Chapter Fourteen

The next day was the day that the rest of the Alcott family arrived in Nottingham. Jane had a mixture of nerves and excitement fluttering around inside of her as she awaited her family’s arrival. Kassandra had promised to come for dinner with Peter and Daniel had willingly agreed. He seemed to be in excellent spirits after his discussion with Sabine. She hadn’t wanted to intrude, but from their body language she could tell that it went very well.

Jane decided that she wanted to look especially proper for Sebastian and Emilia’s arrival. She knew there would be rumours flying around London about her stay with Daniel and she didn’t want her brother and sister – in – law to believe a word of it, even if she might’ve been thinking about it.

She dressed conservatively, donning a pale green dress that covered up to her collar bones. She pulled her hair into a neat twist on the back of her head and fixed a few loose curls beside her face. She then chose a white shawl to match her dress and looped it around her arms. When she was satisfied that she looked as innocent as possible she exited her bedchamber and descended the stairs.

As she reached the bottom she heard a sudden bustling. She turned to see Miss Porter storming down the stairs carrying two material bags in each hand. Her face looked furious as she nearly pushed Jane over to get to the door.

“Miss Porter, wait!” called Daniel from the top of the stairs. “Oh, Jane, are you alright?” he suddenly asked as he saw her stumble away from Miss Porter.

Miss Porter glared at Jane hatefully. “Hire her!” she snapped and juggled her bags to open the front door. She closed it quickly behind her and left Southerby House.

Daniel reached the bottom of the stairs and placed his hand lightly on Jane’s back to make sure she was not stumbling. “I am so terribly sorry,” he said apologetically.

“What on earth did you say to her?” Jane gasped.

“I told her that things needed to change around here, I said that there are rules in place for Sabine that were too strict and I wanted to change them. She didn’t like it,” he replied.

“That’s an understatement,” Jane shook her head.

“Nevertheless, it was her decision to quit; now I must find another governess for Sabine,” he sighed and hung his head. “She didn’t even wait for a reference; I fear I insulted her quite terribly.”

Jane could believe that Daniel had spoken quite plainly in his opinion on Sabine’s rearing. He may not have realised it but he might’ve. Jane could identify with that, she often was told that her thoughts escaped her mouth without any hesitation.

“Perhaps she will come back after she had time to cool down?” Jane suggested. Daniel’s hand still hadn’t left her back and she was very aware of it.

“Perhaps she is right ... I should hire you to guide and teach Sabine,” he said, smiling.

Jane furrowed her eyebrows and looked up at him. “Why hire me when she has you?” she asked. “I keep telling you that you don’t need me, Daniel.”

“But I do,” he said softly, his dark, charismatic eyes keeping her in a trance. “Without you I am just a man with a child – you’ve made me ... are still making me a father. I will be forever indebted to you, Jane.”

Jane looked to the ground as she blushed.

“Don’t be bashful,” he said as he stepped away from her and opened the front door to look out down the gravel path to the front gates. Jane wondered if he was watching out for Emilia and Sebastian. “Besides, if you become Sabine’s governess it means you won’t ever have to leave here. I know I’d like that, as would Sabine.”

Jane was tempted, she truly was. But she knew she couldn’t leave her mother and their farm permanently and it simply wasn’t fair on her to have to be around someone that made her feel so many foreign things, especially if he did not return those feelings. “I cannot leave my mother for an extended period of time. A summer season was going to be it,” she told him regretfully.

Daniel frowned sadly. “What is going to happen to your mother when you get married?” he asked.

Jane shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t think it will happen, to be honest. I’m three and twenty and no men have offered for me or even made it plain to me that they might offer for me. I am quite content on my family’s farm though, I’ll have you know. Can you boast knowing how to churn milk?” she challenged comically.

Daniel shook his head with an impressed smile on his face. “No, I cannot. But I do believe it will happen for you, Jane, mark my words.”

Jane didn’t know what to think. She didn’t know whether to be hopeful or whether being hopeful was disrespectful to the late Lady Southerby’s memory. Just thinking about Eleanor sent chills down Jane’s spine. She hadn’t pictured the blonde beauty walking the halls of Southerby until that moment. She hadn’t thought about the fact that she had most likely chosen the lovely linens in Sabine’s room or the feminine tapestries hanging in the drawing room or the literary titles that enchanted Jane.

If she were to be a governess to Sabine, what would Eleanor think? Would she approve? She would not, Jane was sure. A governess who was practically besotted with her master would not be her idea of a teacher for her child.

At that moment the sound of heavy hooves against gravel sounded as Emilia and Sebastian’s carriage paraded up the path towards the house. Daniel opened the door wider and stepped out to receive them. Almost immediately as he did that the footmen and Mr Short all arrived ready to take the trunks up to the guest chambers.

Jane anxiously straightened the front of her gown and then touched her hair self consciously to make sure it was still in place. She stepped out of the house and stood next to Daniel who was standing with a rigid back as he watched the carriage edge closer to the house.

“Straight postures everyone,” Mr Short instructed the staff. “Remember – efficiency is everything.”

Jane wondered if those were the same orders he gave the staff when she arrived. As the carriage pulled up in front of Southerby House, Jane watched as the heads of James, Kitty, Little J and Annie all appeared in the glass windows with a look of wonder on their faces.

One of the footmen quickly opened the carriage for them and one by one, each of the Alcott’s descended the few steps down to the ground. Emilia looked cautious yet happy to see Jane yet Sebastian looked severely put out. His glares were directed at Daniel.

