The Headmistress (Ladies of Miss Bell's Finishing School Book 6)

by Elizabeth Johns

  “You are somewhere else again,” Lord Wolford said, causing her to startle again.

  She looked down at the ornaments in her hand and then to Patrick, who was waiting patiently for her to pass it to him.

  “I beg your pardon. Here you are.”

  The boy took the wrapped paper and placed it on the tree.

  “I think it is finished,” Patrick said, standing back to admire their work.

  “There is one more thing!” Jane said excitedly, and hurried from the room. She returned with some candles and holders, which they placed carefully on the tree, and then proceeded to light them.

  “It is so beautiful!” Lucy-Ann exclaimed as she ran over to tell the Duke.

  “Yes, it is, child. This is how it used to be in our house many years ago,” he said with a reminiscent smile.

  Hannah moved to stand next to Lord Wolford and together they watched the children and adults alike be charmed.

  “Will you walk outside with me, Miss Bell?” Lord Wolford asked.

  She looked up and the look on his face was very intent. “Yes, of course. Let me fetch my pelisse.”

  A few minutes later, she took his arm and they walked out onto the terrace. The rest of the party was now engrossed with catching raisins from the dancing flames of Snapdragon and paid little mind. The snow had stopped, the air was crisp and the sky clear.

  “I do not want this day to end,” Hannah murmured when they stopped at the balustrade to stare up at the bright stars.

  “It does not have to,” Lord Wolford said, standing up against her side.

  “Even you cannot make the Earth stand still, sir,” she teased, although her insides felt like jelly.

  “But I would try, for you,” he sallied.

  She dared to turn her head and look up at him. Her breath hitched. No one had ever looked at her that way before, but even she could not mistake the look of care and, perhaps, desire.

  “Hannah,” he said reverently as he ran the back of his hand down her cheek. “I am not confident enough in your feelings, yet I think you hold me in some affection, do you not?”

  Hannah was uncertain how best to answer, but she heard herself agree that she did.

  He seemed to smile with relief at her response. “But is it enough for you to make the sacrifice and leap in the dark to become a duchess? Soon, I fear, my life will no longer be as a comfortable sheep farmer.”

  She chuckled at his words; half amusement and half fear. “And what of my school?”

  “We may worry about the school later. We will keep it if that is your wish, but I will want you by my side.”

  “Forgive me, but it is hard to imagine what you are asking.”

  “It is hard for me to imagine, and I was brought up knowing that one day I would be a duke. Somehow, I know, with you by my side, it will be more bearable.”

  “I do not wish to be chosen by default,” Hannah said. “I do not think you callous, but I also fear this offer would be made out of duty.”

  He sighed heavily. “I understand why you might think that. I am guilty of having been my father’s puppet in the past. And I confess I had not been thinking of marriage before coming here, but I believe there is a reason we were brought together.”

  “Jane’s meddling?” she suggested.

  “Yes.” He smiled. “Yet Jane could not know we would be compatible. I do not know if Father will be pleased at first, but something about him has changed. He will very quickly come to admire you as I do. May I kiss you, Hannah? Perhaps I may reassure you that we would suit. Besides, Jane has even placed mistletoe out here, and I must not ignore the command. It is bad luck, you know.”

  “Yes,” she whispered nervously. She made no protest because, honestly, it was likely she would never be kissed again and she wanted to experience a true kiss at least once in her life. She did not have as much faith in the Duke’s blessing as he did.

  She felt her body respond immediately, as though it were on fire. His lips were warm and soft, and not as she had imagined at all. Their arms wrapped around each other in a passionate embrace, and when he broke the kiss, they were both breathing heavily. Hannah was completely unable to think rationally. If he was not a man of honour, what would have happened?

  “Does that reassure you?” he asked, as shakily as she felt.

  “I fear I am a wanton,” she replied.

  He laughed. “As long as you are only wanton with me. Will you be my wife, Hannah?”

  Oliver held his breath while he waited for Hannah to answer. A few days ago, he had not wanted to be married, and now he did not want to return to Channing Park alone.

  “There is far more to be considered than simply becoming your wife,” she answered cautiously.

  “True enough, but it cannot be any harder than training young ladies for life among the ton. You know everything you need to.”

  “I suppose that is so,” she said, not sounding convinced.

  “What is it, Hannah?”

  “Your father… I would not wish to cause a division between you.”

  “Jane said Father likes you and I have sensed a change in him. Besides, he will not live much longer and we have the rest of our lives together,” he argued.

  “Then let us speak with him and discover his sentiments.” She smiled up at him, but was not looking as happy as he was himself. He placed a soft kiss on her lips and squeezed her hands.

