A Teacher of Love Page 3

  As Tasia put on her nightgown, she added,

  “It seems odd, if he is as rich as I am told he is, that he has not married again. I suspects that he wants to keep all for himself, miss, and a wife for any man, whoever he might be, can come expensive like.”

  She thought as she climbed into bed that she had discovered the reason for Lord Hazelbury’s anxiety to be married. It was something he must do for his position, but it would make life for him very much simpler if he married a woman with money.

  ‘Just as Papa,’ Tasia then mused, ‘wants me to have a grand title and millions of pounds at my disposal, Lord Hazelbury needs a wife with a very large dowry. Then she will not cost him anything.’

  She was more determined than ever that she would not marry the man and she was absolutely certain that there was no chance she would fall in love with him.

  She hated meanness when there was no necessity for it and what was more she was sure that Lord Hazelbury was older than her father had said.

  She could look him up in Debretts, but even if she did so and confronted her father with the truth that he was over forty, he would still persist in saying that he was an ideal husband for her.

  She thought that maybe she had been rather foolish.

  She should have invited young gentlemen to come to the house and encouraged one of them to propose to her.

  There had undoubtedly been, although she had not told her father, men who had danced with her several times.

  They had paid her endless compliments and had fished for an invitation to dinner at Salwicke House, but she had often suspected that they were fortune-hunters.

  To her they were simply young men who wanted to be seen with the most talked about and prettiest girl at a party.

  She thought at the time she was being clever to be instinctively aware of these men almost as soon as she met them, so she had therefore made sure that they received no invitations from her father or herself.

  Now she started to recognise that this had given her father a very good excuse for choosing a husband for her.

  He could be incredibly stubborn when it suited him and she was therefore going to find it very difficult to make him change his mind.

  Now she prayed to God as to what she should do if her father persisted that she should marry Lord Hazelbury.

  The problem kept turning over and over in her mind and she found it impossible to sleep.

  *

  In the morning, as Tasia walked down to breakfast, she realised that she was late and was not at all surprised to find that her father had already left the house.

  Yates then explained to her that his Lordship had an early appointment in the City and doubted if he would be back for luncheon.

  Outside the front door a groom was waiting with her horse and this morning she was to ride Sunbeam, one of her favourites and an outstanding stallion in every way.

  He was not only magnificent to look at, he was the best jumper Tasia had ever known and one of the fastest.

  As they entered Hyde Park and rode towards Rotten Row, she was thinking.

  If she lost Sunbeam and her other horses, she would miss them far more than any of her friends.

  ‘I love them and they love me,’ she told herself.

  There were already many riders in Rotten Row as well as a few carriages of beautiful ladies, who came to watch and to be admired.

  Two gentlemen raised their hats as Tasia appeared and she smiled at them.

  One of them remarked as he rode along beside her,

  “I very much missed you last night at the Duchess’s party, Tasia. What happened?”

  “My father came home, having been away for some time and therefore I stayed in to dine with him.”

  “That was very dutiful of you, but we missed you and to be truthful the whole party was rather boring.”

  “Well, if that’s true, I am glad I went to bed early!”

  “Now that was a waste. What is the point of your going to bed early when you could have been dancing with me and sitting in the garden under Chinese lanterns?”

  Tasia thought he was sounding far too familiar.

  “I do think, Henry, as that is something you do every night, you must sometimes long for something different?”

  “I can never do it too often if I am with you – ”

  Tasia felt it was an answer he must make a dozen times a week to a dozen different women.

  They rode on in silence until he asked,

  “Will you promise me the first dance tonight? We are going to a ball at the Duke’s house in Regent’s Park.”

  “I will look forward to it, Henry.”

  “Then the first dance is mine – ”

  Even as he spoke, another gentleman rode up on her other side.

  “You promised me, Tasia” he began, “that I could come over to see your house in Grosvenor Square, but you have never yet invited me to luncheon or dinner.”

  Tasia giggled.

  “How remiss of me. You will have an invitation as soon as my father tells me when he will be here, Clarence. He only returned from the North last night.”

  “I am anxious to meet your father,” he said, “but it’s more important to be with you.”

  The way he said it was far too glib and, as she rode on, Tasia was thinking that this was the sort of conversation she had to put up with every day.

  She would much rather be in the country with the woods, the butterflies and all the birds for company.

  Then, almost as if a dark cloud had passed over the sun, she remembered that if her father won his own way she would not be alone in the woods.

  Her husband would be with her – the husband she did not want and who would be marrying her, she was quite sure, because of her father’s importance.

  Every nerve in her body told her it was wrong.

  As she rode home, there was a little voice inside her brain saying over and over again,

  “No! No! No!”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Arriving home Tasia found that her father had not returned for luncheon. But despite their disagreement the previous evening she was not unduly worried. She knew that he would need to see plenty of people after his journey North.

