The Governess' Debut

by Wendy May Andrews

  “Miss Scott cannot accompany you on your calls tomorrow, Mother. She and Penelope will be riding with me in the park after Pen’s lessons are done.” Victor stated this as nonchalantly as possible, awaiting reaction from his audience.

  Felicia strived for no reaction, which was a nearly impossible feat when her jaw was wishing to drop toward the floor. She blinked rather owlishly at him, but managed to keep a serene smile on her face. She hoped the countess could not ascertain from looking at her that this was the first she was hearing of the outing. With a mental shrug, she thought this was perhaps normal behavior if a lord wished to spend time with his daughter. She was soon corrected.

  “And why will Miss Scott be riding with you in the Park, my lord?” his mother asked, her eyebrows furrowing in consternation.

  “Because in a moment of inattention I was tricked into agreeing to take Lady Gertrude for a ride in Hyde Park.” Victor shook his head in wry dismay over how that folly could have possibly taken place, while his mother tried to hide her secret smile of satisfaction. Victor saw the smile and misunderstood. “If you are trying to make a match between me and Lady Gertrude, you can rethink that plan immediately, my lady. I can assure you she is in no way an appropriate candidate to be the next countess.”

  Curious as to his thought processes and not wishing to reveal her true thoughts, Lady Astley questioned further. “What could possibly make her inappropriate? She is well bred, of a good family, and moves in similar circles as you. I think she would make a fine countess.”

  “Perhaps,” Victor allowed, “but for some other earl, not this one.”

  The relief that surged through her at hearing how adamant he was on this particular subject took Felicia aback. She really had no business caring who he might consider as his future bride. But that being said, she herself was adamant that Lady Gertrude would be neither a good mate for him, nor an acceptable stepmother for Penelope.

  Lady Astley merely smiled benignly. “Very well, my darling son. Thank you again for allowing me to have my little party here.”

  The earl barely managed to stop from rolling his eyes. “I told you, you are welcome to use any of our properties whenever you so wish.”

  The countess smiled almost cheekily. “In that case, I would be happy to have another one. When do you plan to remove to Standish?”

  Victor allowed his eyes to stray toward Felicia, as though seeking her confirmation.

  Felicia’s lips parted, as though to answer. Victor’s gaze sharpened intently. Felicia caught herself, reminding herself once more that she was merely the governess; it was not her place to remind the earl when he planned to leave London. She smiled encouragingly at him. Victor blinked, and it occurred to his mother that he did not remember the question.

  The countess controlled her gleeful smile as she stood. “Well, never mind, we can discuss it when I come for a visit with my granddaughter. You two have a pleasant night.” She gracefully swept from the room, leaving a heavy silence in her wake.

  Uncomfortable to be left alone with the earl, Felicia, too, stood to take her leave. “Thank you, my lord, for the use of this lovely gown. We ensured that the few necessary adjustments are removable. I shall return it to that room as soon as it has been laundered.”

  “There is absolutely no need to return it. Please, it is yours. I can assure you I have no need of lady’s gowns,” he concluded with a wry chuckle as he saw she was about to protest.

  Felicia was uncomfortable accepting such a personal gift, but saw the sense in what he said. Unable to put words to her disquiet, she merely accepted as graciously as possible. “Thank you, m’lord, that is very generous.”

  There was another moment of silence while Victor continued looking at her quizzically. Felicia again filled the silence. “You mentioned, my lord, that you wish for Lady Penelope and me to accompany you as you escort Lady Gertrude. What time should we be ready to depart?”

  “Do you not think you could see your way free to call me Victor, at least when we are not in company?” he asked rather plaintively, apropos of nothing.

  Felicia blushed fiercely. “No, my lord, I could not! That would be most inappropriate.”

  Victor smiled at her endearingly, but allowed it to pass for the moment. “I promised Lady Gertrude we would pick her up at five o’clock, so it would be best if you and Pen could be ready at a quarter to, if that is acceptable to you.”

