Yvienne patted the satchel. “Some old favorites. I am sure the family is well-placed with schoolbooks.”
“I think so, but if you find anything is missing, we can order more.”
Yvienne followed Mrs Rose to the main part of the house. She could hear the distant, polite conversation of the family in the breakfast nook, and felt a twinge of nostalgia. The housekeeper gave her a tour up the stairs, pointing out the family wing, the grand suite and the offices, and up the next flight to the schoolroom. As with most of the Crescent townhouses, the house was four stories – kitchen below stairs, and the schoolroom and attics at the top.
Mrs Rose swung open the door. The TreMondi schoolroom was very well appointed. There was a large, scarred table in the center of the room, a cheery fire giving off a comforting warmth, a bookcase with schoolbooks, slates, and puzzles, a globe, and several maps. Yvienne took it all in, walking over to the brightly washed windows tucked under the eaves. The view was stunning – she overlooked the wilderness across the street, and this high up she could see out to the harbor and beyond to Nag’s Head. Whiteheads rolled on a brisk sea, seabirds soared, and the spiky masts of the merchant vessels struck at the sky.
For a moment, her homesickness deepened. She took a breath, acknowledged it, and fixed a bright smile on her face as she turned back to Mrs Rose.
“It’s perfect,” she said. “I’ll prepare today’s lessons for the girls.”
Mrs Rose nodded. “I’ll bring up a mid-morning lunch.” She left her alone, which was as well, because the tears that pricked at her eyes now threatened to fall. Yvienne hastily forced herself to recover, because she heard footsteps running up the stairs, and the children burst in, including Dubre. He was dressed in his Academy uniform of short pants and a blue coat. The children burst out excitedly.
“You’re here! How do you do, Miss Mederos? Are we going to have a lesson right away? What are you going to teach my sisters?”
Yvienne was laughing as she tried to contain their enthusiasm. Even Maje was excited, although she was trying hard to maintain a demure demeanor. Yvienne tried to quell her own butterflies as she faced her first class.
“Good morning, children,” she said. “Yes, I have morning lessons planned and I can’t wait to get started.”
“Haha!” Dubre chanted. “You have to go to school right now. I get to walk with Papa.”
At that moment Mr and Mrs TreMondi came in. Yvienne took a step forward, hand outstretched, then recovered herself awkwardly and curtseyed.
“Miss Mederos,” Mr TreMondi said. He was perhaps three-and-thirty, a handsome, well-built man with dark hair and dark eyes. His face was fair, and she could see a resemblance to him in his children. “Interesting. Interesting. I have heard good reports. An early start, and I hope to see good progress in my girls. You will report to me and to Mrs TreMondi on their progress. Every day at first, and then, weekly. We shall see how we get on together, hmmm?”
“Yes, sir,” Yvienne said. Something crossed his face, and she felt a moment of unease. What had flickered in his countenance? She turned to Mrs TreMondi, to include her in the conversation. “I have set up lesson plans, ma’am, sir, if you wish to review. I had thought to first establish what the girls know so as not to leave any gaps in their education.”
“Very well thought out,” Mr TreMondi said.
“Yes,” Mrs TreMondi said. “I think we will leave the girls in your capable hands this morning, and then review this afternoon. Come Dubbi, let’s leave your sisters to their schoolwork.”
“Let’s go, villain,” his father said. “Hop to, and no whinging. You’re a big boy now, not a crybaby.”
Dubre tried to mask his fear. Maje patted him on his shoulder and gave him an encouraging nod, and the little boy followed his father out the door. Mrs TreMondi watched for a moment, and then she too left, closing the door behind her. Yvienne tried to keep her focus on her satchel, unbuckling the straps.
When they had the schoolroom to themselves, she looked up at the girls and smiled. They were as apprehensive as she. Begin as you mean to go on, Yvienne told herself. She was here to teach the daughters of House TreMondi to be good, smart merchant girls. She could do that. “Shall we begin?”
Yvienne had breakfasted early that morning before setting out to the TreMondi house. She was, however, absent from the family meal. The conversation that morning was all about Yvienne and her new posting.
“I can’t like it,” Alinesse said, dabbing at her lips. “I wonder at the TreMondis. What do they mean by hiring our girl to teach their children?”
“They’ve hired the smartest girl in Port Saint Frey,” Tesara pointed out. “That makes them forward-thinking at least.”
She could see the conflict in her mother’s expression. Since Tesara’s observation had combined a compliment to her elder daughter with a compliment to another merchant family, it was clear Alinesse was struggling with herself in how to discount it. Fortunately for her, Samwell weighed in.
“TreMondi’s full of himself,” he said. “Word is down on the docks that the man is insufferable to his business associates. Always trying to put one over, he is. Our Vivi better watch out after all. Mark my words, the children will be like him and be insufferable and proud as well.”
“I am sure she’ll not like it,” Brevart said. “She must not continue, that’s all there is to it. I’ll tell her so when she comes home at luncheon.”
Tesara was about to tell him that Yvienne would not be home until dinner at least, when the thunk of letters hitting the floor caught all their attention.
“Goodness, more letters,” Alinesse said. Her
