She held Jimbo until they had opened the door at the far side of the nursery.
As she expected, it led into a narrow passage off which there were two bedrooms.
One was a large room containing two beds and the other was a small room, very small in Tasia’s eyes, which she thought was meant to be hers.
Having opened the doors, the boys came back.
Tasia took her hands away from Jimbo saying,
“Seek, Jimbo! Seek! Seek!”
The dog rushed around the room looking under the tables, smelling in the corners and by the chairs and when Tasia whistled, he came back to her.
“Now listen, Jimbo,” she instructed him, “and this is very important. I want you to tell me what you think of this schoolroom. If you don’t approve, bow your head.”
She firmly accentuated the word ‘bow’ and Jimbo instantly put his head down between his front paws.
“I agree with him and because Jimbo thinks it is a poor idea for you to stay here, we will all go down to the first floor.”
Both boys were staring at her as if they could not believe what was happening.
“I have already spoken about it to Mr. Seymour, but I wanted Jimbo to confirm what I thought, that you are far too old to be up here in your childhood nursery.”
Both boys were silent until the slightly taller one, who she was sure was Peter, stated aggressively,
“We are not going to do any lessons.”
Equally Tasia knew that he was not as positive as he would have been if they had not been captivated, as she had expected, by Jimbo.
“Who was talking about lessons? Personally I hate the word and so does Jimbo!”
She patted him as she spoke and he jumped up at her excitedly.
“Jimbo tells me I am right, as you are now much older than you were when you first used these rooms, it is time for you to be treated as the gentlemen you both are.”
“Are you saying,” asked Peter, “that we are moving downstairs or that we are going away to school?”
“I am sure you don’t want to go away to school yet, but I think you are too old to be up here. As Jimbo thinks so too, I suggest we go down and see what Mrs. Donaldson has prepared for you.”
The two boys looked at each other and then Peter, who obviously always led his twin brother, piped up,
“But you understand that Simon and I are not doing any lessons?”
Tasia smiled.
“Of course I understand, as I already said, I dislike the word ‘lessons.’ It always means dreary hours at a desk or a table writing down a lot of dates or numbers, which I find incredibly boring.”
She could see the two boys were most surprised at her attitude.
After a moment Simon remarked,
“It will be rather fun to be downstairs, but what will Papa say when he comes back?”
It was obvious from the way he was speaking that the boys were frightened of their father.
Tasia gave a little laugh.
“We will let Jimbo explain to him why it was so necessary, but now let’s go and see if he approves of Mrs. Donaldson’s new arrangements for you.”
The two boys were clearly astonished at what she was saying – it was quite different from anything they had experienced.
But
they were really intrigued with Jimbo.
As they walked down the stairs, Jimbo led the way followed first by Tasia, then Peter and Simon.
When they reached the first floor, it was Tasia who saw Mrs. Donaldson at the far end of the corridor.
Turning to the boys, she whispered to them,
“Be nice to her, she is very surprised that Jimbo and I don’t want to be with you upstairs. I am sure we shall be much more comfortable down here.”
They followed her along the corridor with Jimbo still leading the way and Tasia felt that they were inwardly excited at what was happening.
As they reached Mrs. Donaldson, Tasia enquired,
“Now what surprises have you in store for us, Mrs. Donaldson? I am sure they will be pleasant ones and it will be much more comfortable for all of us to be on this floor. I do hate climbing all those stairs.”
“I do hope this’ll be to your liking, Miss Wicke,” Mrs. Donaldson said opening a door. “I’ve pulled back the curtains and, as it’s not been used for quite a long time, the housemaids’ll be polishing and dusting in here tomorrow.”
It was, Tasia thought, exactly what she wanted.
The sitting room was beautifully furnished with a few attractive pictures and there were two large windows overlooking the gardens at the back of the house.
She knew that Jimbo would like that, so she picked him up and took him to the window.
“There is plenty of grass for you to run on here and you will enjoy exploring under those trees!”
Jimbo gave a little bark as if he understood.
She put him down and he rushed through the door Mrs. Donaldson opened that led into a large bedroom, very well furnished, but with only one bed.
Before Tasia could query her, Mrs. Donaldson said,
“Mr. Seymour’s already gone to tell the footmen to move one of the beds from another room into this one. I think the young gentlemen’ll find it comfortable.”
“Is there anything particular you want?” Tasia then asked Peter, who looked surprised at being consulted.
“I don’t think so, miss,” he replied.
“I like this sitting room. I think it’s very pretty and I am sure Jimbo will enjoy being in it, but, of course, he must sleep with me.”
Mrs. Donaldson came in somewhat sharply,
“His Lordship’s dogs, if they’re in London, stay in the Mews.”
A Teacher of Love Page 5
