Chapter 48 – Training Day
"Hey Tiko!" Annabelle called to her puppy, which was curled up in front of the fireplace, enjoying the warmth emanating from the flames. Tiko immediately got up and pattered over to Annabelle who standing in front of her dressing table as she finished plaiting her hair.
"I've got a gift for you," Annabelle picked up a small box from the dressing table and knelt down in front of Tiko. The little puppy sniffed the box as Annabelle took off the lid, revealing a lovely scarlet red leather collar with a brass buckle and tag at the front.
"Look Tiko, it has your name on it and our address on the back just in case you get lost," Annabelle smiled as she carefully fastened the collar around Tiko's neck. She picked him up and stood in front of the mirror so that he could see his reflection.
"So handsome!" she smiled and Tiko gave a little bark of agreement before panting happily. "Today's a big day Tiko," Annabelle said as she put him back down on the bedroom floor. "It's the first day of your training and Mama says that as I am your owner it is my responsibility to teach you. Now Tiko sit, sit, sit, sit." Annabelle commanded but Tiko just looked up at her, his tongue panting.
"I said sit," Annabelle exasperated and then she couldn't help giggling as Tiko starting chasing his own tail, round and round until he became dizzy.
"You're impossible!" she laughed as she picked Tiko up and he licked her face, "Just impossible!" She went out of her bedroom with Tiko in her arms; she definitely needed some help with this training business.
She went down to the nursery, as she knew that both her mother and father were at court and her grandfather was busy reorganising his study. She found Martha quietly sitting in the rocking chair as she fed William a bottle, which had an extended teat so he could drink the milk without choking.
"Good morning Miss Anna," Martha smiled as she continued to feed William, "everything alright?"
"I need help with training Tiko," Annabelle said as she reached out and stroked her baby brother's head. "Mama says that I need to train him but I am not getting anywhere."
"Why don't you ask Thomas?" Martha replied kindly, "He lived on his family's farm before coming here and they had sheepdogs."
"Really?" Annabelle's eyes lit up in delight, "Where is he?"
"Either in the kitchen or your parent's bedroom I should suspect." Martha laughed as Annabelle left, almost skipping out of the nursery as she went to find Thomas. She found him in her parents' bathroom; carefully tidying away her father's shaving kit whilst whistling a happy tune.
" 'Ow do Miss Anna!" he noticed her in the bathroom mirror and smiled his irrepressible grin. "What can I do for thee?"
"I have been trying to train Tiko but I'm having no luck. Martha said that maybe you could help me as you had dogs on your family farm."
"Oh aye," Thomas nodded as he stroked Tiko who started to playfully nip at his fingers. "I would love to help thee Miss Anna but I have many chores to do."
"Oh please Thomas!" Annabelle begged, "I will help you catch up on your chores. I need help, desperately! I don't want Mama or Papa not allowing me to take Tiko back to Africa! Oh please, oh please, oh please!"
"Alreight, alreight!" Thomas laughed at the young girl's begging and making her eyes wide as possible. "I'll help thee but it will take a while to train t'pup. I can help for a couple of hours a day after your parents have gone to court."
"Oh thank you Thomas!" Annabelle smiled, delighted to be getting some help.
"Alreight go to t'kitchen and ask Mrs Griggs for some small cubes of ham as there was plenty left over from yer dinner last night. Dogs love food and they need treats when training them. I'll be in me room in t'attic."
Annabelle nodded and went down to the kitchen where Mrs Griggs cut her up some boiled ham and cold roast chicken. She climbed up all the flights of stairs to the attic where Thomas, Mrs Fairfax and Carson slept. She had never been in the attic before and didn't know which room was Thomas'. But then she heard his whistling and knocked on the middle door.
"Aye!" she heard Thomas call out and Annabelle turned the doorknob, opened the door and walked in with Tiko in her arms.
"Welcome t' ma castle," Thomas smiled and Annabelle noticed that he taken off his jacket which was hung over the back of a chair and he was stubbing out a cigarette. It was a small but cosy room with a simple iron bedstead up against the sloping wall and the gable window brought in the crisp, winter light. A little fireplace warmed the room and it was furnished with a simple chest of drawers with a mirror on top, a washstand and a small desk and chair.
