by Fanny Finch
“Well, now, are you ready for the next piece of the evening?" he asked.
The many men and women, a dozen of whom were now intoxicated, cheered in reply that they were, indeed ready. The Earl invited a troop of performers to come to the front and he, himself, shifted towards the back of the room.
“Your daughter has grown a great deal,” said the voice of the Baron, sidling up next to him.
“Yes, she has. It has been some time since you saw her last, I believe," the Earl replied
“She looks so much like her mother,” the Baron noted.
The Earl of Dulshire swallowed. It was true. And yet she did not seem to behave so much like her.
“Yes, indeed. She is the very image,” he replied.
“I can see that she is quite affected by your governess. The young lady is rather talented,” the Baron commented.
“She is perfectly adequate. And I greatly appreciate how she cares for Grace,” the Earl answered.
“She is quite beautiful as well,” the Baron said. “I am glad that you have found someone so refined and accomplished for your daughter.”
“Are not all young women in England beautiful? Her beauty has little to do with the fact that I need her for my daughter’s sake. Have you ever tried finding a competent governess?” the Earl replied, noting that it was not an easy task. He downplayed Delia as best he could in an easygoing manner with his friend.
“I have heard of the difficulties of it. As you know, I’ve no children. Still no wife, either,” the Baron stated.
“Well, your time shall come, I’ve no doubt. And then you will understand that the beauty of a governess means nothing at all. It is the ability that makes all the difference. I would give just about anything to not have to lose another decent one. It is far too trying having to search for another,” the Earl declared.
“I am certain it is as you say,” the Baron replied.
“Indeed. However, I do believe I must check on the kitchen. There is a surprise they are to be bringing in soon,” the Earl said, knowing that he wanted to try to find Miss Caulfield.
Was it truly so obvious to everyone that he had noticed his governess? Or was it possible that the Baron, knowing him so well, had figured it out on his own?
Chapter 13
“Good night my darling,” Delia said patting Grace on the shoulder one last time.
She exited the room and blew out the candle as she went to ensure that the child was able to sleep well. She had been indescribably proud of her charge and the way that Grace had handled the poem in the crowd that evening.
Before putting her to bed Delia had told Grace how amazing she had been and how proud she was. And yet it still did not seem to be enough. She still knew that she was not the child’s mother, even if at times it felt that way.
Delia stood outside the door for a moment, delighted by the evening’s events. She had not mixed among the nobility, nor did she wish to. Yet, Grace had been able to steal the room for a few moments. For a short time, she had been more important than any Duke or Duchess, Earl or Viscounts.
Indeed, it was all rather exciting as the hard work ahead paid off and allowed Grace to be seen in such a tremendous light. For that, Delia was delighted.
Soon she was making her way towards her own room. While the evening had been a joyous one, and one that had far exceeded her expectations, Delia was exhausted. She was tired and knew that she needed sleep. She cared little for the other delights that might be to come downstairs.
True, it would’ve been nice to indulge among the nobility. It would’ve been nice to enjoy the food, the wine, the desserts. But she would not have liked the company. Aside from the Earl, she could not imagine a single person to keep her entertained.
In fact, the Baron had been the very worst of people. And Delia was still feeling the discomfort and disdain from her encounter with the man. She had seen him eyeing her as Grace gave her performance. And yet his vision was once more not that of a man who desired her.
He was a man who suspected her. A man who considered that he might even be able to use her. It left her feeling worse than if he had had different ill intentions.
Delia turned the corner and bumped immediately into something.
“Oh!” she exclaimed. Looking up. She realized that she had run straight into the chest of the Earl himself.
“Miss Caulfield, forgive me. I did not mean to startle you,” the Earl said.
“The fault is mine my lord,” she replied.
“As it so happens, I was hoping to see you,” the Earl said.
“Oh? What do I owe the honor?” Delia asked.
“It is I who am honored,” the Earl said. “You have brought great pride to my home through the work you have done with my daughter. I am entirely grateful to you for all that you have done.”
“It is merely my duty, my lord,” Delia replies shyly.
“It is a great many women’s duty. But I have not seen a woman do nearly so much as you have. I am truly grateful to have you in my home,” he reassured her.
“You think too highly of me,” Delia told him, looking up at his eyes.
The Earl was extremely close to her. As earlier in the evening when the Baron has drawn dangerously near, the Earl was now within her reach.
The proximity was intoxicating. Delia tried to push away the attraction she was feeling. He was her employer. She had no reason to allow her attractions to run away with her.
“Have you enjoyed the evening?” the Earl asked her lightly with a friendly smile.
