The first thing anyone could feel was the heat. It was almost like a weight on the chest, restricting the expansion of her lungs. She held tight to James's hand, though he fought valiantly to escape her hold, and for a moment the sweat there almost granted him freedom.

But she bent and scooped him into her arms, keeping her grip under his rear as she put her hand on her hat to hold it in place as the wind picked up. The porter managing her few bags helped her into a rickshaw and told the driver the address. She handed over the few coins in her purse to the porter.

He thanked her, repeating his instructions to the driver, and went back to the boat. Anna secured her arm around James's stomach to keep him in place as the rickshaw moved. His attempts to leap out of their transport toward any of a number of fascinating attractions on the roadside had Anna tightening her grip on her young son.

"You've got to stay in here." She chided him, tickling at the giggling boy until he squirmed in her grip. "If not you'll be lost and I'll have no idea how to find you."

He only squealed and tried to escape her again. Anna sighed, holding him tight to her despite the oppressive heat, and sat back against the bumping rickshaw. The colors, the smells, and the heat all mixed in an overwhelming taxation on her senses.

The driver pulled to a stop just outside the cities at the gates of a large enclosure. Anna sat forward, taking the man's offered hand, and descending the rickshaw before grabbing James in the middle of another attempted escape. She held up a finger to the driver before raising a hand to knock at the gates.

Before her knuckles could rap on the metal the doors opened inward and Anna found herself face-to-face with the most imposing eyebrows she had ever seen, set over a large nose and chin that worked to inspect her rather disparagingly. The bass timbre of the man's voice came with the disapproving noise set deep in his throat. She swallowed, trying to shift James more comfortably on her hip.

"I'm here to see Lord Wuthering."

"We don't feed beggars here."

"I think you misunderstand me," Anna put a hand out on the door to prevent him closing it. "I'm here to act as tutor for the estate."

"Tutor for the estate."

"Yes!" Both turned to see a woman hurrying over, a paper clutched in her grip. "I'm so sorry I wasn't at the dock to meet you but we've had a little catastrophe in the kitchen this morning and fires must always be put out. Figurative and literal."

"Indeed they must, Mrs. Hughes, but if there's to be another body on this estate why was I not informed?"

"Because, Mr. Carson, she's not your prerogative." Mrs. Hughes smiled at Anna, "She's mine. As is her child, Master James if I'm not mistaken."

"It's just James." Anna corrected, putting him on his own feet. But all of James's earlier curiosity was lost in the sight of two strangers and he clung to his mother's dress. "He's shy."

"It's no wonder. Coming all the way from home to a new place." Mrs. Hughes's Scottish trill had James peeking at her while the woman crouched. "I'll bet you're an explorer aren't you?"

"More than I find comfortable," Anna agreed, running her fingers through James's hair. "But I hope he'll have a lot of places here to run and play."

"Lord Wuthering insists on the children of the estate taking their energy to the out of doors as often as possible." Mr. Carson's voice brought Anna to his attention, "He believes that children need exercise."

"He's not wrong. I always found it settled the children for afternoon studies if they took time at lunch to stretch themselves."

"Then you'll fit right in here." Mrs. Hughes extended a hand to James and he turned to his mother for reassurance before taking it. "I'll just show you to your rooms and Mr. Carson here'll deal with the driver to have your things brought behind you."

The widening of Mr. Carson's eyes but failure to speak illustrated his insult at the command but his obligation to obey. Anna took James's other hand and followed Mrs. Hughes through the lovely garden toward the large house. After a few moments Anna risked a look over her shoulder to see Mr. Carson arguing with the driver.

"I seem to have overly upset the butler."

"He'll be fine. He likes a fuss to make himself feel better but it's nothing he won't get over." Mrs. Hughes guided them around the house. "We've got a lovely little house for you and Master James to share near the rooms you'll be using for school."

"That's very kind." Anna rocked James's hand, "Isn't that lovely James?"

He nodded and Mrs. Hughes smiled. "He's got a right lovely set of manners."

"They're hard come by."

Mrs. Hughes bit her lip before speaking again. "I don't know if you wanted this known but Lord Wuthering informed me as to the particulars of your being here." Anna stopped but Mrs. Hughes put a hand on her arm. "It's nothing to worry over. Only Lord Wuthering and I know and I won't tell a soul. He only informed me of your circumstances so I could prepare accordingly."

