by Rose Pearson
Anger clawed its way through Jenny’s chest. Even though she did not have a particularly amicable relationship with either of the children, she still felt a sense of protectiveness over them that she could not hide. To have them so treated by their own father made her furious beyond belief, and it was this that had her grasping the children gently by their shoulders and turning them around. They were not to watch their father’s continued ugly behavior with wide eyes. They did not need to see him so disgraced.
“Here,” she said, pushing them gently towards the door. “Your father needs to rest. As you have said, John, it is quite clear that he has not recovered from the voyage across the sea, and we must be considerate of that.” She caught the eye of one of the younger maids and beckoned her towards her. The young woman threw a quick glance towards Mrs. Blaine, who nodded her approval. The Duke would not notice if one of the maids was absent.
“Might you take Master John and Miss Mary to their schoolroom?” Jenny asked, knowing that it would be best if she were to remain so as to greet the Duke in whatever way he was able to manage. “I believe the cook has left some honey cakes and two cups of warm milk waiting for them there.”
Mary, to Jenny’s surprise, still clung to her skirts with one hand, her blue eyes rounded with a little fear. This was not the girl Jenny knew. This was a girl afraid of her father and his strange behavior now that he had returned home. A girl who did not understand why her own parent did not seem to even notice her, nor seem glad that he had returned home to them.
“I will join you very shortly,” Jenny assured her, resting one hand on the child’s back and considering quietly just how altered the girl was. “Beth here will take good care of you until I return.”
Beth, the maid, looked a little doubtfully at the children but Jenny gave her a quick smile so as to encourage her. The children, much to Beth’s apparent surprise, hurried after her quite quickly, with Mary even reaching out a hand to hold onto Beth’s arm. Beth glanced back at Jenny, who watched them go into the house with a fierce anger still burning in her heart. The Duke had brought about this change, and whilst she was glad the children were being obedient for once, she was not at all pleased that the reason for this was simply due to the way their father had ignored them. His drunkenness and ill manners were utterly mortifying to watch and she could not imagine what his children must be feeling at this very moment. She had to pray that they would continue to believe he was simply overcome with the duration of his journey and that his tiredness was the reason for his decision to ignore them completely.
“I believe that was wise, Miss Edgington,” Mrs. Blaine murmured, as the two men began to forcibly remove the Duke’s hand from the carriage door. “I do not know what is to come next but I fear it would not be good for either of the children to witness the master so drunk!”
Jenny did not say another word but continued to look steadily at the Duke who, to her relief, was now standing unaided. In fact, he was no longer manically grinning but appeared to have composed himself a little. He stood tall, his hands placed behind his back. Jenny allowed herself to study him for a few moments as he gathered his thoughts. He certainly had all the bearings of a titled gentleman, when he attempted to show it at least. His broad shoulders and strong back were an indication of his time in the army, although there was a haggardness about his face that detracted from that somewhat. Even from where she stood, the dark shadow around his square jaw was more than apparent, and his blue eyes – so similar to John and Mary’s – appeared to be a trifle narrowed, as though he were attempting to clear his vision. His clothes were crumpled and stained and, inwardly, Jenny felt herself recoil from him. Was this truly to be the master of the house? The one she was meant to come to with her concerns regarding the children? Would he care? Would he even listen?
Her thoughts were stolen from her by the sound of the Duke clearing his throat. After having done this for some moments, he then gave a short bow and attempted to speak – only for him to stumble forward.
Beside her, Jenny heard Mrs. Blaine let out a soft groan. The words of Mr. Thomas came back to Jenny’s mind with a good deal of force, reminding her that he had predicted that things might, in fact, turn out to be a good deal more difficult than even their current circumstances. If this was any indication of how the Duke would be behaving as he settled back into life on his estate, then Jenny was quite certain that the butler’s words would come true.
“Thank you all for greeting me.”
The Duke’s voice was slurred, his smile now back on his face.
“The Duke has had a long journey,” one of the other two men said, looking across at the staff as though he were there simply to make excuses for the Duke. “He is tired and will need some days to rest.”
The Duke snorted aloud, as though this was more than ridiculous. “I will need many days to recover from the shock of being brought back here against my will,” he stated, loudly, stretching out one hand and pointing it at random at some of the staff. “Do not think that I have returned willingly. This is the very last place I wish to be.”
A cold sweat broke out across Jenny’s forehead. How glad she was that she had already sent the children indoors. They would have been quite broken to hear their father speak so callously.
“I do not want to be disturbed for the rest of the day,” the Duke continued, loudly, attempting to stride towards the front door but finding that his steps were not at all steady and did not carry him in a straight line. “I intend to sleep. That is all.”
Jenny stepped aside as the Duke came towards them, her anger burning so hotly within her that it was all she could do to contain herself. Fighting the urge to speak out loud to him, she kept her head held high as he moved past. The Duke swayed and stumbled into her, stepping on her feet as both John and Mary had done on their first meeting. His hands reached out and grabbed at her in an attempt to steady himself and Jenny let out a yelp of pain.
