Not Just a Nanny
I remember how Charlotte sat amid the dusty silence of the university library, ringed by old textbooks and notebooks thick with scribbles. Her fingers turned the well-thumbed pages with speed, her eyes tracing lines as though she could will the knowledge into herself before the dreaded weekly quiz. Professor Radley was notorious for his strictness to fail one of his tests nearly guaranteed a resit, and this term was already wearing her thin.
It was on one such afternoon that Sophie approached, easing herself onto the corner of Charlottes table, leaning in with a voice just above a whisper.
“Youre still after a bit of work, arent you?”
Charlotte didnt look up, only nodded, eyes glued to her notes. Time was fast slipping through her fingers, with more material than one person could reasonably swallow.
“Mmn,” she muttered eventually, not wishing to break her train of thought, “But my schedule is the obstacle. You know what its like lectures every day until two. I cant afford to skip them.”
Sophies smile was sympathetic. She understood just how seriously Charlotte took her studies. After a thoughtful pause, she spoke again, more animated now.
“I might have the ideal thing for you. My neighbour down the hall, Mr. Bennett… Hes managing on his own with three kids after his wife passed away though thats just what people say; I never pry,” she added, wrinkling her nose. Sophie was never one for idle gossip. “Anyway, hes up to his ears at work and needs an afterschool nanny, just from four until eight each evening.”
At that, Charlottes attention shifted entirely. Sophie pressed on, sensing shed hooked her friend.
“Youve a knack with kids, youre at the teaching college and honestly, four little brothers is no small feat.”
It was true; looking after her brothers for years had come with no shortage of challenges, but warmth, too a sort of earnest joy that Charlotte held dear.
“And how old are the children?” she asked, concern lacing her tone.
Sophie didnt hesitate. “Twin girls, about six. Theres a son, too, but hes older thirteen, I think always off at rugby practice, so not in need of much minding.”
“Would he really take me on?” Charlotte asked, tapping her pencil nervously against the wood. “I mean Ive no degree yet, Im just in my fourth year”
Shed managed her brothers, yes, and even completed a work placement at a local nursery, but that glow always seemed fainter when faced with the weight of caring for someone elses children answering to their father.
Sophie waved away her concerns, confident. “Hes keen. Actually, Mr. Bennett asked me just yesterday. Shall I give him your number?”
For a heartbeat Charlotte faltered, glancing between her stacked notes and the clock, which insisted shed only half an hour until her next lecture. Suddenly it became clear: this could be as serendipitous a fit as any a job close to campus, manageable hours, and children who, she imagined, were as delightful as they sounded.
Her pulse quickened with anticipation and nerves. She inhaled deeply, then said, resolute, “Yes. Please.”
***************
In the days that followed, Charlottes nerves grew taut as wire. It was, for all intents, her first real job different entirely from helping her own family. She rechecked her bag several times: phone, house keys, notes, and a little package of oat biscuits for the twins.
Meeting Mr. Bennett and his children the day before had been almost easy. He was mild-mannered, unhurried in his instructions, and patient as he explained the routines. The twins Emily and Rosie had first hidden behind his legs, peeping out wide-eyed; but in ten minutes, they were speaking over each other, keen to show Charlotte their drawings. She felt lucky, that their warmth seemed to have found her.
But it was Mr. Bennett himself whod caught her off guard. Sophie had said nothing of his kind eyes or gentle smile, nor the ease with which he inhabited his space. Now, whenever she met his glance she could feel heat creep up her cheeks a detail she silently cursed Sophie for neglecting.
Dont lose your head, she repeated to herself. This is just a job.
Arriving at the little brick primary school, Charlotte straightened her scarf and approached the gates. Mr. Bennett had notified the teachers already, and handed her a signed letter just in case. She steadied herself, bracing against the cold, and entered.
Amid the laughter and shrieks, children darted about, building castles from sand and chasing each other in circles. She quickly found Emily and Rosie at the swings, speaking in excited whispers. Seeing Charlotte, they paused, then shyly grinned.
Kneeling to their eye level, Charlotte smiled. “Shall we go home, girls? I thought we might bake something delicious.”
Emily shot a glance at her twin, then ventured forward. “What will you bake?”
Charlotte pretended to ponder. “Perhaps pancakes with jam? Or some biscuits with chocolate chips?”
Rosie perked up instantly. “Biscuits! I love the ones with chocolate chips!”
“Biscuits it is, then,” said Charlotte, holding out both hands.
The girls hesitated only a moment before placing their small palms in hers, and in that instant, Charlottes nerves receded, replaced by something warm and soft. Maybe, just maybe, shed manage after all.
The twins exchanged a look brief, but curiously serious for such little faces. They mirrored each other closely, the way twins do: folding their hands the same way, tipping their chins alike, even matching their steps. There was a gravity in their gaze that exceeded their age.
Charlotte remembered what Harry, the eldest, had told her the day before. Shed been tidying away paints when he drew her aside, speaking so low shed had to lean in.
