Page 49 of A Governess' Forbidden Flame
“I’m perfectly fine.” She smiled, caressing his cheek, relishing this intimate moment, during which they were allowed to be truly themselves.
He leaned over and gave her a peck on the lips. “Time for bed?” he asked.
“You go first,” she suggested. “Just in case someone might see us wandering through the corridors together in the night…”
“You are right.” He nodded. “Not a good idea.”
He lingered in the doorway as if there was something on his mind, but he seemed to change his mind in the last minute. He bestowed another one of those rare, precious grins upon her. Then, he turned around and left, closing the door slowly behind him.
Amelia looked up at the night sky. She could see two stars clearly. The rest were hidden by a veil of mist. She wondered who those two stars belonged to.
Chapter 25
Sebastian could not remember the last time he had slept so soundly throughout the entire night, feeling as if he didn’t have a single care in the world. He woke up earlier than usual, asking for his breakfast to be served in his study, where he immediately felt the desire to delve into business affairs and get things done. However, through his usual business, he couldn’t help but contemplate the previous night.
His mind was a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts, a tempest of desire and doubt. The memory of the observatory, with its half-finished dome and the promise of shared secrets beneath the stars, lingered in his thoughts. He wondered if that night was a fleeting moment of passion or the beginning of something more profound.
Now, it was no secret that it was the latter. He cared about Amelia deeply. He knew that much. But the weight of his responsibilities pressed upon him, the burden of his title, and the expectations placed upon him as an earl. Could he entertain the notion of a future with Amelia, a woman not bound by aristocratic constraints? He knew better than to care about what thetonthought of him and his actions. But there was more than merely wicked tongues yearning to soil someone’s happiness.
There was the curse, the plague of death that had enshrouded his family and his home in black. He couldn’t sentence her to such a life, where it could be cut at any moment by a tragic accident, ashad happened already. The walls of his study seemed to close in as he grappled with the complexities of his emotions.
In the quietude of the room, the ticking of a clock measured the passage of time, echoing the rhythm of his contemplation. Sebastian leaned back in his chair, wondering if the sparks of that night could ignite a flame that would endure the trials of their disparate worlds. After all, they were not in the city. They were away from prying eyes here, and he didn’t care one bit what anyone thought of him and his life.
But he did care about Anna, just like he cared about Amelia. He couldn’t afford to be selfish and egotistical. He had the two of them to look after.
Just as he was endeavoring to shift his focus back to work, a knock on the door interrupted him.
“Yes?” he called out, expecting the butler to bring him the morning correspondence.
The door opened, and Frederick smiled upon entering. “Good morning,” he greeted Sebastian good-humoredly.
Sebastian smiled back. He wasn’t expecting him, but not even this had the power to ruin his good mood. After all, this was the day that Frederick and his sister would be leaving Ravenscroft Manor, and Frederick was probably here to inform him that theywould be leaving soon. Yet another piece of good news to make his day even better. That was why he couldn’t stop smiling.
“Good morning, Cousin,” Sebastian was in a particularly good mood. “Are you and Vivienne both early birds to be up at this hour?”
Frederick’s countenance suddenly betrayed a hint of unease, a precursor to the tidings he was about to deliver. A knot immediately tied in Sebastian’s gut. That wasn’t a good sign.
“My lord,” he began, obviously choosing his words carefully, “I went out to see that our carriage was ready for our journey back home, and it seems that the wheel of our carriage has met an unfortunate fate. It is in need of repair.”
Sebastian felt as if a dark cloud had just appeared over his head, expecting rain and thunder at any moment. Sebastian had never repaired a carriage wheel himself, but he knew the process well. It was a task that required specific knowledge and skills, and not only that, but time, as well. First, they would need to assess the damage by including the wheel’s structure, the condition of the spokes, and the integrity of the metal tire. The services of a skilled wheelwright would be crucial. He knew of one in a nearby village, but it was highly questionable whether the man would be able to assess the damage on that very same day or not. Then, the damaged carriage wheel would be removed from the axle, and if any spokes were damaged or broken, the wheelwright would replace them. Once all repairs were made, the wheelwould be reassembled onto the carriage axle. Needless to say, it was a process that took some time. Days, if they were fortunate.
Sebastian himself had only one carriage, which was for his own use. The other one belonged to his late brother, and it had been in a state of disrepair for years, serving no purpose at all. This meant only one thing. His guests would need to stay there at least for a day or two longer. Sebastian could only hope that it would not be longer than that.
Reluctantly, Sebastian nodded. “Very well, Mr. Turlington.”
“Frederick,” his cousin said, playfully lifting his finger in the air as if he were warning him about that. Strangely enough, he did not seem particularly distressed at the fact that their carriage needed to be mended and that they would need to stay there longer.
“Frederick,” Sebastian repeated without any enthusiasm. “We shall ensure that the carriage is mended properly. I shall send for a wheelwright immediately. There is one in the nearby village. He is very good. I trust he will do a good job.”
“I am so grateful,” Frederick offered a polite nod. “I know that this is highly irregular, us appearing so out of the blue and now, even being forced to stay longer. I…I don’t know how to express both my apologies and my gratitude for your hospitality, my lord.”
“You need not mention it,” Sebastian returned the politeness. “This is a big house, after all. There is plenty of room for everyone under its roof.”
“That is most kind of you,” Frederick replied gratefully, taking a step back. “I shall go see if Vivienne is up and tell her the good, I mean the bad news.”
Sebastian nodded, watching Frederick leave his study. A shadow of displeasure clouded his previously good mood. The prospect of hosting his cousin Frederick and dealing with the inconvenience of a broken carriage wheel didn’t align with his plans.
The tranquility of Ravenscroft Manor now threatened by an unforeseen disruption, Sebastian grudgingly accepted the situation, knowing that hospitality was a duty he could not refuse. Despite the initial frustration, he understood the importance of maintaining a gracious demeanor and welcoming attitude.
