Nanny of the house

Chapter 1

The South Riding estate was a grand house situated in the centre of a forest, hidden by trees and hard to find for those that didn't already know of it's location. Not that there were many that didn't as it belonged to Lord Marques Norden, the local holder of the lands around and tax collector of the growing town of Caerphilly.

He both collected taxes as well as lent money to the townsfolk with reasonable repayment plans with low interest. He was an honest and quite boring man, deep into his accounting books and little time for a family life. He like many other nobles and aristocrats hired house servants such as maids, butlers and gardeners. Lord Marques also had a beautiful but quiet wife, Samantha Norden, and a son, Henry Norden.

Again, as with most upper class families they hired a nanny. A Miss Lydia Dortmund. She was a soft faced lady passed her prime but still had a lot of life in her. Even without speaking she could brighten up the room with her presence and even just as a baby Henry loved her.

Each morning she would wake up before the crack of dawn to prepare breakfast for the family with the other maids. Conversation was light as usual as they got on with their duties until the light of the sun poured in through the window to lightly kiss the ground. Lydia sighed happily to herself, this was her favourite time of year. Autumn was on the horizon as one could tell by the technicolour leaves on the turning trees, the only other time of year that could possible match would Spring but there was just something about the almost glow that happens at sunrise and sunset that made nature Autumn so endearing.

Lydia made her way up the stairs to Henry's bedroom to wake the young boy. He'd not long turned eleven and was turning into quite the charming little man. She smiled to herself thinking of how much he'd grown. Being a nanny was the most rewarding job she thought, just being able to see the kids grow up and develop was a blessing.

The nanny opened the heavy, thick curtains to allow the room to be embarrassed by the warm, bright light of the morning sun. She gazed out the window, dark brown eyes looking over the forest to the town around them and smiled. She was brought back to the present by a small groan that emitted from the person that had been previously sleeping. Lydia held in a small giggle as she glanced over to the Lord's son, sprawled across the bed. His arm seemingly aiming to touch the floor with the pillow hugged to his chest with his other arm and his blanket so far down the bed only his feet were covered.

"Good morning Master Henry, it's time to wake up. For breakfast we have eggs and bacon on freshly baked bread." As she announced his meal he brought his hands to his eyes to rub them with a long loud yawn. "My my, any wider and you'll catch flies." She smiled looking down to the young man endearingly as she pulled the bedcovers off of him completely and walked to his wardrobe to get his clothes ready. The boy giggled in response.

"Good morning Miss Lydia." He brought himself to sit up as the nanny brought over his clothes to help him dress. "Miss Lydia?" He questioned lightly as she buttoned up his shirt.

"Yes, Master Henry?"

"Do you think I could play in the woods today?"

"You want to play in the leaves?" He nodded eagerly in response and she offered him a hand to lead him down to the dining room.

"We'll see how much homework you have after school today."

"Okay." He pouted a little but didn't argue.

The days continued on with such a fashion, Henry was just as fascinated by the change in the leaves as Lydia and they spent many an afternoon walking through the forest in the estate mesmerised by it's beauty. At least that was the case until Henry became very ill.

As Autumn starting to dissolve into Winter, the mornings and afternoons grew darker and with it Henry's illness seemed to worsen. Lydia hovered outside his bedroom door filled with worry as the town Doctor saw to him. Henry's parents in with him as she listened through the door. The Doctor explained that he didn't know what was causing the boy to be so ill but he should be kept inside until the fever has passed.

Lydia sat on Henry's bed, a soup bowl in her hands as he was sat up, eyes half lidded and unfocused as she fed him. He covered his mouth as he spluttered into a coughing fit and Lydia waited, fighting back tears, his croaked voice pulling at her heartstrings. When he was done tears slipped from his eyes and he reached out to hold a part of her apron.

"M-Miss Lydia?" He struggled and panted a little, lost for breath and sweating.

"Yes, Master Henry?" Her once usual happy demeanour was poisoned with sorrow as he looked up to her with his exhausted grey eyes. They were red and bloodshot, looking puffy and swollen along with the rest of his flushed face.

"...Am I..." He trembled as more tears stung his eyes. "A-am I going t-to die?" Lydia found it difficult to hold in her shock and worry. He shook more, fear growing inside him. It grew in her too as she put the bowl down on the bedside table and came fully onto the bed. Moving Henry so he was sitting in her lap and pulled him into a hug.

"No, not at all. Whatever made you think that?" She was fighting her own tears as she stroked his back. The last visit from the Doctor didn't go well and the medication he was given didn't seem to be doing anything. She gave him a comforting squeeze before letting him go a little as he dove into another coughing fit. She continued to stroke his back and held him close. As he calmed down she started to hum a song to him, it was something her mother would sing to her to get her to sleep.

It wasn't long before he slipped into slumber and Lydia manoeuvred herself so that he was laying in bed as she pulled the covers over him. She touched the back of her hand against his head to check his temperature, he was so warm and clammy. She had to tear herself away to continue her duties around the house, taking the soup bowl down with her to the kitchen as she noticed one of the maids quickly stuffing something in a cupboard before tensing as she heard Lydia speak up.

"Julia?..." The young lady closed the cupboard door and brushed her apron down in an attempt to look nonchalant. Lydia didn't buy it as she stepped over a more stern expression on her face. "If the Lord finds you hiding alcohol to drink, he'll have you fired." Julia backed up as the nanny opened the cupboard to look inside. Julia was new but should know the rules of the house, Lydia thought to herself. Her dark brown eyes looked over the spices in the cupboard before noticing that some seemed to have been pushed out the way for something to be put near the back in a hurry.

Lydia reached in to take the container for closer inspection. It was unlabelled.

"Julia, what is thi-....?" Before she could finish her sentence she felt a sharp pain to the back of her head and everything went black.