A Nanny For Keeps

Tyler’s ego deflated like a punctured balloon. He had no idea.

Chapter Three

On Monday morning, Georgia got up and hurried to the bathroom she shared with Betsy. It was still quiet and she took care not to make any more noise than necessary before going back to her room and dressing in a dark green skirt and green-and-white-striped shirtwaist.

She hurried downstairs and helped herself to a light breakfast at the sideboard. Gretchen came in and poured her some coffee and Georgia had just finished when Mrs. Heaton came in.

“I wanted to see you off on your first day. I do hope you and the girls have a good one.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Heaton. I want to be there before the girls begin to stir.” She’d asked Mr. Tate what time that might be when she’d seen him out the day before. He’d told her they usually stayed in bed until the nanny told them they could get up, but that they usually were up and dressed and taking breakfast by eight.

“I understand that. I’m sure they’re excited about you coming this morning,” Mrs. Heaton said.

“I hope so. And I hope I don’t disappoint them. I’m still not sure exactly what is expected of me, but Sir Tyler seems willing to let me find my own way. Truthfully, I believe Mr. Tate might be my best source of help.”

“You’ll figure it all out. I look forward to hearing how your day goes.”

“Thank you.” Georgia took one more sip of coffee and stood. “I’ll see you this evening.”

Several of the other boarders came in just then and wished her well as she headed to the foyer.

Mr. Tate had informed her that he’d let her in through the front door, since she wasn’t actually a servant, or she could come in through the kitchen entry downstairs. But as Georgia let herself out of Heaton House, she decided to use the kitchen door. She didn’t want anyone believing she thought herself better than them, and besides, ringing the bell might awaken the girls before she could get to them.

Sir Tyler and his daughters had sat a few pews behind the Heaton House group at church the day before, and they’d seemed quite glad to see her when she’d gone back down the aisle after the service.

The girls had looked neat and tidy, although Georgia noticed that their dresses appeared a bit short and her heart went out to both them and their father. He probably hadn’t paid that much attention to their hemlines and neither had they. She’d take stock of his daughters’ clothing that week, and then, if need be, she’d broach the topic of getting new ones to Sir Tyler.

He had asked her if she’d mind coming over that Sunday afternoon so he could give her a key and make sure she knew her way around before starting work the next morning. Of course she’d agreed, and she was glad she had. It was much larger than Heaton House, but at least she now knew just where to go once she was inside. She used the key to unlock the kitchen door and Mrs. Biddle seemed a bit surprised to see her, but approving that she’d used this entrance.

“Good morning, Miss Marshall. Would you like some coffee or tea before you go up?”

“No, thank you. I had some at Heaton House. I think I’ll go check on the girls now.”

“I’ll have breakfast ready around eight—that’s when they normally come down.”

“I’ll go up now, then. Thank you, Mrs. Biddle.”

“You’re welcome, dear.” The woman actually smiled at her and Georgia hoped they would have a good relationship.

She hurried up the back stairs to the girls’ room and opened the door as softly as she could, only to find the two little girls in their nightclothes, looking out their window that faced the street. “She’s not coming,” Lilly said.

“Oh, I’m sure she is. She’ll be here any minute now. If she wasn’t coming, Maid would have already been up here to tell us,” Polly said.

Lilly put her hands on her hips and glared at her sister. “Maid wouldn’t know yet!”

“Good morning, girls! Am I late?”

They turned to her with such relief on their faces, she wanted to rush to them and hug them. But she let them decide how they wanted to greet her.

For a moment they stood there just staring at her. Then Lilly grinned from ear to ear. “You came!”

“Of course I did. I told you I’d be here and I keep my word. We’d better get you both dressed for breakfast. Cook said it’d be ready soon. Show me your wardrobe and we’ll choose something for you to wear.”

They led her to their wardrobe and with their help she was able to find them something she hoped was suitable. The girls pulled out matching plaid dresses in different colors. Polly’s was in blue and green and Lilly’s was in pink and yellow. The skirts were a bit shorter than she thought they should be, just as the ones they’d worn to church had been, and Georgia feared everything in their wardrobe was a little outdated.