“Indeed, my lord. It was a rather joyful experience to see so many appreciating Miss Grace. She deserved every moment of recognition from them,” Delia replied.
“But you did not indulge in the other festivities. To my knowledge, you did not even sneak into the kitchen for a taste of the chocolate cake as all the other staff most certainly did,” he commented slyly.
“My lord, I should not think myself worthy of the cake given to your guests,” Delia replied with a laugh.
“I quite disagree. All who work in this home have done an immaculate job this evening. The cook, the footmen, the housekeeper. All have done their duty. But you, Miss Caulfield. You allowed my daughter to take the stage and demand the respect of all my peers,” he noted.
“Do you know how such a thing honors a man?”
Delia looked away, trying to imagine what the Earl felt. She could not comprehend what it was that he was trying to express. She had no children of her own and she was not a man, who naturally craved respect.
“I can imagine what it would be like. But I am afraid I cannot empathize with it,” Delia confessed.
The Earl grinned at this response.
“My goodness, how your words impress me so consistently. Do you understand how it is that you come across? How you speak to me with such wisdom and truth?” the Earl asked.
“In truth, my lord, I am far from wise,” Delia replied, giving a gentle chuckle at her own expense.
“Do not be a fool. You are quite astonishing,” he said to her in a way that caused her to blush all over again.
“My lord, you continue to speak far too highly of me. Do you not realize that I am merely a governess? An employee in your home?" Delia asked, reminding him. She didn’t wish to be rude or to speak out of turn again, but she did not know how to respond to all of his flattery.
“A man must be able to recognize that those who make his home make his name. You have brought treasure to my home. You have caused my company to delight in my daughter as they otherwise would not have. Do you truly expect me to overlook that?” he challenged.
“Why should you not? The majority of men in your station do, my lord. Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but I have never known such a man to speak to his servants thus and I am told that I am already spoken ill of as a result,” Delia confessed.
Immediately, she wished she could take the words back. She did not wish to cause the Earl any distress in wondering how he was spoke
n of by his staff, nor did she wish to paint herself a victim of his kindness.
“Whatever do you mean?” he asked sternly, suddenly frustrated.
“It was ill-spoken, my lord,” Delia replied, looking away and wishing she might be able to break from the conversation.
“I fear that it was truthfully spoken,” he said in reply.
“My lord, I was unwise to say such a thing. And it is not so bad as I have made it sound. Although, I should like to address that one of your guests might have made me somewhat…” Delia did not know how to finish the sentence.
“What is it?” the Earl urged.
“My lord, who is the Baron Woldorf?” she asked.
“The Baron? Why, he is an old friend of mine. I will say that he seemed a bit off this evening. Why? What is it?” the Earl questioned.
“He seemed rather intent on the portrait of your late wife hanging in the library,” Delia disclosed, uncertain if it was alright for her to do so.
The Earl seemed unusually comfortable allowing her to speak her mind so Delia decided this was the time to do it.
“Well of course. He was a good friend of my late wife’s. He is a friend to their family. It is only natural that he should miss her,” the Earl reasoned.
“I cannot say what it was, my lord, but I was not made entirely comfortable by his presence. He seemed rather…focused,” Delia said, unsure if she’d found the right word.
“Focused? On what?” the Earl asked with a gentle laugh.
“On the portrait, first of all. And then on me. Not in a manner in which I should ever dare to accuse him. But in that he seemed rather determined to learn something about me. Something of how it is that I play a role in this home,” Delia said.
As she described it, she realized that her words likely seemed nonsensical to the Earl. In fact, perhaps she was only making the Baron sound friendly and kind, trying to get to know the housing staff.
“I fear, Miss Caulfield, that I cannot understand what the problem is. The Baron is a good friend. If he has done something improper then I should know it. But if not, please do not suggest that he was in any way acting in ill behavior,” the Earl said with stern eyes.
“Yes, my lord,” Delia replied, choosing to remain quiet from there.
“I am sorry if I am misunderstanding you,” the Earl said, still unconvinced. “But I cannot think what it is that you might mean by all of this. So please understand that I merely cannot fathom exactly what it is that you are suggesting.”
“Yes, my lord. I understand. I am not wording it well and I do fear that if I try further, I might convince you of nothing more than my own self being mad,” Delia answered him.
How could she help a man to understand what it was to be a woman? How could she explain that the behavior of the Baron was not quite normal when he was so convinced that the man was simply an old friend?
“I trust that you will have a good evening,” the Earl said, returning to his polite voice and the formal ways in which the two spoke often.
