The Temporary Governess

Miriam cannot make herself go back to the teaching job she loves so much. The high school holds too many memories of her husband, and the staff and students offer too many platitudes. So she does something totally out of character for a homebody like her—she closes her eyes and points at a map, and her finger lands on Newport, Rhode Island. Before she can talk herself out of it, Miriam applies for a governess position. Just a temporary job, mind you, until she can pull herself together. The Browne family is as needy as she is. The father, Mr. David, is distracted by his own grief, his children are running wild, and there’s that red-headed ball of energy—Maude, the cook, who tries to fix things with the most outlandish results.