“They used to be different,” he said gruffly, worrying the hem of his jumper. “Theyd run to anyone for a cuddle. After Mum you know went, they stopped smiling stopped letting anyone near. Sometimes, theyd cry and ask if Mum left because they were bad.”
He stared at the floor for a moment, jaw set. “Dad and I try to explain that Mum loved them, it wasnt their fault but its like theyre shut tight. We had Gran helping for a bit, but she got poorly herself, so Dad had to find a nanny.”
Harrys seriousness, such a child but so full of care, hadnt left Charlottes mind since.
“But they took to me quite well,” she told him with a small smile. “We even played a bit I showed them a handkerchief trick, and they laughed so much.”
Harry had studied her intently, then said, voice deep for his age, “Thats why Dad picked you, I think. He saw it straight off. Just dont let us down, all right?”
Charlotte had nodded, moved by the earnestness in his eyes. “Ill do my very best,” she promised, hoping she could coax the girls old brightness back.
Harrys shoulders relaxed. “Ill help with them, too when rugby isnt in the way. Im good at telling stories,” he added, suddenly younger.
“That would be wonderful,” Charlotte answered warmly. “Theyd love that.”
**************
Two months passed. By then, Charlotte was like part of the Bennett family. The girls, once wary, now ran shrieking to greet her, nearly bowling her over with hugs and rapid-fire tales from school. It became tradition: games sprawled across the sitting room, singsongs while tidying up.
On one particular evening, as Charlotte gathered up scattered crayons, softly humming the new rhyme theyd learned, Emily and Rosie watched her, faces full of doleful longing.
“Stay with us tonight!” Emily burst out, throwing herself at Charlotte, small arms clinging with surprising strength. “Whats the point of going home?”
Charlotte paused, then chuckled, crouching down to meet her. Stroking Emilys hair, she said, “Ive got lectures tomorrow, love. I must revise, get ready for the day. But Ill be back before you know it you shant even have time to miss me!”
But Rosie had already wedged herself beneath her elbow, arms round both Charlotte and her twin. “We miss you already! Stay!”
Their two earnest faces and shining eyes softened her heart. She sank to her knees, smiling. “Where would I sleep, then? Id never fit in your little beds!”
Emily considered this seriously, then brightened: “Papas got a big bed. Theres loads of room!”
Rosie was quick to add, “He works late lots, he wont mind!”
Charlotte had to bite back laughter. She understood well enough all they wanted was to keep her close, and something about that trust made her ache with happiness. Caressing their cheeks, she responded, “Thank you, both of you! But truly, I must be home tonight. Tomorrow, though, Ill come even earlier we can read stories, play, and bake as many biscuits as you like!”
The twins exchanged another glance, disappointment flickering, but Emily nodded finally. “Promise youll come back?”
“I promise,” said Charlotte, hugging them tight, “I never break a promise to my favourite girls.”
Gently disentangling herself, she rallied them for tidy-up time and to wash before bed. “Lets have this place spotless for Dad, shall we?”
The girls, less unhappy now, set to work. Watching them, Charlotte felt her fondness for them deepen.
Yet, she would have blushed scarlet if she couldve heard the girls innocent talk of her staying in Mr. Bennetts room. Shed long learnt children meant nothing by it just a wish to hold onto those they loved. Still, her imagination would run away: the cosiness of the Bennetts lounge, soft lamplight, a quiet evening and a whispered chat with Mr. Bennett She knew better, of course, and packed her bag, bidding a hasty goodnight.
Outside, the chill air cleared her thoughts. Her cheeks still blazed, and her steps were light and unsteady, she was so flustered.
She didnt notice Harry watching from the hallway, a knowing smile on his lips. Hed long since marked the shifting air when Charlotte was about how Dad lingered over his words to her, how his tone softened, and how Charlotte herself glowed in reply, no matter how she tried for composure.
Looks like my daft old dads got a chance, Harry mused. Hed hoped for years a real presence might return to their house not simply a nanny, but someone to bring his father happiness. Charlotte fit the bill warm, patient, joyful, and devoted to his sisters.
But why dont either of them make the first move? He wondered, exasperated. Grown-ups could be so dreadfully timid.
Later, when Mr. Bennett got home, Harry found him in the lounge, setting aside his paperwork.
“Come on, Dad,” Harry said, folding his arms. “Why are you dithering?”
Caught off guard, his father blinked, “What do you mean?”
“You like her Charlotte. So why keep pretending you dont? Invite her out, for goodness sake!”
Mr. Bennett reddened, rubbing his brow. “Harry, shes the girls nanny. What would people think? Anyway, the girls need her around if things went wrong”
Harry sat forward, resolute. “Charlottes besotted with you! She goes red when you look at her. Trust me, shes just shy, same as you. Youll lose her if you keep dithering.”
His father smiled despite himself. “Youre making it sound far too easy, son. What if Ive read her wrong? What if I wreck everything?”
