Chapter 9
Miriam, Simon, and Neil
his one’s a bit better.” Mana pointed to Miriam’s drawing of a foxglove. The breeze stirred Miriam’s curls, but not one hair on the governess’ head was out of place.
“Thanks,” Miriam said, surprised. Praise from Mana was rare.
Mana glanced at the sun. “Heavens!” she exclaimed. “Look at the time! We’d better get back at once. Pick up that box of colors, and give me your sketchbook.”
Miriam tumbled her pencils into the wooden box and squeezed it shut. “No poetry today?” she asked hopefully.
“Of course you will learn your lines,” Mana responded. “You’ll just have to do it later, that’s all; after dinner probably.”
“Oh, balderdash,” Miriam said. “Wonder if I have to meet that stupid boy, that Simon.”
“What did you say?” Mana looked at her pupil sternly, but her voice quivered with amusement. Miriam looked up and grinned, and confidently tucked her hand in the crook of Mana’s elbow. As they walked back to the house with their easels and folders of drawings, Mana added, “I feel sorry for Simon. He’s living in a completely new house, and he has to adjust to everything.”
“Feel sorry for him? I don’t, not one bit,” Miriam scoffed. “Aunt Theodosia thinks he’s the shining light of the world; she bought him three presents from town today and had them wrapped. I heard Nelly tell Cook earlier. And he’s sleeping in my bedroom!”
“Just as I thought,” Mana said. “I feel even sorrier for him now.”
“Well!” Miriam said, giving it up. She tugged Mana’s arm down and claimed her hand as they hurried across the lawns to the house.
The ‘shining light’ was sitting in the library, scowling at his mother.
“Are you hungry, Simon? I ordered a big tea.” Theodosia reached over and straightened his collar. She considered him for a moment, licked one finger, and used it to smooth his hair back.
“Stop it, mother, for heaven’s sake!” Simon protested and twisted his face away violently.
“Of course,” she added with a lowered voice, “you’ll have to meet that girl, now that she has come out of her room. Your room,” she corrected herself.
“I must say,” she added thoughtfully, “that governess has worked out quite well. Of course she costs very little in wages.” Theodosia tittered and examined her fingernails.
“Why does she cost so little?” Simon glanced out the window.
“Oh, well, just wait until you meet her. You’ll see why at once. Although, I would rather that we stay to ourselves… In fact, I wish you didn’t have to talk to her at all.”
“How about Neil?” Simon asked. “Is he going to meet them as well?”
“Oh, really, Simon! You quite put me out of patience with you! You always bring him up at every opportunity, just when we’re having a nice chat.” Theodosia frowned. “Why can’t you be friends with some nice people, like Lord Festerton’s son, or that nice young Ruskin boy?”
“Because Ruskin and Festerton are the biggest snobs I know. And, mother, he’s not a fisherboy. Neil’s father might live by the sea, but he owns a boat, fair and square, and –”
Theodosia tittered. “Well, excuse me! A boat owner! Well, well! Aren’t we Somebody!”
Simon got up and exploded, “Don’t talk about him like that!”
“Simon! Manners, really! And have some gratitude!”
“Gratitude? For what? I have nothing to –”
The door opened in the library, and Furnace bowed.
Theodosia whirled on him, anxious to take her displeasure out on someone.
“What is it, blockhead?” she shouted.
“Tea is ready in the drawing room, madam,” Furnace replied. “You rang for it earlier.”
She opened her mouth, said nothing, and shut it. “Yes. I see. Very well.”
Theodosia was further discomposed to find the child and the new governess waiting for them in the drawing room, along with the tea. “Oh, it’s you,” she said, sitting down in front of the table laid with tea things.
The governess bowed and said, “Say hello to your aunt, Miriam.”
“Hello,” Miriam said. “Is that Simon?” She pointed at him.
“Don’t point,” Mana said.
Theodosia opened her mouth, shut it again, and wished that tea had already finished. To make matters worse, the door opened and Neil came in. The thin boy looked rather nervous when he saw the assembled company.
“Hello, Neil!” Simon said with relief. “Um, this is Miriam. And her gov –” He turned towards Mana for the first time, and gasped. The sound echoed through the room, but Mana seemed entirely at her ease.
She smiled and said, “Hello Neil. I’m Miss Postulate, Miriam’s new governess. Very nice to make your acquaintance.”
“Are you a native?” Simon blurted out.
“From the Lampala islands,” Mana replied. “Sit down, Miriam, and take the tea your guardian is handing to you.”
Neil moved forward to take the cup of tea. “The Lampala Islands,” he repeated excitedly. “That’s near the West Indies, isn’t it?”
Mana smiled. “I suppose you could say that, yes.”
“And don’t they export most of the bolemor wood used in England?”
Simon stared at Neil. He had never heard him say a word to either of his parents, and here he was asking questions of a tall woman with black skin.
“How about a cup of tea for Mana?” Miriam stared at Theodosia.
“No tea for me, thank you, Miriam,” Mana spoke with great firmness and cut off Theodosia’s shocked denial. “Neil, I believe that the only bolemor wood in this country comes from Lampala.”
“And it’s imported by Pearson’s,” Miriam added.
“I know,” Neil said. “My father used to wonder how they were able to bring such quantities over. Bolemor is known to be the strongest, best wood there is. How is it done, Miss Postulate? Do you know?”
“Yes, well, that’s quite enough talk about islands and company business for now,” Theodosia said, hurrying forward to regain control of the situation. “Simon, come and have some tea.”
“Are you really from the islands?” Simon looked interested. He couldn’t imagine his parents actually hiring someone who was a native.
“Yes, she is,” Miriam said, “and she’s my governess. She looks after me now that my father is dead. We have lessons every day in the morning, and we do our drawing, and I have to learn a poem by heart every night. I haven’t done one yet today, but I’ll learn it before dinner. Yesterday’s verse was easy. I bet you couldn’t learn it, though.”
Simon was sorry he asked. He stared at the girl. She had black curls escaping from a grey ribbon, and large, black eyes. Just as he had suspected. The girl was a babbling idiot.
“No one wants to listen to the schedule of your lessons,” Theodosia said. “You’d better hand me your cup and saucer and return upstairs.”
“Come along, Miriam,” Mana said. “Good-bye for the present, Neil and Simon. It was very pleasant to have a talk with you both.”
Miriam put her cup on the table. “You’re staying in my room,” she said to Simon and left.