Travels through Time, Part Three
by Jamie


"If you like, you can board at our house and watch over the children. The eldest is 10 years old and the youngest is 1 year old. Do you have any experience being a governess, Miss Bradley?" Lady Pellew asked Amy.
"I have baby sat for my nieces and nephews when they were little and I helped out in the nursery at church," Amy replied. Everything of that was true. Amy decided that it was best to tell the truth, where the truth fit. Where the truth didn't fit, she would change the facts. She always took her nieces and nephews to the movie theater. That part she could not tell. Movie Theaters were not going to be around for another hundred years.
Lady Pellew looked at Amy and was pleased she was a God fearing person. She wanted a wholesome person to watch over her children. She smiled at Amy as she said, "That is good to hear, and it is a start. Where are your things? I am sure Lt. Kennedy can help you with your move."
"Well, ah -- I don't you have anything. Just the clothes on my back."
"You poor thing! You DO need help. How have you been paying your lodging bills?"
"I just got off the ship this morning. I promise I will work hard for you and will cause no trouble," Amy told Lady Pellew. She hoped that a ship had arrived that morning. What would she do if there was none? What with the Indy being in dock. They would know if a ship came in this morning. Would they call her bluff, if there had been no ship?
Lady Pellew extended her hand to Amy and said, "I don't think you will be any trouble. Come with me, dear. I have a carriage waiting outside. Good day, Edward, I will give the children your regards. Try not to worry about things beyond your control. I am sure Mr. Hornblower will be in good hands on his new ship."
"I know you are right. It just bothers me to lose one of my best men," Captain Pellew told her.
Archie was standing in the doorway. Amy looked towards him to see if he was still there and see if he had any reaction to the Captain's statement. While watching the TV mini-series, it seemed like Captain Pellew thought of Archie as an afterthought. Not that he didn't like Archie, but that Archie was a tag-a-long of Horatio. Now that Horatio was going on the Renown, would Archie become more favored in the Captain's eyes?
Lady Pellew walked out of the room and Amy followed her. As she was going through the door, she stopped to say to Archie, "I thank you for all your help, Lt. Kennedy. Hopefully, we can meet again, sometime."
"I would like that, Miss Bradley. It was my pleasure to help someone, such as you. Good day," Archie said as he bowed to her. Amy could not help but to smile back at him, when he flashed his smile to her.
Archie turned and watched her walk down the hall as she left. Captain Pellew cleared his throat to get Archie's attention. He got it.
"Yes, sir?" Archie asked.
"Kennedy, I don't want your mind in the clouds thinking about a woman. With Hornblower getting transferred, I will be needing your help. You will be kept busy here. Is that understood, Mr. Kennedy?" Captain Pellew told him.
"Aye, aye, sir," Archie told his Captain.
"Very good. That is all, get back to work."
Archie walked back to the mess and thought about the blonde, blue eyed woman he had just met. She was not classically beautiful, but she had a certain something. She did something to him. It was something that he hadn't felt in a long time. He did hope to see her again. Maybe he could do an errand for the Captain to his Lady and then get a chance to see her.
Amy thought about Archie and her situation here. If she was going to be here. She might as well make the most of everything. As for Archie, she wanted to see him again, but the first obstacle in her way was the skirt of her dress and walking up steps without killing herself.
She wasn't sure how was the best method was to hike up her skirts and still be lady like. She wanted to wrap them around her arm and hike her skirts to her knees. That just would not do, but she would not trip, if she picked up her skirts in that manner. The best way was to grab a little fabric with each hand and hike only to the ankle. She did this affect and looked around the ship as she and Lady Pellew were getting off. The ship had a lot of men on it. She had not noticed when she boarded. Her eyes were only on Archie and Horatio.
She boarded the carriage in the same manner as she dealt with the steps. She tried her best to be lady like. It was a bit hard. Amy always thought she was more like a bull in a china shop. She was not much of a lady. In fact, what she called a lady was not a compliment. It meant a snooty woman, who didn't like getting her hands dirty. Amy didn't mind getting her hands dirty.
As she got in the carriage, she was amazed to see how ornate it was inside. There were soft, velvet cushions and on the wall, there was a vase for flowers. The vase was empty, but Amy thought it would look so nice with flowers in it. There was a blanket on the bench. She thought that was nice. She thought of riding in a carriage with Archie and how romantic it would be. She looked outside the carriage and looked through the town. Plymouth and England for that matter, didn't disappoint her in looks. It made her feel like she was at home. The architecture of the city was much like it was in her own town. Some of the buildings in her hometown were built in the 1700s. So, the style should be the same.
Lady Pellew got Amy out of her reverie and asked, "Amy, isn't it?"
"Yes, Ma'am," Amy answered.
"Tell me something about yourself, Amy," Lady Pellew asked.
"I am the youngest of three girls. My father was a teacher and has been retired for sometime. He is now an invalid. I am unmarried and live with my mother and father, so I can help my mother with my father," Amy said.
"Where are you from?"
"Pennsylvania."
"Why are you here? You not be at home with your mother and father?"
"Yes, I know I should be with them. I had a little accident. I was exploring a ship, when I fell and hit my head. The next thing I know, the boat is in the Atlantic and on its way to England. I felt like I was in Captains Courageous. They would not let Freddie Bartholomew off the ship until they docked, either."
