The Black Opal by Victoria Holt Read Free Book Online Page B

dress.
    Then there occurred that event which was to shape the future for us all at Commonwood House. Mrs. Harley, the vicar’s wife, had a slight stroke and Miss Harley was unable to continue teaching us because she had to look after her mother. Estella was now ten years old and a new governess had to be engaged.
    Uncle Toby would expect me to be educated with her and so I should share the new governess.
    1 often wondered what would have happened to me with out Uncle Toby. I knew it was solely due to his champion ship that 1 was allowed to partake of the crumbs which fell from the table of the rich.
    As a consequence, the governess was engaged to teach us, and so Miss Kitty Carson came to Commonwood House.
     
    When we heard that we were to have a governess, Estella and I shared mixed feelings. There was excitement and apprehension. We discussed her constantly between the time of her appointment and her arrival at Commonwood House.
    What would she be like? She would be old and ugly, declared Estella.
    She would have hairs on her chin like old Mrs. Cram in the village who, some people said, was a witch.
    “She can’t be very old,” I protested.
    “If she were, she’d be too old to teach.”
    “She’ll give us hard sums and make us sit at the table until we finish them.”
    “She might be all right.”
    “Governesses never are. Nanny says they’re neither one thing nor the other. They don’t belong anywhere. Think they’re above the servants and they are not good enough for the others. They give themselves airs downstairs and crawl to the family. I’m going to hate her anyway. I shall be so horrid to her that she’ll go away.”
    “You might wait and see what she’s like first.”
    “I know,” said Estella. She had made up her mind.
    On the day of the governess’s arrival, we were at an upstairs window, watching as the station fly brought her to the house. We gazed intently as she stepped out and made her way to the gate and up the path with Tom Fellows, who drove the fly, carrying her bags.
    She was tall and slender. I noticed with relief that she was not in the least like old Mrs. Cram. In fact, she looked very pleasant-not exactly handsome, but with such a gentle and attractive expression that I thought she would be easy to get on with. She might have been in her late twenties. In fact, just what I thought a governess ought to be.
    As soon as she entered the house, Estella and I left the window and crept to the top of the stairs. We saw that she was taken into Mrs. Marline’s room. The door was shut,
     
    so we could not hear what was said. Then Mrs. Marline’s bell rang and Nanny, who was hovering, went into the room.
    She came out with the governess. Nanny was rather tight-lipped. She did not like the idea of a governess in the house. She might have felt she threatened her authority in some way, and I knew that she was preparing to find fault with Miss Kitty Carson.
    We dodged back as they came upstairs and we hid in one of the rooms, leaving the door slightly open, so that we could hear.
    “It’s this way,” said Nanny coldly; and then suddenly Dr. Marline appeared.
    I peeped round the door and saw them as they were just passing.
    The doctor smiled very pleasantly and said: “You must be Miss Carson?”
    “Yes,” said the governess.
    “Welcome to Commonwood House.”
    “Thank you.”
    “I hope you will be happy here. You haven’t met the girls yet, I suppose?”
    “No,” she said.
    “Nanny will send for them,” he told her.
    Suppressing our giggles, Estella and I remained very quiet until they had passed on to the room which had been prepared for Miss Carson on the second floor. Then we came into the corridor and walked sedately up the stairs.
    “Oh, here they are,” said Nanny Gilroy.
    “And Adeline?” said the doctor.
    “She will be in her room,” replied Nanny.
    “Carmel, run up and bring her down.”
    “But first. Miss Carson,” put in the doctor, ‘here are your two