Nanny Diaries 3 - Pride and Prejudice

Sunday Surprise

My best hour or so in ages was spent in church, helping with the bible classes. I had a pacifier in my mouth, and I was wearing a diaper beneath my gown as always, but I was helping rather than being helped, and I changed about twenty nappies with gay abandon, under Bella's close supervision. Again, she was several steps ahead of me, so she could talk and be more a part of things, but I did not care. It just felt so good to be useful again. I worked hard, but remembered my place and did nothing to earn any unwelcome attention, and I was extremely pleased with myself when we were ushered outside to meet our responsible adults. But I kept that off my face as far as possible, and rejoined Mama, as expected, sticking close to her side. Not that she noticed, because she seemed to be more concerned with what was going on over by the main entrance.

"Colin...we shouldn't interfere." Helen said, automatically taking my arm but obviously too eager to talk to her husband to acknowledge me, who was just walking back towards us.

"Since we currently employ Miss Davenport, it is hardly interfering...and she was upset, so I had to make sure that she was alright, don't you think?" Colin replied, winking at me, which I took to be a good sign, because if he was concerned about my behaviour, at all, he would not have done such a casual, friendly thing. I immediately blushed, and looked down, as a modest maiden should, but I had the smallest of smiles playing around my lips.

"Of course, yes...but she said that lady was her mother?" Helen frowned, clearly concerned about something, but it was evidently none of my business. I turned my head away from them both, not really wanting them to think I was eavesdropping, and watched Miss Stewart putting the girls into the child-carriers, ready to head home. Nicola caught my eye and grinned, and I grinned back, although deep inside my head, I was wondering why Karen was upset, and what her mother was doing in Meadvale. Or back in Meadvale, I suppose, as Karen had told me that she was part of the Ellesmere clan.

"Yes...and apparently, Richard Ellesmere is her uncle...her mother is his sister..."

"I never knew that, dear?"

"No...all I was told was that Miss Davenport's mother was a former member of the church in her younger days..."

"If Daphne can help me with the pushchairs, I can take everyone home, Mr Hughes? That will give you a chance to help Miss Davenport?" Annie suggested, no doubt thinking about the girls listening to whatever was going on, not to mention me.

"Good idea, Miss Stewart," Colin Hughes said, appreciating her intervention, before glancing back towards the church, where I could see Miss Davenport's grey raincoat in the middle of a small crowd of people. "Daphne, if you please?"

I bobbed a curtsey and immediately rushed over to help Annie with the girls. She already had Natalie, Naomi, Philippa and Georgina in one child-carrier, so I quickly guided Nicola, Caris and Henrietta to the other one. The girls helped me, quite naturally, by moving into position on their own, and Annie moved around to the other side to help me strap them in. Helen and Colin seemed to be edging closer to the crowd, and I must admit I was already longing to know what was going on, but it was not polite to stare and I had to remember my place. So, as Miss Stewart led the way, I started to push my three angels down the path towards the lane, which was our way home and took us off in the opposite direction to whatever was going on outside the main entrance. And I soon forgot about that, because I really was having a very good day. Helping with the bible class had been great, but sort of expected, and I had been very much the dutiful young helper, even if my diaper changing expertise had been put to good use. But helping with my sisters was what I really wanted to do, and although Annie was firmly in charge, she needed real help, because seven girls on your own is a lot of work.

"Can you get their coats off and change their shoes down here, Daphne?" She said, once we were standing in the hall, with the girls still in their chariots. She had removed my pacifier and helped me off with my cloak. "I'll go prepare their formula...then we can feed them all...I also have to start lunch for your Mama...so, I really need your help, ok?"