“A cruel man,” Mrs. Philips murmured under her breath then moved on continuing towards the nursery.
Perhaps the rumors are true.
Eliza knew Mrs. Philips would not have said a negative word against the man were it not true. Shaking her head, she disregarded her misgivings. ‘Tis none of my business what sort of a man he was or how his family dealt with him. I am here to do a job, not concern myself in the affairs of others. She hurried along to catch up with the housekeeper.
The nursery was a pale lemon yellow with green accents. Two children played with tiny toy soldiers on a rug upon the floor. The boy, Gabriel, was blonde with blue eyes like his brother. He had the most adorable dimples that winked in and out of existence as he talked to his sister about their battle strategy. The girl, Charlotte, was tall, taller than Gabriel, with dark hair and blue eyes similar in coloring to her father’s portrait.
“Children, I would like to introduce you to your new governess, Miss Eliza Bolton. Eliza, this is Lord Gabriel Huntley and Lady Charlotte Huntley,” Mrs. Philips gestured to each person as she spoke. “Say hello, children.”
The twins got to their feet. Gabriel bowed, while Charlotte curtsied. “Hello, Miss Bolton.”
“Hello, children,” Eliza greeted with a smile.
Having done as they were told, the children sat back down and returned to playing, ignoring everyone else in the room. Eliza stood and watched them for a moment before Mrs. Philips led her back out into the hall. “It may take some time for them to warm up to you.”
“I am sure,” Eliza agreed. “It is never easy to welcome a stranger into one’s life and home, let alone allow that stranger to have authority over you.”
“Indeed,” Mrs. Philips murmured, inspecting Eliza’s face. “You are wise beyond your years.”
“Tragedy has a way of changing us into people that we might not otherwise be,” Eliza replied.
“Yes, it does. I think you will get along quite nicely here at Rosenhill, Eliza.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Philips.”
* * *
“You are just like your father, hiring a pretty face for your own amusement,” the Dowager Duchess accused as she abandoned her erect posture to lounge upon the settee in disdain.
“You complained about having to spend time with your children, and now I have addressed those complaints on your behalf. Outside of that, I have no interest in the girl, I assure you,” Arthur replied.
“And you expect me to believe that you have no interest in the girl at all with the way you were fawning all over her. Bowing to the help, honestly Arthur, could you be any more debasing? Lest you have forgotten, you are the Duke of Rosenhill. For the sake of your family, can you at least pretend to be worthy of the title?” His mother’s words that would have once hurt him in childhood merely bounced off of him now.
“You may believe as you wish, Mother. I apologize if I have disappointed you,” Arthur answered. He knew his father had been repeatedly abusive and unfaithful to her and that her anger was more truthfully toward the deceased than the living.
“Do as you wish. You always do.” She sighed and waved her hand in dismissal.
Arthur bowed then left the drawing room. His mother was wrong, but she was right about one thing – the new governess was beautiful. There was something about her eyes, so dark brown, that was familiar. He could not quite recall where he had encountered her.
Perhaps Mrs. Philips will know where I might have seen her. Arthur descended the stairs to her office. She is quite enchanting. He had found himself being drawn to her as she had stood before him. I should be careful not to prove Mother right about my intentions towards the girl. I will not fall prey to temptation as my father did before me.
He knocked on the door but did not receive a reply. He had forgotten that Eliza might still be in the nursery. Arthur turned to leave and caught sight of a cloaked figure exiting swiftly through the back door. “You there!” Arthur gave chase. He would gladly give food to anyone who needed it, but he would not countenance stealing.
Charging out of the door in pursuit, he grabbed the fleeing figure by the arm turning them around to face him. “You?”
It was the new governess, but she looked like…the girl on the street at night! Arthur released her immediately for fear of being recognized himself.
“Yes, Your Grace?” she asked, a confused look in her eyes. “Have I done something wrong?”
“No, not at all. Please, forgive me, Miss Bolton. I mistook you for an intruder. You left so swiftly you see with the dark cloak and all,” he attempted to explain.
“Oh,” she paused looking down at her cloak. “I suppose such a thing might look suspicious with how quickly I was departing. It might have looked as though I were fleeing with the silver. Forgive me, Your Grace. I simply wished to hurry home and tell my family about the wonderful news.”
“Of course, you were. Please, do not let me keep you. I promise to be more hospitable in the future.” Arthur gave a slight bow in apology.
“You have been perfectly hospitable. I thank you, Your Grace.” With a quick curtsy, she was gone.
Arthur watched her walk down the drive until she disappeared from sight. What was a beautiful, sweet-natured governess doing out on the streets at night? I cannot imagine any family would find such behavior appropriate.
Arthur contemplated all the possible reasons a girl would have to be out alone after dark and came up with very few. A lover’s tryst perhaps? The scandal such a thing would bring. Have I been too cavalier in hiring her?
