She glanced around once more, attentive to the room around her. Nothing. So she followed the chauffeur down one of the side hallways that led deeper into the wing.
Where the foyer had classic, antique decor, the office had muscled its way into a more modern design scheme. Old books vied with new binders and recent classics on the bookshelves. Art from artists of the current times shared the walls with an impressive, classical portrait of an older man, which looked over the office from behind the desk.
The desk itself remained a heavy, hardwood monstrosity that had to have seen times before both World Wars, but three large, state-of-the-art displays hovered above it on adjustable monitor arms, full of web browser tabs, spreadsheets, and documents. Instead of a leather executive chair, an ergonomic seat made of mesh and light metal sat behind the desk.
In it worked a man, head bowed as he made notes in a ledger. His hair hovered on the line between “dark blond” and “light brown”, far lighter than the poor picture she had seen in the news article Athena showed her.Maybe he’s decided to dye it?That didn’t seem like the only change, though. He looked smaller, narrower of shoulder, and though Hanna found it difficult to say with him seated, she would have sworn he was shorter as well.
His face only confused her more. The picture had not shown him with any clarity, but this man didn’t look like him at all. A prickle of nerves jolted through her as she wondered if she really had been baited into a dangerous scheme, if she’d gauged the job wrong and the background check had been part of an elaborate ruse to bring her here for nefarious purposes.
The man behind the desk smiled. “Didn’t get lost after all, then, Greg?”
“Not for lack of trying. I’m not impressed with the traffic around Manchester Airport,” the chauffeur said.
Hanna turned to stare at him as the realization dawned through the fog of exhaustion in her mind.Greg. He looked familiar. Dark hair. Strong build. Oh, my God.
The chauffeur smiled. “Hello, Miss Sparrow. This is Martin Hughes, my friend and personal assistant. I’m Gregory Pierce. It’s nice to meet you.”
Her mind had only one reply to this new information.I just told my prospective employer that I drink milk out of the carton.
3
The Governess
“I’m sorry for the deception, Miss Sparrow. Ever since I took the company over, maybe even before then, I’ve found it difficult to actually get to know people. Once they know who I am, it’s all performance art.”
Gregory had directed her to the plush, comfortable chair nearest his workspace, then taken his own seat behind the desk. As he spoke, he called up several documents on the screens. Hanna could see her name on most of them. Martin remained in the room, silent and discreet in a chair that sat in the far corner.Guess it’s time for the actual interview now.
She nervously folded her hands in her lap, trying not to worry at the fabric of her skirt. “Hanna, please. I’m not going to lie. Once I knew who you were, Mister Pierce, I probably would have done the same.”
“Gregory is fine, or Greg. But you’re not going to put up the facade now?” Gregory glanced over at her.
“I’m going to try not to. What’s the point in it? You know my worst habit already.”
He chuckled. “That’s true. But you know mine, so there’s no need to feel bad about it. We’re human. What’s a little milk out of the jug between friends? Anyway, I needed to get a real sense for the kind of person you are. The position you’re here for is just too important to me not to.”
“I understand. You can’t just hire a nanny based on her best behavior.”
“A governess.” He leaned back in his chair. “I know. That sounds like a pedantic distinction, but it is strangely vital.”
This is where it gets really weird, isn’t it.“All right, then. A governess. Though if we’re being honest with each other, between the switcheroo with your assistant, the lack of anything childlike or childproofed in this manor, and the fine distinction between ‘nanny’ and ‘governess’, I’m a little anxious over here.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve done a bad job of explaining all this.” Gregory smiled, warm and genuine, but worried, too. “Let me start with the obvious. There’s no child in this house. There’s me, my mother, and my grandmother, plus Martin, a nurse for my grandmother, and a scant house staff. So now you’re wondering, why do they need a governess if there are no kids here?”
“You have to admit, it’s a compelling question.”
“No lie there. Here’s whereIget nervous, because what I’m telling you is personal. It cuts deep. If you’d been unkind in the car, you would never have heard this explanation.” He took a deep breath, then let it out again. “My grandmother isn’t well, Miss Sparrow. We don’t know how much time she has left.”
“Oh, Gregory, I’m so sorry.” She leaned forward. It took effort not to reach out to touch his hand, but she would have had to stretch.And we don’t know each other that well.
“Thank you. I’m sorry, too. She’s an amazing woman. She raised me, and I’m only a man worth knowing because she did so. I love her dearly.” Though he tried to control his voice, Hanna could hear the sorrow in it, the adoration.
“We all do,” Martin chimed in. “Vivian is a bright soul.”
“She has Martin charmed,” Gregory said, with a soft chuckle. “Like she does everyone she meets. But her health is fragile. The worst insult of this is that she has started manifesting symptoms of dementia. It’s going to take her from us, a little bit at a time, and then there will be difficult decisions. She’s just at the start of it, but it’s begun to affect her reasoning and behavior.”
Hanna’s brow furrowed. “That’s heartbreaking.”
“I wish the rest of the explanation didn’t make it more so. Gran always dreamed about a house like this one.” Gregory gestured around him. “From the time she was little and could readPride and Prejudice, she wanted to live in this kind of place. So when my grandfather died, I bought one for her. Took me a little while to get everything together for it, but frankly, I’d be damned if I didn’t fulfill that woman’s dream in her twilight years. She is now the Lady of Greenhill Hall.”