Page 23 of A Governess' Unbridled Passion
“Nanny and Lord Jacob will get left behind, so we must go at a slow pace, Lady Beatrice, you know that,” Alice reminded the girl. “Go and see how many butterflies you can count; will you do that for me?”
It was a game Alice always used to occupy Lady Beatrice in the gardens. Count the butterflies or the ladybirds, or even listen out for all the different bird songs. It kept her busy for a short while as Lord Jacob toddled along.
As the girl ran off to look for butterflies, Alice took the moment to take in the garden’s scents. In the distance, she could hear the gardeners lopping at bushes, giving her a sense of ease. She hadn’t been sleeping too well, worrying about her attraction for the duke and her dislike concerning Lady Davina. Since the new duke had joined the estate, things were changing. If she couldn’t change too, she knew she’d need to move on.
“Good day to you, Miss Alice,” a jolly voice called out, and she knew instantly who it was.
“And a fine day it is, Mr Eli,” she replied, turning to see him approaching her.
“May I join you? Or will I be disturbing your thoughts?” Mr Eli enquired, giving one of his full smiles.
“Your company will be most welcome,” Alice replied. She had taken a liking to this exotic man the duke had brought back with him from the West Indies. Mr Eli always had a smile for everyone, and the children adored him.
“It is good to see that Lord Jacob is fit and well again,” he commented, glancing back at the lingering boy.
“Yes, though, he was only lacking in energy,” she replied. “Young children tire easily. When they do, they can get quite rosy cheeks. To the untrained eye, they can appear feverish, but I am happy to report that the boy was only tired on the day that Lady Davina came across him.”
“It’s a relief that he wasn’t suffering from any illness.” Mr Eli nodded as he listened to her words. “And Lady Beatrice, how does she fare with losing her father?”
“Hmmm ... now that one is harder to answer,” Alice replied, pausing her walk as she pondered the question. “She asks when he is to come home quite often. There is still the odd night when she presents with tears on her pillow because she cannot understand where he is, nor why he is taking so long to return home. For all her forwardness in academia, the child still does not grasp the concept of death.”
“That is a good thing if you ask me,” Mr Eli said. “She will see the world and all its trials and tribulations soon enough.”
Alice nodded in agreement as she continued with her walk. “Wise words, Mr Eli,” she agreed, watching the little girl chasing butterflies.
“What is this!” another voice called out, only this was a woman’s tone.
Again, Alice knew exactly who was approaching, but this time she kept her back to the voice. It was Mr Eli who turned around to greet Lady Davina.
“Lady Davina? Has something upset you?” he asked, clearly wondering why the woman was scowling at them both.
“I should say so, Eli,” Lady Davina snapped back, but her burning glare was upon Alice and not him. “A governess should know better than to be seen walking with a man alone and in front of her charges too. This is scandalous behaviour, and I will not allow it at Haroth Hall.”
Alice still had her back to the French woman and rolled her eyes as she listened to the dramatic tone. She would not allow Lady Davina to believe she had beaten her.
“Lady Davina, I do believe I am the one at fault here,” Mr Eli intervened. “It was I who approached Miss Alice. Please, forgive me as I do forget all the rules of the English ways.”
“Nonsense! It is the responsibility of the governess to ensure she behaves correctly, not yours, Eli,” Lady Davina barked.
Alice felt her anger intensify as she turned to face the woman, glaring at her as she took a deep breath.
“May I extend my apologies to you, Miss Alice, for putting you in such a position,” Mr Eli offered.
“The duke shall hear of this,” Lady Davina interrupted his apology. “Eli, you do not need to apologise to a servant. The blame is on Miss Evans entirely; she knows that. Of all people, she should set a good example for the children’s sake.
At that point, Lady Beatrice came running up to grab Alice’s skirt line and hide behind her. The little girl didn’t seem too keen on her aunt, and who could blame her? Children had a good sense of judgement, but Alice knew she had to calm the situation down.
“Lady Davina,” she began, her tone stern but also soft, for Lady Beatrice’s sake. “Please, could I ask that you lower your voice? It is scaring Lady Beatrice.”
“And now you use the child’s presence to contradict me?” Lady Davina questioned as her face flushed, her French blood no doubt boiling in her veins.
Alice could see that Mr Eli was uncomfortable, which upset her as he was a man known to have such a calm temperament.
“Mr Eli was merely enquiring on the health of Lord Jacob after you announced his illness,” Alice said, hoping to rub salt into the wound. “I was explaining how the child was suffering from tiredness. As you can see, we were all enjoying the peaceful setting within the gardens.”
For a moment, there was a silence between them, and it was Mr Eli who broke it. “I will take my leave now. But know this, Lady Davina, Miss Alice takes very good care of the children. A walk outdoors is an excellent remedy to fight any illness. Good day to you both,” he said, taking a small bow and then leaving.
Lady Davina bore her eyes into Alice as she waited for Mr Eli to be out of earshot.