"What's wrong with your bicycle?" Annabelle asked, seeing Thomas' pride and joy leaning up against the wall, upside down on a dropcloth with its front wheel missing.
"Broken chain and a flat tyre. Nuthin' I cannut fix missen." Thomas shrugged nonchalantly and he motioned for her put Tiko down on the floor. Annabelle did as she was instructed and handed him the tin filled with the cubes of ham and chicken.
"Reight, first we have to teach Tiko 'is name, he has to know 'is name before we can teach 'im commands." Thomas sat down cross-legged on the floor and took out a cube of ham from the tin. Annabelle sat down next to him and Tiko started to walk towards the door.
"Tiko come here!" Annabelle called out but Tiko ignored her.
"Wait a minute lass!" Thomas laughed, "Thou needs t' be patient." Thomas made a clicking noise and Tiko came over to which Thomas rewarded him with a piece of sweet, salty ham.
"Now we do t'same thing but wit' 'is name," Thomas continued as Tiko wondered around closely, sniffing the floorboards. "Tiko!" he called out cheerfully and the puppy came over and Thomas gave him another piece of ham, "Aye! Good lad! Thou try now Miss Anna."
"Tiko!" Annabelle called out and almost instantly Tiko pattered over to her and she fed him a piece of cold roast chicken. They did this many more times, rewarding Tiko with the meaty treats when he acknowledged his name, connecting his name with paying attention to Annabelle. Then they walked around the bedroom, calling his name so that they wanted Tiko to pay attention when they were walking
"A reight smart pup," Thomas remarked as Tiko bounced around his lap, "Now we can teach 'im to sit." Thomas held a treat close to Tiko's nose and lured him into the sitting position. "Aye sit," he smiled as he feed Tiko the treat, "Good lad."
"Tiko sit!" he said again and the puppy immediately sat down and Thomas rewarded him with another cube of meat. Again they did this several times and Tiko was very quick in picking up the new commands. Then they took the meat near his nose and lured him to lie down which they again did many more times until Tiko automatically did it.
"I think that's enough for today," Thomas remarked as Tiko started to doze in Annabelle's lap. "Thou must be famished, fancy some parkin? Me Ma sent some to me."
"Yes please," Annabelle nodded, not sure what parkin was. Thomas went over to his desk and came back over with a package; the size of a brick wrapped in brown paper and tied up with string. He unwrapped it and Annabelle saw that it was a cake of some sort. Thomas cut two slices with a pocketknife and handed one it to her.
"It's delicious Thomas," she said after she finished her first bite of the parkin, a spicy, oaty, almost gingerbread tasting cake.
"Oh ta, me Ma would be dead chuffed hearing thee say that," Thomas smiled as he looked at the cake, "I swear me Ma bakes t'best parkin in all of Yorkshire."
"Do you miss your home?" Annabelle asked curiously. She was loving her time in London but there were times when she missed the African sun or if she saw something exciting or something she had never seen before, she wished Keke or her Grandma Kala was there to see it with her.
"A lot," Thomas nodded, "but once I saved some money then I will go back home and buy a little farm of me own."
"Really?" Annabelle was intrigued, "Will you have cows and pigs on it?"
"No," Thomas laughed, "I will be a sheep farmer. T'Dales are too high for cows. Sheep can live out there rain or shine. I will sheer the'r wool, make cheese from the'r milk and sell the'r meat."
"Mama and I make cheese from our goats back home."
"Oh aye! Thee will have to give me some tips and tricks."
"Will you run the farm by yourself or will you have a wife?"
"Now why would thee ask that Miss Anna?" Thomas enquired, slightly surprised by Annabelle's question.
"No particular reason," Annabelle replied and then paused, "would you ask Martha to be your wife?" She had seen them laughing and chatting many a time in the kitchen and she was sure that Martha was slightly smitten with him.
"Oh she's a nice lass!" Thomas laughed at the young girl's attempt at matchmaking, "but it teks a reight special lass to be a farmer's wife. She must be pretty, smart and strong. It's reight hard work working on a farm Miss Anna. I don't think Martha would be keen milking sheep and making cheese in t'middle of t'Dales! Besides, I heard that thou has a sweetheart thissen!"
"No I don't!" Annabelle retorted quickly, "Percy is just a friend, a pen pal that's all."
