The Nanny and the Millionaire: Promoted: Nanny to Wife / The Italian Tycoon and the Nanny / The Millionaire's Nanny Arrangement

‘He mentioned it briefly,’ Marissa said. ‘I can’t believe my good fortune, Olly. These rooms have everything we could possibly want.’

Olly’s expression softened. ‘You don’t have to dash down the hallway to get to the bathroom, either, love. Each bedroom and there are twelve have been fitted with an en suite’ She made a moue with her mouth as she said it. ‘The rooms were big enough to allow for the renovations. If you want to make your surroundings a bit nicer there are things galore out in the storerooms. Such a lot of stuff overflowed from the house. I’m sure Holt won’t mind if you pick out a few things. We aim to keep you happy.’

Marissa felt a knot in her throat. ‘More than that I want to make everyone else happy,’ she said. ‘I love teaching. Riley picks up on everything so quickly.’

‘Maybe Georgia can learn from that.’ Olly’s breath ended on a sigh.

‘I expect Georgia knows how to swim?’ Marissa took another peep at the glittering pool.

‘Some hope!’ Olly said. ‘She hates the water.’

‘That’s hard to believe,’ Marissa said, much surprised. ‘I thought everyone loved the water. Riley is a great little swimmer for his age. Once Georgia sees him enjoying himself in the water she might feel differently.’

‘Don’t get your hopes up, love. Ah, this will be Hal with your luggage.’ Olly went to the doorway, waving a hand.

Hal duly arrived, putting the two pieces of luggage down, then he turned and looked at Marissa. ‘You haven’t got much here have you, girlie?’ He sweetened the remark with a smile.

Olly elbowed him hard in the ribs. ‘No need for you to worry about that, Hal.’

‘Only remarkin’.’ Hal’s voice took on an aggrieved note. ‘You’re such a tartar, Olly!’

Olly couldn’t stop herself from giving him another hard nudge.

‘Actually I have plenty of clothes, Hal,’ Marissa said. ‘Only they’re in Brisbane where I come from.’

‘You and the boy?’ He gave her a sort of conspiratorial wink.

Marissa took it as yet another sign of misconception. ‘Riley is my little brother.’

Hal flashed a quick look at Olly. ‘Whatever you say, miss. You sure don’t look like anyone’s mother, a delicate creature like you. How come you talk so fancy?’

‘Unlike you, Hal Brady, Marissa had a good education,’ Olly said sternly. ‘Now off you go. The garden calls.’

‘Got my runnin’ shoes on already.’ Hal grinned. He sketched a quick salute, then made his exit.

‘Real old woman is Hal,’ Olly muttered, her face slightly heated. ‘But he means well. Just to keep you goin’, I’ve got a pile of Fran’s things stored away. She doesn’t wear them anymore. You’d be of a size. She’s very slim, though she’s taller than you, darn near six feet. All the McMasters are tall. I’ll pull a few things out for you later on.’

Marissa felt touched but embarrassed. ‘I can get through until Mr McMaster takes me shopping, Olly. He said he would.’

‘Why let perfectly good things go to waste? Fran sure doesn’t need ‘em. She’s a regular clothes horse. Besides, didn’t you tell me you had to save up for young Riley’s education?’

‘Yes, I do.’ Marissa moved to give Olly a spontaneous hug. ‘Thank you for being so nice to me. It means a lot.’

Olly’s narrow face blossomed with colour. ‘That’s okay, love. I reckon you need a little TLC. Well,’ she said brightly, moving to the door, ‘I’ll leave you to settle in. Lunch at one. You might want to find young Riley before then. I haven’t heard any screeches, I have to admit I was rather expecting a few, so the children must be getting on, or Riley can’t find her. She has a hundred hiding places.’

‘Don’t worry, Olly.’ Marissa went to the window, looking out. ‘I’ll go find them in a minute or two. Riley is an amazing little person. Georgia will find it hard to quarrel with him.’

Olly’s gaze was sceptical. ‘I hate to say it, but Georgy could quarrel with a stone. She’s getting too much for me and I do my best, but Georgy is as wilfully moody as her mother.’

Left alone Marissa had a quick wash to freshen up. She changed her striped shirt for a nicer one, an embroidered T-shirt in the shade of red that suited her colouring so well. That done, she brushed out her hair, then took the time to put their things away. Some of the clothes needed ironing. Marj had let her use the washing machine and the dryer at the pub, but some things demanded ironing to look good.

