Beth was bewildered. This was about the duke? Beth had kept her distance from him since he came to her room; she didn’t want people to talk if they had seen Lord Rossdale leaving her bedchamber. As far as she was aware, things had been perfectly respectable.
“I’ve seen my son in such despair after losing his wife,” Lady Rossdale went on. “He loved her, and the two of them were a strong couple. We were all devastated when Lady Rossdale was killed in that accident, and my son took it the worst of us all.”
“I understand, Your Grace. He’s told me about it.”
Lady Rossdale arched a perfectly curved eyebrow.
“I had a feeling he would. Lately, he’s been coming out of his shell, and he’s starting to smile more. Starting to interact more with his daughters when he would hide away in his study.”
Beth already knew that from Isabel and Rosamund after they commented on it. But she was still confused.
“I’m glad he’s feeling better enough to spend time with his children, but how has this got anything to do with me?”
“The timing of your appearance in our lives. My son has changed since you arrived, maybe just before. Everything says that you’re the reason for his change.”
Beth stared. Lady Rossdale had noticed this and linked it to her? Beth didn’t think she had done anything to change the man’s behaviour. It was just a father who wanted to spend time with his daughters. That’s all she saw. But to say she was the reason for it?
She wasn’t entirely comfortable with this conversation now.
“Are you telling me to keep my distance from Lord Rossdale? He’s my employer, so keeping my distance in certain circumstances might be a little difficult.”
“I’m telling you to do it for both your sakes, Miss Campbell. Especially with your family’s reputation in the gutter.” Lady Rossdale sighed. “Look, Beth, I’ve warmed to you over the past few weeks, and I know that you’re a good person. You really care about my granddaughters, even Hermia. You’re doing some good with my son’s family, but people are going to talk if you spend too much time together.”
It sounded like Lady Rossdale was implying Beth purposefully sought Lord Rossdale out for whatever reason. Beth had made sure she kept her distance from the duke recently. Had she been doing a little too much before? She fixed Lady Rossdale with a firm gaze.
“I don’t get too close, Your Grace. I know my boundaries.”
“That I do know. But it’s the servants I’m worried about. You’ve heard how much they talk.” Lady Rossdale looked around them, folding her hands in front of her. “Look, I love my son, and I do appreciate what you’re doing with my granddaughters. You’re doing a good job, and I give you credit for that. However, the more time you spend with my son, whether it’s innocent or not, can be misconstrued as something else.”
“So, this conversation is to make sure I keep things professional and nothing more,” Beth said slowly. “For my sake or for Lord Rossdale’s.”
“Both of you. We’ve already had enough scandal in this household, enough tragedy. We don’t want any more.”
She suspected something. Beth was sure of it. And this was a polite warning to keep her distance from Lord Rossdale.
Beth would happily take the warning. She hadn’t realized that she had been steering into anything untoward. Lord Rossdale hadn’t been complaining. If anything, he had been the one to start pursuing.
Was he pursuing her? Was that the reason for his mother to warn Beth off? She didn’t have anything to worry about; Beth knew when to draw the line. She wouldn’t cross that line again.
“I got the message loud and clear, Lady Rossdale.”
“Good girl.” Lady Rossdale surveyed her with a slight tilt of her head. “You are a clever one, Miss Campbell. I can see why my son likes you.”
Then she turned and walked away, leaving Beth to wonder what she meant by that.
Chapter 15
Beth was still trying to figure out what Lady Rossdale meant by her earlier statement as she finished the children’s lessons for the day. She was very sure that something was happening between Beth and her son, and she wanted to make sure it stopped or it didn’t go any further. She needn’t have worried; Beth didn’t want to cause any trouble, and she wasn’t about to ruin her family’s reputation any further.
She had committed one indiscretion, and Beth wasn’t about to divulge that to the dowager duchess. She really would suspect something going on. And it was going to stay as just the one indiscretion. Beth didn’t want to end up with the same predicament as Flora.
Then again, she couldn’t see Lord Rossdale treating her the same way as Flora’s young man. He was a good person, even with all his flaws. He wouldn’t treat her in such a way. But Beth wasn’t about to push it to find out.
She could still remember that moment in her room, when Lord Rossdale had been leaning in for a kiss. Beth had been very tempted. Even with her swollen lip, she had wanted to let him kiss her. But that would have meant something more, she knew it. And anyone could have caught them. Beth needed to remember her parents, remember her place.
