Page 33 of The Viscount's Daring Cinderella
As she lay on her pillow, she was filled with wonder at how her body responded to Theodore’s touch. She did not know it was possible to feel all those delightful shivers when his fingers explored her. Beryl did not know she could feel wet between her thighs and such tension in the pit of her belly. She was eager for him to explore her, and she felt a fire ignite inside her when he touched her soft flesh.
When they kissed, his tongue sent shivers of desire racing through her, and the pit of her stomach went into a wild swirl. Beryl had returned his kiss with the hunger that she felt, and she felt she could not get enough of the delicious sensation. Perhaps it was for the best that Theodore had the presence of mind to halt their actions before they went any further.
She was even more curious about him after she saw the tender look of pleasure in his eyes when he touched her. She could not pretend she did not feel it anymore. Not when she was longing for him. Beryl loathed lying and would not deceive herself.
She was falling for the viscount, and it was a frightening awareness.Is it possible that you could fall for me, Theodore? Beryl silently asked. He seemed to enjoy her company, and he certainly wanted to kiss and touch her. Perhaps when they got to know each other better, he would come to care for her. She liked that he valued her opinion, for he made the effort to spend a bit more time with the girls.
Whenever she walked in the manor, there was a lightness in her step and an eagerness to see the viscount. She yearned for a glimpse of him this past week, and she missed conversing with him and taking some of her meals with him. Beryl suspected that he purposefully avoided her. Her lips trembled. She hugged a pillow tightly against her chest.
He had not given her the slimmest of hope that they could have something more than a liaison. More the pity. If he did not fall in love with her, and she gave herself to him wholeheartedly, she risked being ruined. She would probably not be able to get another favorable position and doubted she would be able to rebuild her reputation. There was a lot at stake.
Theodore was wealthy and handsome, and she had seen the changes in him. He was more attentive to Louise and Mattie and had hardly left the estate, giving his business affairs due attention. At first, she though he was nothing but a rake, yet she discovered he was intelligent, articulate, and witty. She greatly enjoyed his company. She found herself thinking about him when she lay in bed at night. He left a vivid impression on her imagination and was slowly burrowing deeper into her heart and hopes.
Beryl’s eyelids grew heavy, and she drifted off to peaceful sleep.
The following morning, Beryl awakened feeling refreshed. She quickly performed her morning ablutions and got dressed. She went to the tutor room and had breakfast with the children. They quickly ate, and Beryl smiled at how eager they were to be with her.
“Miss Louise and Miss Mattie, today we will use a slate for our lessons.”
Both girls giggled. “What is a slate?”
Beryl went to a trunk in the back of the room and retrieved two slates and pieces of chalk. “This is the slate and this is chalk. We are going to start by learning to write the letters of the alphabet, and it is these letters that we will use to spell words.”
“Apabet?” Mattie asked, her cherub face scrunching in a frown.
“No, alphabet, silly,” Louise replied.
“Repeat after me, Mattie, A-L-P-H-A-B-E-T, Alphabet.”
Mattie repeated each letter after Beryl and finally the word. She beamed, and Louise applauded her. Beryl prepared a cloth for each girl to clean the slates. Beryl had a slate of her own, and she used it to write letters and then asked the girls to follow. She sometimes held Mattie’s hand to help her form the letters, but Louise was a quick learner. Beryl continued with the lessons until lunch. After lunch, the girls had a nap, and Beryl decided to walk in the garden.
She wondered if she would run into Theodore as she descended the stairs. She did not. She had just opened the door when a carriage pulled up, and an older, distinguished gentleman alighted. Immediately, Beryl could see the resemblance. He had salt and pepper hair, a neatly trimmed beard, and a mustache. He was just as tall as Theodore but leaner, and Beryl knew it was his uncle.
He bowed. “Lord Amos Merton, at your service.”
Beryl stifled a smile as she hardly thought he could be of any service.
“Lady Beryl Keene, the governess. I am pleased to meet you, Lord Merton.”
“The pleasure is mine. I wish to express my condolences for your loss. Lord Penrose was a distinguished lord. It was such a shame what happened,” Lord Merton said.
Beryl smiled. She could see that Lord Merton was a bit of a character. “It is very kind of you to say so, Lord Merton. Louise and Mattie are having an afternoon nap so I will take a turn in the garden.”
Lord Merton scrutinized Beryl, and she wondered what he was thinking.
“I see. Let me not delay you further, but I will stay for dinner; please join us.”
“Thank you. I will see you then,” Beryl said as she walked toward the garden path.
She could feel Lord Merton’s eyes burn a hole in her back, but she refused to look in his direction. Beryl started thinking about what she would wear to dinner before she stopped herself. It did not matter. It was not as if she was meeting her future in-laws. So, it mattered not what the uncle thought of her in that sense. His only concern would be if she were a good governess, and she understood he may have some influence with Theodore. She could easily be replaced.
Beryl kept her walk short. She returned to her room for a short spell because she had not finished unpacking and wanted to choose a dress for dinner. Although she said she would not think about it, her nerves were a bit rattled. She was fretting about dinner. She was relieved when the maid came to tell her the children were awake. Beryl returned to the tutor room andcontinued lessons until it was time for the girls to have their meal.
Beryl returned to her room and washed her hands and face. She changed into an emerald-green dress with a low neckline and puffed sleeves. She had easily admitted to herself that she was a bit anxious about dinner with Lord Merton, but Beryl was also thinking about Theodore because she had not seen him since they kissed … and more, last night.
She enjoyed the time she spent with the children, teaching them letters and sums, but if anything, it made her consider what was missing from her life. She was frustrated by the yearning emptiness yawning wider inside her heart, and she wanted to fill it. Beryl wanted to discover if Theodore could be the one to do so.
She hurriedly dressed, recognizing the time went by all too quickly. Beryl was satisfied with her reflection when she looked in the mirror. It was time. She descended the stairs to the drawing room and hoped that the evening would not be an unmitigated disaster.