It appeared she would need to speak to their father about their clothing soon. She really did need to talk to Elizabeth and get her help on how children of the wealthy dressed. Her friend came from a rich family although she wasn’t part of that lifestyle any longer. But perhaps she would remember how she was treated as the child of wealthy parents.

She could also speak to Betsy about the styles for children now.

“Are we ready?” Georgia asked, after tying their hair up with ribbons that matched the dresses they had on.

“Yes!” they said in unison as they hurried out the door and to the stairs. As she followed her charges, they looked quite good to her, but she wasn’t sure if what they had on was appropriate for breakfast. Still, all she could do for now was hope that no one in the house had anything bad to say about how they were dressed.

There seemed to be a lot of whispering going on between the girls as they made their way to the breakfast room, but Georgia couldn’t make out what they were saying. She thought it sweet that they were so close, but of course they would be after losing their mother.

She followed them into the room and Mrs. Biddle brought in their breakfast as soon as they sat down at the table. The round table was just the right size for four to six people. It appeared to have had the leaves taken out and was nowhere near as large as the one in the dining room.

It was set for only three, and as Georgia had told Cook that she’d eaten already, she thought Sir Tyler would be coming.

But Mrs. Biddle took away the third place setting and asked, “Did you want coffee or tea now, Miss Marshall?”

“Oh, Sir Tyler doesn’t have his breakfast with the girls?”

“Oh, no. He has his in the dining room, but he’ll most likely look in on them before they’re through eating.”

He ate alone at that long table? Just him in that room? Georgia didn’t think she’d ever understand the ways of English gentry. “I’ll have some tea, then, please.”

Mrs. Biddle hurried to the kitchen and brought back a small pot that held at least two cups, then poured Georgia a cup and set the pot down beside it.

“Thank you,” Georgia said in example to the girls. She had no idea how they’d been trained, but she knew manners mattered. And just because someone was in service didn’t mean one shouldn’t show appreciation for what they did.

Georgia waited until the cook left the room and said, “I’ll say the blessing.” She waited until the girls bowed their heads and then she began, “Dear Lord, we thank You for this day and ask that You guide us through it. We ask You to bless this food and the cook who prepared it for us. Thank You for our many blessings. In Jesus’s name, amen.”

She smiled when both girls added their amen to hers. “What do you think you two would like to do today? Would you like to go to the bookstore so we can order you some books? Your papa would like me to start your lessons. Is there anything specific you’d like to learn more about?”

“I want to learn more about America because Mama lived here when she was young, too,” Polly said.

“Me, too,” Lilly said. “Let’s learn about ’merica!”

“Then that will go to the top of the list.”

Georgia had just taken a sip of tea when Lilly looked up and grinned at something behind her. She turned to see Sir Tyler leaning against the door frame just as Lilly said, “Papa!”

“Good morning, Papa! Miss Marshall did come, just as you and she said she would!” Polly said.

“Good morning. Of course she came.” He smiled at Georgia and something in her chest quickened as he pushed away from the door frame and came around and kissed each of his daughters on the top of the head. “You both look very nice today. Have you made any plans?”

“We’re just starting to,” Georgia said as he took a seat across from her and between his girls.

Mrs. Biddle must have heard his voice from the kitchen, for she hurried in with a cup of coffee for him, gave a small curtsy and left the room.

“We’re going to get some books to have lessons with, Papa,” Lilly said.

“Yes, on America,” Polly added.

“That’s good,” their papa said as he took a seat at the table. “Your mama would be happy that you’ll be learning about this country.”

They both nodded as they continued with their breakfast and Sir Tyler turned his attention to Georgia. “What else were you thinking of doing today?”

“Well, if it’s all right with you, I thought we’d go get the books we need and then perhaps we might call on Mrs. Heaton’s daughter, Rebecca, and her daughter, Jenny, for a bit if they’re home.”

“Oh, yes, please say it’s all right, Papa,” Polly said.

“Of course it is. Miss Marshall has my permission to plan your days just as Nanny did.”

“The old one or the new one that left? She didn’t plan much of anything,” Polly said.