Arthur shook his head in reply to his own question. He trusted Mrs. Philips’ opinion explicitly. She would never have introduced them to a girl of weak character. He would simply have to trust that the girl had had a good reason.
It would not be amiss to keep a watchful eye on her. Just until I know the truth behind her actions. They were desperate for a governess, but he wanted his siblings to be safe and cared for by someone of good character. They had had quite enough of the opposite from their father already.
His thoughts were interrupted by Mrs. Philips coming down the stairs. “Your Grace? Is something amiss?”
“No, I was just seeing Miss Bolton out,” he answered. “Charming girl. Is there anything more I should know about her apart from what you have already shared?” he asked.
“No. Why do you ask?”
“I saw her the other night. The lady in distress I spoke to you about, it was her. I am almost certain of it,” he explained.
“Surely not. The Coles would never allow a daughter of theirs to go about at night unaccompanied,” Mrs. Philips protested.
“Be that as it may, I am certain it was she. What call would such a young lady have to such behavior?”
“What call does a Duke have to the same?” she pointed out.
“Ah, touché,” he replied adequately shamed for his suspicious musings. “Nevertheless would you mind keeping an eye on her with the twins to be sure?”
“Of course, Your Grace,” Mrs. Philips agreed. “But I am sure there is a perfectly good explanation for it all.”
“Let us hope so, for if not, she must go.”
Chapter 4
Saying goodbye to her family was difficult, but Eliza took comfort in the fact that they were but a walk away. She was given Sundays off to visit with them, and she would also use the time to continue her charity work in town. After her interview, she had left Rosenhill Manor to gather her things and returned before nightfall. Mrs. Philips had shown her to her new room adjacent to the children’s nursery. The room was a lovely blue, with a canopied bed, and spacious armoire.
She had unpacked her belongings, then settled the children into bed. Gabriel and Charlotte had not yet warmed to her, but that would come with time. She had read them a story, kissed their foreheads which had been received with a great deal of surprise if their little faces were any indication, and retired to her room. She prayed that her new surroundings would be enough to hinder the nightma
res from coming.
She crawled beneath the fresh sheets and sighed in contented relief. The bed was magnificent. She had never before lain in such luxury. With a room such as this, she could not imagine why the prior governesses had left so quickly. She remembered Mrs. Philips’ statement about cruelty.
I sincerely hope it isn’t a problem with the family, but if it was with the father, he is now dead, so perhaps it will have resolved itself.
The children had reacted to her attempts at affection as though they had never experienced such a thing. She knew all too well that she was a stranger, and she hoped that their reservations were due to that and not an abusive father. She would make a point to ask Mrs. Philips upon the morrow. Closing her eyes, she fell into an exhausted sleep.
* * *
A scream pierced the night jolting Arthur from a deep sleep. He pulled on his trousers and rushed from his bedchamber in the direction of the sound. He met Mr. Danvers and Mrs. Philips in the hall. “It sounded like it came from the nursery,” he informed them.
“Eliza! She gets night terrors,” Mrs. Philips gasped in realization and scurried to the governess’ room. Arthur and Mr. Danvers followed.
“I will look in on the children,” Arthur offered as Mr. Danvers went to check on Miss Bolton.
When Arthur opened the nursery door, he was relieved to find his siblings safe in their beds. Somehow, they had managed to sleep through the screaming. How, he had no notion. It seemed to have reverberated throughout the house. Not wishing to wake them, Arthur quietly exited the room and shut the door behind him.
Mr. Danvers stood just outside the door. “All is well, Your Grace. ‘Twas but a dream.”
Arthur peeked his head around the doorframe into the governess’ room and found Mrs. Philips was offering Miss Bolton a glass of water. “I am terribly sorry, Mrs. Philips,” she was saying. “I have not screamed so loudly in quite some time.”
“’Twas naught but the change in circumstances. You will adjust to sleeping in new surroundings, and the dreams will calm once more.” Mrs. Philips brushed a ringlet of dark hair from Miss Bolton’s face. “Try to sleep now.”
Mrs. Philips arose from her seat at the edge of the bed and met the men in the hallway. She closed the bedroom door and motioned for them to follow her into the sitting room. “My apologies, Your Grace.”
“I assume the night terrors are from the night of her parent’s death?” Arthur asked.
“You know of the girl’s history, Your Grace?” Mr. Danvers inquired.
“Mrs. Philips was quite forthright about Miss Bolton’s history before I agreed to hire her. It is in part due to this history that I decided to offer her employment. Her father, Daniel Bolton, was my tutor for a short time when I was about the twin’s age. I did not know him well, but he seemed a kind man. He and his wife died in a horrific fire, but their little girl managed to survive,” Arthur explained.