"And Lord Wuthering?"

"Half the children on this estate were abandoned by their mothers and fathers for the purpose of escaping shame, in one way or another." Mrs. Hughes squeezed James's hand. "Master James here won't be out of place with any of them."

"Why do you call him 'Master James'?"

"Gives all the children equality in his house. Those from the streets, the orphans, the illegitimate, and the abandoned, with the children of lords and ladies of the area who stay while their parents work the duty of the Queen in India."

"Then I'll be teaching all ages?"

"Between you and Mrs. Harding I suspect you could find a division of the students between the two of you."

Anna frowned, "I was told I was the only teacher."

"When we initially informed Lord Grantham we had a need of one we weren't aware that Mrs. Harding had intentions of returning to her post here after she and Mr. Harding married." Mrs. Hughes smiled at Anna, "But we're so glad she did stay. She's an excellent teacher and very good with the children."

"If that's the case then why hire me at all?"

"Because the numbers are getting to the point where Mrs. Harding can't manage all of them on her own any longer."

"Is Lord Wuthering so kind that he brings all these children to his care?"

"Lord Wuthering is a great many things." Mrs. Hughes pulled a key off a ring on her belt and used it to open the door on a small house. "Kind and generous are but two of them."

Anna followed Mrs. Hughes into the house and gaped at the splendor of the rooms. She let go of James's hand and he dashed away through the rooms. Turning back to Mrs. Hughes, Anna shook her head.

"This is far more than we deserve."

"This is what Lord Wuthering believes a teacher deserves." Mrs. Hughes showed her the rooms. "This is your drawing room and parlor in one. Your kitchen is through there though the estate keeps a cook here for all three meals."

"What is the etiquette for it?"

"Lord Wuthering requests you come to dinner with him every night and whatever guests he has staying. He insists on the Hardings always keeping table with him and there are always visiting guests from the Embassy or other government offices here so you'll never be alone."

"And James?"

"He'll take meals with the children of the estate or with you here in your home if you wish." Mrs. Hughes backed out of the way as James pelted through the parlor, giggling as he went. "He's got no end of energy."

"He'll calm a bit once he's run another lap." Anna pointed to another room, "Are the bedrooms through here?"

"There's one for Master James here," Mrs. Hughes opened the door and pointed inside. "The toys are second hand from some of the older children but chosen with care."

"He won't mind. All his toys have been second-hand." Anna toured the room, smiling at it. "This is beyond generous."

"It's no less than any of the other estate children." Mrs. Hughes opened an adjoining door, "And this door leads to your room."

Anna passed into her room, noting the mosquito net over he bed that matched the one over her son's bed. "He's never had his own room before."

"Some of the younger children have similar concerns when they first come so we keep something of an open door policy until they want to be alone." Mrs. Hughes pointed to the bureau and the wardrobe. "I don't know how many clothes you brought but you certainly won't need any of your winter wear here. It never gets cold enough to justify it."

"We didn't have much to bring. Books mostly." Anna opened the wardrobe and the drawers of the bureau before nodding. "These are beyond all my expectations."

"Is it rather more humble where you lived before?"

"A bit." Anna laughed a little, "Our old home could've fit in the parlor with room to spare."

"Big changes are easier than small ones, according to Francis Bacon."

"He's not wrong." Anna opened the other door from her bedroom and caught James as his sprint through the house slowed to a halting jog. "We moved all the way here to start a new life and I think we'll adapt well."

She knelt down, her hands under the armpits of her son, now breathing hard with a dash of red to his cheeks. "What do you think James? Do you like it here?" He nodded, gasping and smiling at his mother. "Alright, then we're staying. This is our new home James."

Anna picked James up, walking out their front door to view the estate from the covered porch on their little house. "We're going to be very happy here."

"I do hope so Ms. Smith." Mrs. Hughes joined them, "Because I believe we're going to enjoy having Master James running around with the other children and you to care for them."

"I'm ready for that adventure." Anna managed a glimmer of a smile at Mrs. Hughes before looking at the large house, practically a palace, before her eyes. "At least I hope I am."