A Teacher of Love Page 4

  “I will be delighted to meet him,” Tasia suggested tentatively.

  Rather laboriously Mrs. Lines climbed down from her high desk and beckoned for Tasia to follow her.

  They went out of the room by a side door and up a staircase to the first floor where Mrs. Lines opened a door to a comfortable and well-furnished sitting room.

  At a small round table there was a middle-aged man reading a newspaper with a cup of coffee beside him.

  He looked up as they entered and rose to his feet.

  “Oh, Mr. Seymour,” Mrs. Lines began, “I have this young lady here looking for a position that is unusual and what she calls ‘a challenge’. I think you might be wise to have a word with her.”

  Tasia moved forward.

  She had the impression that the secretary was about to say it would be useless for him to engage a woman, but before he could speak, she held out her hand.

  “I have been very interested, Mr. Seymour, to hear what Mrs. Lines has been telling me. I think it might be to your advantage and to mine if we had a little talk about it.”

  “Yes – I suppose – so,” responded Mr. Seymour somewhat hesitatingly.

  “Well, I’ll leave you two alone,” said Mrs. Lines, “and if anything comes of it I will be delighted, but I’m not going to bet on it either way!”

  She laughed loudly at her own joke and left closing the door behind her.

  Tasia sat down on a chair next to Mr. Seymour.

  “I have just realised that Mrs. Lines introduced you but not me. My name is Anna Wicke.”

  She had thought of this when she was coming up the stairs. As it was an abbreviation of her own names, she thought she should be able to remember it.

  Mr. Seymour looked at her quizzically and then he intoned in a somewhat solemn voice,

  “I am afraid, Miss Wicke, that you would not find the position we are discussing at all easy, nor in fact do I think it really possible to employ a woman in the post.”

  “As you have not tried to employ a woman that really remains to be seen. But whether we can come to an arrangement or not, do tell me what the problem is. I am curious.”

  “Has Mrs. Lines not told you?” Mr. Seymour asked in surprise.

  “No, she merely informed me that three Tutors had been employed, but subsequently left because the two boys refused to learn anything.”

  “Quite so. It’s an unusual situation, especially as the boys in question are little more than children.”

  Tasia looked at him astonished.

  “And they have defeated those Mrs. Lines described as ‘highly qualified’?”

  “Highly qualified indeed! I chose the Tutors on the Earl’s instructions. Two of them had Firsts at University and the third an excellent Second.”

  “Then what happened?”

  Mr. Seymour gave a deep sigh.

  “The two boys – twins actually, have decided they will not learn any lessons. In fact they will not even listen to a single one.”

  Tasia laughed.

  “I cannot help thinking it is quite funny. What have you done about it?”

  “The Tutors have tried punishing them, but they just laughed and ran away to hide. When the Earl returns, he will be extremely annoyed with me for not finding better teachers for his sons.”

  “He can hardly blame you. They must be very poor teachers if they cannot make the boys listen to them.”

  “That is what I keep thinking, but I had great hopes of the last one and he seemed to be most intelligent. In fact I found him very interesting.”

  “How old are the two boys? I suppose that they are being educated to go on to a Public School.”

  “His Lordship was educated at Eton, which is where he wants his sons to go, and then he went on to Oxford.”

  That was the same as her father, Tasia mused.

  She was very certain that this represented by far the best education available to the sons of gentlemen.

  “So how old are the boys now?” she repeated.

  “They have just passed their seventh birthdays.”

  “Seventh!” exclaimed Tasia. “I thought they must be at least eleven years of age.”

  “No, they are only seven, but seem older for their years because their father is such an intelligent man.”

  “What happened to their mother?”

  There was silence for a moment, then Mr. Seymour replied as if reluctantly,

  “She left his Lordship and her sons when they were three years old, but she was killed the following year in a coach accident.”

  The way he spoke made Tasia sure that the lady in question had left her husband for another man.

  It seemed that a father who did not understand them had brought up the children without a mother.

  She was conscious of how much her mother had meant to her as she responded,

  “I am very sorry for the little boys, but surely they are far too young for a private Tutor?”

  There was a pause and then he commented,

  “His Lordship believes that a woman’s influence is not always a good thing, so he wanted male teachers for the boys.”

  Tasia was putting two and two together.

  She guessed that, if his Lordship’s wife had indeed run away with another man, he would in consequence be prejudiced against all women.

  “What are you going to do now?” she asked.

  “I have been asking Mrs. Lines to find me another Tutor, but, as you might imagine, word has gone round that this is just a hopeless position. I was told I was lucky to find the last Tutor, who left this morning. He said the only thing he regretted was wasting his time on the impossible.”

  Mr. Seymour seemed so annoyed that she could not resist laughing.

  “I am sorry, but it does sound funny that two small boys of seven years old should be able to get the better of men who obviously pride themselves on their learning.”

  “But what am I to do about it?” he sighed.

  “Well, let me give you a helping hand, if only for a week or so,” suggested Tasia. “As I said to Mrs. Lines, it is certainly something unusual and perhaps I might succeed where so many have failed.”

