Chapter 4- The Majordomo and the Nanny

"I must say, Mademoiselle Davis, that you certainly are making the children happy, and you're keeping them from being underfoot and disturbing the rest of the staff," Cogsworth was proclaiming. "However- if you will pardon me saying this, Mademoiselle - but I feel they need to pull their weight more in manual labor and cleaning, as they are the offspring of servants, not peers of Master Adam."

Pippa Davis, the niece of Mrs. Potts and a recent arrival from London, crossed her arms and glared at Cogsworth.

"Mr. Cogsworth, is it necessary to use the children as cheap labor when they need to be educated and be given free time to pursue their dreams? Times are changing, dear Mr. Cogsworth."

"But Mademoiselle, there needs to be order! And discipline! And to know their place in the-" He was unable to maintain a stern expression as he said this; his words trailed off, and he looked embarrassed.

"Just because their parents were servants of this castle does not mean they must grow up to be servants here as well," the nanny argued. "Mirielle just might become be a teacher, or author, she is very intelligent and well read, much like Mistress Belle. And Chip! He has such a sense of adventure, he may not want to stay here when he grows up. Their futures shouldn't be set before they even begin!" She turned away from Cogsworth and walked down the Great Hall, to the main staircase.

Pippa was annoyed but also a little worried. She knew she shouldn't argue with the majordomo. But when she had signed on to travel all the way to France at her Aunt Emmeline's urging, she had agreed she would follow what Aunt Emmeline desired best for the raising and care of Chip. She was also caring for the servant girl Mirielle, who at eleven was not old enough to be worked full time.

She hadn't known she would have another pompous boss putting in his twopence worth. This man was exasperating! He was bossy, he tried to control her, but he was charming in his own fussy way...and he made her laugh...

Pippa tried to remain annoyed, but just couldn't. Cogsworth was, well- Pippa hated to admit it- attractive to her. She had always had a fondness for teddy-bear like, rotund men. George A. Cogsworth was ten years her senior, balding and stout, and he went about the castle constantly expecting perfection from the servants with a formal and uptight air. The servants often gave him lip service, and then did their own thing when the Englishman wasn't looking.

Despite this, Pippa could see a definite vulnerability about him. He looked at her with a fondness and sweetness, and acted odd around her as of late, either flustered when he told her what to do, or attempting to be funny. He had told her some corny puns and jokes at Prince Adam and Belle's wedding ball, when she had danced with him. He had allowed her to see into the real, lovable George Cogsworth underneath the fussy exterior, and since she had only arrived at the castle just before the royal wedding, she wasn't certain yet if she was the only person who he related to that way.

Pippa headed up the East Wing's stairs, hoping to be alone in her room to sketch in her sketchbook or paint, as she enjoyed creating artwork. It was something she spent much time teaching the two children as of late. She came to the landing and headed toward her bedroom door. She heard footsteps, and realized someone was following her.

Turning around, she discovered it was Cogsworth. She was immediately worried. Was she in trouble? Had she overstepped her bounds and challenged his authority? Did he have authority over her that could cause her to lose her position? Her heart started to beat faster with nervousness.

"I am sorry, Mr. Cogsworth," she said hastily. "I- I shouldn't have argued with you."

"It is quite all right, Mademoiselle. People here love to argue with me. It's practically part of their job description!" Cogsworth said wryly. "Look at Lumiere, for example. He spends more time quarreling with me than serving the wine and meals. In fact, before you came here, with circumstances as they were-" He stopped in mid-sentence, and seemed to pale a little.

"Is something wrong?"

"Oh, nothing! Just a little- indigestion. I had a little too much roasted chicken tonight, it's my favorite," He patted his round belly and gave a nervous chuckle. "I was just saying, that Lumiere has been trying to shirk his duties and defy my directions long before you came. In fact, your arguing with me makes it clear that you fit in perfectly as a member of our staff," he added with a chuckle.

"So you are not angry with me, and you don't wish to terminate me?"

Cogsworth gasped and looked at her in shock. "Mademoiselle Davis, how on earth could I want to terminate you? You...you are the...the.."

"The what?"

"The best nanny that little Charles Potts and young Mirielle could ever ask for."

"But you just said that I was too lenient with the children. That I should make them do more manual cleaning and chores," Pippa said in confusion. "How can you now say I am the best?"

"I...I changed my mind." Suddenly, Cogsworth's expression was like that of a penitent little boy. He averted his eyes from her. Apparently, the majordomo was all bark and no bite, at least with certain people.

"So do you want me to make them do more chores, or shall I continue to give them painting lessons, play games with them, and let them frolic around outdoors as I have been doing?"

"Just carry on as before. And I will keep taking them in the mornings for tutoring. But, when they are with me tutoring, part of their education will also involve cleaning up the constant mess in the library. And perhaps...I will put them to work in the kitchen. Starting today."

"What?"

"So you can have a break to yourself for an hour or so during the day. I would very much like to see more of your artistic masterpieces."

He gave her an awkward smile, and headed back downstairs.

Pippa's eyes softened toward him and she shook her head. This man is impossible!

But then, she decided it wouldn't hurt the children to help out with chores more. Chip, after all, thought some chores were like play anyway. She went to her room to draw in her sketchbook.

...

Cogsworth was trying hard not to show it, but his heart was hammering so hard within his chest he was certain she could hear it. Just the close proximity to her and seeing her blue eyes meeting his was all it took. He chastised himself for the remarks he had made about wanting her to make the children work more. He had made the comment not because he really felt she was being incompetent, but because he wanted to, in a way, impress her with his importance as a senior member of the staff. To make her think he was, well...distinguished here in this castle. Maybe manly, in a way.