“And you as well, my lord. Enjoy your evening with society,” Delia said with a smile pasted falsely on her face.
“I shall. Good night,” the Earl said.
“Good night,” Delia replied.
She made her way to her room and closed the door behind her. The evening had begun so wonderfully. Why had it ended with such a terrible interaction with the Earl? Why could she not make him understand?
In truth it mattered not. He would never quite understand. And that was alright. Delia knew well that the Earl didn't have to listen to her or care about a word spoken by her lips. He was a man of nobility and he would not be pacified by a mere governess.
Delia changed into her night gown and pulled back the blankets before nestling inside them and getting comfortable. It was too warm, but she didn't mind entirely. The evening had been a cool one and the air seeped in through the crevices of her window.
She thought it would be very nice indeed to indulge in a bit of warmth after the frigid interaction with the Earl. In fact, it would be a great relief to drift away from him into her dreams.
Delia closed her eyes, willing herself into sleep. Soon she was dreaming of all things wonderful until a sudden moment when she saw her former employer looking at her with a red face full of anger. That face.
Delia could not escape it. She could not quite get away. But she could pretend that all was well when she woke up.
Chapter 14
The Earl was feeling entirely frustrated. And yet he could not blame Miss Caulfield for being uncomfortable. This was not a place in which she belonged considering her station. They were not her people. It made sense that she would not understand their interactions.
Nevertheless, and the Earl was angered by the way is that she spoke of his friend. He did not understand how she might consider a good friend of his to be such a terrible man. He did not understand her accusations.
And yet he had come to know her behavior. He had come to know that she was a woman of integrity and honesty. Perhaps he ought to have listened to what it was that she had to say.
The Earl thought to return to the party and push away those thoughts for another time.
When he re-entered the room, the performers were entertaining the guests who indulged in every moment. It seemed as though the actors were overly dramatic in the most delightful way. Their atrocious and bawdy humor entertained London’s elite far more than society cared to admit.
It delighted him to see them all so amused.
As he stood towards the back, the Earl of Dulshire was approached by another man. He knew the Earl of Conmeyer was not his favorite guest to have that evening. However, the man was a peer. As a peer, the Earl was expected to respect him.
“Good evening, Lord Dulshire,” the Earl of Conmeyer greeted.
“Lord Conmeyer, how wonderful it is to have you here this evening,” the Earl replied. “Tell me are you enjoying yourself?”
“I think I have never been so delighted in all my life,” Lord Conmeyer replied. “Truly I have been overly indulged by your hospitality.”
“You flatter me,” the Earl of Dulshire replied.
“I do no such thing. I am merely charmed by your home, by your daughter, and most certainly by your governess,” Lord Conmeyer noted slyly.
The Earl was made uncomfortable by this assertion. He did not understand why the man would bring Miss Caulfield into the discussion.
“Please do tell me, where exactly did you find her?” Lord Conmeyer asked.
“Whatever do you mean?” the Earl inquired.
“I mean, Lord Dulshire, that your governess is quite the spectacular young woman. I should very much like such a governess for my own children,” he explained.
“I see,” said the Earl. “Well, I fear that our governess has a position already.”
“Oh, come on now please. You cannot tell me that you should find it difficult to find another governess,” Lord Conmeyer said.
The Earl pretended to be amused.
“Dear heavens, Lord Conmeyer, you know as well as I do how difficult it is to find, and certainly to maintain, and adequate governess,” the Earl noted.
“Surely you are using this as a mere excuse,” Lord Conmeyer asserted.
“Whatever reason would I have for making an excuse?” the Earl asked. “I have a very legitimate reason. She is the governess of my own daughter. I should not like to change the woman who has cared for my child so well.”
“Has it nothing to do with her appearance?” Lord Conmeyer asked.
The Earl was deeply offended by this. Not only did he care for his own reputation, but he cared for that as his governess as well. He did not appreciate a suggestion that she was merely there for her physical beauty.
“Do you not have a governess of your own?” the Earl asked.
Lord Conmeyer laughed heartily. He gave a low whistle through his teeth.
“You must know, Lord Dulshire, what has happened with my former
governess,” Lord Conmeyer suggested.
“And what might that have been?” the Earl asked.
“Well, Lord Dulshire, we were found out. Indeed, we were found out quite remarkably,” Lord Conmeyer said.
“Found out?” inquired the Earl, not understanding.
“Of course, Lord Dulshire. We were found out by my wife. For the affair,” Lord Conmeyer confessed without remorse.
“Do you mean to say that you should like to hire my governess in order to replace your mistress?” the Earl asked bluntly.