Well, this is going about as well as it could, Evander was just insisting to himself - and then they succeeded in walking into each other. Or, indeed, he nearly ploughed into her when she came to an abrupt halt just beyond the doorway. A hand shot up and hovered at her shoulder for a split-second in instinct before he pulled it back and stepped away in a mirror of her movements, hoping he only looked half as embarrassed as she did when he probably felt doubly awkward about it. (It might be her interview, but awkwardness was, after all, a special talent of his.)
Nonetheless, she recovered herself quite gracefully and Evander hastened to make amends. “Oh - yes - quite right,” he assured her with a small attempt at a laugh, “that would be sensible, wouldn’t it?” With that, he stepped past her (with a little more care) towards the stairs. “This way,” he offered, grateful to go first and have the time it took to ascend the staircase to be sure his face was cleared of all embarrassment. And, he told himself, it was not as though one new person in the house (even after the last addition!) was possibly going to make it feel cramped - in fact, Evander had used to feel quite conscious of all the space he had that was never enough used - but still, it would be an... adjustment, at first.
“Just here,” he said, glancing over his shoulder with a momentary smile, and then knocked on Charity’s door before stepping in and holding the door for the governess. “Miss Clearwater, this is Charity. Charity, Miss Clearwater.” Probably-to-be-your-governess Miss Clearwater. It was his decision, ultimately, of course; but Evander was quietly, privately, very much relying on Charity’s reaction today for some sort of assurance that Miss Clearwater really would be suitable.
Nonetheless, she recovered herself quite gracefully and Evander hastened to make amends. “Oh - yes - quite right,” he assured her with a small attempt at a laugh, “that would be sensible, wouldn’t it?” With that, he stepped past her (with a little more care) towards the stairs. “This way,” he offered, grateful to go first and have the time it took to ascend the staircase to be sure his face was cleared of all embarrassment. And, he told himself, it was not as though one new person in the house (even after the last addition!) was possibly going to make it feel cramped - in fact, Evander had used to feel quite conscious of all the space he had that was never enough used - but still, it would be an... adjustment, at first.
“Just here,” he said, glancing over his shoulder with a momentary smile, and then knocked on Charity’s door before stepping in and holding the door for the governess. “Miss Clearwater, this is Charity. Charity, Miss Clearwater.” Probably-to-be-your-governess Miss Clearwater. It was his decision, ultimately, of course; but Evander was quietly, privately, very much relying on Charity’s reaction today for some sort of assurance that Miss Clearwater really would be suitable.
