by Anna Bennett
The earl stared intently, his expression betraying nothing. “Go on.”
“My uncle has been very good to us, but I cannot impose on his generosity forever.”
“Why not?”
Because Uncle Alistair is down to four loyal servants who’ve not been paid in six months. Because caring for my sisters and me has drained whatever meager savings he once had. Because Beth and Julie deserve to own at least one pretty pair of slippers.
Gripping the arms of the chair, she said, “I prefer to make my own way.”
“Interesting. I had expected you to spout some drivel about adoring children or having a passion for teaching.”
She probably should have. “I do not consider such sentiments drivel, my lord.”
“But they aren’t your sentiments, are they, Miss Lacey?”
Meg swallowed. She’d anticipated questions about her lack of experience and references, but the earl’s inquiries were even more difficult to answer. For they were personal. “Of course I like children,” she assured him. “Perhaps you could tell me a bit more about your daughters.”
He laughed—a deep, soulful sound that stirred something in her belly. “For one, they’re not my daughters. What else would you like to know?”
What else, indeed? “Their names?”
“Diana and…” He dragged a hand through thick, dark hair. “… Violet. Er, I think that’s right.”
Meg searched her mind for another question, hoping to remain on the offensive. “And you are their guardian?”
He shook his head as if he’d protest, then stood abruptly and turned his back to her. “I suppose I am. For now.”
Meg’s heart went out to the girls. She knew all too well what it felt like to be passed off to a distant relative. At fifteen, she herself had felt like an odd and worthless family heirloom—the sort that no one wants but that no one can quite manage to give away to strangers, either. Uncle Alistair’s offer to take them in had been a godsend.
“Where are the girls’ parents?”
He turned, fixing an icy gaze on her. “Forgive me. I was under the impression that I would ask the questions at this interview.”
Drat. She raised her chin. “Ask away.”
“You’ve never been a governess before?”
“No.”
“And what makes you think that you’re qualified?”
If he thought to intimidate her with rudeness, his plan backfired. His sharp tone only served to raise her ire, erasing the nervousness she’d felt earlier. “I tutored my younger sister in French.” A bit of a stretch perhaps, but she had helped Beth conjugate a few verbs and taught her some more colorful phrases.
He raised a dark brow, incredulous. “Your reference is your younger sister?”
“Of course not. I believe we’ve already established that this would be my first governess position, but everyone must begin somewhere, my lord. Furthermore, my friend Charlotte—er, Miss Winters—is an experienced governess and has promised to share the lessons that she’s created for her own young charge.”
“This Miss Winters sounds like a gem. The perfect candidate. Perhaps she should be the one to apply for the position.”
“She’s already in the employ of your friend, Lord—” She stopped herself, for he didn’t deserve a civil response.
Frustration propelled her from her chair, but it was pride that made her lean across the ridiculously large desk and narrow her eyes at the earl. “Never mind. This meeting was a waste of time. I hereby withdraw my application.”
* * *
There was no denying it—he’d behaved like an ass. Clearly, Miss Lacey brought out the worst in him.
But she was correct on one count. The interview was a waste of time. She had thought marrying him was beneath her. How on earth would she manage to work for him? Merely requesting an update on the girls’ progress could well cause her to bite his head off.
And yet …
Will admired her fiery personality. Even the drab gown she wore couldn’t detract from the passionate sparks, couldn’t stamp them out.
“I apologize for my foul mood,” he said. “It has less to do with you and more to do with the lingering, unfortunate effects of over-imbibing last evening. Still, inexcusable.”
She sniffed as if to say his admission was hardly a surprise. “I accept your apology. Nevertheless, I shall take my leave.”
The slightly husky tone of her voice warmed his blood. If his own governess had sounded like that, he would have followed her around like a puppy. He cast Miss Lacey a rueful smile and bowed politely. “I agree that would be for the best.”