The Duke chuckled, clearly not at all apologetic. He looked at her for a moment or two before shrugging and trying to climb the steps, which he could not do unaided.
One of the two men who had been in the carriage with him hurried forward to help, whilst the other remained close to the butler.
“I think it would be wise to explain some things to you,” Jenny heard the second man say to the butler. “It is not quite proper to express them to the staff, I know, but in this circumstance….” He trailed off, and Jenny caught Thomas’ eye.
“We can speak inside,” the butler said, nodding. “Mrs. Blaine and Miss Edgington will be present also. If you will come to the kitchens, then I can have something set out for you both.”
The man nodded and said nothing more before he hurried after the first man and the Duke.
“I must go to the children,” Jenny said, urgently, seeing Mr. Thomas frown heavily in the direction of the Duke. “I will join you in the kitchens just as soon as I am able.”
The butler nodded and sighed, and Mrs. Blaine put one hand on Jenny’s arm, her eyes filling with tears.
“Just what are we to do, Miss Edgington?” she asked, looking up desperately into Jenny’s face. “How are we meant to manage the children and the master, when he is in such a state as this?”
Jenny opened her mouth in an attempt to answer but found that she could think of no response. Her heart was heavy and sore over his treatment of the children, her anger still burning deep within her. Mrs. Blaine shook her head again and covered her mouth with her hand before turning and following the rest of the staff back towards the house. Jenny forced herself to go after her, knowing that she had a responsibility to the children, but also eager to discover what it was the two officers had to say about the Duke of Carrington.
Chapter Five
“Miss Mary?”
As Jenny walked into the room, she saw Beth leaning over a crying Mary who was sitting down in a chair by the window, her face in her hands.
Jenny’s heart broke.
This was th
e first time either of the children had displayed any emotions to her, having always concealed their feelings by behaving in a manner that was both hurtful and difficult for Jenny and the staff to manage.
“Thank you, Beth,” she murmured, coming closer to Mary and smiling at the maid. “I can see to Mary now.”
Beth nodded and hurried from the room, clearly relieved at having been given a respite from her responsibilities with the children. Jenny bent down, her skirts sweeping the floor as she tried to look into Mary’s face – but the child was still covering her face with her hands as though she wanted to hide the evidence of her sobs.
“You are distressed,” Jenny said, as gently as she could. “Come now, Mary. You know you can tell me what troubles you.”
“She is just being foolish.” John’s voice was hard, his eyes narrowing slightly as he gazed at his sister. “She thinks our father was not glad to see us when I have told her repeatedly that he is simply tired.”
Jenny held John’s gaze for a long moment until the boy looked away. There had been a note of uncertainty in his voice that had betrayed him. He was trying to be strong in the face of his sister’s sadness, Jenny realized. He was trying to convince himself that their father simply was too tired and overcome from his journey to greet them with the happiness and the joy that he had hoped for.
“Mary,” Jenny said, as softly as she could, hating to see the little girl so upset. She felt a little at a loss as to how to comfort her, her heart aching for the child. “Your father needs to rest and recover. He will be more than glad to see you once he has done so, I am quite sure.”
“He did not even greet us,” Mary sobbed, dropping her hands to her lap and looking at Jenny with wide, tear-filled eyes. “Why did he not so much as bid us good morning?”
Jenny swallowed hard, knowing that she needed to reassure the child as best as she could but found that she had very little idea of what she was to say. “As your brother has identified, he is still struggling with the effects of being at sea for a prolonged length of time,” she lied. “Even I found it difficult to understand him when he spoke. I know that he wishes to see you both once he has recovered.”
Mary sniffed three times and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Her tears slowly abated as she looked steadily back at Jenny, as though trying to decide whether or not she was telling the truth.
“Are you certain?” she asked, her voice quavering. “Is that what he said?”
“Of course,” Jenny lied again, smiling brightly at Mary. “Just give your father some time to recover and he will be quite himself again. I know you have not seen him for some time and that you will be glad to have him here with us.”
Blinking hard, Mary’s lower lip trembled as she nodded. “He sent us away after mama….” She did not manage to say the final words, closing her eyes as another stream of tears began to trickle down her cheeks.
“I know,” Jenny replied, her heart aching for this sorrowful child. “It must have been a very difficult time for you both.”
“You will not leave us,” Mary said quickly, opening her eyes and staring at Jenny with something akin to desperation. “Even if Father asks you to go, you will not do so, will you?”
Startled by the child’s fervor and certainly wanting to reassure her as much as could, Jenny reached out and took Mary’s hand in her own, squeezing it gently.
“I shall not leave you,” she promised, fervently. “I told you from the first day that I had no intention of being chased away, did I not?” She smiled broadly and saw, to her relief, that Mary smiled back, albeit a little tentatively. “I shall not be chased away by you, nor your brother and nor your father. I have every intention to remain here as your governess for as long as you need me.”
Mary swallowed hard and nodded.