But in the next moment, he had realized that she had her own ideas on the care of the children, and he was probably stepping on Mrs. Potts' toes. After all, Pippa was only following what her Aunt Emmeline wanted for the children, and Cogsworth didn't wish to be on the receiving end of the two women's scorn. No, that was the last thing he wanted.

Pippa was the only woman who looked at him with a hint of admiration, the only one who had danced with him at the royal wedding ball just last week, and the only one who laughed at his dry wit and terrible puns. She was turning into his favorite colleague, his friend, and...and- oh, blast it to hell! -the only possibility of a romantic prospect he would ever have if he continued to live in this castle, overseeing the other servants as he had done for so long.

Cogsworth went into the library, where the eleven-year-old servant girl Mirielle, a pretty youngster with light brown hair and brown eyes, sat quietly holding a book and a sheet of paper and quill pen.

"Good morning, Mademoiselle. Now, can you tell me three reasons why the Spanish conquistadors wished to invade South America and Mexico over two centuries ago?"

Mirielle answered immediately, glancing at her notes a little. "One main reason was to establish trade routes. Some also believed gold was in the Americas. The second reason was they wanted to claim as much as the New World for Spain as they could. They did succeed; after all, they do have a much bigger section of the Americas than either France or England do now."

"Very good, Mirielle. Those are two reasons. What is the-"

"And I'm afraid, Monsieur Cogsworth, speaking of England's part of the claim, if things don't change soon, and if England's king continues to tax his colonists without..."

"Mirielle, I was asking for the third reason Spain conquered the Americas. I was not asking your opinion on the King of England," Cogsworth said to the young girl in a didactic tone.

Mirielle smiled. "Sorry, Monsieur. The third reason was to do away with the pagan rituals of the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas, who practiced horrid human sacrifice, and institute Christianity."

"Very good."

"Do you want to know the terrible things the Incas did to their children?" Mirielle said in a distraught tone, tears in her eyes. She grabbed a book on the table and began to thumb through it. "I read that they-"

"Mirielle, you can read on that on your own time. I am pleased you finished your history for today. Now on to arithmetic."

The girl sighed. Math was the subject she was the least passionate about. On the other hand, numbers would get her mind off the tragic history she had just read. For the next few minutes, Cogsworth examined her paper filled with addition and subtraction problems, correcting three out of twenty. He gave her twenty more to do, then sat quietly in one chair as his student sat in another, her scratching quill the only sound in the room. Outside the library doors came the muffled din of dishes being set and maids' constant chatter in the dining hall.

His thoughts wandered as he sat there for another twenty minutes. They naturally went to Pippa.

He had met her less than two weeks ago. That night she had first arrived on the coach, he hadn't thought much about her at first. He had just been glad that Mrs. Potts would now have help with the children, and that her beloved niece had joined her in France. But as they conversed later that evening, along with Mrs. Potts and Maurice, over tea and scones, he just could not keep his eyes off the young woman.

She had taken off her cloak and bonnet, and he was struck by the color of her chestnut red hair and matching freckles. She even had freckles on her ivory forearms. Underneath her modest black dress, her figure was undeniably voluptuous and womanly. Her speech and manner was cultured, her voice like a melody; it reminded him of home and the girls he had known in his youth. Where had she been all this time? And why on earth was she still single in her thirties? Good God, a man would be insane not to have snatched her up by now. He was glad no one had done such, he mused as the young girl scratched away on her schoolwork.

He had decided to follow Lumiere's example and try to be as charming as he could around her. He would try out his jokes, and be funny. That actually seemed to work with her. She did giggle at him when they danced at the ball. What a magical night it had been! The centerpiece of that whole evening was the Master and Belle, and their much awaited matrimony, but he had never dreamed he would be enjoying the night as much as he did with the new nanny.

Oh, George Cogsworth, calm your foolish heart. And don't be a pompous old curmudgeon around this beautiful woman. Oh, Phillipa...

The grandfather clock in the library chimed nine times. Mirielle got out of her chair, and little Chip Potts entered, still eating a large baguette.

The next half hour dragged as he taught Chip his numbers. Then, as he had announced to Pippa, he ordered the two children to help out the maids by wiping all the tables in the dining room. Chip seemed to have fun with it, and Mirielle was obedient enough. He couldn't wait to tell Pippa that his compromise with her was working.

All that time, he hoped she was enjoying herself up in her room.

The clock chimed ten. He was leaving the dining hall, going into the Great Hall, when he saw her heading down the stairs.

She smiled at him gently as they passed each other at the bottom of the staircase. She was standing right at the spot where not long ago, Cogsworth had worn an admiral's hat and fought against a villager who'd been attacking Lumiere. He wished Pippa had seen him so valiant in battle.

"Did they work hard for you, Monsieur?"

"Yes! Yes they did, Mademoiselle. They had a good time of it also. You see, children need a balance of work and play. It is ideal for the development of young minds. And those two certainly do have bright minds."

"I can agree on that," she answered him, as they shared a warm smile, then both shyly averted their eyes from each other.

Pippa went toward the dining room to oversee the children, and Cogsworth headed upstairs to check on the maids' work and then have a little rest if he could. As he trotted upstairs happily, he tried to imagine what Pippa would have been turned into if she had been in the castle when the Enchantress cursed the household.

He decided she would have been a pillow. A soft, warm satin pillow the color of fire, that he could have laid his head on in front of the hearth in the Master's sitting room.

Cogsworth chuckled to himself. He knew he was being silly, but he liked imagining it.