She inclined her head, gracefully crossed the Aubusson rug, and, with the dignity befitting a queen, opened the study door.
Only to be bowled over by the twins, who seemed to have been launched into the room by a catapult.
Good God. He rounded the desk and stared in horror at the tangle of arms and legs writhing on the floor of his study. At the bottom of the pile, Miss Lacey struggled to no avail. One twin had landed across her waist, pinning her to the floor. The other lay crosswise over her knees.
“Girls!” he bellowed. “What the dev—” He stopped himself—just barely. “Remove yourselves from Miss Lacey at once.”
“We just wanted to know who you were talking to. We didn’t mean to—” said one.
Will looped an arm around her torso, extricated her from the heap, and did the same with her sister.
Miss Lacey sat up, dazed. Will crouched beside her. “Are you all right?”
“Yes. That is, I think so.” She reached for her bonnet, which looked like an elephant and not a slight lass had sat upon it.
Will scooped up the hat, tried valiantly to restore it to some semblance of its former shape, and handed it to her. Several chestnut locks had escaped the thick knot at her nape, and while this no doubt served as a source of distress for Miss Lacey, he thought the effect charming.
Odd, that.
It might have been her mussed hair or her pink cheeks or her slightly parted lips, but she looked almost … attractive.
Definitely not the same gangly, scowling girl who’d rejected him eight years earlier.
“Shouldn’t you help her up, Lord Castleton?” piped one of the twins behind him.
“It’s what a gentleman would do,” remarked the other.
“Silence!” He turned to glare at them, mostly because they were correct. His hangover returned in full force.
“I can manage.” Miss Lacey sprang nimbly to her feet, smoothed the stray curls behind her ears, and brushed out her skirts.
Will faced the girls, arms crossed over his chest. “It is especially bad form to eavesdrop and knock a person to the floor before introductions have been made.”
One of the girls thrust her hand at Miss Lacey. “I’m Diana. Pleased to meet you.”
“The pleasure is mine. I’m Miss Lacey.” She shook the girl’s hand and turned to her twin, who clutched a doll tightly to her chest. “Lord Castleton has told me a bit about you both. You must be Violet.”
“No.” Tears welled in blue eyes too big for her face, and her lower lip trembled. “My name isn’t Violet.” She cast an accusatory glance at Will, who suddenly felt about three inches tall.
“Her name is Valerie,” Diana said helpfully. “A far better name than Violet.”
“Agreed,” Miss Lacey said quickly. “It’s no contest.” Her gaze flicked from Valerie to Will and back. “Please forgive my mistake. Lord Castleton said your name was Valerie—I’m certain—and then I went and botched it.”
Valerie brightened instantly, beaming at Will like he was some sort of hero. He stared at Miss Lacey in wonder. With a small fib she’d elevated him from scoundrel to prince. What type of sorceress was she?
“It was lovely meeting you both,” she said to the twins, “but I really must go.”
The truth hit him like a thunderbolt. He couldn’t let her walk out of his study. There were a dozen reasons why she
was the wrong candidate, but the radiant smile Valerie wore trumped them all. “Wait.”
“What is it, my lord?”
“I’d like you to reconsider.”
The look she gave him was polite but regretful. “I think we both know I’m not right for this position.”
After the series of unfortunate events that comprised the interview, he hadn’t expected her to readily accept. But he was encouraged by the fact that thus far she’d made no threats of head shaving or convents.
“I think you are right for the position,” he said smoothly. He was used to getting what he wanted. Now that he knew what—or, rather, whom—he wanted, it was a mere matter of negotiating the terms.
And he fully intended to win.
* * *
Meg had no intention of changing her mind. She was going to have to ask Charlotte to help her find another position. And yet, she couldn’t resist the opportunity to hear Lord Castleton grovel.
“What are you saying, my lord?”
His mouth curled into a slow, dangerous smile. “I’m offering you the job.”
