Nanny Diaries 2 - The New Litter

Gentle Interrogation

"See if you can mess for me, little one." I murmured, wrapping my arms around Henrietta as she finished her morning bottle on my lap. She was still sucking but she shook her head, not at all happy with my instruction after the day before, when I had rather overindulged all four girls in an effort to encourage their performance. I know I could have continued taking a softer line with them, and I was tempted but it would have been a dereliction of my duty and the longer I left it, the harder it would be to get them into any sort of routine. She was in just her nappy and a dressing gown, as I had only just got her out of her cot, and her sisters were still in their cots beside us. Bella was feeding Caris.

"I can use the toilet." She spluttered around the teat, as the last of the formula was gone.

"No, Henrietta...I put you on the toilet...sometimes...but you will use your diapers most of the time, like a good little girl." I sighed, pushing her pacifier between her lips. "Be sensible little one...I don't want to spank you, but I will if I have to...and when we get you home to your grandmother, she will want you to be messing without all this fuss."

"Caris never makes such a big fuss, Henrietta." Bella pointed out, which was rather an unfair comparison, but true, nonetheless. My sweet Caris was a natural nursling and her desperation to please me knew no bounds. Her parents had never given her much time or affection, and as soon as I appeared in her life, she latched onto me like a limpet, and I knew that it was exactly the right thing for her. She had messed up her exams the previous June, which was why I had been asked to take her on, and she would have three years in the nursery to get her childhood out of her system and get brilliant grades, because her studies were going so well.

"You may not want your life to change, Henrietta...but we do not always get what we want in life, and I think you need a proper family and some care and attention, just as much as your cousin does...so, are you going to be good for me, or do I have to mess you?" I whispered, as I felt the fight go out of her. She did not want to see the paddle, which is exactly what the paddle is for, of course. I kissed the top of her head, seeing the tears in her eyes, but she needed to go, after twelve hours in her cot and a large bottle, and I felt her diaper swell before she even started to whimper. "Good girl...now you can wait in the playpen whilst I see to your sisters and then we can change you altogether."

I do not like to leave any child in a dirty diaper for long. But sometimes it does do them some good to be reminded that they have to wait for things. I also decided to give them all a much-needed bath, as we had not attempted that so far, and we managed to squeeze all four of them into the good-sized tub for a good scrub down. It was almost an hour later when I got Henrietta into her highchair, and I could tell that she had slipped a little further into character. I fed her more prunes and porridge, washed down with apple juice, and she was just as good as gold for me, which impressed her grandfather. All three girls were behaving in fact, but I got the distinct impression that we were just in a lull, as if the children were expecting something to happen to change things again and were prepared to wait me out. But forgetting about that, I asked Mr Brewster whether the girls had any schoolwork they should be doing, as I needed something to occupy them with.

"I am told they had a tutor on the set...or whatever they call it...and he is supposed to set them online lessons, as I understand it...but I have found nothing from him."

"Would it be safe to assume that the tutor was provided by the studio, Sir?" I asked, because I had read that child actors often had lessons when they were filming. I was not sure what was going on between the studio and Mr Brewster, because it was his business obviously, and I was just the hired help, however much he appreciated my assistance. I had soon learned to know my place in the Hughes household, because there were times when I was very much part of the family, and things which Helen Hughes trusted me with implicitly, but there were other times when I needed to disappear into the background and let them get on with things. And I was on very friendly terms with Helen, whereas Mr Brewster and I had only met when I walked into the Durante house.