“But I must ask you this,” Jenny continued, allowing a little sternness to creep into her voice. “I must ask you to begin to consider your behavior. It has been very difficult for not only me but for the staff here who care for you.” She let go of Mary’s hand and peered into her eyes, surprised to see a touch of guilt flickering in the child’s face. “You have not chosen to behave well and to do as you are asked. I am aware that you wish to see your father and that you are eager for his attention, but he will not be inclined to give it to you if you continue to act in the way you have been these last few weeks. Do I make myself quite clear?”
Mary did not say a word for some moments. Instead, she kept her head bowed, her lips thinning and a look of stubbornness creeping over her features. Jenny held her breath, wondering if she had asked for too much, but knowing that she needed to press her advantage.
“Very well.”
The words seemed to be dragged from Mary’s lips, coming towards Jenny unwillingly. Flooded with relief, Jenny smiled gently in Mary’s direction, aware of just how difficult it must have been for her to say that, but glad that she had done so regardless.
“John?”
Turning her head, she rose to her feet and gave John a long look – but the boy did not respond. Instead, he turned his head away and set both elbows on the desk in front of him, clearly unwilling to say anything that might come across as an agreement. Jenny did not urge him to respond, did not ask him to say anything more, realizing that John required more time than his sister to consider his actions and how they might now affect things within the house.
“Now, I must go to the kitchens for a few minutes,” she said, pressing Mary’s shoulder gently. “I see you have not eaten your honey cakes as yet. Why not do so now? I will be back shortly and can bring you a few more delicacies from the larder.” She saw Mary smile and felt her heart cheered. “Although I would ask you to remain within for the moment.”
John gave a jerky nod, although he did not look at Jenny. Mary agreed to do as Jenny had asked and began to eat her honey cakes with gusto – much to Jenny’s relief. She had recovered herself rather quickly and, whilst Jenny hated lying to Mary regarding the Duke’s conduct, she had thought it rather unwise to speak badly of His Grace in front of his own children. What she must do now, therefore, is speak honestly to the Duke and ensure that he did, in fact, greet his children with the warmth and gladness they were expecting.
A knot formed in her stomach as she made her way along the hallway towards the servants’ stairs. She did not particularly relish the idea of having to speak to the Duke privately, for fear of what he might do or say.
“You there.”
A loud voice made her jump, and she turned at once to see the Duke leaning heavily against the doorframe of what she knew to be his bedchamber. She had to walk past it to get to the staircase.
“Your Grace,” she murmured, not certain whether she should linger or force herself to continue. “Good morning.”
The sound of scurrying footsteps caught her ears and she turned to see Mrs. Blaine hurrying towards her, having not seen the Duke.
“Mrs. Blaine!”
The Duke’s shout made Mrs. Blaine squeal with fright, and, with one hand on her heart, she turned her head and stared at him, backing away towards Jenny.
“Mrs. Blaine, who is this?” the Duke asked, indicating Jenny with a flick of his hand. “I do not know her.”
Mrs. Blaine swallowed hard. “This is Miss Edgington, Your Grace,” she said, her voice high pitched with fright. “The governess.”
“I see.” The Duke’s eyes rested lazily on Jenny again and, for whatever reason, she felt her skin crawl with displeasure. “Come here, Miss Edgington.” He crooked one finger and beckoned her towards him. Jenny felt herself recoil inwardly.
“Yes, Your Grace?” she asked, taking only two steps nearer and standing far enough away from him so that he could not reach out and grasp her. Given the unsteadiness of his feet, she was quite certain that he could not easily walk towards her.
The Duke frowned. “Keep those children far from me, Miss Edgington,” he stated, darkly, his tone changing as he spoke. “I do not wish to see them.”
The Duke’s frown darkened and he glared at her, although he said nothing. Jenny did not apologize for what she had said, nor did she change her mind, knowing that both Mary and John needed to feel welcomed by their father.
“You are quite stubborn, Mrs. Edgington.”
“Miss Edgington,” she corrected, tipping her head a little to the left. “I am determined, yes, Your Grace, and I make no apology for it.”
His glare lifted and his smile returned, although as his gaze raked over her, Jenny felt herself shudder with disgust.
“Mayhap you could be as determined to aid me as you are to assist my offspring,” he suggested, his voice low. “What say you, Miss Edgington? Might you care to come in with me?”
A flush of heat ran over Jenny’s frame and she shook her head in disgust, backing away from him. “I think not, Your Grace,” she stated, her revulsion rising steadily. “Good day.” She did not wait for him to dismiss her, but rather, strode away from him as quickly as she could. Her heart was beating with such furiousness that she could barely catch her breath, aware that heat was pouring into her cheeks. How dare he speak to her in such a way?
“Miss Edgington!” Mrs. Blaine was now hurrying after her, her face as white as a sheet. “Miss Edgington, are you quite all right?”
“Perfectly,” Jenny replied, angrily. “I have made my assessment of Lord Carrington, Mrs. Blaine, and I find him exceedingly wanting.” Her footsteps clattered on the stairs as she hurried to the kitchens, as though afraid that the Duke himself was following after her. “His behavior this day has been utterly abominable.”