  “Yes, my lord,” she answered stiltedly, still embarrassed over his request, and unable to look him in the eye.

  “And one other thing, Felicia,” he continued, using her name almost tauntingly. “I do not think I could bear to see you return to those hideous browns you seem to favor after seeing you so becomingly attired this evening. Would you be so kind as to dig through the dresses and find something appropriate for riding?”

  Now Felicia’s eyes flew to his once more. He thought her face must hurt, so fiery was her blush.

  “My lord, I do not think, that is to say, I hardly see…” She broke off in confusion.

  “There is nothing inappropriate in this request, Felicia. I wish it, please see that it is done.” He reverted to haughtiness in order to get his way.

  “Very well, my lord,” she agreed quietly before turning on her heel and nearly fleeing from the room with a barely audible, “Good night, my lord,” lingering on the air in her wake.

  Victor was left standing alone in his own morning room looking at the doorway, his smile almost that of a lovestruck youth rather than a mature lord of the realm. He had to chuckle at his own expense as the butler came in and started at seeing him standing there.

  “Are you all right, my lord?” Alfred asked solicitously, looking at him with puzzlement.

  “I am perfectly fit, Alfred. Thank you for asking. I shall be in my library for a time before retiring. Feel free to take yourself off to your own bed after you lock up, I can get myself settled on my own.”

  “If you are certain, my lord, I will, thank you.”

  “Good night, Alfred.”

  Alfred was struck almost speechless. The earl was never a harsh master, but he had rarely shown an interest in his servants’ feelings. He grinned at Victor before wishing him a good night as well.

  Chapter Eight

  The next morning, Felicia felt nervous and excited and just a wee bit queasy. She tried not to allow any of it to show. There was no way Penelope would get any studying done if she knew what they would be up to that afternoon. Felicia figured Mary would not be able to keep it to herself either, so she left her to watch over their student while she went by herself to the very large dressing room.

  She was rummaging around near the back of the room, head and shoulders into a crate full of ribbons, bows, and all sorts of unmentionables. So focused on her search was she, that she was blissfully unaware of her audience until he spoke.

  “You are nothing like her, you know. I wonder if that is why I find you so utterly fascinating,” Victor mused before grinning in delight over her shriek of terror.

  “Oh, my lord, you fairly scared the breath out of me,” Felicia declared with a nervously trembling hand placed over her racing heart.

  “I do apologize, Felicia. I did not realize you were quite so absorbed. Perhaps you are like her.”

  “Like who, my lord?” Felicia asked, puzzled over his demeanor. It crossed her mind to wonder if the earl drank to excess, so erratic had his behavior been of late.

  “My late countess,” he stated rather baldly. “Don’t get me wrong, she was a sweet little lady. But her gowns and her friends were the most important things in the whole world to her. They were more important than the baby, and certainly much more important than me. This selection of frocks is actually only a fraction of what she had. They are just the ones I have yet to dispose of.”

  Felicia looked at him in disbelief. “Surely you are jesting with me, my lord. How could she have possibly had more? Of what use would even more be?”

  Victor’s distracted look
dissolved into a grin. “There you go. You just proved that you really are very different from her.”

  Felicia was not quite sure what to make of the earl in this mood, nor did she know how to respond to his comparison of her and his dead wife. But he was looking at her expectantly, so she launched into speech with a question.

  “If you don’t mind my prying, what happened to her, my lord? Penelope never speaks of her, so I assumed it has been a long time since she passed.”

  “Why can you not call me Victor?” he asked almost plaintively, before answering her question without allowing her time to answer his. “It has been eighteen months since she died, but she was ill for several months before that. She refused to acknowledge her illness for quite a while, kept up all her social activities until she collapsed one day. Finally she allowed me to send for a physician, but by then there was nothing that could be done. Of course, there is no saying if anyone could have done anything for her had she seen a doctor sooner, but a part of me has yet to forgive her for that.”