"Well any boy who writes to a lass that's nut 'is Ma, Grandma or sister is smitten wit' her!"
"Thomas you're being a silly nincompoop! You clearly know nothing about girls!"
Thomas laughed heartily at that and they got up off the floor and headed to the bedroom door. "A silly nincompoop that thou still needs to train yer puppy," he teased and Annabelle blushed, feeling foolish.
"Yes, I apologise for my offensive words Thomas," she said with great solemnity, "I hope you can forgive my indiscretion."
"I most certainly can Miss Anna," Thomas smiled, not all offended. She reminded him a lot of his female cousins, kind and sweet with a fiery spirit within them. "Same time tomorrow?"
Annabelle nodded and went down to her bedroom to play. She would have played with Tiko but he was still sleeping and so she decided to read a book, but in all fairness she was bored. Now that her mother and father were part of the Royal Court, they were now obliged to go to various engagements and parties and she barely saw them. She did spend time with her grandfather and Daisy when she was allowed some time off but it was not the same.
She really miss her lessons with her mother, her yearning to learn was bubbling away in her inquisitive mind. Surely things, such as history, politics, science must have changed so much, so many new discoveries were being made since her mother first taught her.
"Hello darling," Annabelle looked up and saw her grandfather popping his head around the door, "hope I'm not disturbing anything?"
"Not all," Annabelle put down her book, utterly glad to see her grandfather, "have you finish reorganising your study?"
"Some of it!" Archimedes grinned, "but I will do some more tomorrow. Fancy going for a stroll in the park young lady?"
"Absolutely! Let me get ready, I will only take a minute."
A few minutes later, Annabelle met Archimedes in the hallway, all wrapped up for their walk in the park. She had Tiko on a lead and had put on a little dog coat that she had sewn for him to keep him cosy. Instead of getting a coach, they walked to Hyde Park, enjoying the still snow-lined streets with Tiko absorbed in a world of sights and smells.
"Do you like your puppy?" Archimedes asked as they walked along the Serpentine along with many other families and couples.
"Oh he is just the best Grandpa," Annabelle enthused, "Thomas is helping me train Tiko, watch. Tiko, sit!"
"How wonderful!" Archimedes beamed as Tiko immediately sat down by his granddaughter's side and she fed a piece of ham from her coat pocket. He then hugged her and kissed the knitted beret on top of her head, making his granddaughter smiled in happiness. They continued to walk down the Serpentine and Archimedes bought some candied nuts from a little stall.
"Are you enjoying England?" he asked as they tucked into the warm, caramelised nuts as the winter wind chilled their faces.
"Oh yes," Annabelle said and then paused, "Grandpa…what is a governess?"
"Oh a governess is a woman who privately teaches children at home. Lots of well to do families hire one rather than send their children to a public school."
"Like Percy Foxton?"
"Yes, mostly governesses teach girls and young boys. Once a boy is old enough they are given a male tutor or sent to boarding school… why do you ask?"
"Oh Percy mentioned it in a letter and I didn't know what it was."
"Do you like the sound of a governess?" Archimedes asked, twigging to what Annabelle was wanting to ask.
"Kind of," she shrugged her shoulders. "I do miss Mama's lessons sometimes."
"Alright," Archimedes nodded and made a cheeky grin, "fancy a swim?"
"Too cold!" Annabelle giggled and they laughed happily as they continued strolling through the park.
"Good evening my dears," Archimedes said as Jane and Tarzan entered the upstairs parlour later that evening. "How was the court?"
"Utterly exhausting Daddy!" Jane sighed as she flopped down onto the settee and Tarzan took off her heeled boots as her soles were burning from standing for hours on end.
"Did you have a nice day Professor?" Tarzan asked as Archimedes folded up the newspaper that he had been reading.
"Oh yes Tarzan my boy. Anna and I went for a walk in Hyde Park and then we got lost in Harrods. Jane, Tarzan my dears… I have been thinking about Anna."
"What about Anna?" Jane asked as Tarzan massaged her stockinged feet, "Is she alright?"
"Oh she is perfectly fine and Thomas is helping her train Tiko but I think she is craving some intellectual stimulation. She is missing her lessons and today she asked me what a governess was."
"A governess?" Tarzan asked confusingly.