Which was getting more and more complicated the longer she was with the Rossdale family.
After sifting through Isabel and Rosamund’s work – Hermia’s work had been brought in – Beth decided she wasn’t going to mark anything tonight. She needed to take her mind off school for a while. Especially when she was going to mark Hermia’s work; it was written neatly but in such tiny writing Beth was sure she was going to get a headache reading it. Hermia didn’t normally write that small, so it was just her way of annoying her.
Beth wanted to do something else before she tackled trying to read the essay Hermia seemed to have completed.
She had brought a couple of books from her home, but Beth had already read them twice. She wanted something a bit different. Lord Rossdale had an extension library, one that had Beth’s mouth falling open, and she was sure he wouldn’t mind if she borrowed one. She wasn’t going to take it for her own, and Lord Rossdale seemed to trust her.
Heading downstairs, Beth made her way to the library. No matter how many times she stepped into the room, she always ended up gasping at the sheer amount of books. Bookcases went from floor to ceiling and on another level, a balcony going around on the next floor. Beth did wonder if anyone had ever managed to read all the books. More than likely, they died trying.
This was heaven for her.
But where to start? Beth wandered around the shelves, trying to figure out where to start. She could see a lot of history books and various books on politics and medicine, but nothing that looked like a novel. Maybe she needed someone to point her in the right direction.
“Beth.”
Beth gasped and spun around. There was a large wing-backed chair by the fire, looking out into the gardens. And Lord Rossdale was sitting cross-legged in the chair, a book open in his hands. He was watching her curiously. Beth took a deep breath, pressing a hand to her chest. Her heart had stumbled and was trying to get back to its normal pace.
“Lord Rossdale! Forgive me, I had no idea you were in here.”
“That’s the point. I come in here to hide away from everyone else.” Rossdale closed the book and stood, giving her a lazy smile. “And it’s Gerard when it’s just the two of us, remember?”
How could Beth forget? It was always on the tip of her tongue. And it didn’t help when Rossdale stood before her, his clothes cut to fit his body perfectly. Every muscle seemed to be defined in his garments, and the pale blue suited him. Beth had lost count of the amount of dreams she had had of removing those clothes to see what his body looked like underneath. And that was dangerous. Finding a man attractive was one thing, but when you were undressing your employer in your sleep ... Beth knew that was trouble.
She took a step back, moving to put the sofa between them.
“I shouldn’t be improper so freely, Your Grace. And we shouldn’t be in this room alone.”
“Why no
t? It’s perfectly innocent.” Rossdale spread his hands. “And I mean you no harm.”
“It’s not that sort of harm I’m worried about,” Beth shot back. “I recall the last time we were alone. That certainly didn’t turn out innocently.”
“I wanted payment, and I got it.” Rossdale’s eyes glinted. His expression warmed as his eyes drifted over her face. “Although I wouldn’t argue if you want to give me interest.”
The urge to give him said interest was great, but Beth held herself back. The last thing she needed was to prove Hermia right that she wanted to climb all over her father and prove to Lady Rossdale that she couldn’t keep her hands off her son. She swallowed and fixed a glare on him.
“Don’t jest about it, Your Grace. I won’t jeopardize anything now.”
“Understood. I’ll stay over here, then, if you’re concerned.”
Rossdale stayed where he was, but the heat in his eyes had got warmer. Beth could feel the heat wrapping around her. God, now she understood the intense attraction between a man and a woman. It was something you were painfully aware, something that just wouldn’t let go. And Beth was beginning to realize that it was there at the most inopportune moments.
She needed to get out of there as quickly as she could, but Beth found that she was reluctant to leave. This was something she had been told not to do, and Beth was unable to leave the room.
“If you’re looking for something to read, I recommend that you start at that bookcase over there.” Gerard pointed to the one across the room in the corner. “It’s all in alphabetical order, most of it first editions.”
“Most of them?”
Rossdale shrugged.
“It’s a bit of an obsession for Mother. She wants to get first editions of everything, no matter what it is.”
“She’s an avid reader?”
“We all are.” Rossdale gestured at the next level above them. “There are some more upstairs, but I would suggest reading everything downstairs before you venture up there. It can be a little ... intimidating at their height.”