  “Oh dear, surely you know it was not her fault. Perhaps she was afraid of what was happening to her. She must have been quite young. No doubt she thought nothing bad could possibly happen to her at such a young age and with such a privileged position.” She spoke in such kind, convincing tones that the earl was soothed momentarily.

  “Do you always see the good in everything?” he asked querulously after a moment of reflection.

  “Well, in this particular case it is easy for me to do so since I was not emotionally involved in the situation,” she answered almost apologetically.

  “Perhaps you are correct about her. Maybe it is just one of those strange aberrations. But it is so much easier to cope with when there is someone to blame.”

  “Did you love her very much?” Felicia dared to ask, her voice barely above a whisper.

  “Sadly, no. I think that is part of why I have been so angry at her dying on me. I always hoped that with time she would grow up and be the wife and mother I thought she was capable of being. Now I have a motherless daughter on my hands.”

  They stood there gazing at each other pensively for a moment before the earl broke the spell that held them.

  “Did you manage to find more gowns for your use? I hesitate to point it out, but I cannot help noticing you are wearing one of those hideous brown frocks I remember quite expressly wishing to never see again.”

  Felicia let out a tinkle of pleasing laughter. “Oh my lord, you are too droll. This frock is far from hideous, although I have to admit in comparison to anything in this room, it does fade into insignificance. And I do recall you requesting not to have to see it, but if I could be so bold, I did not think to see you until the appointed hour of quarter to five. As well, it would not do to wear an evening gown about the house—surely your staff would think I had run mad. But yes, I have found a few things that will be perfect for my use if you still have a mind to lend them to me.”

  “The entire contents of this room are yours to do with as you please,” Victor declared grandly, making Felicia’s eyes grow wide.

  “These shall do me just fine for now, thank you, m’lord. Now if you shall excuse me, I should return to the schoolroom.” With her arms full of fabrics, Felicia hurried from the room, leaving the earl to contemplate his afternoon.

  ***

  After returning to the nursery wing, Felicia felt as though the day was three times longer than usual. Every time she checked the clock, she was appalled to see how few minutes had gone by since her previous glance. While she dreaded seeing the horrendously haughty Lady Gertrude again, she figured it was a small enough price to pay for an afternoon spent in the earl’s company.

  Finally the appointed time had come. Felicia felt like Cinderella with her lovely new clothes covering the fact that she was really just the governess. She clung tightly to Penelope’s hand as they descended the stairs.

  “Isn’t this the most exciting adventure, Felicia?” Penelope asked with a grin. “Papa has never taken me for a ride in the park. Do you think we shall be riding in his phaeton?” The little girl jumped from step to step in her excitement.

  “Don’t get your hopes up about that, my dear. We will be four people, including Lady Gertrude, so I do not think we would all be able to squeeze into a phaeton. No doubt we will be riding in either a landau or a carriage.”

  Penelope wrinkled her nose at this news. “Who is Lady Gertrude?”

  “She was a guest at your grandmother’s dinner party last evening. Your papa invited her to go for a ride in the park, and then he thought we would like to join them.”

  “I think it would be much better if it was just us with Papa,” Penelope declared rather stubbornly.

  “I might have to agree with you, my pet,” answered the earl, making both girls start in surprise.

  Felicia shot him a censorious look before turning back to Penelope. “When we receive an invitation, we cannot make stipulations as to who else is invited. I am quite sure you shall enjoy meeting Lady Gertrude. It shall be a good experience for us all.”

  Penelope didn’t look completely convinced, but she didn’t say anything further. Victor quirked his eyebrows quizzically at Felicia, but he too refrained from comment. Felicia was getting a bad feeling about how the afternoon was going to progress.