"A private female tutor," Jane explained and then turned to her father, "You really believe that she wants a governess Daddy?"
"Well it couldn't hurt," Archimedes shrugged his shoulders, "A lot has changed in the world since we moved to the jungle Jane. It wouldn't hurt to have Annabelle catch up on all the latest discoveries and innovations which even I don't know of. Her mind will be stimulated and we know we will have to wait until William is a year old for his operation. Might as well put that extra time to good use."
"What do you think Jane?" Tarzan looked at his wife, "We did say that education is important and that Belle's education is just as important as our son's."
Jane paused and took in the information. What her father and husband said did make sense and now that they were members of the Royal Court she would be unable to teach Annabelle herself, plus she would have to learn all the new facts first. She could see that Annabelle was getting bored and Daisy couldn't be allowed to play with her all day, every day.
"I agree," she nodded, "Anna would indeed be benefited from having a governess and an update to her education. I will post an advertisement and ask Cecilia for any recommendations."
A few days later Jane placed a pen, inkwell and a notepad on the side table in the drawing room. She had received a number of applications for the governess position and after much scanning and some advising from Cecilia, she whittled it down to ten potential candidates.
"Would you like some tea before the interviews Madam?" Mrs Fairfax asked kindly, noting her mistress looking a little nervous.
"Oh I should be just fine," Jane nodded as she twisted her fingers. "I haven't done an interview in so long and as you know my mother interviewed any new servants for the house."
"I am sure that you will be splendid and very thorough in your questioning Madam," Mrs Fairfax nodded as Jane surveyed the room. She had ordered the staff to make sure that the house was absolutely spotless. She didn't want anyone, potential governess or not to be spreading around any gossip that the Porters lived in a scruffy home.
The candidates arrived at their allotted time-slots and Jane interviewed them all politely enough but deep inside she wanted to tear her hair out in exasperation!
"Any successful candidates Madam?" Mrs Fairfax asked as she brought in some tea and cake to Jane after the end of the interviews.
"No," Jane shook her head in frustration, "all of them were terrible Mrs Fairfax. Most of them felt that girls should not learn the sciences and only master needlepoint. One of quoted 'spare the rod, spoil the child' and I swear one of them reeked of gin! Even worse, the final one hasn't even bothered to show up! I will have to do a second, more detailed advertisement."
"I am sorry for all the frustration you are experiencing Madam," Mrs Fairfax nodded sympathetically, "I will come back for the dishes in a bit. My! My! What a downpour!" she noted as rain began to lash against the drawing room windows. Jane nodded and went to sipping her tea, hoping it would soothe her mind after the dreadful interviews.
"Goodness me!" Mrs Fairfax was surprised to hear a frantic knock at the front door and went out of the drawing room to answer the door. She opened to it to find a young woman, with a broken umbrella and looking like a drowned rat on the front doorstep!
"I do beg your pardon," the young woman looked at Mrs Fairfax helplessly, "I am Miss Lyons, I have an interview with Mrs Porter for a governess position at 3 o'clock."
"That was over half an hour ago!" Mrs Fairfax retorted as she kept the front door half open to stop the downpour coming into the house.
"I know and I do profusely apologise," the young woman replied, "but my train was delayed and then the horse on my coach cast a shoe. I know that it is no excuse, but I did try to get here as soon as I could, I assure you."
"Mrs Fairfax?" The housekeeper turned around to see her mistress, who came out of the drawing room to see what all the fuss was about.
"This is Miss Lyons, the final interviewee Madam," Mrs Fairfax explained, "she had experienced some mishaps on her journey here."
"Please come inside," Jane nodded and waved the woman in, "Mrs Fairfax bring Miss Lyons a blanket and some hot cocoa and cake as she's completely soaked. Come Miss Lyons, let us sit in the drawing room, where you can warm up in front of the fire."
"Oh you are most kind Mrs Porter," Miss Lyons nodded gratefully and followed Jane to the warm parlour.
"Your full name and age please," Jane said once they had sat down and Mrs Fairfax provided Miss Lyons with some dry blankets and a cup of steaming hot cocoa. Jane could see that this Miss Lyons was a pretty young woman, tall and slim with alabaster skin lightly peppered with freckles, pale blue eyes and her red hair now brown from being drenched in the rain.
