Startled, Louisa jumped in her seat. ‘What do you mean?’
‘You said that you lived in a hall, which means that you grew up in an aristocratic household,’ he said, tapping his fingers on his knees. ‘There are probably only five or six such homes within a day’s journey of Hampford. I will send a groom to each one with a description of you.’
Louisa’s hands flew to her face. ‘Oh, no, please! I do not wish to go back to my aunt.’
‘I bet her aunt is wicked,’ Lady Helen added from across the room, stabbing her needle through the counterpoint.
Louisa swallowed in surprise and coughed. ‘How—how do you know that?’
‘Why else would you run away from home?’ Lady Frederica said, glancing up from her stitching. ‘Your aunt is clearly a horrid woman who has made your life a misery. Why else would your shift be little more than strings? Mrs May was shocked by the state of it.’
As she slid down in her chair, Louisa’s thoughts were muddied. She was embarrassed that they’d seen and spoken of her poor clothing. Perhaps even more embarrassed that she had not received a proper education or upbringing underneath her aunt. She was unfit to join fine society.
‘Stick to your sewing and stop making up stories about Miss Nemo,’ Lord Cheswick said, holding up a hand. ‘This is supposed to be a proper interview. We need real information, not guesses.’
Ignoring him, Lady Helen set down her embroidery on the table. ‘And your aunt must be jealous of your beauty, or she would have had someone teach your maid how to arrange your hair attractively.’
Self-consciously, Louisa touched her hair. The wild red curls had already escaped her attempt at a chignon. She remembered her aunt’s words:‘You are an ill-favoured, extremely freckled young woman.’Did Lord Cheswick think she was ugly? Such a handsome man with a title had probably met all the most beautiful London debutantes. Stealing a glance at him, she saw that he watched her closely.
Lady Becca plonked her feet on the table in front of her. ‘Don’t listen to them, Miss Nemo. I think your hair is positively beautiful. I’ve never seen a shade like it before. It’s like the pelt of a fox.’
Louisa felt herself flush as red as a fox at the young girl’s compliment. She stole another glance and saw that Lord Cheswick’s tawny eyes were still on her.
‘It is,’ Lady Helen said, brandishing a needle like a sword at her little sister. ‘Which is why with a little bit of skill it could be perfect.’
‘Now, now...’ Lord Cheswick said, holding up both hands. ‘Either be quiet during the interview or leave the room.’
Lady Frederica stuck her tongue out at her brother but didn’t say anything.
Mrs May cleared her throat. ‘Now, where were we, my lord?’
Lord Cheswick cleared his throat. ‘Miss Nemo, did you attend school or have a governess?’
Louisa flushed under their open scrutiny and her palms felt sweaty. ‘I had a governess until I was ten, but when my father died she was dismissed.’
Mrs May wore a sympathetic look and shook her head, but Lord Cheswick’s expression was unreadable as he asked, ‘Then your formal education ended at the age of ten?’
Louisa brought a hand to her forehead, feeling rather faint. ‘Yes, my lord. I had already learned to read, but I do not play any musical instruments. Our housekeeper taught me arithmetic, sewing, embroidery, and how to run a household. But I have never been taught to speak French or Italian, nor deportment or how to dance. I am afraid that I am a poor candidate to be anyone’s governess.’
She took a hitching breath, shame covering her like a shawl. She could no longer meet the handsome man’s gaze. She was not worthy of being his little sisters’ friend let alone their governess. They would probably despise her now for her ignorance, just like Aunt Rockingham.
Louisa felt a slender hand on her shoulder and glanced up to see Lady Helen. ‘Don’t worry, Miss Nemo. I cannot play a musical instrument either. The only one of my sisters who does is Frederica. The rest of us are abysmal at the pianoforte, and Papa says that our harp-playing sounds like a rhinoceros in mating season.’
‘I thought that was your attempts at the violin?’ Lady Becca said, cupping her hands as she called out from the opposite side of the room.
Lady Helen scowled at her little sister. ‘You’re wrong. He compared my violin music to a hissing hyena.’
Louisa’s heart lifted a little and Lord Cheswick laughed—a low, attractive sound.
‘And your flute-playing to a dying dodo bird.’
Louisa felt her lips twitch upwards almost into a smile as the other four in the room broke out into raucous laughter. Even Mrs May chortled. They did not seem to think less of her for not being an accomplished musician.
‘You know more than I do, Miss Nemo,’ Lady Becca said, walking closer to them and fidgeting with her hands. ‘I cannot read very well. The words won’t stay still. They dance about on the page.’
Her brother grunted, sitting up in his chair. ‘Don’t let Becca disparage herself. She’s one of the cleverest people I know. Never forgets a thing you tell her.’
Louisa saw his little sister turn pink with pleasure from the compliment. She couldn’t help but be impressed that Lord Cheswick had stood up for his sister, despite her educational shortcomings. Aunt Rockingham would never have done the same for her.