A Visitor

On his first night at Graymont, after sitting up late giving Alexis a long account of his recent adventures, Ned has just entered his pleasant room. Beauty, Lucinda and Billy Bones have scurried around all afternoon and into the evening, hanging curtains, making the bed, arranging Ned's books in the bookcase and stowing his other baggage in the big old wardrobe.

Feeling almost too tired to start unpacking, he lights a candle and is about to sink into a chair, when the door to his room gives a soft squeak and opens a crack.

“Yes?” he says, turning toward the door.

An attractive young woman in a long white gown comes a little way into the room. Ned has not seen this person before. As she stands quietly looking at him, he realizes that his mouth is slightly open.

“May I help you?” he says, finally speaking in spite of his amazement.

“Mon nom est Corday,” says the apparition. “Je suis la gouvernante.”

“Oh! Oh, I see,” Ned says, not “seeing” at all, but understanding that she says she is the governess. “I b-b-believe the children's rooms are two flights up.”

“Oui. Deux vols jusqu'a.” She continues to stand in the doorway, gazing at him.

“Then shall we say g-good night? Bonsoir!” Ned says, a sense of panic creeping over him.

After pausing for a moment, she says, “Bonne nuit, Monsieur Edouard.” She backs out of the room and pulls the door closed after her.

Ordinarily, Ned is never flustered by an encounter with a beautiful woman. Puzzled, perhaps, but not to the point of a stammer and nervous perspiration. But this was a stranger in his brother's house, when he thought he had met all the staff. No one had told him there was a governess. And what the devil was she doing there, wandering around downstairs barefoot, and opening doors in the middle of the night?

He will certainly speak to Miranda about this.

No, cooling down, he thinks it might be unfair to the governess to mention the event. After all, the girl was probably just curious to see the new resident of Graymont.