"Charlotte Henrietta Lyons and I am 23 years old," Miss Lyons replied and then joked nervously. "No relation to the Lyons tearooms I'm afraid."
"I see," Jane made a polite smile, "and where are you from?" Miss Lyons was speaking with a soft, posh accent and Jane couldn't tell where in the country she came from.
"I was born in Oxford and my father is a professor of languages at the university."
"Oh really? My father was a professor at Oxford University too, primatology and zoology."
"Oh golly gosh!" Miss Lyons beamed in delight, "The Professor Archimedes Q Porter? Do forgive me but I have read all of your father's books and theses and I found these absolutely fascinating and most forward thinking writings I have ever read in that field."
"Thank you, so you are a fan of the sciences?"
"Oh yes. My father is a very forward thinking man and believes that girls are just as capable of learning complex subjects as boys. My sisters and I were given the same education as my brother."
"And may I ask which subjects do you teach?"
"Well apart from the 3 R's, English, French, Italian, German, Latin and Ancient Greek but I do plan on learning Ancient Hebrew. I teach mathematics, geometry, algebra, the sciences, geography, history as well as the traditional female subjects such as the piano, poetry, needlepoint and deportment. I believe that girls should get an unlimited education."
"Indeed," Jane was delighted to find this very accomplished young woman, "and have you worked as a governess before?"
"Yes, I worked for Lord and Lady Gillford for 3 years as a governess for their youngest son before he turned 8 and was sent to boarding school."
"Well we live in a very remote part of Africa and we are here for a short while but I wish that my daughter Annabelle is caught up with all the latest changes -"
"Mama?" Jane turned around to see her daughter come in with Pollyanna and was a little taken aback by the stranger.
"Come here Anna," Jane reassured her daughter, "this is Miss Lyons. Miss Lyons, this is my daughter Annabelle."
"How do you Miss Lyons," Annabelle came over and bobbed a polite curtsey.
"How do you Annabelle," Miss Lyons replied with a kind smile, "my, that's a very nice doll you have there."
"Thank you Miss Lyons, her name is Pollyanna."
"Pollyanna, what a lovely name. Annabelle is a lovely name too."
"Thank you, everyone calls me Anna or Belle," Annabelle smiled, quickly taking to the kind woman sitting opposite her mother.
"Your mother tells me that you are very smart girl. Do you like to read Annabelle?"
"Oh yes, I love to read!"
"What do you like to read?"
"Anything! But I love Charles Dickens very much, Oliver Twist is my favourite of his."
"I cannot decide between Tales of Two Cities or Great Expectations!" Miss Lyons smiled and then pulled something out of her bag. "Have you read this book Annabelle?"
"No I haven't," Annabelle shook her head and was intrigued by the title, Little Women.
"It's a wonderful book, I hope you enjoy reading it."
"Thank you very much Miss Lyons. I will give it back to you as soon as I have finished it," Annabelle smiled in delight and Jane smiled at the kind woman's gesture. After Annabelle said goodbye and left the room, Jane explained to Miss Lyons the rates of pay and the provision of bed and board.
"I will send you a telegram with my decision in the next day or two," Jane said as she escorted Miss Lyons to the front door.
"Of course," Miss Lyons nodded and then bobbed a polite curtsey, "it was a pleasure meeting you Mrs Porter."
"Likewise Miss Lyons."
After Miss Lyons had left, Jane headed up to her daughter's bedroom and knocked on the door.
"Come in!" she heard her daughter call out and Jane entered the bedroom and saw Annabelle lying on her stomach on her bed.
"I see you are reading the book from Miss Lyons," Jane said as she sat down on the edge of the bed, next to Annabelle who turned a page.
"Oh yes, who is she Mama if I may ask?"
"Well… she might be a teacher, a potential governess for you for a while."
"Really Mama!"
"Yes, but I will not hire her without your personal approval. So... did you like her?"
"Oh yes!" Annabelle became excited, "I liked her very much Mama!"
"Good, I will get her to start as soon as possible."
"Oh thank you Mama, thank you, thank you!" Annabelle got off her stomach and hugged her mother tightly in gratitude. Jane smiled and hugged her daughter back. She was glad that she was making her daughter happy and that she found the perfect governess.