Chapter 4
AN:Thank you for all your reviews! I wrote this chapter weeks ago but it still seems rushed to me. I hope you like it
Teacher training didn't work the way I describe it here but I took some literary freedom. I am also not sure that an unmarried female teacher would have been allowed to live by herself but again I took some literary freedom. I hope that is alright.
March 1895 to May 1896
"Master Christian, come here," she says and the boy turns around. He is six years old now and she is sure that she will be exchanged for a tutor soon as there have been no other children for the family. She will miss Master Christian and Lady Harris, but there is nothing she can do about it. She is sure that she will be given a very good character and that is what matters. She will find another job, a new child, maybe new children to let touch her heart.
She has thought about this a lot, she would in fact like to work in a larger house, one with more servants, one with more children, maybe girls, so that she would be able to stay and make some friends among the other servants.
Because she is an honest person she tells Lady Harrison of her plans.
"As it is, Nanny Levinson, we must ask you to leave anyway. Master Christian is now old enough for a tutor. Sir Thomas wants him to attend Eton of course and he must be properly prepared. But we will give you a glowing character. In fact, I have it right here. But I would like to make a suggestion. Don't look for another post as a nanny. Become a teacher. You taught Master Christian so much and you were a wonderful nanny. But I don't think that is where it ends for you. I know you have saved almost all of your money. Use it to go to a teachers' college. And then find a school. If you need any help, we are certainly willing to give it."
She knows of course that Lady Harrison does not mean financial help but she may in fact not need it in any case. It is true, she saved almost all of her money. For what she did not know but she did. It might be enough. When Lord and Lady Harrison give her three months wages as a leaving present she enrolls at a teachers' college in London.
.
It takes a year and all of her savings to finish teachers' college but when she holds the certificate in her hands she feels very proud of herself.
She has already looked for open positions and as luck seems to be on her side she is invited to a small school in North Yorkshire. In fact, it is the Downton Village school that wants to interview her and she is very well aware of who the principal local family is. But she doubts that she will ever meet any of them and even if that happened, they would not remember her, possibly with the exception of Lord Downton. But he told her to make something of herself, so he shouldn't be too shocked.
Four days later she is offered the position at the school and takes it. She knows the school is not financed by the estate or they would have protested having an American teacher. But the villagers seem to be happy to finally have found a replacement for the old teacher.
She is to share teaching with one colleague, her principal subjects being English and basic mathematics. Her cottage is on the Grantham estate but she doubts that they even know her name. And for almost three months she has no contact with the family whatsoever. Until one Saturday afternoon.
"Miss?" A little girl is tucking at her coat. She is almost sure that this must be a daughter of either Robert or his sister because the girl is very well dressed.
"Yes?" she asks and looks around for the child's nanny. The child cannot have come here by herself. They are in the middle of the village square.
"I cannot find my Papa." The quiver in the girl's voice breaks her heart.
"Where did you see him last?"
"Over there," the girls says and points to the shop that sells the best sweets in town.
"Did he give you a treat?" she asks and the girl nods.
"Yes. But now I have lost him. And I don't know," but then girl begins to cry uncontrollably and she cannot understand a word she says.
So she picks her up and carries her to the store. Maybe the father, in all likelihood Robert, is still in there. But there is only the shopkeeper. But he at least can confirm that the girl who is now sobbing into her shoulder uncontrollably is Lady Mary, daughter of Lord Downton.
It isn't very far to the estate so she decides to take the girl there. There is nothing else she can do with her anyway. She will just drop her off and leave. There should be no difficulty about this. The butler or the nanny will take her. She'll bring her to the servants' entrance.
Mary calms down but when she asks her to walk the girl vehemently shakes her head. So she keeps carrying her. It isn't far anymore, although she will have to walk around the house to find the servants' entrance. Her arms begin to hurt with the weight of the child but there is nothing she can do about that.
"Mary," she hears someone yell. "Mary! Mary!" The voice is sounds like a thunderstorm, full of raw panic.
She turns towards the screaming voice and then asks Mary "Is that your Papa?" The girl nods, wriggles out of her arms and runs towards her father who bents down to catch her.
"Oh Mary, I am so glad you are back. I thought I had lost you."
Robert then walks towards her, talking to Mary all the while. When he is in front of her he turns his attention away from the child and to her. He looks at her and stares.
"So it is you. At the village school," he says. "My father mentioned it but I didn't believe it." This all sounds rather condescending.
Robert then literally shakes himself and says "I am sorry. That did not sound right. Thank you so much. Where did you find her?"
"She found me. She tucked at my coat and told me that she had lost her Papa. The salesman in the candy shop told me who she was so I brought her home."
"Thank you so very much," Robert says again, turns around and leaves.
She does not know what she expected but it wasn't this. Fighting disappointment and tears she returns to the village.
Let me know what you think!
Have a great day everyone,
Kat