Page 20 of A Governess' Unbridled Passion
“The children need stability,” Mr Eli suggested. “I know this because I am from a large family myself. A child who suffers too many changes is not a happy one. I advise you to hang on to Miss Alice a little longer, Phillip. The children have suffered enough trauma in losing their father.”
“Those are wise words, Eli, and I thank you for pointing that out to me,” the duke agreed. “Though I had no intention of dismissing the governess. I find her skills are most excellent with the children.”
“You must let me know if you change your mind, Phillip.” Davina got the last word in and had every intention of bringing up the subject again and again.
Somehow, she must eliminate that governess before the duke took her as a mistress, which she suspected he might do. That would give the woman power, so she must stop it from happening.
Although she used the English title of Lady when she visited England, it had little meaning to her in France. It gave her no power or wealth. In France, she was courting an artist, much the same as her mother had done before her. But he couldn’t keep her in all the finer things or even take her to balls. Their lives were stricken with poverty. Now she had the opportunity to change all that, and no silly little governess was going to get in her way.
Davina didn’t care how long it might take. All she knew was that she wanted to live the good life, dress in glamorous gowns, and wear the finest jewellery. When her mother married the older duke, it meant that she’d legally been accepted into the elite English society. But she knew that the marriage had gone sour rather quickly.
She and her mother had lived in London most of her younger life. She’d seen little of her English stepfather or stepbrothers. When the duke passed away, her mother had then fallen out with her stepbrother, Lord Robert, and the rest was history.
As far as she was concerned, she wasn’t looking for revenge. Davina only wanted what she deserved, compensation for the family ignoring her very existence.
“If you will excuse me,” she said, standing up to leave the dining room. “I must leave you men to your business, as I must visit the child.”
As she walked from the room, she tried to sway her hips provocatively, hoping the duke might be watching her and then wanting her.
Making her way up the stairs, she headed towards the nursery with dread. It wasn’t a room she was fond of visiting as she didn’t actually care for children. They were creatures to be kept out of sight as far as she was concerned.
The nursery door was closed, and as she opened it, she could see the room was dark and empty. She was unsure which rooms belonged to the children but could hear the governess’s voice droning on, and so followed the sound.
Opening the bedroom door, she stepped inside to see the governess reading to the children as they lay in their beds.
“Ah, so you did know that the baby was flushed with fever,” she announced, walking over to Lord Jacob’s crib.
“Lady Davina?” Miss Alice said in surprise as she looked up at her with pitiful eyes. “I am not sure what you mean.”
“The boy! I observed him earlier today and could see that he should have been in his bed,” she barked, making sure her tone was stern. “You should have mentioned it to the duke, but instead, you sneaked away from the dinner table to put the child to bed, thinking no one would know about it.”
“I assure you, Lady Davina. Lord Jacob is quite well,” the woman dared to answer.
“The boy must stay in his bed for a couple of days. Make sure it happens,” Davina ordered.
“Whatever for?” the governess asked, and Davina’s temper was stirring at her questioning tone.
“Why do you not listen, Miss Evans?” Davina asked, turning and staring the governess in the eyes with a burning gaze.
“I have observed the child with a fever, and I find it concerning that you do not watch the children closer. They are prone to picking up diseases and should be kept indoors. Now, do as I have ordered and keep the boy in his crib for two days.”
With that, she walked out of the room, satisfied that she’d successfully got the children out of the way for a couple of days. At least now they would not be invited to attend the garden tea party tomorrow. She could never enjoy herself if they were in attendance and their governess with them.
She did not wish to share the duke with anyone and would do all in her power to win him over, one way or another.
Chapter 11
Phillip went straight to the nursery the next morning after breakfast to find out how young Jacob was fairing.
He found the governess in the nursery teaching Lady Beatrice as he knocked on the door. The little girl was delighted to see him, running to greet him as he entered.
Uncle Phillip, I have missed you,” she called out as he picked her up.
“That is because every time I come to see you, you are all so very busy,” Phillip told the girl as he went to sit down, keeping her on his knee. “What busy buzzy bees you all are,” he added.
“I want to be a bee. Can I be a buzzy bee, Miss Alice?” Lady Beatrice called over to her governess.
“I am sorry to be disturbing your lesson, Miss Alice,” Phillip said before the governess said anything. “But I have heard that the boy is not well?”
