Page 26 of A Governess' Unbridled Passion
Phillip didn’t let her finish her sentence as he leaned in and kissed her. It warmed his heart when she responded, and he felt a renewed determination to show her that he had real feelings for her.
“It will not hurt Beatrice to have a half extra day of play, will it?” he asked gently as he pulled away from her soft lips.
She looked him in the eyes and smiled, and he decided now was the right time.
“Miss Alice Evans, I must confess that I yearn to hold you close to me. What is more, I have no shame in telling you this because it is the truth of things.”
Her bright blue eyes shimmered from her tears, and he felt an overwhelming urge to kiss her again. Only this time, their kiss was more intense, more passionate. This time, he licked her lips to taste her sweetness and embraced her with a heated passion in his loins. But Miss Alice pulled away from him.
“Lord Phillip, you cannot be seen to be …”
He lifted his finger and rested it on her ruby-red lips.
“Shhh …” he hushed.
“All you have to do is tidy yourself up so that you can walk to your room with your head held high. The maids will draw a tub in your room, and there you will stay and enjoy some peace and quiet from all this madness. Tomorrow, you will have a tray of breakfast delivered to your bed, and you will think of our kiss.
We will meet in the stables at ten o’clock. Whereupon I will have two horses saddled and a picnic all packed so that you and I can escape together for a few hours anyway. Do you like the sound of that?”
“I do,” she whimpered again. “But what of Betsy?”
“I will go and comfort her and assure her there has been no theft, only a misunderstanding that has nothing to do with her or you,” he assured her.
Taking out a huge, starched handkerchief from his jacket pocket, he handed it to her. “Here, wipe away those tears. Tomorrow, I will be waiting for you. Those are my orders, Miss Alice. Other than to say that you must dream of me tonight, and I will dream of you, as I have done ever since I first laid eyes upon you.”
Not waiting for an answer, he stood up, leaning down to assist her in getting up too. She straightened her hair, wiped her face with his handkerchief, and shook the creases from her dress.
Phillip went to open the nursery door and watched her walk to her room. Excitement set in his stomach at the thought of being with her tomorrow. For now, he would go and see Nanny and then give the maids their instructions because he wanted to pamper Miss Alice like she was a true lady.
As for Lady Davina, he would deal with her another time.
Chapter 14
Alice enjoyed the rare luxury of someone else drawing her a hot bath that evening. She even managed to eat some dinner, and later that night, had a restful sleep, all thanks to the duke. Though it worried her what he must think of her after Lady Davina’s appalling accusation.
He’d told her he didn’t believe it was her, but she knew it must have put doubt in his mind. As far as she was concerned, it must have been Lady Davina herself. For some reason, she wanted to make it appear that she had stolen a silver goblet. How else could it have turned up in an unused cupboard in the nursery?
The next day, Alice did as she’d been asked and dressed for riding, though she had her reservations as she hadn’t been horse riding for many years. It felt wrong not to be in the classroom, but a part of her was all aflutter at the thought of spending time in the company of the handsome duke.
She thought the duke a very kind and thoughtful gentleman. Though, in the back of her mind, she worried his kindness was leading up to her being dismissed. So, she braced herself in case her worst fears were realised. It would be better to be prepared, but one could never be prepared for such a devastating blow.
As she arrived in the courtyard, she could see that the duke was already there waiting for her, sharing a warm smile in greeting. Alice found herself caught up in the moment, her heart fluttering around in her chest. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck tingle and her cheeks flush as she approached the duke.
“How lovely to see you looking so fresh this morning, Miss Alice,” he said.
For the first time, she noticed a dimple form on his cheek and thought it adorable. She couldn’t help fluttering her eyelashes, so enamoured was she at being with him.
“I am much refreshed, thank you, Lord Phillip,” she said, lowering her gaze because she felt overcome with shyness. “However, I cannot help feeling I should be with Lady Beatrice.”
“All work and no play make Jack a dull boy,” he quoted an old proverb, causing her to giggle as she hid her mouth behind her hands.
“My life is anything but dull, Lord Phillip,” she said. “I have a full day of—”
“Routine,” he interrupted. “You have a full day of routine, and I intend to break that for today at least.”
Bowing her head, she pursed her lips as she wrinkled her nose. “I am not sure that I should encourage such frivolity.”
“Ah, but I am your employer, and I insist that you accompany me on a horse ride,” he said, wagging a finger in jest.
