To her surprise, his lips twitched. “I can’t imagine you doing anything so tame.”

“And I cannot imagine you being so foolish as to think child rearing can be confined to a nursery. Perhaps that has been the problem all along. It will take both of our best efforts if we are to improve the children’s behavior.”

He regarded her for a long minute, his brow lowered. “You think we need to work together?”

“If they hear the same thing from their governess as they do from their guardian, it will mean more. I will reinforce you and you will reinforce me; like generals in a war. It’s simple logic, Greyley.”

“Governesses do not tell their employers what to do.”

“And you’ve known so many good ones.”

A glint of humor lit his brown eyes. “I’m rapidly beginning to believe there are no good governesses. Just bossy ones.”

“Perhaps it is the same thing. We are agreed then?” She held her breath and waited.

Finally, he nodded. “We will meet daily to discuss the children. And I will, of course, reinforce you whenever possible. But I will expect the same from you.”

Relief flooded through her. “Thank you.” Well, that hadn’t been so difficult after all. Perhaps this position would be smoother than she’d—

“Thraxton.” He pushed himself from the mantel and walked toward the door. “Come with me.”

What was he doing now? Anna followed him out of the room and down the hallway, passing an impressive Flemish tapestry depicting an ancient war scene. They crossed the hall and went through two huge doors.

Anna stopped in the doorway. It was the most gorgeous room she’d ever beheld. A long row of glass-paned doors that opened onto a perfectly groomed garden let in a swath of light, and sent a warm glow across the gleaming wood paneling and lines and lines of oak shelving. An intricate wrought-iron railing followed a set of steps to a second level walk that circled the room and held even more shelves.

But it was the ceiling that made Anna’s jaw drop. A delicate mural had been painted on the plaster, depicting Truth and Virtue at war with Sloth and Ignorance. Soft blue and deep purple mingled with a sunshine yellow and a delicate orchid. The colors alone were worth seeing, but the fineness of the painting held her enthralled.

Anna lowered her gaze to the earl where he stood watching her. “It’s lovely,” she said honestly.

The hard lines of his face softened briefly. “This is the only room that’s been completed so far. One day, I hope the rest of the house will be as inspiring.”

Anna let her gaze drift across the rest of the room. A heavy golden and red rug warmed the center of the chamber. The earl’s large mahogany desk took precedence in one corner while a hodgepodge of antique chairs was grouped about the fireplace. No two were the same, yet the combination was perfect.

Best yet, the entire room brimmed with books—there wasn’t a single empty spot on any of the shelves. Anna walked slowly along the wall, her fingers lightly running over the leather bindings. After a moment, she stopped. “Byron?”