Page 29 of A Governess' Unbridled Passion
“I agree, and with you and I guiding them, that is what they shall have,” he replied, giving her a charming grin of reassurance.
“Will you come and visit them more often?” she asked him as their horses stopped in front of the stables.
“I will do better than that. I shall visit them now and explain that sometimes their teacher needs time away from the classroom,” he said. Miss Alice didn’t reply, but her cheeks flushed as he watched her lead the mare to the mounting box.
She’d insisted on riding back with her legs aside the horse as was expected of a lady. Miss Alice didn’t want to encourage any suspicions that their time together was anything other than a horse ride. He dismounted first and went to assist her from her horse, but one of the grooms had beaten him to it, and he thought it better not to interfere.
For some reason, Miss Alice was still very nervous of him, even though he’d been open and honest with her. But he was a patient man and knew these things could not be rushed. He also knew he loved this woman, who made him feel more alive than he had ever felt before.
Together, they headed towards the nursery.
“We cannot do this again,” she whispered to him as they walked up the staircase. “I worry a change of routine is not healthy for the children.”
“Well then, next time we will take the children on that day trip we said we would plan,” Phillip reminded her.
“You have been busy, and I did not wish to bring it up until you have settled better into your new role,” Miss Alice said.
He wished she would be as free with him as she was when they were alone together. She soon showed restraint once she was back in the manor house. It was most likely for the best, and he needed to practice some of that patience that Mr Eli constantly reminded him of.
Miss Alice was right; he did have a lot to do to settle into his role as the Duke of Haroth. Many other lords were asking to meet with him, and he must pick up the mantle for the sake of the children and what he saw as their future estate.
As they got to the top of the stairs, a loud voice sounded out, and Phillip knew instantly whose it was.
“Stay behind me, while I see what she’s complaining about now,” he warned Miss Alice, never wanting her on the frontline again.
He dashed up the remaining stairs and straight into the nursery with Miss Alice close on his heels. As soon as he entered, he could see LadyDavina throwing her arms around in her usual dramatic fashion.
“Please, Davina, lower your voice,” he demanded, using his hands for emphasis. “This is not a room for losing your temper.”
“Ah, Phillip,” Lady Davina said, looking surprised to see him. “My apologies, but you can imagine my surprise when I visited the children, only to find their governess was not at her post.”
“It is I who arranged that she takes time away from her post,” he informed her, thinking that it was none of her business anyway.
“What am I meant to do with such an undisciplined worker?” Lady Davina growled, turning to look at Miss Alice. “How dare you leave two innocent children alone?”
Phillip put up his hand as he didn’t wish Miss Alice to answer such a question.
“Might I suggest that we take this discussion downstairs in the smaller parlour, Davina,” he suggested. He wasn’t willing to take any more of her angry utterances in the nursery. “Away from the children, who are not used to raised voices.”
Lady Davina threw Miss Alice an accusatory glare as she brushed past her, leaving the nursery. Phillip turned to lend the governess a smile of support, but first, they needed to see to the children.
As soon as Lady Davina was out of sight, Lord Jacob began to bawl, his little face red with all his efforts and his lips quivering as he sobbed. It was Betsy who ran to pick him up. The poor woman had most likely been shaking in her shoes while Lady Davina had yelled at her.
Miss Alice went behind the chair to rescue Lady Beatrice, who looked petrified. Her face was pale, and her eyes wide with fear as her governess picked her up. She lovingly wrapped her in her arms, and Phillip went to join her.
“Shall we sit in the chairs and talk?” he asked Miss Alice, nodding towards the two easy chairs, and she nodded in agreement.
She sat with Lady Beatrice on her knee while Betsy sat in the other chair, rocking Lord Jacob to calm him. Phillip pulled over the chair from behind the governess’s desk and began to reassure the children that all was well.
“Now then, children, we should not worry over what has happened. Miss Alice is now back with you, and so you can laugh again,” he said softly as he took Lady Beatrice’s little hand in his. “Will you be brave for me, Beatrice? If you can stop your tears, then your brother will follow your lead.”
The little girl nodded her tear-stained face, looking back at him with a wide-eyed stare. He could see that she was content once again now that she was in the arms of someone she trusted. Lady Beatrice was unwilling to speak, but she attempted to stop crying. But little Lord Jacob was not so obliging, so Phillip asked the nanny if he could hold him.
He had every intention of caring for these two orphans. They were not without family. Nor were they without love because it was plain that Miss Alice would always put them before herself, unlike their step-aunt, who just frightened them beyond all reasoning.
He jiggled the boy up and down a little, and without much prompting, Lord Jacob began to giggle.
“I will never understand children,” Phillip said, smiling at his achievement. “One minute, they cry as if they are suffering some agonising pain. The next, they have forgotten all about it as they burst into laughter,” he said, shaking his head in amusement.