  Mr. Seymour hesitated and she guessed that he was thinking that his employer would disapprove of her sex.

  “You have not yet told me the name of the father of these boys, who are certainly proving themselves original if nothing else.”

  “It is not the sort of originality I find amusing,” Mr. Seymour stated firmly. “In fact I am distraught at thinking how angry his Lordship will be.”

  “What is his Lordship’s name?” persisted Tasia.

  “I thought Mrs. Lines would have told you. He is the Earl of Linsdale and his two sons are Peter, who is the Viscount and was born an hour before his brother, Simon.”

  “I suppose that being twins gives them jointly more courage than if there was just one of them.”

  “You cannot believe how obstinate they are!”

  “That is exactly what I shall so enjoy finding out,” Tasia asserted. “If you tell me where his Lordship lives, I will come to you this afternoon.”

  Mr. Seymour stared at her.

  “You are really prepared to do that!” he exclaimed. “I haven’t made up my mind yet if I can take the risk of it being an utter failure. But, of course, you could just come temporarily until I can find someone else.”

  He gave another deep sigh.

  “I’m sure that it’s not going to be easy, but a man is what his Lordship will definitely expect to find when he comes home.”

  “And when will that be?”

  Mr. Seymour gave a helpless gesture.

  “He is now travelling on the Continent and might be away a month or even a year – one never knows until he reappears.”

  “And what happens to his sons in the meantime?”

  “I look after them when they are in London, and in the country there is another secretary like myself who runs the Earl’s estate as well as the house.”

/>   He saw that Tasia was listening and continued,

  “It was actually Mr. Dawson who sent the boys up to me after the second Tutor he had engaged gave in his notice and left within twenty-four hours.”

  “I suppose that was somewhat disconcerting.”

  “Mr. Dawson had no hope at all of finding anyone at such short notice to fill the place in the country, so he sent the boys up here. I hoped they would settle down with the man I chose for them. Very nice he was and extremely clever. I found it hard to believe that an individual could have won so many awards.”

  “If he was that clever, why did he have to take a position as Tutor to two small boys?” Tasia questioned.

  Mr. Seymour smiled.

  “I think, Miss Wicke, it was a question of money. His Lordship is indeed very generous where his sons are concerned. In fact he does not hesitate in allowing me to buy anything I consider necessary either for the house, the horses or for the comfort of those who serve him.”

  Tasia could see quite clearly that all the Tutors had thought teaching a couple of small boys would be easy work.

  She could understand why they had left in a hurry, as they would have no wish for anyone to know that they had failed.

  Mr. Seymour pushed his coffee cup to one side.

  “Are you really telling me, Miss Wicke, that you are prepared to take a chance on these two young rascals, at least until I find someone of whom his Lordship is more likely to approve?”

  “I am sure I will enjoy the challenge, Mr. Seymour, but I must stipulate one thing – ”

  “What is that?” he asked anxiously.

  “That no one interferes with me and tries to prevent me from doing what I want to do with the two boys.”

  “Of course,” he assured her, “actually they are very pleasant boys and should be as bright as their father.”

  “You say the Earl is clever – in what way?”

  She thought as she spoke that he was not likely to be as gifted as her father, as she knew that the aristocrats she had met were not usually renowned for their brains.

  “It’s a bit difficult where a gentleman of leisure is concerned,” Mr. Seymour replied. “But his Lordship has managed to make his house in the country one of the most famous in England for its pictures and furniture, many of which he has collected himself.”

  His voice then deepened with a sense of pride,

  “The last time that His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales stayed at Linsdale Court, he said it was one of the most delightful houses he had ever seen.”

  “And the house in London. Where is it?”

  She was hoping that it was not too near Grosvenor Square as, if she was in hiding from her father, one of the servants might see her and tell him where she was.

  “It is one of the very few houses in Regent’s Park. Again his Lordship has transformed an ordinary if old building into one of London’s great treasures.

  “He has even collected a number of ancient books and manuscripts that every museum in the country would like to possess.”

  There was so much admiration in the way that Mr. Seymour spoke that Tasia could not help smiling to herself.

  She could understand how frustrating and annoying it must be for the Earl to have twin sons who insisted on being ignoramuses.

  She rose from her chair.

  “I am looking forward, Mr. Seymour, to coming to you this afternoon. Perhaps you will write down the name of the house as I will take a hired cab.”

  “Of course, of course,” he muttered, knowing that he should have thought of it himself.

  He drew a piece of paper from his pocket with the Earl’s crest on it and handed it to Tasia.

  “We have not discussed, Miss Wicke, what your remuneration will be while you try to persuade these young gentlemen to listen to you.”

  “No, we have not yet discussed it, Mr Seymour, nor have I told you, as I feel I should, my qualifications.”

  “That is most remiss of me – ”

  “But I think, if you are honest, that you are thinking they will not be particularly necessary or useful. Actually I can speak fluent French, Italian and German and quite a lot of Greek. Also I did very well at my school in arithmetic and geography.”

  “Splendid! Splendid!” exclaimed Mr. Seymour.