“I’m sure Miss Marshall will come up with all kinds of things for you to do. She is a teacher, after all.”

That seemed to satisfy the girls for the moment, but Georgia knew she had much to learn about them before she could plan each day adequately.

“I’ve got a busy day ahead, so I’ll leave you to yours. I think it might be more enjoyable than mine. I’m still trying to find an office space.”

“You could come with us,” Lilly said a bit shyly.

Georgia waited for his answer. As far as she could tell, he worked a lot from home and his hours were his own. He could go with them, but she—

“Not today, dear. But you have fun and I’ll see you later.” Sir Tyler turned to Georgia. “And thank you again for coming to our aid, Miss Marshall. I appreciate it more than I can say.”

“You’re welcome.” She looked to see that the girls had finished their breakfast and couldn’t help being a little disappointed in their father’s response to his daughter’s plea. She really didn’t know what else to say as Sir Tyler took a last sip of his coffee then stood and left the room.

But his daughters didn’t give her time to dwell on him, as they were excited to get the day started.

“Are we really going to go see Jenny, Miss Marshall?”

“We are if it’s convenient for them. I’ll telephone before we go to the bookstore to place our order. Did your other nanny teach you to read or write anything?”

“Not the last one, but Nanny from England had started to. We have papers.”

“Well, let’s go see where you’re at and I might let you practice your letters for a while. While you’re doing that, I’ll come back down and telephone to see if we can go visit later today.”

The girls fairly flew up the stairs, but as Georgia met Mr. Tate at the bottom of the staircase, she asked him to show her where the telephone was.

“There is one in the kitchen downstairs and Mrs. Biddle will be glad to show you where it is. The others are in Sir Tyler’s study and in his bedroom.”

“Thank you, Mr. Tate.”

“You’re quite welcome, Miss Marshall.”

Georgia hurried back up to her charges, who had pulled out their latest papers for her. Their English nanny had started them out well. It was a pity she hadn’t stayed on.

* * *

Tyler left the breakfast room certain that his girls were in good hands. When he’d heard the conversation going on from his seat in the dining room, he hadn’t been able to resist peeking in a bit earlier than usual.

He’d told himself it was because he wanted to let Miss Marshall know he was pleased she’d taken the position and that was true, but in truth he’d been looking forward to her arrival almost as much as his girls were. Tate had told him she was there, of course, but that wasn’t the same as seeing her in his home with his daughters.

They’d been very animated, talking about what they’d like to read as he’d stood in the doorway before Lilly noticed him, and he couldn’t resist sitting at the table with them for a few minutes before he headed out.

He’d enjoyed the brief time, although it’d been hard to keep from glancing at Georgia Marshall. She’d looked quite lovely, dressed in green to match her eyes. But his mission wasn’t to think about how pretty the woman who’d stepped in to help him out was. It was to find out how the girls were taking to Miss Marshall, for they would be spending most of their time with her.

Tyler went to his study to finish off a letter to his family and one to his in-laws before grabbing his satchel for a meeting with Michael Heaton. He’d spoken to Mrs. Heaton’s son after church the day before to ask about leasing office space in his building. Michael had said he did have two offices available and would be glad to show them to him that morning.

Tate was waiting at the front door for him—the man seemed to know exactly when to be there every time Tyler came or went. “Have a good morning, sir.”

“You, too, Tate. I think Miss Marshall and the girls are going to get along fine. Please get these in the mail today.” Tyler handed the letters to his butler. “And tell Cook I should be home for luncheon. If I see I won’t be, I’ll telephone.”

“I’ll let her know, sir.”

“Very good.” Tyler hurried down the steps, and as it was such a nice day, he decided to walk to Michael’s office. It wasn’t too far away. He and his girls liked the Gramercy Park neighborhood a great deal, especially the park in the center of it that only residents had keys to. And now that things were beginning to bloom, they liked it even better. But Central Park was their favorite.

He hoped Miss Marshall would get them out of the house so they could get used to the city better. Nanny had been a little apprehensive about taking them out and about because she didn’t know her way around. At least that was the excuse she’d given, and he hadn’t really trusted the new nanny enough to give her permission to take them anywhere but to Gramercy Park.

