Page 17 of The Nanny’s Handbook to Magic and Managing Difficult Dukes
“Y-Your Grace,” she stammered. “My apologies, but I was woolgathering and missed what you said. I-I was not expecting to see you here and I…” She drew a breath to stop herself rambling. “Would you mind repeating your question?”
The duke canted his head in that poker-stiff, overly formal way of his. “No, I should apologize, Mrs. Chase. It seems my unexpected arrival has startled you. And I’m clearly intruding on your excursion.”
“Oh no. Not at all,” replied Emmeline. “Would you like to join us for the rest of our tour?”
“Oh, yes, do, Cousin Xavier,” cried Bartholomew. “We’ve seen ever so many wonderful things.”
“Yes, do,” echoed Gareth, bouncing up and down on his toes. “Scabs and snakes and jars of brains and guts and gizzards and eyeballs.”
“They’re called canopic jars,” corrected Harry. “And they were used for storing mummified remains of ancient Egyptians.”
The duke’s mouth quirked at one corner. “I cannot wait to hear more. But what say you, Harry? May I join your party?”
Harry considered her guardian over the top of her glasses. “As long as you don’t mind dead people. We’re seeing an actual mummy next.”
The duke inclined his head. “I would very much like to see a mummy. After that, might I suggest that we visit the Horology Gallery? I’ve loaned the Museum a medieval astrolabe from my own private collection. I think you all might enjoy seeing that too.”
Harry narrowed her eyes. “An astrolabe?”
“It’s an ancient but quite sophisticated astronomical instrument that’s essentially an inclinometer,” explained the duke, “so it can be used to determine the azimuth of a celestial object…” His voice trailed away as he looked at Emmeline.
“Perhaps you might be able to describe it in a more comprehensible way to my wards, Mrs. Chase?”
Emmeline smiled. “I would be happy to.” She turned to Harry and her brothers.
“An astrolabe measures the movement of the sun and the stars and the planets. Sailors once used astrolabes to help them navigate the seas on long journeys. Astrolabes can also measure time. I suppose it’s a cross between a pocket watch and a compass. ”
The duke nodded his approval. “Just so, Mrs. Chase. You have a gift for explaining things to children.”
Emmeline attempted to adopt a politely professional expression, even though she was preening a little underneath. “I should hope so, Your Grace. After all, I’m a Parasol nanny.”
“I’m beginning to think a Parasol nanny is worth her weight in gold,” returned the duke in a low voice.
Then a small line appeared between his brows as he added, “I know I’ve been sequestered away in my study since you took up your post, but don’t think I haven’t noticed the wonders you’ve worked with my wards already.
I haven’t had such a productive fortnight in Lord knows how long.
At this rate, I’ll easily meet the deadline for the clock design contest on the first of June. ”
Emmeline, her cheeks fairly blazing—she had not expected to receive so much praise all at once—cast the duke a grateful smile. “I’m pleased to hear you’ve found the peace and quiet you need to complete your work.”
The duke’s manner might be stiff, but his eyes held a subtle warmth as he said, “One must give credit where credit is due.”
Relief suddenly whooshed through Emmeline, making her giddy. The duke was happy with her work performance thus far. Although, it wouldn’t do to rest on her laurels.
If Emmeline were honest with herself, she could do more. For instance, she really should try to cultivate a closer bond between the children and their guardian. Today was a case in point.
While the duke’s work was his main priority at present, she couldn’t help but notice that he appeared to derive a modicum of pleasure when he did spend time with his wards, and vice versa.
Indeed, he didn’t seem in any hurry to end their museum excursion.
She was certain he’d been amused by their earlier game of I Spy in the carriage.
When she had a quiet moment, she would put her professional thinking cap on and hopefully come up with a way to engineer further agreeable interactions.
For one thing, both the duke and Harriet loved science, a mutual interest she could perhaps exploit.
The boys, too, always lit up with smiles whenever the duke paid them any sort of attention.
Of course, Emmeline would readily acknowledge that she had a significant personal stake in ensuring everything continued to go well at St Lawrence House.
It meant she would continue to receive the income she desperately needed to keep her father safe.
She suddenly couldn’t wait to visit her dear papa at Newgate Prison on her first full day off in a fortnight’s time; so far, she’d only been able to share her good news via a letter.
As they all made their way to the Mummy Room, farther along the corridor, the duke pulled her from her ruminations when he remarked, “I’m intrigued, Mrs. Chase. How do you know so much about astrolabes?”
Caution held Emmeline’s tongue for a moment before she responded. “Ah, a customer once brought one into the antique clock store where I used to work. For an appraisal and some repair work.”
“The store your father used to own?” asked the duke, his tone mildly curious. “I wonder if it’s a shop I’ve ever visited. What was it called again?”
Blast. Why did the duke have to remember that particular detail about her life?
Emmeline didn’t want to discuss the topic further in case she accidentally revealed too much about her father’s current situation, so she said as nonchalantly as she could, “Oh, my father sold the business—it was in Cheapside—some time ago and he’s retired now.
” It was only a little white lie. Evans and Sons had been liquidated by the bank and that was akin to being sold, wasn’t it?
“Hmmm,” said the duke, his expression thoughtful. “That’s quite a shame. Like you, Mrs. Chase, browsing through antique clock stores is a hobby of mine too.”
“Oh look, I can see the Chantress of Amun’s sarcophagus,” cried Harry, rushing toward the room ahead of them, her brothers in hot pursuit.
“Oh dear, duty calls, I’m afraid,” said Emmeline. She cast the duke a quick apologetic smile (even though she wasn’t sorry at all for the distraction) and hastened after her excited charges.
Heaven forgive her, never before had she been so grateful to visit someone who was deceased.