Free The Impossible Governess by Margaret Bennett

tight.
    ~~~~~
    A pattern developed concerning Raynor’s obligation to his niece.  Originally scheduled for three days a week, the teas wordlessly expanded to a daily affair.  Lady Ashbury was present to lend her support.  And much to Raynor’s irritation, Will Townsend made his appearance on the stroke of the appointed hour each afternoon and met Georgeanne and Marissa in the hall outside the drawing room.
    To Raynor’s further disgust, the one occasion Townsend chanced to be a few minutes early, he’d resolutely refused Bivens’ s entreaty to join his host.  Worse, Marissa was ecstatic over the attention she got from Uncle Will, as Townsend insisted she call him.  Townsend made a great show of greeting the child with exaggerated bows, kissing her tiny fingers, and leading her grandly in to the drawing room.
    Neither was Raynor pleased with Georgeanne’s easy rapport with Townsend.  Of course, Raynor knew he was behaving badly.  Whereas Will enlivened the atmosphere, Raynor staunchly maintained his dour and reticent mien.  That was not to say he was rude precisely, for he did answer questions posed directly to him.  But he seldom contributed to a discussion or introduced a topic.
    Still, Raynor noticed his taciturnity did little to detract from the general gaiety of the company.  It seemed his determination to remain aloof was understood, and everyone simply elected to ignore him.  It did occur to him that his annoyance with Townsend might be attributed to jealously.  Especially when Raynor turned a scornful eye on Georgeanne as her unbridled laughter ran out along with Marissa’s childish giggles at one of Will’s silly jibes.  But no, Raynor decided.  He was merely miffed because he’d lost Marissa’s undivided attention.
    So one afternoon, Raynor planned a surprise for his little niece.  As she came into the room and walked over to him to drop a very correct curtsy, he watched her eyes light up as he withdrew from inside his coat a squirming little ball of russet fur and set it on the rug at her feet.
    “Uncle Tony, is that for me?” she cried, plopping down cross-legged on the floor.  The cocker spaniel immediately pounced on Marissa’s billowing pale blue muslin skirt, and squealing with delight, she wrapped her arms around the bouncing puppy.
    “Do you like her?” Raynor asked.
    Looking up at her uncle with a huge grin as the puppy licked her face, Marissa emphatically nodded her head.  “Oh yes, ever so much!  May I keep it, Uncle Tony, please?”
    “Yes, it is yours,” he said.
    As Georgeanne came over, Raynor met her smiling eyes and felt quite pleased with himself. 
    “What shall you name her?” asked Georgeanne, stooping down to pet the puppy.
    Before Marissa could answer, To wnsend entered the drawing room with a handful of yellow roses.  “Sorry I’m late,” he said to no one in particular.  “Saw a flower girl with these and had to get them.”  He snapped one blossom off its stem and stooped to tucked it in Marissa’s curls above her ear.  Seeing the puppy cradled in her lap, he asked, “What have you here?”
    “A dog, Uncle Will. ” Marissa grinned up at him.  “Uncle Tony gave me a dog.”
    Townsend bent down on one knee and scratched the pup behind its ears.  “Have you given it a name?”
    Marissa scrunched her brows together and tilted her head to one side, causing the rose to fall out of her hair.  She picked it up and cried, “Rosie!”
    “Rosie,” Townsend seconded.
    “Rosie,” Raynor said with his habitual frown back in place.  The name did not sit well with him since it was inspired by Townsend’s bouquet.
    After taking the chair next to Georgeanne, Townsend commented, tongue in cheek, on the feverish activity of the household staff.  “Can’t help but notice the maids scurrying all about the place with their cleaning rags,” he stated gravely.  “I made the mistake of laying my beaver hat on a hall table and just managed to rescue