  ****

  When Lord Astley escorted Lady Gertrude to his waiting carriage, it was obvious to its occupants she had not been warned there would be company with them on their ride. She shot daggers at Felicia and Penelope, but was all smiles when she turned back to the earl.

  “How lovely that I get to meet your daughter, my lord,” she simpered.

  “Lady Gertrude, this is my daughter, Penelope,” he introduced, as Penelope acknowledged the introduction, but with little enthusiasm. “And you remember Miss Scott from last night, I’m sure.”

  “How do you do?” Felicia murmured demurely, her eyes dancing with hidden mirth as she realized the earl’s ploy. Remembering the discussion she had been almost too tired to pay attention to last night, she now saw that she and Penelope were to be a shield to protect him from the lady’s advances.

  Victor saw her amusement and was warmed by it.

  Lady Gertrude all but ignored Felicia, but made an effort to converse with Penelope. “Are you enjoying your studies, Penelope? Have you been learning your letters?”

  Penelope did love an audience, so she launched into a lengthy speech about all that she had been learning, as well as the various excursions she and Felicia had made of late. Felicia was watching her young charge with a charming level of interest, while Lady Gertrude could barely sit still, she was so bored. She suddenly broke in and interrupted Penelope with a sardonic laugh.

  “Penelope, you make Miss Scott sound as though she is your governess. Why have you been so much in her company?”

  “But she is my governess,” Penelope answered in confusion.

  Lady Gertrude turned to the earl in high dudgeon. “You had us dine with your daughter’s governess?” she asked in some horror.

  “Do not be vulgar, Lady Gertrude, it is not such a rare occurrence.”

  “Perhaps not, but you and your mother tried to pass her off as a well-born friend of the family,” Gertrude argued.

  “She is a well-born friend of my family, we did not lie,” argued Victor, all semblance of pleasantness gone from his demeanor.

  Unable to argue successfully with him, Gertrude turned her ire upon Felicia. “Why are you dressed in the first stare of fashion if you are the governess? You are not trying to snare a wealthy husband in the parson’s mousetrap are you, Miss Scott?”

  Felicia had no ready answer, feeling humiliated by her insinuations. Seeing her distress, Victor acted rashly.

  “Do not speak with such disrespect to the future Countess of Standish, Lady Gertrude.”

  Silence fell upon all occupants of the carriage as all three females turned to him with widely varying reactions.

  “Truly, Pa
pa? Oh, this is just grand! Felicia, you told me my father might wish to remarry one day, but I had no idea it could be you. Why did you not tell me?” The little girl hugged Felicia to her in delight, while Felicia struggled for composure.

  Lady Gertrude lost her own struggle for composure. “You cannot be serious, my lord,” she declared shrilly. “The Earl of Standish cannot marry his daughter’s governess.”

  “Yes he can, and he will,” Victor declared staunchly, although he was eyeing Felicia worriedly.

  “Take me home this instant. I will not be a party to this travesty,” Gertrude declared as tears of rage began to track down her cheeks.

  Seemingly oblivious to Lady Gertrude’s distress, Penelope was bouncing in her seat, peppering Felicia with questions. “When will you be married? Will that make you my mama? Does Grandmother know? Can I have a puppy?”

  This last question was almost enough to make Felicia smile, but she merely patted Penelope’s hand rather weakly before urging her to, “Hush, Pen, we shall discuss it all later.”

  The rest of the blessedly short ride passed in strained silence. Victor was silently berating himself as an unintelligent buffoon. He argued regularly and eloquently in the House of Lords, but he could not manage to declare himself without an irate audience. If only he had had the presence of mind to anticipate Lady Gertrude discovering Felicia’s position in the household, he could have been prepared to handle it with a degree more finesse. Now he wondered if he would ever be able to convince Felicia that he had been serious.

  From the look on her face, Victor surmised that she was worrying over Gertrude’s words, that she was somehow to blame. He longed to reassure her, but decided that any further discussion on the subject would most definitely be best left until they had a degree of privacy.