The relief he felt that they had someone who had come so highly recommended was immense. He was sure Mrs. Heaton was a woman of high regard and had thought so since the first time he’d met her.

As he reached the office building on Third Avenue, he was impressed with the architecture and interior. Any client he had would be happy to come to an office here.

Michael had given him directions to his office and Tyler took the elevator to the top floor. Once there, a middle-aged receptionist showed him into Michael’s inner office. He stood up from his desk and held out his hand. “Sir Tyler, it’s good to see you again.”

Tyler shook his hand. “Mr. Heaton, thank you and the same to you.”

“Please call me Michael. Why don’t I show you the offices I have in mind for you and then we can come back and discuss the details, or talk about them over lunch, if you like it?”

“That sounds fine with me.” Actually, he’d like to get to know Michael Heaton better. If he was anything like his mother, Tyler would be glad to have him as a friend.

Michael led the way out of his office and took Tyler to a nice-sized office across the hall from his. It had a reception room and an office similar to Michael’s, but with only one window looking out instead of two corner windows. The size would work well, though.

“Of course, you’d be responsible for the furnishings,” Michael said. “I’ve found everyone has their own tastes in the matter of decoration.”

“Yes, well, I suppose that is true and I’d be glad to furnish it. From what I saw in yours, I think our tastes are quite alike.”

“Then I can tell you where to go to find similar items.”

They went to the next office space that had a larger window looking out onto Third Avenue. Tyler liked it a lot. “I like them both. But I think I’d like to take this one.”

“You’re sure?”

“I am ready to sign a lease on it.”

“Well, then, let me treat you to lunch and we’ll talk over the terms.”

“Might I borrow your telephone to call home and let them know I won’t be there for lunch?”

“Of course.” Michael pointed to the telephone on his desk. “I’ll go tell my receptionist we’ll be out for a while.”

Tyler picked up the receiver and asked the operator to connect him to his home. Tate answered the telephone, of course, and informed Tyler that he’d let Mrs. Biddle know, and that Miss Marshall and his daughters would be having lunch with Mrs. Heaton’s daughter.

“Oh, well, I hope Cook hasn’t gone to too much trouble just for me.”

“It will be fine, Sir Tyler. Don’t worry.”

“Thank you, Tate. I’ll see you later.”

Tyler hung up the receiver feeling a bit unsettled. But there was no reason to. He’d told Miss Marshall that she could plan their days. If having lunch with a friend was something she thought the girls might enjoy, there was no reason he should be concerned in any way.

Chapter Four

Tyler went out to the reception area, where Michael Heaton was waiting for him, and they took the elevator downstairs and then strode out onto the street. Tyler had found that New York City traffic was every bit as bad as London’s was, but he was beginning to learn his way around.

“I thought we’d walk to the restaurant I have in mind. It caters mostly to businessmen, and don’t tell the ladies, but I’ve found it’s nice to talk business there.” Michael grinned at him.

Tyler laughed. “I understand.”

They arrived at the restaurant and in a matter of minutes were seated and had their orders taken.

“Mother told me that Georgia Marshall was stepping in to help you out for a while,” Michael said.

“Yes, she is. You know her?”

“Oh, yes. Besides being a boarder at Heaton House, our families have been friends for a long time. Georgia will do her best for you.”

Tyler could feel himself relax at Michael’s words. “I believe she will. This transition hasn’t been easy on any of us and I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate your mother’s help. The fact that she highly recommended Miss Marshall put my mind at ease. But still, I am concerned a bit. My girls ran the last nanny off with their pranks, and while I believe it was because they are still missing their mother and the nanny who went back to England, I’m not sure what I’ll do if they do the same to Miss Marshall.”

“I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. I am sorry for the loss of your wife. I’m sure Georgia will do her best to help your daughters. I wouldn’t be too concerned about them running her off. She’s taught school for several years now, and from what I’ve heard, she is very good with children.”

“Do you know why she came to New York?” Tyler hoped Michael wouldn’t think him too nosy, but he was curious.

“I don’t know for sure. My wife thinks it was from a broken heart.”

“Was she engaged?”