“Aunt Jane!” cried Kitty and Little J as they both bounded over to their favourite aunt. Both James and Annie followed with happy smiles on their faces. Jane kissed each of their foreheads. Emilia was carrying Henry as she walked over to hug Jane too. Sebastian joined his family and gave his sister a quick hug before turning to Daniel.

“My family thanks you for the invitation, Lord Southerby,” he said formally, yet icily.

Daniel managed a small smile. “Not at all, Lord Ethridge, it is a pleasure to have you all. I trust you will enjoy your stay, I would wager that Southerby is a lot different to London.”

“There are snakes in both Nottingham and London,” Sebastian replied curtly.

Jane’s eyes widened as Emilia shot her husband a quick look of frustration.

“Tea will be served in the drawing room in thirty minutes, milord, perhaps your guests might like to come inside,” Mr Short said awkwardly as he came forward and interrupted the party.

Daniel looked a little relieved as he replied to Mr Short. “Yes, Mr Short, of course, Lord and Lady Ethridge, meet Mr Charles Short, butler here at Southerby, he will cater to your every need should you require anything. Did you bring any servants with you?” he asked.

“My wife doesn’t believe in travelling with servants,” Sebastian replied before Emilia could speak. Again, she shot him a dangerous look that made Jane sure that he would be in trouble when they were alone.

Jane knew what Sebastian said was true, though. Ever since Kassandra and Peter had left Ethridge, Emilia hadn’t liked to have anyone travel with her, it wasn’t the same.

“Alright, well, if you would like to shown to your chambers so that you can change, Mr Short will show you there, as for the children ... my daughter Sabine is very anxious to meet them.”

Sebastian looked from Daniel to Mr Short cautiously as he pulled Emilia alongside him. Jane smiled slightly as she saw Emilia quickly hiss something in Sebastian’s ear.

“So, who do we have here?” Daniel said after a few minutes of awkward silence. Jane gave the children an encouraging nod as they introduced themselves.

“I’m James,” James introduced himself boldly. “I’m the oldest, even older than Kitty even though we’re twins. I’m going to be Earl after papa,” he said proudly.

“You’re not that much older than me, James,” Kitty snapped at her brother angrily. She pushed a piece of her brown hair that had fallen out of her loose braids behind her ear. “I’m Catherine but everyone calls me ‘Kitty’ so they don’t confuse me with grandmamma,” Kitty said confidently and curtseyed to Daniel.

Daniel smiled down at the twins. “It’s nice to meet you both,” he said kindly. He then looked to Little J and Annie. “And who might you two be?”

“I’m Little J,” Little J said nervously.

Daniel smiled coyly. “That wouldn’t be a nickname for ‘Jane’, would it?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

Little J nodded. “Yes, I’m named after Aunt Jane,” she replied, looking up at Jane proudly.

“And this is little Annie. She’s a timid little thing, but she’s beautiful, aren’t you Annie?” Jane smiled, lifting Annie into her arms who immediately wrapped her arms around her aunt’s neck. Jane hoped that with age Annie would be as confident as Kitty.

“Nice to meet you, Annie,” Daniel said kindly. Annie smiled back slightly.

“Mama was holding our brother, Henry; he can’t do much yet because he’s still a baby. Mama was getting excited the other week because he was crawling but then I did the same thing and she didn’t clap so I figured it wasn’t important,” James shrugged and walked inside the house securely.

Jane and Daniel shared an amused look as they guided the other children inside. All four of them looked around the foyer in amazement. A flash of blonde came as Sabine bounded down the stairs. She stopped herself on the bottom stair and beamed at the new visitors.

Kitty walked over to Sabine and stood in front of her. “Have you ever walked backwards up the stairs before?” she asked suddenly.

Sabine shook her head. “No, is it fun?” she asked.

Kitty nodded and began walking up the stairs in reverse. “I do it all the time,” she giggled. Sabine began to walk backwards as well.

“Do you want to be friends?” she asked happily as the two girls began to disappear up the stairs.

“Sure,” Kitty smiled.

“I want to climb up the stairs backwards too!” James protested and quickly joined his sister and Sabine. Little J took Annie’s hand and led her up the stairs after their siblings.

Jane muffled a giggle with her hand. “I don’t know what to say,” she said after a minute.

Daniel shook his head with a smile. “You needn’t say anything. Sabine has a friend ... several of them in fact, that’s the good I’m concentrating on. However, I think your brother has a bone to pick with me.”

“Quite an understatement there,” Jane rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, I’ll talk to him. Sebastian’s just protective; he’s more like my father than my older brother.”

“Nevertheless, if it were Sabine staying at a man’s house when she was a young debutante then I would have the same reservations. I’ll reassure him that our relationship is purely based on friendship,” he assured her and then caught Mr Short coming down the stairs.

Jane didn’t listen to what he had to say, her mind was fixated on the word ‘friendship’. She cursed herself for the thought immediately. She walked past Daniel and Mr Short on the stairs and went up to find her family. She needed a distraction.  

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I'm sorry this wasn't up yesterday, I'd forgotten that when I'd promised the 16th last week that my university acceptances came on the 17th so I've been having anxiety attacks all day until 2pm when I got my acceptence into my degree. A lesson for all my readers still in school - STUDYING PAYS OFF!!! I had no social life this year and I'm happy now that I didn't haha.

Anyways, I hope you love this chapter :)

Next chapter will include a confrontation between Sebastian and Daniel and dinner where Kassandra and Peter will return :D

xoxo