The Governess Club: Claire by Ellie Macdonald

chuckled. “No, she is your governess. She is my colleague, because I work with her. Now, back to astronomy. What are star formations called?”
    “Constellations.” The boys’ voices rang together in the darkness.
    “Correct. The two constellations I pointed out to you are . . .”
    “Ursa Major,” said Michael while Peter shouted out, “Ursa Minor.”
    “And their common names are?”
    “The Big Bear and the Little Bear.”
    “What are the easily recognizable parts?”
    “The Big Dipper and the Little Dipper.”
    “They are not constellations, but . . .”
    “Ast—ask—asptker—” It was clearly a new word the boys had difficulty with.
    “Asterisms. Shape formations in a constellation are called asterisms,” Jacob explained slowly. “Now, look up to the sky and find the Big Dipper.”
    “Found it!” Michael called out.
    “I found it first,” Peter cried.
    “Did not!”
    “It does not matter who found it first, just that both of you found it.” Once again, Jacob’s voice remained matter of fact. Claire wondered how he managed to maintain his calm. “You both have it in sight?”
    “Yes, it’s there.” Both boys pointed to it.
    “Good. Now squeeze your eyes shut and start spinning around. Don’t stop spinning until I say.”
    Whatever is he doing? Claire thought. But the boys obediently started spinning around, giggling as they did so.
    “Stop!” Jacob called out. The boys stopped and righted themselves. “Open your eyes and find the Big Dipper.” It took them a few moments, but soon both boys were pointing at it. “Again,” Jacob commanded. “Close your eyes and spin until I say stop.”
    Claire watched as he put the boys through the same process three more times. Each time, the boys were successful in pointing out the Big Dipper, although it was clear that by the last time their small bodies were reeling from the activity. Knocking on the glass, she caught Jacob’s attention and indicated her timepiece. It would be a good time for the boys to be put to bed; the twins had already been up much later than usual to accommodate the astronomy lesson.
    Some time later, Claire entered her private room, having put all the children in their beds and closed up the nursery for the night. She was looking forward to pressing a cool cloth to her neck; the humidity of the season was getting to her, and the cool cloth would help her relax enough to sleep. Safely in the privacy of her room, she made no attempt to stifle her yawn, instead glorying in it as she stood on her tiptoes and stretched her arms out. Lord, what a wonderful feeling.
    A grinning face at the window strangled a shriek from her throat. In the odd combination of dark and light, Jacob’s head seemed disembodied, floating with no body, adding to the eeriness of the sight.
    When she heard his laughter through the window, Claire’s fright turned to pique. She marched to the window and pushed it open. “It is just like you to spy through a lady’s window.”
    Unrepentant, Jacob leaned folded arms across the windowsill. “You’re the one who left her curtains open. A man can only be so good.”
    Claire leaned down and mimicked his stance at the windowsill, her arms running the length of his. “Is that the best you can do, blame your inherently sinful masculine nature?” She saw his eyes lower to her mouth, perilously close to his, and knew he was remembering her all-too-brief kiss two nights prior. Every time she had a moment to herself she found that evening by the fire replaying over and over through her mind, each sensation dancing over her skin again. A few times she had even lost track of the lesson she had been teaching, which spoke to the level of her distraction.
    And she was distracted now. By his nearness, by his focus on her mouth, by the scent of him. Would he kiss her again? Did she want him to? Her blood pounded out a resounding yes.
    But he disappointed her. He straightened from the window and held out his hand