Philloise Re-Written

Chapter Five

. . . implore you, Mother, you MUST punish Daphne. It is NOT FAIR that I am the only one sent to bed without pudding. And for a week. A week is far too long. Especially since it was all mostly Daphne's idea.

—from Eloise Bridgerton to her mother, left upon Violet Bridgerton's night table during Eloise's tenth year.

"Get off of me, Oliver!" Amanda's muffled screeches could be heard from out in the corridor.

"You've got rope for hair! What do you do with rope? Oh yes, you pull on it. Like this!"

Oliver's taunts rose in volume as the two children stumbled through the door of their lesson room, their nursemaid hot on their heels.

"Will you little imps just -! Ah, Miss Bridgerton." A flushed and breathless old nursemaid greeted Eloise as she leaned against the door frame.

Eloise had been waiting patiently for the past twenty minutes for the twins to arrive, reading one of the books Phillip had sent to her to pass the time. She stood from her chair at the front of the room, book still in hand, and approached the trio.

"Good morning, children. I trust you slept well?" Eloise greeted them. She smiled at their nurse, but she had already turned to leave. Amanda glowered at Eloise as she fidgeted with her braids. Oliver's giggling and taunts had stopped and his mouth was now curved in a frown.

"Now," Eloise slammed shut the book she was still holding, smiling smugly when this made both Oliver and Amanda jump. She paced before them as she spoke, "I understand you don't want me here. That much was made abundantly clear in yesterday's little demonstration. Unfortunately, the fact remains that I am here and I am here to stay for at least a fortnight. You can do your best to dissuade me, but I assure I am immovable as a mountain."

Eloise stopped pacing and met their eyes with conviction, only continuing to move when they had both looked away from her formidable gaze.

"So tell me," Eloise sat behind a small desk at the front of the room and gestured to the children to sit at their desks. They did not do so and instead continued to stand and stare at their new governess. She leaned forward, with her hands folded neatly on the desk in front of her. "What do you like to do?"

The children blinked. They looked at each other. They turned back to face Eloise. Oliver's eyes were wide saucers, but Amanda was squinting at her with such seriousness it was a wonder she could see at all.

"What do you mean?" Amanda asked.

"Shall I repeat the question? I thought it simple enough."

"No that's not-

"This is not how our lessons are supposed to go." Oliver stated, his brow furrowed.

"Oh yes? Well then tell me. How are they supposed to go?"

"You should sit there, tell us to read some silly book in a silly language or do some tricky sums. Then we wait for you to inevita-bibbly fall asleep and we-" Oliver was cut off when Amanda whacked him on the shoulder. "Hey!" He hit her back, and so ensued a series of blows from one to the other. Shrieks and screeches sounded from them both, but Eloise made no move to stop the violence. She sat back in her chair and feigned checking her cuticles. When they had finally stopped and were standing breathless before her, Amanda trying to fix her hair after it had loosened and Oliver rubbing a sore spot on his upper arm, Eloise spoke again without looking up.

"Inevitably." The children stared at her again.

"The word you were trying to say, Oliver, was inevitably." Eloise continued, now looking at the confused boy and enunciating with great emphasis. "Listen," Eloise got up from behind her desk and moved to crouch in front of the children so that she could look at them eye-to-eye.