She wondered if he’d forgotten about the twins, who stood behind him, absorbing every word of the conversation. “And what brought about this sudden change of heart?”
He shrugged impossibly broad shoulders. “Perhaps my hangover has finally worn off.”
“I see.” But his casual air and charming banter did not fool her. A horn had just sounded, signaling the start of the hunt—and she, a prospective governess, was the fox he pursued. “I’m afraid I cannot accept.”
“How can you say no? We haven’t even discussed the terms.”
“The particular terms are irrelevant. I won’t be swayed by an extra afternoon off.”
He chuckled, sending a shiver down her spine. “I was under the impression that you needed the income.”
Heaven help her, she did. But surely, another opening would come along, wouldn’t it? “I will find something else.”
“Let’s discuss your salary.”
“There’s nothing to discuss.” She tried not to think about the new spectacles that Uncle Alistair desperately needed or the pretty rose-colored shawl that Julie longed for. Meg couldn’t be bought—not by the earl.
“Whatever your friend, Miss Winters, makes … I’ll double it.”
She gasped. “Why?”
“Because I wish to reach an agreement. Right now.” He sauntered closer, his hard arm brushing against hers as he bent toward her ear. “Every woman has her price.”
She bristled at his words and the obvious innuendo. “Not I, my lord. Of all people, I should have thought you’d learned that by now.”
He rubbed his chin and smiled, seemingly unperturbed. “You are a formidable negotiator, Miss Lacey. Very well, then. I shall triple Miss Winter’s salary and also put you up in the blue guest chamber—it has the best view of the garden.” He paced a moment, as if he’d let that sink in, then smiled smugly. “Now do we have a deal?”
“We do not.” Later she might kick herself for refusing his offer, but at the moment pride firmly held the reins. “Money is not the only consideration in a decision such as this.”
“So true.” He ambled toward the twins, stood behind them, and patted their unruly blond curls. “Girls, how would you like to have Miss Lacey as your special new friend?”
“Friend? I hardly think a governess is the same thing as—”
“Oh, yes!” The twins bounced on their toes as if their glee were too much to contain.
“They’ve never had a governess before,” the earl said in a stage whisper. “I thought we should ease into it.”
No. There would be no easing in of anything. How dare he use those poor little girls as pawns?
Meg knelt before them and looked earnestly into their hopeful blue eyes. “I’ve no doubt Lord Castleton will find someone better suited to the position.” Probably by this time tomorrow.
“Better suited? What does that mean?” asked Diana, her little nose crinkling. “You don’t want to be friends with us?”
Valerie wrung her tiny hands. “We’re sorry we knocked you down earlier.”
“I’m not cross about that,” Meg assured her. “Of course I’d like to be your friend, but circumstances don’t allow—” She sighed. “It’s complicated.”
“That’s what Mama said when she brought us here … before she left us.” Diana scowled at the memory. Valerie whimpered.
Meg shot the earl a withering glance before returning her attention to the girls.
“Everything will be fine,” Meg said. “You’ll see.”
“Mama said that, too.” Valerie sniffled. “But nothing’s been fine. I miss her.”
Diana draped an arm around her sister’s shoulders and raised her pointy chin. “Don’t fret, Val. I’ll take care of you till Mama comes back.”
Meg flicked her gaze to Lord Castleton, who gave a somber shake of his head.
So, their mother wasn’t coming back for them.
The poor, brave dears. She swallowed the knot in her throat. The girls’ wan faces reflected all the grief and fear she’d felt eight years ago after losing her parents, her home, and the only life she’d ever known. What she would have given then for someone who understood that she needed to be a child for a while longer. For someone to assure her that she’d be safe and protected—maybe even loved.
No, she couldn’t walk away from these two. “What if I agreed to stay, just for a little while?”
“Would you?” Diana asked, one part hopeful and one part suspicious.
Meg nodded and was almost bowled over again when Valerie threw her arms around her neck. Diana hung back, watchful and cautious, but Meg detected a reluctant smile.
