Page 42 of A Governess' Unbridled Passion
“Good. I will arrange for a carriage at your disposal. I do believe you may enjoy that far better than a day spent with my stepsister,” he added, knowing that Miss Alice was not overfond of Lady Davina.
A knock on the door brought in Clara, and at first, she looked a little shocked to see Miss Alice’s visitor.
“Lord Phillip?” Clara gasped as she stepped through the door. “How kind of you to visit the governess. As you can see, we have cared for her very well.”
“You have, and I thank you for that, Miss Clara,” he replied. “I was just on my way out.” He went to stand up, but the housekeeper looked at him as if something bothered her. “Is something troubling you, Miss Clara?”
She went to speak, then stopped herself, then went to speak again.
“The soiree this evening was a little unexpected, is all,” she blurted.
“Oh, I was unaware of any evening event,” he said, wondering what she referred to.
“Lady Davina has announced to Cook that she wants food for the soiree that you’re hosting this evening,” Clara informed him.
“I know nothing of it,” he answered, ever more puzzled.
“Well … it was only that we used to get a warning of such things. But I can see that you had not foreseen it yourself, Lord Phillip; forgive me my assumptions,” Clara said, looking a little flummoxed.
“Nothing to forgive, Miss Clara, I shall investigate the matter, but if you say it is so, then it must be,” he said. “Lady Davina surprises me daily,” he added, turning to Miss Alice. “I am pleased to see your progress, Miss Alice, and do please enjoy the rest of the day away from your usual chores.”
“Thank you, Lord Phillip, but I will still look in on Lady Beatrice first,” she answered.
Phillip bowed his head before he left, clasping his hands behind his back in a rather stiff pose. It was more because he felt his annoyance building up yet again at his stepsister’s capers. He had no idea why he was hosting an evening soiree, and neither did his servants, so it seemed. He would speak to Lady Davina and request that she ask him first in the future; she was taking far too many liberties.
He also went to check on Lady Beatrice but found her asleep with a maid by her bedside. As he looked down at the sleeping girl, he thought he recognised his brother’s features in her pretty face. It overwhelmed him a little, reminding him of what the children had gone through.
Leaving his niece’s bedchamber, he knew it was almost time to meet for the outdoor picnic and took himself to his room to change. His valet was already there, laying out an outfit for him, and after a quick wash, he was soon ready.
Heading back downstairs, he heard Lord Jacob sobbing, and the boy was soon in sight. He took the rest of the stairs at speed to find out what was amiss.
“Whatever is it, Nanny?” he asked the nursemaid as he went to pick the boy up.
“No, Phillip, do not mollycoddle Lord Jacob’s every need,” Lady Davina called out as she approached the party. “I have instructed his nursemaid that the boy must walk and not be carried all the time. We shall accommodate his needs by taking a slower pace.”
Phillip ignored her and went to pick Lord Jacob up. “In my experience, when a child is crying, there is a good reason for it,” he said, comforting the boy.
“Oh! And you have much experience with children, do you?” Lady Davina confronted him.
“I do not need experience with children to understand how to care for them,” he replied, pleased that his efforts had calmed the boy.
“It is good exercise for the boy to walk with us; surely, you cannot deny that?” Lady Davina asked, raising her brow as she spoke to him.
“Yes, I do agree that exercise is good, but—”
“Excellent, then I trust you will put the boy back down and allow his nursemaid to do the job you pay her for,” Lady Davina snapped. At the same time, she turned to walk out the open front door. “It is a wonderful day for walking, with the sun shining on our backs. Come along everyone; fun is ahead of us.”
Phillip looked over at the nanny with a sympathetic smile as he put the boy back on the ground. At least he’d stopped sobbing; that was all that mattered now.
As Phillip stepped outside to follow Lady Davina, he saw at least six other servants joining them. It appeared that each of them had a task; some carried chairs, others various picnic baskets. Watching on, he observed Lady Davina in the lead, looking as if she were in her element. He’d let her enjoy her moment, but later he must confront the woman, who thought she could run his life.
With dread in his stomach, he looked longingly back at the house, wishing he could spend the day with Miss Alice. Well, at least Eli had got out of the day trip; lucky weasel.
Although he’d most likely been volunteered to organise the soiree; another event that Phillip was not looking forward to. This was beginning to grind at his nerves, and he could feel that, very soon, he would have a confrontation with Lady Davina Katz.
Chapter 22
It had been a pleasant surprise when Lord Phillip visited her room, but she’d worried when the housekeeper walked in. As it happened, Clara had been too side-tracked. She was most put out with the announcement of a last-minute soiree to organise that she not suspected anything amiss.