  She was just sorry she had not lingered longer in the park. Regretful that she had rushed back, she made a snap decision to take her dog for a walk.

  Jimbo was a cocker spaniel who had been with her ever since she came back from Florence. Before leaving for school she had been the proud owner of another cocker spaniel, also called Jimbo, and had been heartbroken to leave him and her horses behind.

  Jimbo had been old, and she knew that he would miss her as much as she would hate parting from him. Finally she decided that the kindest thing to do was to give him to one of her father’s grooms who loved dogs, and in particular Jimbo.

  So she was devastated to learn that he had died just three months later, after pining for his Mistress. Despite the kind words of comfort sent in a short letter from the groom, she had cried into her pillow for several nights.

  She just could not believe that Jimbo’s sad eyes and sweet face would not be waiting for her when she eventually came home.

  When she did return, she had been reluctant to choose another cocker spaniel, convinced that no other dog could ever take his place.

  But when her father finally persuaded her to have another dog, and she saw the tiny puppies clamouring for attention, her resolve melted and she chose the smallest of the litter. It seemed strange, but it was as though he belonged to her immediately.

  Because she had no wish to forget Jimbo, she gave her new cocker the same name and before long they were inseparable.

  The puppy was a sharp, intelligent animal and it amused Tasia through the long winter evenings to teach him tricks.

  Now it was warmer she often took Jimbo to play on the grass in the garden of Grosvenor Square, where he loved running after a ball or just sitting beside her on a seat in the sunshine.

  Feeling l
onely whilst her father was away, she usually talked to him as if he was human, sharing all of her hopes and dreams for the future. Jimbo would cock his head on one side and she felt sure that he understood every word she said.

  Today, however, she felt that she must go for a proper walk. Outside in the fresh air she could think again about everything her father had said to her last night.

  She had already made up her mind that she would not marry this Lord he had chosen for her, but she knew in her heart it was not going to be easy to change his mind.

  As he had said yesterday, he was her Guardian and legally she had to obey him.

  More importantly he had threatened to cut off her money if she disobeyed him.

  It was not the first time her father had been domineering when he desired something.

  Loving and gentle as he could be with her, he would frequently frighten those who worked for him, telling them that he would stop their pay if they did not carry out his orders precisely.

  He had used the same bullying tactics with her once before when they were quarrelling.

  “Don’t forget I pay for everything you have and everything you do, young lady. If I stopped, what do you think would happen?”

  Tasia had tossed her head.

  “I expect I could make money if I tried just as you have done, Papa.”

  Her father had laughed scornfully.

  “I very much doubt it. In fact, my dear, if I was not here to pay for everything, you would no doubt starve!”

  Now, she worried that if her father became really disagreeable he might threaten to cut her off without a penny.

  He would suppose he could force her into the arms of George Hazelbury.

  ‘I will not be bullied,’ Tasia insisted to herself, ‘and I will not marry someone I do not love!’

  She would just have to be very firm after Lord Hazelbury arrived, but that would be so embarrassing for everyone. She could hardly say,

  ‘I seriously dislike your face and everything about you, so therefore the answer is no.’

  She laughed out loud because it sounded so funny in her head, but equally she knew there was nothing humorous about it.

  She and Jimbo walked over Grosvenor Square and then she turned and thought she would go into the Church at the end of Mount Street.

  This Church had an atmosphere of holiness and she felt it was filled with the true faith of those who had prayed there for generations. Just being there in the quiet sanctuary of the vestry invariably moved her so much that she could believe her prayers were carried straight up to Heaven.

  There was no one in the Church.

  She knelt down and prayed that she would do what was right and it would bring her happiness.

  Jimbo sat by her feet in the pew and was very quiet.

  When they came out of the Church, he was jumping about again as they walked through the churchyard and out into Mount Street.

  As they ambled along with Jimbo on his lead, Tasia was trying to remember if there was anything she wanted at the shops, but she could not think of anything.

  Suddenly a man came rushing down some stairs and out from an entrance just ahead of her.

  He put his arms around a girl who was standing staring somewhat sightlessly into an antiques shop.

  “I’ve got it! I’ve got it!” he cried.

  “Oh, ’ave you, John?” she replied. “That’s fine.”

  “I’m to go there tomorrow and as soon as I find out what the accommodation be, I’ll send for you.”

  “Oh, John, ’ow wonderful!” she exclaimed and put her head down on his shoulder.

  Tasia wondered what this was all about.

  Then she noticed above the entrance the words Mrs. Lines Domestic Agency and she realised what had excited the man called John so much.

  He must have just secured a position in the country as a manservant or perhaps as a groom.

  Anyway he seemed very happy and she hoped that with a steady job secured the sweethearts would be married and live happily ever after.

  Then an idea suddenly came to her.

  She hesitated as the couple walked away and then slowly climbed up the stairs.