“Most magnanimous, Your Grace,” Mr. Danvers praised.
“Not at all. I simply wished to repay her father’s kindness, and we needed a governess.” Arthur waved away the praise.
“Once she has adjusted, the night terrors should ease,” Mrs. Philips reassured him. “I was unaware that she still had them, or I would have informed you, Your Grace.”
“As long as it does not disturb the children, I will allow her the time to settle into her new home,” Arthur promised.
“Thank you for understanding, Your Grace,” Mrs. Philips replied. Arthur could tell that the housekeeper cared greatly for the girl.
* * *
The next morning Eliza arose and readied the two children for breakfast. She was embarrassed to have caused such a disturbance during the night and hoped to avoid facing the Duke. She was afraid that she would be dismissed from her position before she had had a chance actually to do her job.
Mrs. Philips brought the children’s breakfast up on a tray, and they ate in their nursery. “Do the children not eat with the family?” Eliza asked.
“No. The Dowager Duchess prefers that they remain out of sight unless called upon,” Mrs. Philips answered. “His Grace will come up to look in on them after breakfast and then again before bedtime. They do not currently have a tutor, so you will need to provide them with what education you can manage.”
“Of course. I would be glad to do so,” Eliza answered. She could not imagine a mother who did not wish to spend time with her children.
What sort of family does not spend time together?
She had been told that wealthy nobility lived very different lives than the one she had known, but to ignore one’s children seemed callous.
Once Gabriel and Charlotte had finished breaking the fast, Eliza readied them for a walk outside. She wished to familiarize herself with the grounds and felt that some fresh air would do them all good. She was especially excited to explore the gardens she had seen the day before. A knock at the door delayed their exit. The Duke walked in, and the twins ran to embrace him wrapping their arms around his waist in unison. “Arthur!”
“Good morning,” the Duke replied. “Gabriel, Charlotte, how are you this fine morn?”
“Better now that you are here,” Charlotte answered. “Will you join us on our walk?”
“I would be glad to. A walk sounds splendid. Would you mind the company, Miss Bolton?” The Duke looked up at Eliza meeting her eyes.
“Not at all, Your Grace. The more, the merrier,” she answered with a smile, averting her gaze. She blushed with the knowledge that he had been present in her doorway during the night’s events.
“Lovely. Shall we go then?” the Duke offered each of his siblings a hand.
“What if Mother sees? She will be cross. She doesn’t like it when we show affection to one another.” Gabriel fretted, his brow furrowed.
“I am the Duke of Rosenhill now. There is naught Mother can do to stop me. Shall we be brave together?”
Gabriel nodded and took his brother’s hand. Charlotte followed suit, then the three of them exited the room. Eliza followed along close behind.
What kind of a mother does not wish for her progeny to show affection? These poor children.
She could not help but wonder how the Duke had turned out to be such a kind man with a reportedly cruel father and an emotionally absent mother. Eliza was grateful, not for the first time, that she had been blessed with two sets of loving parents.
The four of them strolled through the rose garden and down along the reflecting pool. Waterfowl swam causing ripples in an otherwise motionless mirror. It was a glorious day with the sun shining brightly in the eastern sky. Eliza loved to walk in the early morning. There was something so refreshing about watching the world awaken.
“What do you think of Rosenhill thus far, Miss Bolton?” The Duke fell back to walk along beside her allowing the children to run ahead.
“It is exquisite, Your Grace,” Eliza answered truly in awe of her surroundings.
“It is an image that has been well honed throughout the centuries. I would like to show the children what I have accomplished of late. Will you join us?” the Duke invited.
“Yes, please,” Eliza accepted the offer.
“Splendid. Do you ride?” the Duke inquired.
“I must admit, I do not. I have never been given the opportunity. In fact, I have never been out of the county,” she replied. “I would love to learn.”
“It would be my pleasure to instruct you in the finer points of horsemanship,” the Duke offered.
“I would like that very much,” Eliza answered.
“Then it is settled. Children!” he called.
“Yes, Arthur,” they came running to his side.
“How would you like to go and see what I have been working on?” he asked.
“Oh, yes, please!” they chimed.
“To the stables then,” he instructed and off they ran with Eliza and the Duke following behind.
When they arrived at the stables, the Duke ordered one of the grooms to saddl
e the gentlest horse for Eliza, while he assisted the children with theirs.
Eliza was nervous. She had never been atop any kind of beast before, but she was terribly excited to try. When the groom was done saddling the bay mare he had selected for her, he assisted her up onto the horse’s back.
Eliza felt the most marvelous thrill as she looked down from what seemed like a great height. “Whoa, girl,” the groom soothed both horse and rider as Eliza fumbled around with the reins.
“Ready?” the Duke asked.
The Defiant Governess of Rosenhill Manor: A Historical Regency Romance Novel Page 5