“No. But we all thought she’d marry her next-door neighbor. But he surprised us all—Georgia more than anyone, we suspect—and asked her sister to marry him instead. Georgia stayed in Ashland until after the wedding but, well, you can imagine how difficult it must have been for her.”

“Oh, yes, I can,” Tyler said. He was a bit surprised by the anger he felt toward Miss Marshall’s neighbor, realizing that he was now her brother-in-law. How painful that must have been for her. “I am sorry for the heartbreak she might be going through, but I must admit I’m glad to have her free to help us.”

And to know that she didn’t have a beau who might have demands on her time.

“I think helping you out will be good for her, too,” Michael said.

“I hope so.”

Their meal came and the conversation turned to business.

“So you want the larger office next to mine?”

“Yes.”

“It needs a fresh coat of paint and, of course, I’ll have that done. When would you want to move in?” Michael asked.

“How about the first of June? That will give me time to choose the furnishings, take the bar exam and see how things are going with the girls and Miss Marshall.”

“Sounds good to me. I’m glad to have you as a tenant, Sir Tyler.”

“And I’m glad you had space available. I’ll pay the rent starting now, of course.”

Michael shook his head. “There’s no need for that. We’ll have a contract drawn up to start in June. Until then, feel free to come by and take measurements or whatever you need to do. I’ll not be leasing it to anyone else.”

By the time Tyler left the restaurant, he felt he’d made a new friend and at least begun the tedious task of setting up office. He’d go look for furnishings at the shops Michael had recommended over the next few weeks.

For now, though, he looked forward to getting home and seeing the girls and Miss Marshall. But when he arrived back home, it was to find that Miss Marshall and his daughters weren’t back yet, and disappointment that he had no one but Tate to share his news with washed over him.

He made his way down to the kitchen to make sure Mrs. Biddle wasn’t upset that her lunch plans had to be changed. She seemed quite surprised to see him in the kitchen. “Sir Tyler, is there anything I can get for you?”

“No, thank you, Mrs. Biddle. I hope that Miss Marshall and I didn’t put you out too much with our change in lunch plans. She gave you plenty of notice, didn’t she?” Although he wasn’t so sure he’d given her enough.

“Oh, yes, she did, Sir Tyler. And Miss Polly and Miss Lilly were ever so thrilled about going.”

“Very good.” He made his way back to his study, glad Mrs. Biddle wasn’t upset. And he was happy his daughters had been excited about the day’s plans. Still, the house seemed much too quiet and he had a feeling he wouldn’t settle down to work until his girls were back home.

* * *

By the time Georgia put the girls down to nap, she was feeling better about accepting the position as their nanny. She’d been very pleased with how well behaved they were at Rebecca’s. And she was happy that they got along so well with Jenny. The girls had played outdoors while she and Rebecca caught up with each other. Their families had been friends for a very long time back in Virginia, and Georgia felt blessed that she’d been able to reunite with Mrs. Heaton’s family when she’d moved to the city.

“How do you think you’re going to like being a nanny?” Rebecca had asked as she’d poured them some tea.

“I don’t know just yet, but I’m going to try to do well at it. The girls have had so much to deal with—I believe they’re still grieving the loss of their mother and missing the nanny who’d cared for them since they were born. I pray I can help them adjust to living in America.”

“I’m sure you will, Georgia. You’ve always had a way with children.”

“I hope I can live up to your expectations, Rebecca,” Georgia said. “I would like to be able to help them and their papa.”

“He’s very handsome, isn’t he?”

“Yes, he is,” Georgia said. Much too handsome, in her opinion. And she was more than a little disturbed by the amount of time she’d spent thinking about him. She’d become adept at pushing thoughts of men— especially handsome ones—out of her mind. She did not intend to give her heart to another. Not after Phillip Wilson. The one man she’d loved—her best friend from childhood, no less—gave her the impression from an early age they would one day be married and then had asked her sister to become his wife!

After that, Georgia had come to the conclusion there wasn’t one trustworthy man out there—not with her heart, anyway. No matter how handsome he might be. “I’m sure he’ll have his choice of wealthy young women once they realize he’s here.”