by Abigail Agar
How could he possibly not? She was the most perfect woman he’d met in his life. She had everything he yearned for in a partner.
She was his world.
“Darling,” he began. “Lady Elizabeth Byrd. When I first met you, I knew I could never be your equal. And that has been proven all the more since we’ve built our friendship.” He paused, swallowing hard. Every emotion felt too heavy, too wild in his chest. How did anyone articulate how they felt? How did anyone exist in the world without feeling entirely out of their depth?
“Darling, I don’t want to spend another day without your intellect. I don’t want to wake up and wonder what you’re thinking; I want you to tell me. I want you in my life for good.” He swallowed hard, and then returned to his feet. He gripped her hands so hard in his, gazing down upon her. “Lady Elizabeth Byrd, you’ve been through a horrendous trial. But I’m wondering. Won’t you be my wife?”
Bess held his hands tightly in hers. For a moment—for a terrible, gut-wrenching moment, she was at a loss for words. But then, she nodded, whispering the most beautiful thing in the world: “Yes.”
And now, for the first time, Lord Nathaniel Linfield dropped down, pressed his lips against hers, and kissed her, hard and wildly and beautifully. Her chest pressed tight against his stomach; his arms were wide around her shoulders. They were a single unit, each deciding to bolt forward on the path of life together.
When their kiss broke, the entire table behind Nathaniel broke into wild applause. Nathaniel blinked back at them, drawing a single arm around Bess’ shoulder. He gave a childlike grin back at them, shrugging. It was certainly foolish, love. But he couldn’t refute it.
Lady Eloise flung herself forward, hugging Lady Elizabeth tight against her and jumping slightly up and down. The two older Parliament members reached forward, shaking Nathaniel’s hand, whilst Everett sneaked forward and hugged Nathaniel tight against him. Noises were raucous, wild. Nathaniel couldn’t place who said what, or when, but then supposed it didn’t matter.
He spun toward his new fiancé, who brimmed with pleasure.
“That speech, darling,” Lady Elizabeth said, drawing her fingers across his cheek. “I’ve never heard you utter something so poetic.”
Nathaniel grinned, feeling foolish. “You heard everything, didn’t you?”
“If I hadn’t, I don’t know if I would have agreed to marry you,” she said, chuckling slightly.
“I think I’m improving,” Nathaniel joked, shrugging. “Perhaps I’ll even be good enough to write my wedding vows.”
Lady Elizabeth snaked her fingers through his curls, tugging his face closer to hers. “Don’t be foolish, Lord Nathaniel Linfield. Stick to what you know.”
They sealed the decision with a kiss, their arms wrapped tight around one another. Lord Nathaniel would remember this moment into the future—a moment when he was allowed to feel completely and totally safe, fresh-faced and sure of the future.
The first ever moment when it was just him and Lady Elizabeth Byrd against the world.
THE END
Can't get enough of Elizabeth and Nathanial? Then make sure to check out the Extended Epilogue to find out…
How's life for our talented writer, Lady Elizabeth Byrd, now that she doesn't have to hide behind a nickname anymore?
After confirming Nathaniel's endless love to her, with his romantic gestures and his marriage proposal, how does Lady Elizabeth feel less than a week away from her wedding?
How will Lord Nathaniel, as a new member of the parliament, be able to fight for matters that Lady Elizabeth always tried to?
Click the link or enter it into your browser
http://abigailagar.com/elizabeth
(After reading the Extended Epilogue, turn the page to read the first chapters from “The Precious Secret of a Loving Governess”, my Amazon Best-Selling novel!)
The Precious Secret of a Loving Governess
Introduction
Victoria Jamison is a woman who knows the benefits of wealth and society. However, after her family’s fall from grace, she is forced to find work as a governess. When she is hired by a charming Earl, she strives to win his daughter’s affinity, but she is soon to find herself in a terrible position, after making an unpleasant discovery. Will she choose to keep the secret to herself despite what her heart commands? Or will she let a lie destroy any chance she has for happiness and love?
Reginald Fairfax, the Earl of Hanover, is haunted by the death of his late wife and the engagement to a woman he does not love. When the new governess he has hired for his daughter appears, he is stunned by her beauty. Getting to know her better, he will get captivated by her kindness, but the reality is harsh and will not allow his feelings to bloom. Will he eventually choose society’s rules and let his heart down? Or will he find the courage to admit something he has been denying all this time: that he is in love?
When their paths cross, Victoria realises that her secret is so strong that could bring them together or separate them forever. Will their love overcome society’s expectations? Or will they back down to a dull life, far away from each other?
Chapter 1
Through the window it stood, tall and imposing. An estate that she might not have imagined, were it not before her very eyes.
Victoria Jamison sighed from within the carriage that had been sent for her by the Earl of Hanover. Mentally preparing herself for everything that was to come, she waited for the coachman to open the door before she alighted from the coach.
