Page 21 of A Governess' Unbridled Passion
“Upon Lady Davina’s instructions, I arranged for Betsy to keep Master Jacob in his bedchamber for the day,” Miss Alice told him. Though he thought she looked a little aloof.
“Jacob gets very restless when he is stuck in there, Miss Alice,” Lady Beatrice objected.
“Yes, I know, but if he is to be poorly, it is the best place for him,” Miss Alice explained.
“Should we be calling a doctor in, do you think, Miss Alice?” Phillip asked, though he felt a little confused at the governess’s lack of concern. “You do not seem overly worried about him.”
“I suspect what Lady Davina witnessed yesterday was a tired little boy, nothing more,” Miss Alice went on to explain. Phillip could see she was uncomfortable over something.
“I would have liked the children to come with me today,” he said, wondering why Miss Alice appeared to be so awkward with him. “We still have not arranged the day out that we discussed, either.”
He’d hoped that things would get easier between them once he’d made it obvious to Miss Alice how fond he was of her. But if anything, she was pulling away from him more and more every time he saw her.
“We cannot arrange anything until Lady Davina is assured the children are well enough,” Miss Alice replied, and he detected a strain in her voice.
Still, it was lovely to see her, and he wished he could spend all day long in her presence, but alas, he had to leave for the garden party. Later, he should try and get her alone to convince her how much he adored her; for adore her, he did.
She brought sunshine into his life, and he wanted that brightness more often and not just now and again. If only he could taste her soft lips once again, it would get him through his day with merriment in his heart. Miss Alice was more than a governess to him. She was becoming a necessity in his life if only she could accept his feelings for her.
“Well, little buzzy bee Beatrice, I am afraid I must leave you for now,” Phillip said to the child on his knee. She had leaned into him as if his hug meant all the world to her.
“Why, Uncle Phillip?” was all she asked.
“I have to go out and meet people so that Haroth Hall can stand for another hundred years,” he told her.
“Why? Is it going to fall down?” the child asked as she looked back at him with curiosity in her bright eyes.
He chuckled. “No, Beatrice, Haroth Hall will never fall while I am duke. But when you grow up, you will see that a house as beautiful as your home needs lots of work to keep it going. Which means that I must go out into the world and do lots of business, as your father did.”
“I miss Father,” the child whimpered, and Miss Alice’s face softened as she came to his rescue.
“Come now, Lady Beatrice,” Miss Alice said, taking the child from him. “The duke has a busy day, and we must get on with ours too.”
He caught a softness in Miss Alice’s eyes and liked it very much. Phillip smiled at her while she hugged the child. How adorable she was, easing the child’s pain at the loss of her father. Miss Alice was a very special woman, and one he wanted in his life.
The carriage awaited his arrival, and as Lady Davina spotted him, she soon hurried him along. As they arrived at the garden party, Lady Davina immediately introduced him to the local lords and ladies. It was impressive how many names she seemed to recall, and he wondered how she knew so many people, but they all seemed mesmerised by her.
She acted as if they were in a very close relationship, sticking to him like a beloved fiancée might. Surely the people didn’t believe that, but then there was the fact that she was only his stepsister in the family ranking and not of his bloodline. He supposed she was looked upon as the mysterious French woman of Haroth Hall and possible wife for the duke, but for him, he only had eyes for Miss Alice.
“You seem to be acquainted with many people, Davina,” he said to her once they got a moment alone.
She clung to his arm whenever they came together. At first, he thought her a little too forward but then accepted that she was good at helping him blend and mingle with the local elite.
“I am a woman, Phillip,” she replied to his remark. As she looked his way, her tongue licked her lips provocatively, something she often did, he had noted. “I have made it my business to visit all the places ladies like to gather. As soon as they learned I was connected to the handsome Duke of Haroth, it was not difficult to get their attention. The invitations will pour in after today.”
She was right; the invitations were already coming in fast as he mingled among the crowd. Everyone seemed curious about him, asking about his life in the West Indies and why he’d brought one of the natives back with him.
Of course, he put them right on every account, explaining that Mr Eli was with him as his friend. Some even seemed shocked when he explained that Mr Eli was a very well-respected accountant, but he cared little for the sensitivity of their delicate natures.
What he did like was being the centre of attention with the ladies. He’d always preferred the company of the gentler sex as opposed to the duller gentlemen who only wanted to discuss business. Although business was important, for the sake of the estate, the ladies were so much prettier. Their art of conversation was much more delightful than that of the men.
“You will notice that you are the centre of attention of all the ladies, young and old, Phillip,” Lady Davina whispered in his ear. “That is because you are the most eligible bachelor around at the moment.”
“Yes, for now, I will go along with it, but know that I will not be marrying just anyone to fill the role,” he said in a hushed voice. “Many of these ladies are a little too complying, in my opinion.”
“Oh, you do not like a woman who complies with your needs, Phillip?” she asked in surprise.
“Yes, I do. I mean only that I cannot see their true personality when they are so busy fawning,” he answered. “I prefer a different woman, and these ladies are all … erm … how shall I put it …”