Harry rolled his eyes. “You dont have to make a scene, Dad. Just invite us all out the girls, me, Charlotte go to the park, or that café they like. Loads of families do it. You can talk easily there. Just do something.”
Mr. Bennett considered, possibilities spinning in his mind Hyde Park, where the girls begged to see the ducks; the bakery down the road where they ordered enormous ice creams. He breathed in, then looked at his son.
“All right. Lets try it your way. But if it goes wrong”
“I wont say a word,” Harry promised, hands raised. The two exchanged a conspiratorial smile. From the kitchen came the shrieks of the twins and Charlotte, playing hide and seek. For the first time in months, a feeling of home drew close around Mr. Bennetts heart.
***********************
The days after, Mr. Bennett replayed their talk in his mind. He started noticing little things how Charlottes smile softened when he praised her, how shed blush and glance away at the smallest compliment.
Could I really have missed it? Or was I simply too afraid to see?
Returning home one evening, the laughter of children filled the hall, a sound hed feared lost. Slipping off his shoes, he paused and listened.
“Charlotte, say it Daddys the very best, isnt he?” Emilys voice rang out, coached on by Rosie and Harry.
“The best in the world,” Charlotte replied, smiling as she plaited Emilys hair.
“And hes kind,” Emily insisted.
“Very,” Charlotte nodded, lost in her task.
“And handsome too?” Rosie piped up, with a sly look.
“Especially handsome,” Charlotte said automatically, then coloured fiercely as the words caught her.
Trying to recover, she said quickly, “And the very best father. He loves you all more than anything.”
“And we love him! Do you?” asked Rosie, her gaze fixed.
Charlotte froze. A tense hush settled, even Harry held his breath.
“I err Goodness, is that the time?” Charlotte sprang to her feet. “Supper to make! Whoever wants to help, follow me!”
She dashed out to the kitchen in her fluster, the children close behind.
Mr. Bennett entered the sitting room, catching the shimmer of happiness on Charlottes face as she noticed him.
“How about this,” he offered quietly, “we all go out to dinner tonight? Itll do us good, I think.”
There was a sudden uproar.
“Out to dinner? Oh, yes!”
“Can we have ice cream?”
“And go to the park after?”
Standing aside, Charlotte couldnt help but laugh. Mr. Bennett, turning to her, asked softly, “Will you join us?”
She managed a smile, still pink from earlier. “Id love that.”
Maybe this was the right moment, just as Harry suggested. No grand gestures, just time together, gently blending one life with another.
*************
As the months slipped by, things settled into a gentle rhythm at the Bennett house. Trips to the park, afterschool bakery runs, evenings filled with cakes and laughter soon, staying together after bedtime became habit. Mr. Bennett and Charlotte found themselves talking long into the night, sometimes of the children, sometimes of the past, but often of whatever came to mind.
They stopped pretending theirs was a strictly professional relationship. Harry saw it first, watching Mr. Bennetts anxiety give way to frequent smiles and Charlottes blushes mellow into something quietly radiant.
One late evening, whilst the twins slept, Charlotte and Mr. Bennett sat side by side on the old blue sofa, mugs of cold tea forgotten on the coffee table.
“I ought to say this,” Mr. Bennett began, gaze on the fairy lights Rosie had hung from the curtain rod, “I cant imagine life without you now. Without your way with the girls, your laughter, the way you lift this whole house.”
He took her hand, hesitating only a heartbeat. “I love you. Would you would you be part of our family, as my wife, not just the girls nanny?”
Charlotte closed her eyes at the intensity of the moment, hardly daring to believe. When she spoke, her voice was shy but certain. “I love you too. I want nothing more.”
************
The wedding was a modest affair, just as they wished. No fuss, no grand displays just family, a handful of friends, and the girls, flower crowns perched atop bouncing curls, strewing petals at the church steps.
“You look wonderful, Daddy!” Emily breathed, clutching his hand as he stooped to kiss her hair. “And Charlottes like a fairy!”
Rosie giggled, wriggling in her dress of pale pink.
Harry, standing tall beside his father, beamed. When the vows were spoken, he murmured, “Told you itd work out, Dad.”
Mr. Bennett squeezed his shoulder, tears shining in his eyes, then turned to Charlotte. In her gaze, he saw a whole future.
“Were a proper family now,” she whispered, entwining her fingers with his.
There was feasting, laughter, cake, childrens voices calling for attention. The twins insisted on the first bite of cake, leaving frosting prints on Charlottes dress and everyones cheeks.
Late in the evening, when guests had drifted home, Charlotte and Mr. Bennett stepped out onto the little terrace. Under the spread of London stars, she pressed close to him.
“I thinkI think this was the happiest day Ive ever known,” she said softly.
“And for me as well,” he murmured, holding her tight. “But do you know the best thing of all? There are so many more days just like it ahead.”
She smiled up at him, certain in her heart that every doubt and fear was behind her now. For the very first time, she was home.