  Tasia’s eyes were twinkling as she guessed that he was supposing that none of these qualities would have any impact on the two ignorant boys.

  Tasia shook Mr. Seymour by the hand and then she walked down the stairs to find Mrs. Lines.

  “Thank you very much, Mrs. Lines. Mr. Seymour and I have come to an agreement. I am going to Linsdale House this afternoon.”

  “You are? Well, that’s a big surprise.”

  “I think Mr. Seymour expects me to be there only for twenty-four hours, but I must try to prove him wrong. He is so troubled that he will be very grateful if I can, at least, stay a week.”

  Mrs. Lines laughed.

  “Well, you’re a one! I do admire you for taking on what no one else will touch and if you succeed, it will be a great feather in my cap!”

  “I will certainly do my best!”

  Then Tasia shook Mrs. Lines by the hand.

  “I have not fixed up with Mr. Seymour what I am to be paid, but I leave that to you and, of course, he should be most appreciative to you for finding me!”

  She turned away before Mrs. Lines could think of a suitable retort.

  She was leading Jimbo, who had sat quietly beside her all the time she was in Mrs. Lines sitting room.

  Now she hurried down South Moulton Street into Grosvenor Square, pondering that at least she had found a hiding place where no one would think of looking for her.

  She was banking on her father abandoning his plans for her when he became worried about her absence.

  He should then be fully aware that it was ridiculous to think of marrying her off to a man who was too old and whom she had not even met.

  As she walked into the house, Yates said to her,

  “A message from his Lordship, Miss Tasia – to say he’s sorry but he’s unable to join you for luncheon today. He’s had to go to the House of Lords to meet someone on business, but hopes to be back in time for tea.”

  “Thank you. Please tell Ruby I want her.”

  She went upstairs and had not been in her bedroom long before Ruby appeared.

  “You wanted me, Miss Tasia?”

  “Yes, Ruby. I have had an invitation to go to stay with some of my friends and may be away for a week or so. Please pack everything I require, including my riding habit and, as we may pop down to the country, I will need some suitable country clothes as well.”

  “Yes, of course, Miss Tasia, I’ll start right away.”

  Tasia went downstairs to eat her luncheon alone.

  She was thinking that it would undoubtedly give her father a huge shock to find she was not there when he came home.

  It would also make him realise that she was serious – she had said that she would not marry George Hazelbury and would not contemplate changing her mind.

  As soon as she had finished her luncheon with only Yates to talk to, she went into the drawing room.

  She sat down at the writing desk and hesitated for a moment before writing,

  “Darling Papa,

  Because I am so upset at what you have told me to do, I have gone away to stay with my friends for a few days where I can think everything over.

  You already know my feelings on the subject and as I so hate quarrelling with you, it is much better to be apart until we can agree.

  Take care of yourself and don’t do too much.

  With so much love,

  Your affectionate daughter, Tasia.”

  She put the letter into an envelope, addressed it to her father and gave it to Yates.

  “I have written to my father, Yates, to tell him that I am going away to stay with my friends for a few days. I am not telling him where I am going, because he will only come and fetch me ba
ck!”

  She stopped and then added,

  “I will not even give the address to the cab driver and I will be leaving as soon as my trunks are downstairs.”

  “A cab, Miss Tasia!” he exclaimed in astonishment. “The carriage is in the Mews and the horses haven’t been out today!”

  “I know that, but you understand, Yates, that Papa is being very dictatorial to me at the moment. If I tell him, or if you are made to tell him, where I have gone he will insist on my returning home to entertain a gentleman who I believe will be coming here tomorrow night.”

  Yates smiled at her.

  “I understand, Miss Tasia, and I do promise that his Lordship’ll not hear anything from me.”

  “I know you would not tell him willingly, but you know how persuasive Papa is when he wants something.”

  Yates chuckled.

  He had always spoilt Miss Tasia as a small child, giving her lumps of sugar in the pantry or chocolates from dinner parties.

  “Now do look after my Papa, Yates. He need not worry about me as I am with people I trust.”

  She did not wait for him to reply, but ran upstairs to see if her luggage was ready.

  She was wearing a very pretty frock from the best shop in Bond Street and so she did not bother to change.

  She reckoned that the two small boys would not be at all interested, but at least the servants in the house would show her some respect, as her clothes were those of a Lady of quality rather than a Governess.

  Ruby had her trunks ready and two footmen carried them downstairs.

  They were hauled into a Hackney carriage, as Yates helped her in and Jimbo jumped up beside her.

  “Don’t be away too long, Miss Tasia, you know his Lordship dotes on you, whatever he may say or do.”

  “I do know, but sometimes, Yates, I have to assert myself and this is one of those times!”

  The old butler smiled affectionately after her as he closed the carriage door and it drove off.

  Tasia waited until they had turned out of Grosvenor Square and then she shouted to the driver,

  “I want to go to Linsdale House in Regent’s Park. Do you know where it is?”

  The man nodded and Tasia sat back in her seat.

  The Hackney carriage was certainly most unlike the smart padded carriage sitting unused in the Mews with her father’s well-bred horses in their stalls.