Page 66 of The Nanny’s Handbook to Magic and Managing Difficult Dukes

Concerning the Nanny’s Resignation; Jellification, Censure, Outrage, and Crusts; And the Unexpected Consequences of True Love…

“So, His Grace has confirmed the rumors are true. You are going to be the next Duchess of St Lawrence, Mrs. Chase.” Mrs. Temple placed her copy of the Parasol Academy Handbook to one side of her desk in her Sloane Square office, then looked at Emmeline over the top of her blue-lensed ley-spectacles.

Emmeline swallowed nervously. It was difficult to tell what sort of mood the headmistress was in.

Xavier had just spoken with her in private to indicate that Emmeline’s services as a nanny would no longer be required because she was going to become his wife in a few days’ time.

And the fact he would need to hire a new Parasol Academy nanny in the not-too-distant future.

It had been less than a week since the mysterious “fire-that-never-was” incident at St Lawrence House and the sensational, if not outright shocking, arrest of Sir Randolph Redvers and Algernon Mason.

Several other persons—a Mr. Walter West, a Mr. Ollie Dixon, and a Miss Fanny Sparrow—had also been charged with aiding and abetting the kidnapping of the duke’s ward, young Master Gareth Mason.

The newspapers had been filled with various (and for the most part, altogether inaccurate) accounts.

The social columns had also been abuzz with the even more scandalous story of the Duke of St Lawrence’s engagement—that he intended to wed his wards’ Parasol Academy nanny, a widowed nobody from Cheapside.

It was outrageous! It was unheard of! Were the shades of the “upper crust” to be thus polluted?

So, as Emmeline stood before Mrs. Temple’s desk, knees jellified and quivering, she attempted to read the headmistress’s expression.

Was she upset with Emmeline? Indifferent?

What would Queen Victoria say to Mrs. Temple about a Parasol nanny joining the ranks of the nobility, if anything?

And what had Mrs. Temple to say about the mysterious St Lawrence House fire?

But the headmistress’s silvery-gray gaze was inscrutable.

Emmeline could at least respond to Mrs. Temple’s simple enough remark instead of staring at her like a ninny-poop.

“Yes. I am going to marry the duke,” she said.

“We are… we are very much in love. And because of that, I’m here to resign as a Parasol Academy nanny.

Here… here is my license.” She reached into her new reticule (it matched her brand-new skyblue silk-taffeta day gown perfectly), retrieved the gilt-edged card that proclaimed she was an accredited Parasol Academy graduate, then pushed it across the desk with a gloved fingertip.

Mrs. Temple took the license and slipped it into one of her desk’s drawers.

Then she folded her small yet elegant hands on top of her desk’s blotter.

“Before I offer you my heartfelt congratulations on your engagement, I do need to clear up a few matters with you. They’re related to your—shall we say?

—application of the Academy’s rules while working for the Duke of St Lawrence. ”

Emmeline knew this “talk” had been coming.

It had been inevitable that she would receive some sort of censure for bending (and outright breaking) the rules.

While she’d already surrendered her license, she was not looking forward to any sort of reprimand.

It was sure to sting. Nevertheless, she bowed her head and said, “I understand.”

Mrs. Temple removed her ley-spectacles and placed them on top of the Academy handbook beside her silver looking-glass.

Her clear gray eyes met Emmeline’s. “First of all, it goes without saying that you’ve served the duke’s wards, and the duke himself, most admirably.

Scotland Yard has recently apprised me of the situation, and from what I understand, you vanquished the duke’s enemies and helped bring them to justice. ”

“Thank you, but I cannot take all the credit,” said Emmeline. “His Grace was also involved in the apprehension of the men who orchestrated the kidnapping of his ward.” So far, so good…

Mrs. Temple nodded, but then her expression changed, her mouth flattening into a disapproving line. “But…”

Emmeline winced inwardly. Why was there always a “but”? Here came the dressing-down part. Although, if she admitted her failings first , it might not be quite so bad.

