An Untamed Governess For The Rogue (Steamy Historical Regency)

by Olivia Bennet

  The Duke narrowed his eyes at her. “And who is to say that you have no part in this?”

  Shock struck her in the heart. “Your Grace, I would never betray your family. I realize you do not know me very well, but I am an honest young lady. I adore your family, and your children, and I want nothing more than to see Lord Luke restored. I was as surprised as you, when they urged me to be the go-between. In truth, I wish they had not chosen me, for I am terrified of making a mistake that may see Lord Luke destroyed.”

  “I would like nothing more than to believe you, Miss Dowels, and so I will give you this one proviso. I will make this exchange and allow you to be the one to deliver it. However, if you do not return, or my son does not, then you will be the one to suffer for it. I will ride to the ends of this earth to find you, if I discover that you have betrayed us.”

  Anger jabbed at her core. In that moment, she wanted nothing more than to reveal everything to him. How could he make such accusations, when it was Lord Harpington who was the evildoer? The young man that he had sworn to care for as his own. If he had done a better job of it, perhaps none of this would have happened. She bit her tongue, knowing it would only cause more chaos if she gave into her impulse.

  Swallowing her pride, she held the Duke’s gaze. “That is fair, Your Grace. I will do all I can to prove that I am what I say I am, and that I want nothing other than Lord Luke’s safe return.”

  “Then I will leave the guard to continue their search and return to the house with you now. We do not have much time,” he said, his tone still cold. “And you are to say nothing to anyone of this, do you understand? This is to remain between us and the blackmailers. My wife has been through enough.”

  And Lord Harpington? Once again, she held her tongue.

  “Very good, Your Grace.” She bowed her head, struggling to fight with her churning emotions. It sickened her to know that Lord Harpington was wandering free as he pleased, with nothing but Luke’s death upon his mind. It frightened her all the more to wonder what plans he had conjured for her, if his plan to murder his brother had gone as he had hoped. Would he have finished what he began that night?

  “Then let us go. We do not have a moment to lose.”

  * * *

  Luke stirred from a restless slumber, brought on by overwhelming fatigue. He had tried to fight it, but oblivion had taken him, nonetheless. As he awoke, he jumped in fright to find Stuart sitting in front of him, staring.

  “Ah, he awakens at last,” Stuart said, with a smirk.

  “What is the meaning of this?”

  Stuart shrugged. “Just wanted te make sure our prize cow weren’t dead. It’d be no good if ye was. Yer goin’ te make us all very rich. At least, I hope ye will, else ye’ll have naught to look forward te but a shallow grave.”

  “Teresa… you must help her.” He remembered what his last thought had been, before weariness had claimed him. “She is in a great deal of danger, if what you told me was true.”

  “I’ll be seein’ her soon enough, M’Lord. Never ye worry.”

  He frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “We’re waitin’ on an exchange of goods, M’Lord. If it all goes well, ye’ll be out of here tomorrow.”

  “But what has Miss Dowels got to do with any of this?”

  Stuart grinned. “I figured she’d be the one with the most te lose, and a young lass can be very persuasive when love is on the table. I seen the way she looks at ye, M’Lord. And I seen the way ye look at her. She were the obvious choice te get this exchange. Discreet, too, which is what we want. Wouldn’t want the Sphinx findin’ out about this, now, would we?”

  “You must take me with you,” Luke urged. All he wanted was to see Teresa again, and let her know that everything was going to be well.

  “Nah, I don’t think that’s wise, M’Lord. Ye’ll stay here ‘til it’s done, then we’ll let ye go on yer merry way.”

  “You do not comprehend the severity of the situation, Stuart. My brother will kill her if he discovers what she is doing.” Luke’s chest gripped in a vise of fear.

  “Then let’s both hope she can keep her mouth shut, eh?”

  * * *

  Louisa dried her eyes upon a handkerchief as Edmund held her tight, comforting her in her hour of need. She had not been able to sleep or eat since Luke had disappeared, and she knew that Edmund was just as wounded by the circumstances. He looked so pale and anxious, with that grisly scar upon his cheek. It was healing well, but she knew it would always be with him, as a reminder of what had happened.

  “Your father loves you. You know that—tell me you know that?” She sighed. “I know he has seemed rather cold towards you, and I am sorry for that. It is not his fault, and it is not your fault, either. But he loves you. He truly does. And, what is more, he loves you by choice.”

  Edmund pulled away and stared at her. “You know?”

  She nodded slowly. “I knew someone had taken the letter that I addressed to you. Who else would have taken it, but the person it was intended for?” She saw no reason to continue lying. She did not know if Luke was dead, or would soon be, but she wanted to reassure Edmund that his position as heir would always belong to him. She wanted to comfort him, as he had comforted her.

  “I suppose I should have left it there,” he said quietly.