Beth wasn’t about to argue. She wasn’t very good on heights, so the idea of going upstairs to look at more books when there was a hefty drop wasn’t something she wanted to take on immediately. She went over to the bookcase and looked it over.
Apart from a couple of books, which stood out like sore thumbs from the others, they were all first editions. In good condition, and clearly looked after. Beth ran her fingers over the spines. She had never owned a first edition before.
“I can only begin to imagine how much these must have cost at the time of publication.”
“A hefty price, I’m sure, but they appreciate the longer you have them if they’re looked after.” Rossdale put his book down and folded his arms. “Hundreds of pounds for some of those. Probably close to thousands with the much older books. Mother’s been collecting them since she was a young girl.”
Thousands of pounds? Beth drew her hand away. She didn’t feel worthy to be in the same room as these, never mind touching them.
“I shouldn’t be reading any of these. They’re far too dear.”
“You can. I give you permission. I trust you to look after them.”
Beth stared at him, but Rossdale’s expression hadn’t changed. It struck her that he really did trust her. But why? She hadn’t really given him any reason to trust her. She was a mere servant, after all.
Taking a deep breath, Beth selected The Castle of Otranto. She had heard a lot of good things about it, but had never had the opportunity to read it. Maybe now was a good time. Holding the book against her chest, Beth turned back to Rossdale. He hadn’t moved, watching her with that look that made Beth feel like someone had lit the fire in the room.
Why did he have to look at her like that? Beth would prefer that he was cool towards her and really did keep his distance.
“Have you heard Rosamund reading lately?”
“No.”
“You should.” Beth found herself smiling. “It’s really coming along now. She enjoys it.”
Rossdale’s expression warmed. Just the mere mention of his daughters had him softening.
“I’m glad.”
“She’s currently looking at one about bugs and insects.” Why was she still here? She should be leaving. But Beth just couldn’t. “She’s fascinated with the pictures. Loves the ones with ladybirds.”
Rossdale chuckled.
“I’m not surprised. She’s always loved the outdoors.”
“So does Isabel. Did you know she’s always wanted a bird as a pet?”
“She’s asked a few times in the past. Allegra said she would think about it, but I told her no.” Rossdale sat on the arm of his chair. “I said that Isabel would lose interest after a while and then the bird would end up having to be returned or another chore for the servants.”
“You were that sure the bird would become neglected?”
“Isabel’s a child. Children lose interest pretty quickly.”
Beth smiled. He really had no idea about his daughter’s passion for birds.
“I don’t think she will. Anything about birds, she will take it in. Isabel loves them. I think you would be surprised by how much she knows.”
“I don’t think I would.” Rossdale grunted. “Isabel’s a very clever girl. Picks things up so quickly and works hard on everything.”
“That she does. Isabel’s a lovely young lady. A real credit to you.”
“Thank you.” Rossdale sighed, his smile fading. “I just wish all my daughters were the same.”
He was concerned about Hermia. Beth could understand that. His daughter was behaving in a way that was very unbecoming, and it was embarrassing to him. Lord Rossdale just wanted his family together, and Hermia was not coming into the fold.
“Hermia is a lovely girl in her own way, Your Grace.”
“You’re saying that after she’s physically attacked you?”
“I know it’s underneath that aggression, and that she’s not always like that.” Beth shrugged. “She’s just angry and lashing out. Being a new face and a stranger in her life, I’m the most likely target.”
The duke stared at her. He was looking at her like he had never seen her before. Did he think she had gone mad with that description of his wayward daughter? Then Lord Rossdale scowled and looked away.
“At this rate, Hermia will still be under a governess by the time she becomes a married woman, if that. I don’t see her maturing enough to go into her first Season.”
“It’s a few years away, Your Grace. You’ve got time with her to help her grow out of it.”
“Hermia’s held onto this for a year. I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
He was very determined on this decision. Beth could tell. Was he already giving up on his daughter? Beth was a firm believer in there was no such thing as a lost cause. Everyone could be helped in some way, and it made things a lot easier when they were willing to help themselves. Hermia wasn’t prepared to change, but Beth was prepared to change her mind on everything. Including the girl’s perceptions of her.
But she had a good idea of what might have started Hermia’s aggression off at the beginning. Beth moved towards Rossdale, still keeping her distance.
“How long was it after your wife’s death that you gave your children a governess?”
“About a month, I think. Why?”
What A Wicked Duke Demands (Historical Regency Romance) Page 19
