‘Save your apologies for Lady Collingworth,’ Mrs Clark said curtly and headed out of the room. She led Norah through another maze of passageways and Norah wondered how she would ever find her way back. She hoped someone might be on hand to guide her.
They arrived in what were obviously the main living quarters. There was a large hallway with a high ceiling and a curved, stone staircase. The walls were covered in dark red and gold wallpaper and a series of portraits of finely dressed men and women. Heavy, gold, brocade curtains framed the enormous windows and patterned rugs adorned the polished, wooden floor. The doors leading from the hallway were made of oak with brass handles and one of those doors suddenly opened, revealing a small girl with dark curls and a serious face which broke into a smile when she saw Norah.
‘Oh goody, you’ve arrived. I said you’d be pretty.’ She turned back into the room, announcing, ‘She’s here …the nanny’s here!’
Norah followed Mrs Clark into what was clearly the drawing room. ‘Miss Dunn has arrived, my Lady.’
‘Thank you, Mrs Clark. That will be all.’ A very elegant woman dressed casually in a grey skirt and pale pink cardigan rose from the chaise longue on which she had been reclining. ‘Welcome to Collingworth, Miss Dunn. We’re most happy to have you here.’ She held out a delicate hand and Norah took it gingerly, wondering whether she should curtsey. If only she'd asked Mrs Clark but she hadn’t thought of it. In the end, she inclined her head and bobbed her knees briefly.
Lady Collingworth laughed, a tinkling silver sound which immediately alleviated Norah’s trepidation. ‘Oh, you don’t need to stand on ceremony with me. When it’s just us, you can call me Clarissa and I shall call you Norah. It is Norah, isn’t it? I hope we’ll be great friends. Now let me introduce you to my little monsters. You’ve already met Anne …’ She waved a hand at the dark-haired girl who was now sitting perched on an enormous sofa and looking at her with big eyes. ‘She’s my eldest. She’s nearly eight.’
Norah smiled across at her. ‘I’m very pleased to meet you, Anne.’
Sitting next to her and clutching a threadbare teddy was a smaller girl with long, dark hair tied up with ribbons.
‘And this is Mary … she never goes anywhere without Barclay ... she’s six.’
‘Hello Mary,’ Norah smiled. ‘Is Barclay your teddy?’
Mary nodded solemnly.
‘She’s the quietest one,’ Lady Collingworth continued as an even smaller girl sidled up to her and attached herself to her leg. ‘This is Margaret. She’s four and is usually the noisiest but she’s going through a shy stage at the moment. She’ll be fine when she gets to know you.’
Norah bent down to her. ‘Hello Margaret. I’m Miss Dunn and I’m going to be your nanny.’
Margaret peeked out from behind her mother and Norah saw that she too had dark curls and enormous brown eyes. All the girls must take after their father, she thought, for Lady Collingworth was fair skinned with bright, blue eyes and golden hair shaped in a bob. She was much younger than Norah had expected and, with her smiling eyes, open face and obvious devotion to her children, Norah warmed to her immediately.
‘Have you been a nanny before?’ Anne asked.
‘No. This is my first time but I can see you are all beautifully behaved so I’m sure we’ll have lots of fun,’ Norah replied.
‘Oh definitely. I do think it’s so important for children to have fun,’ exclaimed Lady Collingworth. ‘Our last nanny was lovely but very serious and extremely keen on formal lessons. Obviously, I expect them to have lessons in the morning but perhaps some more light-hearted activities in the afternoon and time for play. When I was young, my sister and I had a very strict governess who insisted that we only engage in pursuits she considered worthwhile. It was all terribly tedious and we used to spend all our time plotting our escape.’ She smiled wistfully.
‘I think all learning should be fun,’ said Norah, ‘because then it’s so much easier. It’s very difficult to take things in if you’re bored. I remember dull lessons spent staring out of the window for entire afternoons when I was at school and thinking about riding my pony when I got home. I’m sure I didn’t learn anything in those lessons. However, I do realise the importance of the three Rs,’ she continued hastily, lest her employer began to consider her unfit for the job. ‘Formal lessons every morning sounds like an excellent plan.’
‘Marvellous. I’m sure you’ll be perfect,’ Lady Collingworth declared and then turned to the housekeeper who had re-entered the room. ‘Yes, Mrs Clark?’
‘Mrs Evans is ready to serve tea for the children in the nursery, my Lady. Would you like me to show Miss Dunn where it is?’
‘That’s alright, Mrs Clark. I’ll show her myself and supervise teatime and bedtime proceedings today. Then I know I’ll be able to leave things in Miss Dunn’s capable hands. Perhaps you would be so kind to tell Mrs Evans to serve dinner at eight o’clock tonight so I have time to change.’
‘Very good, my Lady.’
‘I’m afraid Mrs Clark doesn’t really approve of my modern ways,’ Lady Collingworth confided to Norah as, with a child holding each of her hands, she led them upstairs to the brightly furnished nursery. ‘She thinks children should be seen and not heard and she definitely doesn’t approve of me spending time in here.’
‘What a lovely room!’ exclaimed Norah.
Three of the walls were covered in pale pink, embossed paper but the fourth was entirely covered by a large, brightly painted rainbow mural.
‘It is fun, isn’t it,’ Lady Collingworth agreed. ‘I had it done before Anne was born. The nursery in which I spent all my time was dark and dingy. It always felt like a prison. I wanted my