  “This will succeed, I just know it will.” He led her back into the house and was surprised by the scene. Lucy-Ann was sitting in the Duke’s lap, while Patrick knelt at his feet. The rest of the guests were gathered nearby as the Duke told the story of Christmas.

  “What is a manger?” the little girl asked, interrupting the tale.

  “It is a trough from which the animals eat. They had no bed, so they made shift with what they had available,” the Duke answered, not seeming put off in the least by the question.

  Oliver watched, feeling a sense of peace. He had no reservations about having Hannah as his wife. He would make his father understand.

  As the Duke finished the story, Lucy-Ann yawned, laid her head down and fell asleep. Oliver felt longing in his heart to have his own child and present that gift to his father. Dunsmore went over and gathered the girl in his arms, Jane took Patrick’s hand and led the little group away. Soon, the remainder of the party began to retire. Lady Mary lingered, however, glaring as she looked back and forth between Hannah and himself.

  He turned into the Duke. “Father, may I speak with you before you retire?”

  “Of course,” he replied.

  Those remaining heard and politely withdrew, though Lady Mary’s mother had virtually to drag her from the room. When Hannah began to leave, he stopped her with his hand.

  “Please stay.”

  “I think he will speak more openly without me here,” she protested quietly. “I will wait in the study.”

  He watched her leave, shutting the door behind her, then turned back to his father, who was watching keenly.

  “I see you have made your choice,” he stated.

  Oliver smiled. “I have.”

  “She is a wonderful lady, but I want you to assure me you are not only choosing her because of my demand.”

  “You no longer wish me to marry?” Oliver could not resist the taunt.

  “Of course I do!” the Duke retorted. “But I did not mean for you to sacrifice your happiness.”

  “I see Jane has spoken to you.”

  “I have lost sight of what matters most. I do not regret the good I have done for my country, and your mother and I did a good job with you and Jane, but I should have paid more attention. I did not know…” His voice trailed off as he almost choked on his emotion.

  “Does that mean you give Hannah and me your blessing?”

  He gave a nod and cleared his throat. “It does. I think she will make an excellent duchess, although you might have to convince her.”

  “I told her if she could manage a housef
ul of young ladies, then being a duchess should be easy.”

  Kembleford laughed. Oliver could not remember the last time he had heard that sound.

  The Duke rose slowly from his chair and walked over to Oliver. He reached out and hugged him for the first time since Oliver had been a young boy.

  “Where is Hannah?”

  “She went to the study. She wanted us to be able to speak freely.”

  “I suppose she is waiting for my blessing?” The Duke eyed him knowingly.

  “She did not wish to create a division between us,” Oliver admitted.

  The Duke pursed his lips with approval and then shuffled off to the study. Oliver followed slowly. He waited on the threshold of the room, to give his father a chance to speak with Hannah.

  “Well, my dear?” Kembleford asked.

  Hannah smiled at him.

  “I would be honoured to have you as my daughter-in-law. You will make Oliver a good wife and even a duchess one day.”

  “I hope so. I will certainly do my best.”

  “That is all I could hope for. Well, and grandchildren very soon.” He chuckled. The Duke held out his hands and Hannah went to him. He took both of her hands in his, brought them to his lips for a kiss and then kissed each cheek.

  “I will leave you two alone. I need to send a note to my cousin to make haste with the special license I warned him about.” Oliver was convinced his father had a spring in his step as he approached, and then the old gentleman winked at him as he passed through the door.

  Hannah looked at Oliver with curiosity.

  “Father’s cousin is the archbishop,” he explained as he walked over and took Hannah in his arms. “You do not object to a quick wedding?”

  “Why wait? You heard your father, he wants grandchildren,” she teased in her headmistress’ voice.

  “I would be more than happy to oblige,” he replied at once, not troubling to keep the laughter from his tone.

  “I have no doubt,” she said primly. There was, however, a decided twinkle in her eyes.

  Epilogue

  “Now, let us try one more time,” Oliver said, trying to direct his charges on where to stand for the Christmas pageant to be held at the church.

  “Talking to the sheep again, I see,” Hannah remarked with a chuckle as she walked into the barn with two-month-old Robert in her arms.

  “They understand me, I swear,” Oliver replied.

  A chorus of baas resounded to prove his point, causing Hannah to laugh.

  Oliver came over to them, took his son from Hannah’s arms and kissed the infant’s cheek. Her heart felt near to bursting; she did not think she could love him any more.

  “Has anyone arrived yet?”

  “Your father and Jane did so just a few minutes ago.”

  “Excellent! I was worried they would be caught in the snowstorm.” A wistful look came into his eyes.

  “It is hard to imagine it has only been a year since we were caught in one.”

  “We were certainly both caught, were we not?” He smiled and pulled her next to him as they walked back to the house to greet their guests.

  “Father!” Hannah exclaimed when they found the Duke already being served tea in the drawing room.