She was very happy with their rooms. They were generously sized, both with queen-size beds and comfortable armchairs. Above her bed was a grouping of botanical prints in handsome gold frames; above Riley’s a collection of prints of thoroughbreds. He would love those. It was accommodation any governess used to a shoe box and blank walls would die for.

She should have asked where Georgia’s bedroom was but she would find out soon enough. From all accounts six-year-old Georgia was a real handful with all attempts at discipline washing off her like water. She had also learned Georgia had a mercurial personality like her mother. The mother who had abandoned her as Riley’s mother had abandoned him. That was one big thing they would have in common, although Riley had come to terms with his mother’s abandonment while Georgia sounded like she was furious about it. Probably all the tantrums were a cry for attention. Holt McMaster might be doing his level best for her but he didn’t particularly sound the doting dad. She disapproved of that. Georgia would need an awful lot of reassurance.

Time to go find them! Both children would need to wash their hands for lunch. She wondered what Aunt Lois would be like. A ‘wilfully moody’ woman like her sister? Marissa hoped not. It was good to know Riley would respect Holt’s admonition not to go outside the home compound. Riley was an obedient child, a child of light.

Marissa had just reached the foot of the staircase when a young woman entered through the front door.

When she caught sight of Marissa she frowned heavily, looking Marissa up and down in hostile inquiry. ‘Who are you?’ There was a snap in her voice like a released elastic band.

Ah, another rambunctious one! ‘I’m Marissa Devlin,’ Marissa introduced herself as pleasantly as she could. ‘Mr McMaster has hired me as the new governess.’

‘He’s what?’

It sounded as if Aunt Lois couldn’t believe her ears. ‘I’m Georgia’s new governess,’ Marissa repeated, her euphoric mood flattened in a second. ‘And you would be Georgia’s Aunt Lois?’

The haughty young woman held up a staying hand ‘Just one moment. This is very difficult for me to take in. I had breakfast with Holt this very morning. He said nothing whatsoever about hiring a governess.’

Had he, Marissa had no doubt, Aunt Lois would immediately have talked him out of it. She was an attractive woman. It was her manner that wasn’t. Her thick blond hair fell in a straight pageboy around a sharp featured but interesting face. She was wearing expensive riding clothes, cream silk shirt, fawn jodhpurs and burnished riding boots. She was fashionably bone thin, maybe a borderline anorexic.

Marissa hastened to placate this woman who was fairly sizzling with indignation. ‘Mr McMaster wouldn’t have known about me then. We met in Ransom. I was looking for work as a governess. He took me on.’

‘What were you doing in Ransom? What are you doing out West anyway? What exactly are your qualifications? Who would know if you’re to be believed or not? I just don’t understand this.’ Aunt Lois bit her lip. ‘Georgia has been doing extremely well under my tutelage.’

‘I’m sure that’s true—’ Marissa kept up her valiant attempt at conciliation ‘—but Mr McMaster did say you had your own life in Sydney.’

Aunt Lois looked like she might go after Holt that very minute and kill him.

‘If you do have qualifications, I would very much like to see them.’

‘Mr McMaster has seen them,’ Marissa told her, not at all intimidated by the other woman, though clearly she was meant to be. Even so, she was unhappy their meeting was going so badly.

Out in the driveway, the sound of a little girl yelling at the top of her voice cut through the golden stillness. It wasn’t an angry yell or a frightened yell. To Marissa’s trained ears, it sounded more like high excitement, fast getting out of control. Next came the sound of a dog barking. Marissa would know that bark anywhere. It was Dusty. Why wasn’t he tied up? No way was Aunt Lois going to tolerate Dusty.

‘What is going on?’ Aunt Lois demanded in furious amazement. She turned to go back onto the verandah only a sandy headed little girl came flying up the steps with a mad urgency, followed by a worried looking Riley and an overexcited Dusty in full bound.

Aunt Lois screamed.

‘Riley, Dusty!’ Marissa tried for the voice of authority but couldn’t get either’s attention. Certainly not Georgia’s. In fact she nearly got knocked down as the little girl—the heralded terror— tore into the entrance hall followed up by the extremely frisky Dusty, his tongue lolling, his strongly muscled body almost rigid with excitement, just loving the kids and the game.

Marissa was horrified, aghast at what damage might be done. Riley was trying desperately to control his beloved pet without a great deal of success. Her own commands were equally ineffectual. What a start! The odds were she would finish the day out of a job.

‘Sit!’ A man’s voice cracked like a whip.

Dusty dropped on all fours, his expression previously so joyful, unmistakably shame faced. He knew he had done wrong.

Marissa thought she would be pleased to sit, too, her legs were so wobbly.