  As she did so she recalled that the housekeeper at home had told her that whenever they needed new servants she went to Mrs. Lines Domestic Agency.

  Reaching the first floor, Tasia could see that the door straight ahead was open.

  She could see some girls who looked like housemaids and two men obviously from the country, sitting on a bench just inside the door.

  Tasia guessed they were waiting to be interviewed by the Agency with a view to finding a position.

  She opened the door a little wider and peered inside.

  A woman, she imagined must be Mrs. Lines by the cut of her dark, stiff dress, sat at a high desk at the far end of the room with another woman.

  They were discussing something written in a large book and she guessed that it must contain the names of those registered for employment, and prospective employers.

  Gathering up all her courage, Tasia walked briskly across the room, stopping just in front of the desk. The woman she thought was Mrs. Lines looked up as she approached.

  Obviously taking her for a customer, she said,

  “Good morning, madam. What can I do for you?”

  Tasia hesitated for a moment and then she replied,

  “Actually I am looking for an original and unusual post for myself.”

  “For yourself!” exclaimed Mrs. Lines.

  “I am so bored with having nothing to do and I just wondered if there was an unusual position on your books to fill my spare time.”

  She paused for a moment and, as Mrs. Lines did not say anything but just looked at her in astonishment, she continued,

  “Whether I am paid is not particularly important to me, except that I believe that a workman is always worthy of his hire!”

  Mrs. Lines give a little laugh.

  “Everyone here would agree with that, but I am not certain I have anything on my books to interest you.”

  She turned over several pages of her book and then remarked,

  “Well really, although it seems sad, I cannot think of anything here that would interest anyone as pretty and as smart as you are.”

  “I feel certain that there must be something on your books,” Tasia persisted. “I would like to be resident in the place where I am working as I have a little trouble at home at present.”

  Mrs. Lines looked at her thoughtfully, as if trying to read her mind, before turning over another page. Then her assistant, a sprightly little woman with grey hair, started to whisper something in her ear.

  She bent down to listen and then turned to Tasia with a tight smile,

  “There is one position which I can say is certainly unusual, but I doubt if you would entertain it.”

  “Tell me about it, please,” Tasia asked her, moving a little nearer to the high desk.

  “Well, there is a Nobleman, who has come to me quite often and I’ve always satisfied him, but not this time.”

  “Why is that?”

  Mrs. Lines hesitated before she explained,

  “Actually the vacancy is for a Tutor for his two young sons. As it happens, the third one I’ve supplied his Lordship with has just walked out and they’ve no one to take his place. To be honest, I doubt you have any chance of succeeding where so many have failed – and they have never had a woman before.”

  “What is wrong with these two boys or the tutors you send?”

  “There is nothing at all wrong with the tutors, I can assure you,” Mrs. Lines responded indignantly. “I was asked to send men who were fully qualified and experienced in their profession, and that is just what I did! Both tutors were used to teaching at top schools and the best universities.”

  She spoke so earnestly that Tasia felt rebuked and enquired almost apologetically,

  “Whatever happened? What upset them?”

  “The two young gentlemen just refuse t
o learn.”

  Tasia looked surprised, but before she could speak Mrs. Lines went on,

  “The very last tutor who came back to see me after he had left complained, ‘they are impossible and set their faces against learning. Whatever their father says, they are determined they will not do any lessons’.”

  “That does seem strange,” remarked Tasia.

  “They tell me that his Lordship has beaten his sons, but that only made them worse. Now that’s a pretty kettle of fish and what am I supposed to do about it? Three good tutors in as many weeks!”

  Mrs. Lines threw up her hands as she spoke.

  Tasia cried almost without thinking,

  “Let me have a try. It will at least be a challenge.”

  Mrs. Lines stared at her.

  “Do you really mean it?”

  “Well, it will not worry me if I do fail, though I will do my best, and I would certainly find it accommodating at the moment to stay at his Lordship’s house. Is it in London?”

  She thought as she spoke that if it was only a daily task, it would be quite useless.

  What she really wanted to do was to get away from her father whilst he was pressing Lord Hazelbury onto her.

  She must give him time to recognise that she had a mind of her own and would not be bullied.

  As her friends in England were rather scanty, if she went to stay with any of them, he would be certain to find her quickly.

  Also she would have to find a very plausible excuse for leaving her own home in Grosvenor Square and for the moment she could not think of one.

  “Yes it is,” Mrs. Lines answered, “and his Lordship owns a country estate as well and I don’t really know what to say to you, but if – ”

  She was interrupted by her assistant whispering in her ear.

  “Oh, is he still here? I thought he left long ago.”

  She turned back towards Tasia.

  “As it happens, his Lordship’s secretary, who often comes to me with his problems, is now in my sitting room having a cup of coffee. He is feeling rather shaken by the last tutor – whom we both thought was exceptionally good – walking out. As he is a favoured customer, so to speak, I give him a chance to rest in my sitting room.”