  “Let me see my new grandson!” He beamed. Oliver handed him the swaddled bundle, and the Duke clearly had to fight back tears. “I have waited so long for this, thank you both.”

  “We are the ones who should be thanking you,” Oliver answered reflectively, “and Jane. She definitely had a hand in this.”

  “Did someone say my name?” Jane asked, entering the room looking happier than ever. Passing Oliver and Hannah, she approached the Duke. “Is that my new nephew?”

  “At least they were both honest about wanting us to have a child,” Oliver muttered as Jane admired her nephew.

  “Speaking of children, where are yours, Jane?”

  “In the nursery, making themselves presentable, as is my husband. He would insist on playing with the children,” she said by way of explanation. “You are looking well,” she added to Hannah. “I would never know you had given birth.” Turning to her father, she grumbled good-naturedly, “Are you to keep him to yourself the entire afternoon?”

  “I must have as much time as I can with this one,” he said, casting a mischievous grin at his daughter. “He was my idea, after all.”

  “I hear he is to be the main attraction of the Christmas story,” Jane said to Hannah after an exasperated look at her father.

  “Of course he is,” Oliver answered.

  “I think not,” Hannah corrected. “The play is merely justification for his menagerie.”

  “It always comes back to the sheep,” Oliver mumbled.

  “And a donkey,” Hannah added, not masking the laughter in her voice.

  “Well, I think it is lovely that you have found a way to include the children in Christmas. It should be for everyone,” Jane interjected.

  “There certainly will be a lot of children,” Oliver replied, as though he were still disconcerted by the thought.

  “How many children are in the school here, Hannah?” Jane asked. Miss Bell’s School for Young Ladies was still functioning in Bath, but was now being run by Mrs. Gates, Hannah’s old assistant. She and Oliver had started a school for the children in the village and from nearby estates not long after they were married.

  “We have twenty children so far,” Hannah answered. “And how many are in your orphanage?”

  “We have close to twenty ourselves,” Jane answered proudly.

  Lord Dunsmore entered, bringing Patrick and Lucy-Ann, and Hannah went forward to embrace her adopted niece and nephew.

  “By next Christmas, there will be another addition to the family as well,” Lord Dunsmore announced, casting a look at Jane. She glowed with happiness and it was apparent she had found love at last.

  The Duke beamed with pride, and hearty congratulations were expressed all around. The children, however, were more interested in other things. Lucy-Ann tugged on Oliver’s arm. “Uncle, when may we see the animals?”

  “Those words are music to my ears, my dear. You may see them any time you wish.” The other adults watched indulgently as Oliver led the children to the barn.

  “I cannot believe how much has changed in a year. I am very pleased,” the Duke commented without taking his eyes from his grandson and future heir.

  Hannah could scarcely believe it herself. She had been a spinster headmistress and now she was a wife, mother, and future Duchess…and shepherdess.

  Afterword

  Author’s note: British spellings and grammar have been used in an effort to reflect what would have been done in the time period in which the novels are set. While I realize all words may not be exact, I hope you can appreciate the differences and effort made to be historically accurate while attempting to retain readability for the modern audience.

  Thank you for reading The Headmistress. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, please help other readers find this book:

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  Acknowledgments

  There are many, many people who have contributed to making my books possible.

  My family, who deals with the idiosyncrasies of a writer’s life that do not fit into a 9 to 5 work day.

  Dad, who reads every single version before and after anyone else—that alone qualifies him for sainthood.

  Wilette and Anj, who take my visions and interprets them,
making them into works of art people open in the first place.

  My team of friends who care about my stories enough to help me shape them before everyone else sees them.

  Heather who helps me say what I mean to!

  And to the readers who make all of this possible.

  I am forever grateful to you all.

  About the Author

  Like many writers, Elizabeth Johns was first an avid reader, though she was a reluctant convert. It was Jane Austen's clever wit and unique turn of phrase that hooked Johns when she was "forced" to read Pride and Prejudice for a school assignment. She began writing when she ran out of her favourite author’s books and decided to try her hand at crafting a Regency romance novel. Her journey into publishing began with the release of Surrender the Past, book one of the Loring-Abbott Series. Johns makes no pretensions to Austen’s wit but hopes readers will perhaps laugh and find some enjoyment in her writing.

  Johns attributes much of her inspiration to her mother, a retired English teacher. During their last summer together, Johns would sit on the porch swing and read her stories to her mother, who encouraged her to continue writing. Busy with multiple careers, including a professional job in the medical field, author and mother of small children, Johns squeezes in time for reading whenever possible.

  Also by Elizabeth Johns

  Surrender the Past

  Seasons of Change

  Seeking Redemption

  Shadows of Doubt

  Second Dance