said the Earl wryly. "And whatever it costs me, I don't mind if it makes you happy."
"Now that's a very pretty speech," Rona said. "I think to make your father happy, you must thank him for it in French."
Alice laughed.
"Merci beaucoup, Papa," she said.
Her father bowed his head and his eyes were twinkling.
Rona knew that he was thinking that no other governess would have obtained those words from his daughter. Alice had spoken not only as if she was ordered to do so, but with all sincerity.
"As you are so polite," he said aloud to his daughter, "I will say merci beaucoup , for your kindness and add, tu es tres chic, and I hope you understand that."
"Of course I do," Alice replied. "I think by the time we get back from Paris, with Miss Johnson teaching me, I will speak even better French than you."
"That will be the day, and you will then have champagne for supper," her father answered. "You must remind me if you have earned it by the time we come home."
"You will be surprised," Alice said.
The Earl did not answer, he merely looked at Rona and smiled. She smiled back, understanding that he was thanking her.
Peter observed them both quietly.
Rona felt that she was quite herself again now. The brief fancy had passed, and she could speak to Peter Carlton without losing her composure.
*
The last half hour before their departure was torture for Rona. At any moment she was sure that her father would arrive. But at last they were in the Earl's carriage, on the way to the station to catch the train for Dover.
When at last the train was finally moving, the men sat and talked in the First Class compartment, while Alice and Rona stood in the corridor watching the countryside go by.
'It can't be him,' Rona thought, 'and I must stop brooding about it. He showed no sign of recognising me. But then, how could he? That white wig I wore at the ball completely covered my hair, and the mask covered most of my face.'
Then they reached Dover and she had no further chance to speculate, because there was so much to be done.
For the short journey across the water to Calais the Earl had reserved two rooms, one with a bed in case anyone was seasick. The other was a private sitting room.
At Rona's suggestion she and Alice stayed on deck to watch the ship put to sea.
"I always think this is so exciting," she said.
"My last governess wouldn't get on a ship," said Alice. "She said she couldn't understand why it didn't sink. She was scared of trains too. She called them 'nasty new-fangled things'."
"Some people are scared of anything new," Rona agreed. "But you're young, and it's right for you to be interested in new things. Too many people say, 'we have managed without that before and we can manage without it now'."
Alice was thoughtful.
"As I am a woman, do I have to be brave?" she asked at last.
"Of course," Rona replied. "Men think courage is just for them, but it's the women who praise them and make them feel they must go out and look for new ideas, new ways of travel, and eventually, new ways of thinking. It's up to you, as a woman, to make the men try to invent new things to please you."
"Please me?" Alice questioned.
"All women have, since the beginning of time, inspired men with their desires," Rona told her.
"I think I see what you mean," Alice mused. "A woman is too feeble to do it herself, but she can urge a man to do it for her."
"That's right. Then when the man comes back with something new, whether it is small or large, you must tell him he's wonderful."
"But perhaps I could have done it better, or quicker?"
"You must never say so," Rona warned her. "A man must be praised."
"Even if I thought of it first?"
"Then you must let him think he thought of it first."
"But suppose I think up a way to make a better ship?"
"Don't forget it has to be the man who will make the ship," said Rona wryly, "the man who will get the credit for it and the man who will eventually steer it."
"That's not fair," Alice complained.
"Now that's a very pretty speech," Rona said. "I think to make your father happy, you must thank him for it in French."
Alice laughed.
"Merci beaucoup, Papa," she said.
Her father bowed his head and his eyes were twinkling.
Rona knew that he was thinking that no other governess would have obtained those words from his daughter. Alice had spoken not only as if she was ordered to do so, but with all sincerity.
"As you are so polite," he said aloud to his daughter, "I will say merci beaucoup , for your kindness and add, tu es tres chic, and I hope you understand that."
"Of course I do," Alice replied. "I think by the time we get back from Paris, with Miss Johnson teaching me, I will speak even better French than you."
"That will be the day, and you will then have champagne for supper," her father answered. "You must remind me if you have earned it by the time we come home."
"You will be surprised," Alice said.
The Earl did not answer, he merely looked at Rona and smiled. She smiled back, understanding that he was thanking her.
Peter observed them both quietly.
Rona felt that she was quite herself again now. The brief fancy had passed, and she could speak to Peter Carlton without losing her composure.
*
The last half hour before their departure was torture for Rona. At any moment she was sure that her father would arrive. But at last they were in the Earl's carriage, on the way to the station to catch the train for Dover.
When at last the train was finally moving, the men sat and talked in the First Class compartment, while Alice and Rona stood in the corridor watching the countryside go by.
'It can't be him,' Rona thought, 'and I must stop brooding about it. He showed no sign of recognising me. But then, how could he? That white wig I wore at the ball completely covered my hair, and the mask covered most of my face.'
Then they reached Dover and she had no further chance to speculate, because there was so much to be done.
For the short journey across the water to Calais the Earl had reserved two rooms, one with a bed in case anyone was seasick. The other was a private sitting room.
At Rona's suggestion she and Alice stayed on deck to watch the ship put to sea.
"I always think this is so exciting," she said.
"My last governess wouldn't get on a ship," said Alice. "She said she couldn't understand why it didn't sink. She was scared of trains too. She called them 'nasty new-fangled things'."
"Some people are scared of anything new," Rona agreed. "But you're young, and it's right for you to be interested in new things. Too many people say, 'we have managed without that before and we can manage without it now'."
Alice was thoughtful.
"As I am a woman, do I have to be brave?" she asked at last.
"Of course," Rona replied. "Men think courage is just for them, but it's the women who praise them and make them feel they must go out and look for new ideas, new ways of travel, and eventually, new ways of thinking. It's up to you, as a woman, to make the men try to invent new things to please you."
"Please me?" Alice questioned.
"All women have, since the beginning of time, inspired men with their desires," Rona told her.
"I think I see what you mean," Alice mused. "A woman is too feeble to do it herself, but she can urge a man to do it for her."
"That's right. Then when the man comes back with something new, whether it is small or large, you must tell him he's wonderful."
"But perhaps I could have done it better, or quicker?"
"You must never say so," Rona warned her. "A man must be praised."
"Even if I thought of it first?"
"Then you must let him think he thought of it first."
"But suppose I think up a way to make a better ship?"
"Don't forget it has to be the man who will make the ship," said Rona wryly, "the man who will get the credit for it and the man who will eventually steer it."
"That's not fair," Alice complained.
Similar Books
