The Tutor by Bonnie Read Free Book Online

time. The boys were so
    quiet in their play on the far side of the very large room, it was almost like being alone.
    The pendulum of the mantel clock ticked. Fire crackled on the hearth. Rain pattered on the casement. And I capped my pen, set my journal aside, and allowed myself to drift into a doze in the comfortable armchair.
    But the dreams that filled my sleep were not comfortable at all. When I jerked
    awake, my heart beat quickly, and I gasped for breath as if I’d been running. I couldn’t recall what I’d dreamed of, but a sense of darkness filled me, a mournful feeling of hopelessness completely at odds with my normally equitable disposition.
    I shook it off and glanced over to check on the boys.
    A village built with large wooden blocks, curved arches, and triangular rooftops
    filled the floor, but Whit and Clive were nowhere to be seen. They’d escaped again.
    Did I really need to go after them? If they wanted their tea, they would return. On the other hand, I couldn’t afford for them to pester the staff and someone to report to Allinson that his new tutor exercised no control.
    Reluctantly, I grabbed the pair of shoes I’d taken off for comfort’s sake and slid my feet into them. Rather than smooth leather, prickles and pain met my feet.
    “Ouch! Damnation!”
    I dragged off the shoes and upended one. Bits of thorny barberry twigs and green
    stuff that might have been nettle sifted from them to land on the floor. Another boyish prank from the twin imps. I cursed the boys under my breath as I cleaned up the mess and checked to make sure every bit of nature was removed from my shoes.
    I’d thought I had them in the palm of my hand, that I’d created a bond with them
    already after only one day. But apparently it had been a temporary truce. The war was not yet over.
    The rest of the day ticked by slowly. I was used to the bustle of London and the
    companionship of friends. This solitary existence in a quiet backwater was going to take some getting used to. How winter would drag with just me and a pair of brats getting along together. I felt sorry for myself and moped for a while. But I’m nothing if not resilient. I stiffened my upper lip, and by the time tea arrived and the twins straggled back into the room, I’d regained my composure. I behaved as if their coming and going at will did not bother me and acted as if no prickly bits had found their way into my shoes.
    We ate, and after the meal, I took out a deck of cards and board and offered to
    teach them cribbage. As I dealt, I explained the complicated game, which should
    mathematically challenge a pair of young children. They’d learn statistics and quick addition in order to calculate their points. The game filled the rest of the evening, and when I called an end due to bedtime, Clive was far ahead.

Chapter Six
    The shy maid who’d been cleaning the floor earlier came to get the boys ready for
    sleep. I retired to my own room for a much-needed break. But I could hear the sounds of washing up from the other room. The boys seemed surprisingly compliant.
    Was I meant to tuck them in and say good night? I wasn’t sure what my duties in
    this strange situation actually included, hired as a tutor but expected to do much more than teach. Ultimately, I chose to leave the boys in Molly’s care and sat to scribble a bit more on the story I’d become quite invested in.
    After I’d written for a while, I thought I’d read, but the few books I’d brought
    along I knew nearly by heart. Again I felt homesick for the many entertainments and friendships of my city life. Figuring the library must be extensive in a house like this, I decided to go in search of it as a distraction for my restlessness.
    I walked down the hall, past the twins’ quiet bedroom. The impenetrable silence
    in the huge house made me imagine that there was no other life there. Everyone had died or disappeared, and I was all alone. I drew my robe around me like a suit of armor that