Page 47 of The Enigmatic Governess of Buford Manor
Nicholas swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded.
“I will ensure you never set eyes upon him again,” he vowed. “The men will spend their days hunting and their nights in their cups. There will be little occasion for you to see him.”
Rose smiled weakly and nodded.
“Thank you, Lord Buford.”
Their eyes locked but Rose instantly looked away, guilt flooding her face. Gone was the excitement he had captured in her gaze in the church earlier.
Now she has Philip on her mind once more. Tarnal Balfour! I wish he had never shown his wretched urchin face at Rosecliff.
Yet Nicholas knew there was little he could do about it. He had been forewarned about the hunting excursion, but had he known its outcome, he would have never agreed to attend.
How am I to look at Balfour without contempt?
He thought of the promise he had made to his father and he, too, was suddenly tinged with shame. Merely being at Rose’s bedside while the men waited was already disavowing his promise to the duke.
“I must go,” he told her. “You rest now and I will call upon you again.”
“Oh!” Rose gasped. “The Boyles! Please, Lord Buford, will you send word to them that all is well and I shall call on them soon?”
“Of course,” he agreed, patting her hand tenderly before he rose. “You must not fret now, all right?”
She nodded slowly but Nicholas could see his words had no effect; her concern was as vivid as the blue of her irises.
There was nothing left to say and as he slipped from her apartment, his mind whirling as he moved through the back hallways and toward the west wing and the guest quarters. He would explain to the Boyles what had happened.
Perhaps they will be more successful at putting her mind at ease where I have failed.
Tentatively, he knocked and waited until the door swung inward.
“Lord Buford!” Mrs. Boyle gasped. “I – we were not expecting you, my lord.”
“I am afraid I come with troubling news,” he replied gravely. “It appears as if Miss Rose has suffered another fainting spell.”
Bridget’s hand flew to her mouth and she called out for her husband.
“Is she hurt?” she cried. “Is she – “
“No, no,” Nicholas assured them, realizing how dramatic his words must have seemed. “My apologies for frightening you. She wished me to deliver the news and explain that she will call on you shortly. She is resting now but…”
He cleared his throat as the couple stared at him.
“My lord?”
“If you were to visit her, perhaps it might lighten her spirits. She seems quite out of sorts and it is Christmas.”
“You needn’t say more, Lord Buford. We will attend to Mrs. Parsons and the children if you so require. Eloise, their former governess told us about them and we feel as if we know them already. It would be our pleasure to tend to them until Rose recuperates.”
Nicholas had not thought about Harry’s care until that moment.
“Nonsense,” he told them assuredly. “Harry does not have lessons today and he can find means to entertain himself. Knowing Miss Rose as I do, I am sure she will be fine in a day.”
“Indeed,” Bridget agreed. “Thank you, my lord.”
“Happy Christmas to you,” Nicholas offered, turning away from the door and continuing toward the center hall.
It all comes together now,Nicholas thought, a sardonic smile touching his lips bitterly.The reason for the Boyles’ arrival. Father knew they would keep Rose busy and away from me while the men tended to business. He did not trust me to honor my vow. The question remains, did he know that Daniel Balfour was the man who told Rose her husband had died in battle?