Lady Pellew wondered who she was talking about. It must be a book or something. She liked reading, but did not take the time to read. She had never heard of a book with that title. Maybe it was only published where she was from.
"Could that be the reason that you didn't have any other clothes? I suppose your trip was a little unplanned," Lady Pellew said graciously.
"You could say that. Do you know where I could post a letter? I have to send a letter to my parents and tell them I am safe."
Amy knew that she had to write that letter even if her parents were alive yet. She knew she had to keep up appearances. Plus, it would be good in her research for her stories. This was her chance to get background material.
"Just give your letter to Butler. He will see that it is posted and sent to its proper place."
"As to my proper place, what will my station be in your household? Will I be a servant or a guest?"
"You will be a servant more than a guest. I want you to dine with the family when the Captain is not dining with us. I want you to help teach the children proper table manners. When there is entertaining and such, you are to eat dinner in the servants quarters. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Ma'am," Amy said as she nodded.
"You will be given your own bedroom and I will show you the nursery. That is where you will spend most of your time. I want you to teach the children reading, writing and arithmetic. I also want you to entertain them. You may take them out to the gardens when the weather is good. Air is good for children."
"Yes, ma'am," Amy agreed with her.
Amy hoped the nursery would be filled with toys and that the children would be like normal kids. Since the Pellews were obviously well to do from Lady Pellew's exquisite gown, to the elegant carriage, to the grand and ornate three story stone mansion they were driving up to. The house had an iron fence around it and the driveway was in the form of a half circle. Amy thought it was very classy.
One gentleman helped them out of the carriage and another held the front door open for them.
"Thank you, Butler," Lady Pellew said to the butler.
Amy expected for Lady Pellew to call the woman coming towards them, "maid". Then she realized that the butler's name was Butler.
Lady Pellew spoke to the woman and said, "Mrs. Stowe, this is Amy Bradley. She will be the children's governess. Please see a room is made up for her. Ask cook to bring us some tea and cake and bring it to the parlor, will you please?"
"Yes, Ma'am," Mrs. Stowe said as she curtsied.
Lady Pellew said to Amy, "I thought you would like to join me for tea before meeting the children. Please have a seat, I would be honored if you join me."
Amy liked this idea. She could get used to this. She saw a fancy little armchair and sat down. Her dress flew up in her face. Amy smiled an ashamedly and tried to sit on the edge of the chair. She missed the edge of the chair and fell on the floor. Now, she was mortified. She tried to avoid Lady Pellew's glare. Amy now understood why the Lady had chosen to sit on the settee rather than a chair.
Amy got up and uttered, "Maybe I should sit on the sofa. I don't know if
I will get a handle on all these petticoats. I do hear that they are going to come out with this new gowns, in which you won't have so many petticoats. It won't be
as warm, but you won't have to worry about making a fool of yourself when you
sit down."
"I have heard that there are dresses coming out like that. I have seen them at some of the balls given during the season. They really show off one's figure. It will make dressing a lot easier. Here comes Megan with our tea," Lady Pellew told Amy with a sly smile.
Lady Pellew could tell that Amy was not a rich girl, even if her dress was a well made one. She didn't seem to mind the vernacular manner of her being.
She was nice and seemed to be honest. How many people would admit to their shortcomings? Being a bit of a klutz seemed like one of Amy's flaws.
Megan sat down the tray in front of the ladies and left the room. Lady Pellew poured the tea and gave some to Amy. She then offered her some cake.
Amy took a small piece. She hoped not to drop any crumbs on her dress.
"The Captain and I have five children. Julia, the eldest, is 10 years old. Then there is Paul, who is 8, Frederick, who is 6, Emma, who is 5 and George, who is a year old. They are, for the most part, very well behaved children," Lady Pellew said to Amy. Just then, a child's shout could be heard from the other room.
"Mummy! Mummy, Paul threw my dolly in the mud! Punish him, Mummy!" Emma cried as she held her muddy doll. Her hands, shoes and dress had mud caked on them.
Paul and Frederick followed her. Paul contradicted his sister, by saying, "Mum, don't listen to her. Freddie did it!"
"I did not! You are a liar!" Frederick said as he pushed his brother.
Amy smiled at the children. She wanted to be in charge of normal kids and these seemed like normal kids.
"Stop it! Now I want all of you to behave yourselves and meet your new governess. Where is your sister?" Lady Pellew demanded.
"She is upstairs playing with George. How do you do, Miss, my name is Emma." Emma said.
"How do you do? My name is Amy Bradley. We can do a lot of things together. We will have a lot of fun together," Amy said to Emma.
"Yeah, girl things. How sissy," Paul said.
"We could do sword fights. With a fake sword, of course. We will have to do that outside. I don't think your mother would approve of that kind of play in the house. Too rowdy and too man like," Amy joked with him.
Paul looked at her and said, "You don't seem like the last governess. All she wanted to do was to teach us how to be proper citizens."
"We have to have time to learn things and we can have time to play. We can fit both into a day. Would you like that?" Amy asked Paul.
Paul shook his head ëyes'. Amy smiled at the boy. She would like this job. It seemed like it would be a diversion, if not anything else.