“Will you come see the nursery? I could show you where Molly sleeps,” Valerie asked.
“Molly’s her doll,” Diana provided helpfully.
“Miss Lacey and I have a few matters to discuss,” the earl interjected. “But you’ll have plenty of time with her in the days ahead. Run along now.”
“I shall see you soon,” Meg assured them, and they bounded out of the room, leaving her quite alone with Lord Castleton.
“It seems we have a deal after all,” he gloated.
Her palm itched to slap the self-satisfied smile off his face. “For the girls’ sake, I’ve agreed to a temporary assignment.”
“Excellent. I shall honor the terms I set forth earlier.”
“That’s very … generous.”
“And I expect you to begin working tomorrow morning.”
“But—”
He raised his brows. “Unless you’d prefer to start this evening?”
Meg smiled sweetly. “No.”
“I thought not.”
She had much to do. Beth and Julie didn’t even know about the interview, and now she had to let them know she was moving into the earl’s residence—at least for a while.
As she exited the study, Lord Castleton strolled behind her, triumphing no doubt.
“What made you change your mind about me?” she asked over her shoulder.
“They need you,” he said simply. “Even an idiot like me could see that.”
She laughed in spite of herself. “Well, they need someone.”
“Not me. I promise to stay out of your way.”
Of course he would. The great Lord Castleton couldn’t be bothered with a pair of heartbroken little girls or their plain, unfashionable governess. He was now free to resume his drunken bachelor activities, leaving the rest of them to their own devices.
And that was clearly for the best.
Chapter THREE
“Did you have a nice time with Charlotte?” Beth looked up from her sewing, blew an errant chestnut curl away from her face, and smiled.
Meg hung her hat and shawl on a peg in the front hallway, then joined Beth on the settee in the cozy parlor. Smaller and easier to heat than the drawing room, it was where the sisters spent most of their time. As Meg looked around
at the stacks of books and piles of unfinished sketches and stories, she felt a pang—a hint of the homesickness that was sure to come. “We only had a brief visit, but she is well.”
“Brief? You were gone most of the afternoon.” Beth squinted at her needle as she gracefully guided it through the hem of a gown pooled in her lap. “Did you stop somewhere else?”
“Yes.” Meg tried to keep the nervousness from her voice. “I have news. Where’s Julie?”
“She went to check on Uncle Alistair. You know how he is—he gets so absorbed in his research that he forgets to eat. What is this news? It sounds very mysterious.”
“I’ll tell you both when Julie returns.” Meg picked up the sleeve of the navy dress draped across Beth’s legs. “I thought you’d already let the hem out of this.”
“I did, but I think I can stretch another inch out of it. Shouldn’t Julie have stopped growing by now?”
“Did I hear my name?” Julie breezed into the parlor and placed her hands on her slender hips. “Meg, you’re back!”
“She is, and she has something to tell us.” Beth scooted over and patted the settee cushion beside her.
Ignoring the invitation, Julie clasped her hands under her chin. “How exciting. Don’t tell me—let me guess. We’ve received a ball invitation?”
“No, darling. Nothing as exciting as that, I’m afraid,” Meg said. The youngest of the trio, Julie was the only one who still became dreamy-eyed at the mention of a ball. “Come sit, and I’ll explain everything.”
Julie kicked off her slippers and tucked her long legs on the settee beneath her. Beth plopped her sewing onto the table in front of them. “I don’t like the sound of this. What’s going on?”
Meg let out a long, slow breath. “It’s wonderful news, actually.”
Beth narrowed her pretty blue eyes. “Then why do you seem so anxious?”
“Well, this afternoon after I met with Charlotte … I went on an interview.”
“An interview?” cried Julie. “For what?”
“A governess position caring for young girls—twins.” Meg paused. “I was offered the job … and I start tomorrow. I’ll need to pack my things tonight.”
