Page 2 of Charming the Headmistress (Spinsters and their Suitors #3)

Camden sighed. “I do. The books are a mess. I loved my brother, and held him in the highest esteem, but I don’t think he had much sense when it came to the management of his estates.

I never would have guessed such a thing from him.

He was always polished and poised on the outside.

It was not obvious that financial ruin was sitting below the surface. ”

“It’s not uncommon, Camden. And you mustn’t pull the weight of his past decisions on you.”

“How can I do anything but that? It’s now my weight and my responsibility.”

“Yes, and that’s why you did what you did and sold the other properties.” Kensington walked to the window and glanced out. “Helena seems very focused.”

Camden didn’t argue. His eyes had returned to his niece outside. “She doesn’t speak much, and she hardly shows any emotion. She doesn’t cry. Just draws.”

“It’s a better outlet than smashing windows.”

“I’ve had three governesses in as many months.

I had to dismiss the previous one because she kept correcting Helena’s grammar when she wasn’t talking.

The one before that would not let Helena draw, though it’s the only thing that she has done consistently since her parents’ deaths.

” Camden shook his head. “This latest one seems to be lingering out of duty, I think. Helena doesn’t argue. She just disappears inside herself.”

“She needs more than this house.”

Camden looked back at him. “So do I.”

“You’re trying to manage a broken estate, debts you didn’t incur, and a child you barely know how to care for. You shouldn’t expect to know how to do all of that without help.”

Camden lifted a shoulder. His friend was right. He needed help. But even trying to figure out that step felt consuming.

Camden sank into the chair behind the desk.

“What do you suggest, Kensington? I am no nurse maid. The staff has been pared back to the essentials, and to those who were willing to relocate here. I haven’t been in this area long enough to make inquiries for additional staff.

I cannot seem to even collect my thoughts very well when I’m concerned about her.

I tried joining her outside a few times, but she does not acknowledge my presence most of the time.

I do not know how to help her through her grief.

If I am honest, I am still coping with the loss of my brother and his wife.

I know nothing about caring for a child. ”

“Perhaps a different governess—” Kensington began.

Camden shook his head. “Kensington, I have tried three different ones. None of them are making a difference. They are just as inexperienced in this as I am. I must come up with a different solution.”

Kensington looked thoughtful for a long moment. His friend was known for his skills in working through problems. He had a knack for putting pieces together and making sense of messes that seemed beyond repair. “Have you considered a school?”

Camden had always valued Kensington’s opinions and suggestions from the time they were boys at school. But the idea from Kensington took him off guard. He shook his head. “Of course not.” He was not trying to shirk his duties. He was trying to solve them.

“Perhaps it is time to consider it.” Kensington looked thoughtful. “An academy could provide what she needs.”

He already felt like a failure. Wouldn’t sending her off to a girls’ school feel like defeat? As if he couldn’t handle the pressures of his new life. “I am not trying to offload the girl. I am trying to help her.”

Kensington held up his hands. “No one is suggesting otherwise. But plenty of families send their girls to school. It is not so unheard of. Greenbrook Academy is ten miles east of here. They have a strong reputation for being one of the best girls’ schools in the area. How fortunate for you.”

Camden leaned forward. “Kensington, how is it you know so much about girls’ schools?”

“I make it my business to know useful things to help my friends.”

“But your knowledge of this particular school does not add up.”

Kensington smiled. “I may have met the headmistress a few years back. She was at a charity event I attended in Bath.”

“You danced with the headmistress.”

Kensington shrugged. “Most likely, but I cannot remember with accuracy all the particulars.”

“No accuracy? Your mind is like a vault—things go in and nothing gets forgotten. My guess is you danced with her, but only once.”

Kensington smiled. “Very well, Camden. You are correct. It was only once. She did not laugh at my jokes, you see. Which is how I knew she was competent right away. She was sharp and independent. Quite the picture-perfect headmistress. She was raising funds and talked passionately about her school and the girls that attend. Perhaps fortune has smiled on you to move to this house for that particular reason.”

Camden laughed, feeling the mood lighten as Kensington talked nonsense. “You cannot be serious. Look at this place, Kensington. If fortune is smiling this instant, I should hate to see what it brings me when it is frowning my way.”

“I’m not talking about Haverton. I’m talking about the proximity of a girls’ school for Helena. Think of it. She needs companions. More than you or a governess. Children need playmates. It might do her good to be surrounded by girls her own age.”

“I do not wish to abandon her to such a place.”

“You talk as if she is being sentenced to a prison. That’s not what it would be at all. Especially not with a headmistress like Miss Langford.”

Camden held up a hand. “You met her once, Kensington. You cannot deduce every virtue known to man and ascribe it to her because she did not laugh at your ridiculous jokes and turns of phrase.”

Kensington leaned back in his chair, completely at ease.

“Do you have a better idea? I have come up with a solution to your current problem. I am not suggesting that she stay there indefinitely. This would be a time for her to try something new. Perhaps a new place surrounded by new people and plenty of girls her age will help her. You are concerned about her. Why dismiss a very viable option?”

“I’ve already moved her out of her routine once, Kensington. This is not something to be taken lightly. The girl doesn’t respond.”

“That was no different from six months ago. She’s not improving, Camden. And grief takes time. At the very least, you would be able to work through some of your own demons and get these books straightened out while not simultaneously worrying about how to help her.”

Camden considered. “You think Helena should go there—to Greenbrook Academy?”

Kensington shrugged. “It’s a place to start. There are other schools a few counties over that might do just as well. I think she should be somewhere she’s not surrounded by ghosts.”

Camden hesitated. “It feels like giving her up.”

“It’s not. Consider it in a different light. It’s giving her space to breathe—and giving you time to get this place back on its feet. You can visit. You should. But she needs more than this.”

Camden stared at Helena again. She was still drawing, her pencil moving in small, careful strokes.

He nodded slowly. He valued Kensington’s perspective and his wisdom.

Camden knew he wasn’t seeing everything clearly right now.

How could he? He was drowning in expectations and the weight of a life he’d inherited.

Gone were the carefree days of being a second son.

It was time to take responsibility—to make the tough decisions that would eventually be the best moving forward.

“Very well, Kensington. I shall take your advice. I will ride out first thing tomorrow to assess the place and see if it would be a good fit for her.”

Kensington smiled. “How else can I help you?”

“Would you mind staying on for a few weeks while I try to get my feet under me? I do not trust myself or my judgment at the moment.”

“Camden, I am one of your oldest friends. It’s why I am here. I will stay as long as I can be useful.”

“Thank you, Kensington.”