Nanny Diaries 3 - Pride and Prejudice

The Plot Thickens

"I think you have earned a glass of wine, Miss Stewart." Colin Hughes sighed, exactly five hours later, as he handed Annie a large glass of red, whilst Helen and I had sparkling water, for our efforts. We were sitting around the kitchen table again, which had been cleared and cleaned after lunch, whilst the girls had been bathed and put into their cots on schedule. Papa had done the washing up, with some help from me, with Helen and Annie seeing to the seven girls. "And Daphne, you have done really well...Mama and I are so pleased with you...thank you for being so helpful with your sisters."

"Thank you for trusting me, Papa." I replied, which was the right answer, if the look Mama gave me was anything to do by.

"I wanted to talk to you all because we have a problem," Colin said, sitting back in his chair and holding his own glass up to the light, before taking a large sip. "Karen Davenport cannot work for us anymore...not by her own choice...or mine, really...but her family objected to her working...and by her family, I mean her uncle...Mr Richard Ellesmere. I will assume that you don't know the gentlemen, Miss Stewart?"

"No, Sir?"

"He is a church elder...although he is only actually a year or two older than me...and a very influential man, not only within this community but also with my employers. He made it clear to me that he did not approve of his niece working in any capacity. Obviously, before today, I did not know Karen was his niece, and frankly, she had no reason to ask his permission or even think about him...because her mother...Mr Ellesmere's sister...was shunned as a teenager...a maiden...and she has had nothing to do with her Meadvale family since."

"Does she have reason to ask his permission now, Sir?" Annie asked, looking confused. She had learned a lot about the church and the Meadvale community in her six months living in the village, and she certainly knew what shunning was, but understandably, she could not work out why Karen's estranged uncle was suddenly deciding who she could or could not work for. And neither could I, if I am honest.

"Right now, Karen is a maiden, I suppose...under some discipline at least...she spotted her mother at church, and when Mr Ellesmere realised who she was, when she tried to talk to Mrs Davenport, he...invited her...to go back to his house, with her mother." Colin explained as my eyes got wider and wider. Helen took hold of my hand under the table and gave it a squeeze to let me know she was there, and urge me to hold my tongue. I had to remember my place.

"Um...Mr Hughes...Karen would never do that...willingly?" Annie pointed out, which I had to agree with, but Papa just sighed again and drank some more wine.

"Karen had not worked since she left Norland College...as I understand it, she was receiving a generous allowance from her father...but that stopped, suddenly...which was why she was looking for a job when we needed a new nanny and was so readily available. It would appear that, rather than insisting that his daughter earned her own money for a change, which would probably have been reasonable in the circumstances, the money had abruptly run out and she needed the salary. Since then...although Karen was blissfully unaware of it...Mr Davenport's financial situation seems to have got worse. Last week, without consulting his wife, he cleared out all his bank accounts and fled the country...with his personal assistant...leaving behind a mountain of debts, which Mrs Davenport was liable for. In sheer desperation, she turned to her family for help. I am not sure of all the details, but I would say that Karen and her mother are beholden...to use an old-fashioned term...to Mr Ellesmere...so I am not sure her willingness or otherwise is that relevant...at the moment."

"And that is really none of our business, of course." Helen added, squeezing again.

"I am her friend...of sorts...a close colleague...I can't stand aside and ignore it if she is being forced to do something she doesn't want to do, Mrs Hughes?" Annie said, firmly, clearly not agreeing with Mama.