Janet Barton - A Nanny For Keeps

Georgia caught her breath as the tall, broad-shouldered man, who’d stood and started toward her the moment she entered the room, took her hand in his and bowed over it. “I don’t believe we did. But, Miss Marshall, it’s a pleasure to meet you now.”

She knew he was a baronet, but this wasn’t England and she didn’t know whether to curtsy or not. She knew nothing of the hierarchy in England, so she dipped her head instead. Still, she wasn’t sure how to address him. “A pleasure to meet you, too, Sir...Walker?”

“I’d be called Sir Tyler in England, but I’m making my home here now, so perhaps Mr. Walker will do?”

“That might make it easier.” Georgia tried to ignore the fluttery feeling in the vicinity of her heart and slipped her hand from his. She smiled and took a seat beside her landlady, who held a cup of tea for her. “Thank you, Mrs. Heaton. This is just what I need.”

The baronet took his seat across from Mrs. Heaton once again and let her freshen his tea.

Georgia hoped no one noticed that her fingers trembled as she raised her cup to her mouth. She remembered seeing Sir—Mr. Walker and his daughters at the wedding, but not up this close. He was the most handsome man she’d ever met, with his almost black hair and ocean-blue eyes.

“Mr. Walker has come asking for help in finding someone to act as a nanny to his young daughters, until he can find a permanent one,” Mrs. Heaton explained.

“Oh? I thought you’d brought your help over with you?” Mr. Walker and his entourage had been quite a topic of conversation at the dinner table for several nights not long after he’d moved in next door.

“Yes, well, the nanny became homesick and wanted to go back to England. I’d promised I would pay her way back home and had to keep my word. But the one I hired to replace her didn’t last but two weeks. And neither did the next.”

“I’m so sorry,” Georgia said. He did have a dilemma on his hands, but her heart went out to his two young girls. They’d lost their mother and were bound to still be missing her.

“Yes, so am I.” Mr. Walker released a deep sigh before continuing in his charming English accent. “It appears my daughters might be trying to run off the help. The maid is watching them now, but she isn’t happy about it. She doesn’t want to be their nanny and I can’t say I blame her. The girls are a bit incorrigible at times.”

“And quite adorable,” Mrs. Heaton added.

Mr. Walker smiled and shook his head. “I’m not sure what to do. I know they miss their mother, and moving away from their familiar surroundings might not have been for the best, although I could no longer—” He cut off what he’d been about to say and cleared his throat.

The sorrow in his expression was unmistakable and Georgia’s heart flooded with sympathy for him. His wife had been gone just over a year, and trying to raise his young daughters without her must be terribly difficult.

“I’ll get in touch with any friends I believe might be able to help and let you know what I find out as soon as I can,” Mrs. Heaton said.

“Thank you, Mrs. Heaton. I appreciate your willingness to assist me.” Mr. Walker took a sip of tea and then placed it back on the saucer and stood. “I suppose I should get back. No telling what those two might be up to. I can’t let the maid up and leave, too. I’ve begun to think that my mother was right. I should have brought some of her household staff with me.”

Mrs. Heaton accompanied him to the door and Georgia heard him say, “It’s good to have a neighbor one can come to for advice. Thank you for tea.”

“You’re quite welcome anytime, Sir Tyler. I’ll be in touch soon.”

“I look forward to hearing from you.”

Mrs. Heaton came back into the room and refreshed both hers and Georgia’s tea. “Poor man. It’s got to be so distressing to move away from all that’s familiar after losing one’s spouse. And even more so while trying to hold his family together and comfort his children.”

“I agree. After all, our culture is a bit different here than in England.”

“Yes, it is. Not so much at his level as at ours, but he seems to want to embrace the American way of life. His wife was from here and he wants his girls to grow up in this country.”

“He must have loved her very much.”

“I’m sure he did. Perhaps he’ll find a suitable wife before long—one who will love him and his children.”

“He’s a handsome man,” Georgia said. “I’m sure that once the daughters of the wealthy in this city are introduced to him, he’ll have his choice of women.”

“Oh, but not all of those young debutantes will be interested in marrying a man with children. It may be more difficult than we think. In the meantime, I hope we can find someone to help out.”

“You mean until he finds a mate?”

“Yes, or a permanent nanny. I’m not sure he’s ready to find a wife just yet. I’ll think on things. But for now, I’d best go see how our dinner is coming along.” She gathered up the tea tray and started toward the door before turning back to Georgia. “If you come up with any ideas, I’d love to hear them.”

“I’ll think on it.”

Mrs. Heaton turned just before she left the room. “I’m sorry, Georgia. I didn’t have a chance to ask if you had any good news about procuring a teaching position anywhere.”

“No, ma’am. I believe I’m going to have to find a position of some kind but it won’t be teaching, at least not until the new term in the fall. My timing seems to be awful. I’d put my name in at several schools when I first came, but they have a long list of those looking for positions and I’m far down on it.”

“Perhaps you should try something else,” Mrs. Heaton suggested.

“I believe I’m going to have to.”

“You know, Georgia...I’m sure Sir Walker will pay very well and you want a job. Would you consider filling in for a short time?”

Only now did Georgia realize the same thought had been forming at the back of her mind, but she didn’t think she was qualified. “I don’t know. I’ve never been a nanny for anyone.”

“But you’ve taught young children, haven’t you?”

“I have.” And she was quite good at it, from what her letter of reference said.

“Oh, his little girls are so sweet,” Mrs. Heaton said. “I hear them outside playing on warm days. It’s so sad that they don’t have a mother.”

“It is,” Georgia said. “I’m sure that losing the nanny who’d always taken care of them must be almost as hard as losing their mother. Perhaps I should consider it. I don’t have anything else to do right now and—”

“You’d be doing a great favor for Sir Tyler. He has such sadness in his eyes.”

Yes, he did. And that sadness and worry about the care for his daughters had touched Georgia’s heart and made her wish she could help—even though she’d never thought about being a nanny. “But doesn’t a nanny live in? I don’t think I’d want to do that.”

“I’m sure you could come to an agreement. It would be temporary, after all. Perhaps you could offer to be there to get them up and dressed and stay until they ate dinner or were put to bed. And surely you could ask for some free time on weekends.”

“I suppose I could think about it...” Georgia said.

“It might be an answered prayer for you both,” Mrs. Heaton said. “But I must check on dinner now. I appreciate your giving thought to it.”

She hurried away and Georgia headed up to her room. Mrs. Heaton took helping others very seriously and Georgia knew she wouldn’t rest until Mr. Walker had what—or who—he needed. Perhaps this was an opportunity for her to have work and assist a neighbor in need at the same time. She’d have to pray about it.