Page 68 of The Enigmatic Governess of Buford Manor
Some nights, she wandered the halls, hoping that she would encounter him in the corridors or galley as she had that night. She thought about that eve often, the unmistakable energy between them, and with that on her mind, the guilt would flow.
Rose couldn’t deny that Captain Balfour’s presence cast a shadow over all Rosecliff but there was little anyone could say, not when the death of Duke Grayson Buford was so fresh. If his company gave the duchess a semblance of security, no one dared object.
And who could object but Nicholas himself?
“I do not like him,” Harry announced, a slight growl in his tone.
“Why not?”
The boy’s head lifted and he met her curious gaze suspiciously as if gaging whether she mocked him. What he saw seemed to encourage him to speak freely.
“There is something unsavory about him,” he replied slowly. “I cannot say.”
“Harry, I have no need to tease but what could you possibly know about unsavory men?” Rose chuckled, even though she felt a pang of alarm over his words.
“My father knew many,” Harry replied quietly and Rose’s mouth parted in surprise.
“Your father?” she echoed. “How would you know which men were acquainted with your father?”
“He thought I was too young to understand,” Harry mumbled, his face flushing red. “He brought me along to his interviews and I heard much more than I should have. Captain Balfour reminds me of some of these men with whom my father did business.”
A tingle of fear brushed through her and Rose sank down to meet his eyes, her long skirts sweeping against the dirty floor of the attic schoolroom.
“You needn’t worry about Rosecliff, Harry,” she told him softly. “Duke Buford may be learning the ways of dukedom, but he will always protect his house. You must know that.”
Harry returned her stare with scared eyes.
“I believe that he wants to,” he whispered. “Yet I do not think he can fight against evil influence.”
“Harry! Whatever do you mean?” she gasped, shocked that a child would have such dark thoughts. “What have you seen that makes you believe in such a danger?”
His eyes widened and he opened his mouth to respond but the words appeared to freeze on his lips as his gaze rested on the doorway.
“I daresay, I had not realized the attic was quite so large,” Captain Balfour laughed, looking about with amused interest. “It runs almost the entire length of the manor!”
“Good morrow, Captain,” Rose said quickly, noting Harry’s abrupt change of behavior. “May I assist you with something?”
“No, Mrs. Parsons,” he replied, stalking into the small room and looking about, crinkling his nose slightly. “I daresay, this is reminiscent of straps and dunce caps. Of course, the schoolmarms of my day were not authored quite as you are, Mrs. Parsons.”
Rose ignored the blatant puffing and sidestepped the flattery with a quiet grace.
“You were not much for the ways of the classroom, Captain?” she asked politely. Rose had nothing of consequence to discuss with the man and she could not understand why he had bothered to trek into the frigid attic at midday, but she assumed his intentions would become clear sooner than later.
“I was one for the ways of comely lasses,” he replied, and Rose found herself flushing at the bold response.
“I see,” she murmured, shooting Harry an embarrassed look. “May I help you? Have you lost your way?”
His grey eyes narrowed and he studied her face, drawing closer toward her as if he was a cat circling a cornered mouse.
“No,” he said again. “I only wished to see where young Lord Arlington took his studies. I have been hoping to see him after lessons, but it seems I miss him almost daily somehow.”
“Is that a fact?” Rose said slowly, turning to look at her pupil who lowered his eyes in shame. Suddenly, she understood why he had been leaving their lessons earlier than usual; he knew Balfour was looking for the young lord but why? What could a grown man possibly want with a boy of ten?
“Indeed, but I knew our paths would cross sooner or later,” Captain Balfour said smugly. Rose decidedly did not like the mounting tension in the small room.
“How much longer will you be with your lessons?” the man asked, his eyes locking on Harry who stared at her in distress.
“Oh, I am afraid you chose a terrible day to call on Lord Arlington,” Rose sighed. “He and I must join Lady Arlington in the towns.”
