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“My dear lady!” The fussy Lord Fell bowed and pressed Nanny’s hand. “What a pleasant surprise to see you here.”
“And you. I thought you were in London,” Nanny said, letting her hand linger in his, though Adam had never known her to be pleased to see anyone unless she meant to unleash Hell upon them.
And Lord Fell wasn’t just anyone; he was, well, a lord.
“How do you know Nanny?” Adam interrupted. “My governess wouldn’t dally with a lord.”
Lord Fell seemed to suddenly notice that Adam was there, even though he must’ve seen Adam as they approached each other on the country lane the same as he saw Nanny. “And who might this young gentleman be?” Lord Fell crouched down as if to meet him on his own level.
“Adam Young. You probably know my father, the Earl of Warlock.”
“Ah, yes, of course…” Lord Fell seemed to be taken aback, though Adam’s father wasn’t really that much of anyone. “I don’t suppose it isn’t too late to tell you not to listen to a thing this esteemed lady says?”
“Why shouldn’t I listen to Nanny?” Adam protested, equal parts offended and curious.
Nanny, however, only chuckled darkly. “Don’t you mind Lord Fell. I was his governess when he was young, but he wasn’t nearly as clever as you are, Adam. Isn’t that right, Angel?”
“Well, not exactly, but perhaps you could say that I was her first charge of a sort,” Lord Fell said, though he didn’t sound altogether certain about it, like one of those adults who didn’t seem to think children could ever tell they were lying.
Nanny shot him a fearsome look, but she continued sweetly, “And what gentleman wouldn’t look fondly upon his old governess even when he’s grown up and become a lord? It almost brings an old lady to tears.” Nanny sniffed and clutched the collar of her old fashioned black dress, though Adam didn’t think Nanny ever cried and he doubted she’d start now.
“You knew Nanny when she was young?” Adam asked incredulously; he had only ever known Nanny as an agelessly old woman—or so she appeared to a young boy.
“I’m still a beautiful young lady in my prime, is that not so, Lord Fell?” Nanny interjected, with a sharp, dangerous smile of the sort that usually meant someone was soon going to be in a lot of pain.
However, Lord Fell answered without hesitation, “Indeed, you are as lovely as ever, m’lady.”
Adam had hardly ever heard anyone call Nanny lovely before, and certainly never with such sincerity.
“I don’t mean to keep you and the young Mr. Young,” Lord Fell continued, “but you should come see me in London sometime, well, after it’s all over.”
“Maybe I’ll take you up on it, if there’s still a London to visit.” It was the sort of thing that ought to have been a joke, but she said it with a somber seriousness.
“What do you mean, if there’s still a London to visit?” Adam insisted.
“Don’t you mind your pretty little head,” Nanny said. “You’ll know soon enough.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Lord Fell hastily took his leave of them with another little bow and press of Nanny’s hand, and she curtsied back ever so slightly. “A pleasure meeting you, my dear boy,” Lord Fell said to Adam.
“How do you really know Lord Fell?” Adam asked, watching him disappear down the lane with surprising speed.
“A lady has her secrets,” Nanny replied, and he could get no more out of her.