  “I kept hoping you would come to me, so that I could explain myself, but you never did.” Tears sprang to her eyes again. “I am sorry that I did this to you. I am sorry that your father was not kinder to you. He has tried, and he does love you. He never truly intended to rob you of your inheritance. It was nothing more than a reaction to seeing you so very unwell, when you returned. He has ceased those pursuits, I assure you. And, as for the past few days, it was only the fact that Luke had been taken that made him behave so callously. But that does not change his true affection for you. It had not changed his mind about allowing you to continue on as heir. You have proven yourself to be his son, beyond all expectation. He wants you to be the heir. He would never seek to take that from you. Nor would Luke.”

  “How can you know that? How do you know he and Father are not plotting to take it from me? Do you read Father’s every letter? Have you not noticed them speaking in private? Have you not noticed how Father brings Luke to all of our discussions about the estate? Moreover, have you not seen the lawyer’s seal on Father’s correspondence? I have. I have seen it all.” A bitterness edged into Edmund’s words that made Louisa’s heart heavy.

  “Neither Luke nor your father would do that to you. I know that, because Luke knows the secret, too, and he has said nothing,” she replied. “He wants it to stay a secret. As for the lawyers, I am sure it is nothing of note. I have not seen anything to concern yourself over. I have only seen letters from them regarding a business venture your father is considering.”

  “Even if that is true, regarding the lawyers—if father were to die, urging Luke to take his rightful place, do you think my brother would have remained silent on the matter?”

  Louisa nodded. “Luke has never wanted responsibility, and he has never wanted to be a duke. He would struggle, even, with a marquessate. He is a free-spirited creature, as you know. He would always rather take the easy path, and he loves you dearly. You are his brother, in every sense of the word. He wants the dukedom to be yours one day, I know he does. He does not want it for himself.”

  “Why are you telling me this now?” Edmund stepped away from her and went to the window, his gaze steely.

  “Because I can see the pain that you are in. I can see how wounded you are by your father’s response to your own injuries, and the lack of compassion he showed when you returned from the war and from Lidderdale Castle. It is making bad memories resurface. I can tell.” Desperation made the words tumble from her mouth. “I want you to know that your place here will never change. Your father does not want it to change. He has told me so himself since ceasing his exchange with the lawyers, and he has told me, often, how much he loves, and appr
eciates, and admires you. He made a mistake. Surely, you can forgive him for that?”

  “I have seen no signs of his admiration that could warrant forgiveness. If he truly feels that way, he has a poor way of showing it,” Edmund muttered.

  “Yes. Yes, he does.” Louisa stood and joined him at the window, putting her hand on his arm. “But he does love you. Your father and brother both. You may not be his blood, but you are in his heart, and you are as much a part of this family as anyone.”

  Edmund snorted. “Then why does it always feel as though I am on the edge, looking in? Even now, when you claim there is no threat.” He shook his head. “Why did you have to write those ridiculous letters? Why could you not have kept it to yourself, locked away in your mind?”

  “I wish I had.”

  Edmund glanced at her. “No, you wrote those letters to rid yourself of your own guilt. You wanted them to be found, so you would not have to bear the entire weight of your secret. It is the only reason you would have done that. As for why you included any mention of the lawyer—you must have taken temporary leave of your senses.”

  “Edmund… that is not fair,” she said, wounded.

  “And this is fair?” He gestured to himself. “For seven-and-twenty years, you allowed me to believe that I was the true heir to this household. You allowed me to believe that the Duke was my father. And you allowed me to believe that I belonged here. All you had to do was remain silent, and make sure Father did nothing foolish, and I might have been granted happiness. But you could not.”

  “Oh Edmund.”

  “Would you like to know the worst part about it, Mother?”

  Her eyes widened, not sure if she did wish to know.

  “The worst part is,” he continued. “My first emotion upon reading that letter was not anger or resentment—it was relief. I was relieved that, at long last, I finally had a reason for my father’s ambivalence towards me. I finally understood why I had felt like an outsider my entire life.”

  “You are not an outsider, my darling boy. You never have been,” Louisa insisted, wishing she had more evidence to prove her point.

  Edmund smiled coldly. “You and I both know that is not true. How could I have been loved by either of you, when I came from a brutal assault? How could Father ever let me have his dukedom, knowing that? I am a living reminder of what happened to you. I am a living reminder of the event that almost lost the Duke his bride. You may have found love again, over these years, but you did not give any of it to me.”

  “Please, Edmund… we have both loved you with all of our hearts. I promise you; we have. When you were still growing within my belly, I told you that I would never punish you for your real father’s actions. And I have never done so. Your father swore it, too.”

  “Then you have both broken your promises.” Edmund turned and stalked towards the door, disappearing before Louisa could call him back.

  Devastated, she sank to her knees and held her head in her hands, hot tears coursing down her cheeks. In the space of a single conversation, she realized that she had lost both of her sons. And she had no idea if she would ever be able to get them back.