“ But you need to address my creative interpretation and fast and loose application of the Academy’s rules?

” she said. “In my defense, I did try very hard to use magic judiciously and discreetly. For instance, in the case of the mysteriously extinguished house fire, there was actually a fire. A terrible one. It wasn’t merely a case of blocked chimneys as the papers reported. ”

Mrs. Temple arched a fine blond brow. “I suspected as much. Would you care to elaborate?”

I may as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb , thought Emmeline, and forged on ahead.

“While the duke’s wards weren’t in London at the time Sir Randolph and Mr. Mason set the fire,” she continued, “the blaze would have destroyed St Lawrence House entirely if I hadn’t used decalamitifying dust. And it is the children’s primary residence.

Many of their belongings—their clothes and toys and books and treasured reminders of their parents, like photographs and letters and other special keepsakes—are there.

And an abundance of happy memories. They are already orphans, and it would have been tragic if they’d returned home to a pile of burned timbers and crumbled brickwork and ashes.

Not only that, but the duke has created a marvelous clock room containing countless horological treasures of historical significance.

It didn’t seem right or fair to let the fire rage out of control.

Not when I could try to put a stop to it. It was very much a calamity.”

Mrs. Temple tapped a finger on the blotter. “I see. And is there anything else you wish to tell me?”

Emmeline blew out a resigned sigh. “Well, the duke was present when I cast the Decalamitifying spell. And then I teleported him into Belgrave Square after the fire had been dealt with in order to catch the culprits who’d set the fire and orchestrated young Gareth Mason’s kidnapping.

Out of necessity, I also made use of the befuddling potion in His Grace’s presence.

” Of course, she’d also used the Cloakify and Unsmirchify spells in front of the duke on various occasions.

But owning up to every indiscretion would not further her cause now.

Instead she said, “I swear the duke can be trusted not to divulge any of the Academy’s secrets. He’s one of the kindest and most honorable gentlemen that I’ve ever met. None of the unkind rumors about him are true. He’s not mad or difficult at all.”

“Thank you for your honesty, Mrs. Chase,” said Mrs. Temple gravely.

“And I agree, the Duke of St Lawrence seems like a wonderful man and no doubt he’ll make a wonderful husband.

However”—she paused as she leveled her solemn gaze at Emmeline—“you’ve put me and the Academy in a very difficult position.

One which I’d never thought I would encounter. ”

She drummed her fingers on her purple-leather blotter for a moment, then continued.

“By openly employing Fae magic in front of the duke, by raising the public’s curiosity about the strange nature of the St Lawrence House fire, you did break one of our most important rules, and in doing so, endangered the Academy and our Fae Charter.

You know as well as I that the Fae will end our association if their existence is ever exposed to the general public.

And if we lose the ability to perform magic, the children in our care will be less protected.

Indeed, there is the potential that all children will be placed in a degree of jeopardy if Queen Maeve’s evil sister, Mab, seeks to take advantage of such a situation.

The rate of kidnappings has been very low to nonexistent for many, many years now.

Ninety years to be exact. Ever since the Parasol Academy’s inception.

I would hate for that to change. As I’m sure you would too. ”

Emmeline swallowed as a sharp sliver of guilt penetrated her chest. “I… I would hate for that to happen too. Of course I would. But the fire was so huge, it really was turning into a life-and-death situation. If I hadn’t asked the Fae for the decalamitifying dust—which they did bestow—if I’d let the fire run its course, both the duke and I might have perished.

If I hadn’t made these choices, Harriet, Bartholomew, and Gareth Mason might have lost their guardian.

They’d have no family left at all. And if faced with the same situation again”—she lifted her chin even though her insides trembled—“I wouldn’t have acted differently.

I broke the Academy’s rules and I took risks, yes, but I believed then, just as I believe now, that using my magic in front of the duke was the right thing—indeed the only reasonable thing—to do. ”