  Chapter 30

  The following day could not have come soon enough. Teresa had done as the Duke had asked, saying nothing to the other inhabitants of the house. Instead, she’d retreated to her bedchamber and stayed there, thinking of nothing but having Luke back beside her. As the clock chimed half-past three, she made her way downstairs and exited the house, where a horse was waiting. The Duke held the reins.

  “Remember our pact, Miss Dowels,” he said.

  She nodded. “I will, Your Grace.”

  “Here is the money they asked for.” He handed a cloth pouch to Teresa. She had never been in the presence of so much immediate wealth in all her life and wondered where the Duke had taken it from. She presumed he had a vault of some kind, though she had never seen it. Why would she have seen it?

  “I will see Lord Luke freed, Your Grace.”

  “I pray that you do.” With a nervous sigh, he helped Teresa into the saddle. With nothing left to say, she turned the horse around and headed away from the Rowfex Estate, following the southern road as she had been instructed.

  Some twenty minutes later, a building came into view, tucked away at the side of the road. A wooden sign swung from its fixtures, with a carving of St. George defeating the dragon emblazoned on the front. This was where she was to meet with Stuart Bollands.

  Dismounting once she reached the inn, she left the horse tied outside and ducked beneath the low lintel, into the building. A dense haze of blue-tinged smoke filled the room, the acrid scent of tobacco stinging her nostrils. But at least it took away from the aroma of stale, soured ale.

  She peered through the bluish haze of the room and found Stuart sitting at a table in the corner. Luke was not with him, but she had not expected him to be. Still, it was something of a disappointment. Steeling herself, she approached the table and sat down.

  “Miss Dowels, I were wonderin’ if ye’d be bold enough to come.” Stuart gave a sharp chuckle.

  “I did as I was told, Mr. Bollands,” she replied tersely.

  “And ye’ve got the money?”

  She nodded and removed the pouch from her cloak, sliding it furtively across the table. He snapped it up and held it beneath the table, his eyes glancing over the money inside. A small smile curved up the corners of his lips, seemingly satisfied.

  “It is all there, Mr. Bollands. I can assure you of that.”

  He grinned. “Aye, looks like yer right, Miss Dowels.”

  “Does that mean you will release Lord Luke?”

  “I’m a man of me word,” he replied. “But there’s one other term I need te make certain of, before I set him loose.”

  “Go on…”

  “If we release His Lordship, yer not te tell a soul of this exchange. No constables, no magistrates, no-one. You leave us be, and we’ll leave Lord Luke and his family be. There’ll be no more highwaymen, and there won’t be no further demands. This is where it ends. If ye go runnin’ te the authorities, then we might be forced te make another demand.”

  Teresa nodded. “This is where it will end, then.”

  “As for the Sphinx, ye can do whatever ye like with him, now this is done with.” Stuart chuckled. “He’s not got nobody left te work fer him. We’re all finished with him. So, do as ye please. Take yer revenge. And I pray ye get it, Miss Dowels. I truly do. I weren’t lyin’ when I said ye reminded me of me own girl. And I’d expect her te get her revenge, if she were in yer situation.”

  “Was there anything else, Mr. Bollands?”

  He shook his head. “No, yer free te go.”

  “When will you be releasing Lord Luke?”

  “Soon as I get back, ye have me word on that.”

  With her heart pounding, she thanked him curtly and made her way out of the inn. Getting back into the saddle, she rode back towards the Rowfex Estate, praying that she had not put her faith in the wrong person. Although, she supposed she would find out soon enough.

  * * *

  “Then where is he, Miss Dowels?” the Duke hissed, as they took a turn about the gardens. The children were playing nearby, oblivious to the conflict between their governess and their father.

  “I do not know, Your Grace.” It had been several hours since she had returned from the inn, and there had been no sign of Luke whatsoever. With each minute that passed, her fear grew. For, if she had been lied to, then she would be the one to suffer for it.

  “I should never have allowed you to go alone,” the Duke muttered. “I should have taken the guard and seized that wretch, so that I could demand he take us immediately to my son.”

  Just then, a scream pierced the air, so loud and cutting that it made both the Duke and Teresa turn in fright. Teresa did not wait for permission. Running as fast as she could, she sprinted around the side of the Manor until she reached the driveway. There, riding through the gates and getting c
loser, was Moonstruck. And upon the horse’s back… Luke.

  The Duchess was hurtling from the Manor towards him, with Lord Harpington frozen on the steps. Teresa paid him no attention as she followed the Duchess, the two of them arriving beside Moonstruck at the same time.

  “My boy! My darling boy!” the Duchess howled, as Luke pulled the horse to a halt and shakily dismounted. Aside from a few scrapes and bruises, he did not seem injured. However, as his mother pulled him into a tight embrace, he winced slightly.

  “I am home, Mother,” he replied, his eyes fixed on Teresa. How she wished she could have fallen into his arms and held him close, kissing him over and over until she was certain that he was real. But if she were to do that in front of the Duke and the Duchess, she knew it would not turn out well. Instead, she offered him her broadest smile, and prayed that the message was conveyed.