She paused and took a deep breath, wondering what was to come for her. Would she be happy? Would this work out? Was there any chance that she might be able to keep her past a secret?
She gazed at the estate with wide, blue eyes. She knew well that there would be days in which this house might bring her sadness and pain; the pain of memory. But she could handle that. She was ever striving to be better than both her circumstances and the past which she was trying so hard to forget. A past that had completely changed three years prior.
This was to be her new home. This was the place in which she would spend her days as a governess. Of course, it was much like the one she had grown up in, having a governess of her own and a place to call home.
But the estate in which Victoria had grown up no longer mattered. It was now in the hands of a grand Duke who had taken over it with his name far greater than her own. The titles that were once bestowed upon her family no longer existed and she was simply another woman in England searching for employment.
Having happened upon this opportunity had been good fortune indeed.
“Miss, I shall take your bags inside,” the coachman told her as Victoria reached for them herself.
“Yes, thank you,” she replied.
“I believe one of the maids is going to come and show you about the estate. But I shall make sure these reach your bedroom first,” he told her.
Victoria nodded, somewhat shyly.
“Are you nervous, Miss?” he asked.
She looked at him and smiled as calmly as she could.
“I should think anyone might be nervous at the prospect of a new home and new work. Life is not always kind and we cannot control the fullness of our circumstances,” she remarked.
“That is true. But I think you should be happy here. Honestly, it is a good place and the Earl is a good man. True, there are times when it can be difficult working for nobility, but you should do well to remember that this estate is…well, it is a good place indeed,” he told her.
Victoria was relieved to hear all of this, but it did not change the small, nagging feeling inside her.
She allowed the coachman to take her things even though it was strange to allow someone to do something so simple on her behalf.
Indeed, she had learned a great deal about taking care of things on her own and not relying on others for help. She had been forced to in the midst of all that had happened of late. There was very little that she wished to rely on others to handle for her.
/>
Since the fall from grace that her family had experienced several years ago, nothing had been the same for Victoria. That rude awakening that she had gone through was more than enough to give her a strength that she previously hadn’t thought herself capable of.
No, indeed, now Victoria was at a loss and her name meant nothing to anyone of importance. That was a thing she did not mind so much.
Brushing the thick, brown curls behind her ear, she hoped that the rest of her hair had held in place, pulled back tightly as a proper governess should have. But with the wildness of her own hair, she had never managed quite to tame the locks that framed her face.
Victoria wondered what the Earl might be like. Was he a good man? Would he judge her for her appearance? She had grown rather thin in the days since her family had lost their place in society. What if he deemed her weak as a result of it?
She could not help but think back to those days of luxury, now that she was once more faced with the luxury of others. When she had exquisite foods set before her and gowns far superior to the simple dress which she wore now.
Truly, Victoria had tried to move on from that loss, but it was not easy when she found herself missing those things and now having to understand that she would not be the owner of them again. Rather, she would be working for those to whom they belonged.
Her father had been such a fool. A man of the landed gentry, known for his wealth and position in society, he had been an indulgent and foolish man in the end. Squandering the family fortune on his vices, he had housed his mistresses better than his own family. And his gambling habit had been his great downfall.
By the time he owed money to half the nobility of England, everyone knew that he was done for. Victoria’s mother had done all she could to get her daughter out of the environment, but it would have cost her own reputation. After all, a woman who left her husband would be deemed the villain.
Thus, she was left to figure out her own path.
Having been tutored by the best in the country, highly educated and intelligent, it seemed only fitting for Victoria that she might seek work as a governess. She could hardly find a match with a nobleman of her own considering the shame of her family.
And without the prospect of marriage and hardly having the option of remaining at home, Victoria was content to spend the remainder of her life working for others. She was prudent enough that she felt confident she could save money for her old age.
And in the meantime, she would make every effort to be of value.
Having found this position advertised in the papers, Victoria immediately applied to work for the Earl of Hanover as a governess to his daughter. The child, apparently eleven years of age, would be a good fit for Victoria, she felt.
Of the widower, she knew nothing, but she hoped that he was a good man. She hoped that this would be a good fit for her and that all would be well now that she had this home to call her place of employment.
And certainly, work as a governess was better than that of a housekeeper or maid or any other thing that she might find herself doing. She had considered the possibility of such positions, but knowing that she was capable of educating gave her an advantage that she was grateful for.
Truly, Victoria deemed herself fortunate despite the circumstances that had led her to this position.
Nevertheless, as her feet trod up the stairs and to the door of the estate, she could not help but wonder if this had all been a mistake. Was she making the right decision? Did she want to be a governess? Did she even have a choice in the matter?
A housekeeper appeared at the door to greet her as the coachman went past with her bags.
“Miss Jamison, I presume?” she asked.
“Yes, thank you,” she replied.
“My name is Delia Franklin. I am the housekeeper here at the estate,” the young woman explained.
“It is very nice to meet you, Miss Franklin. I am glad to be here,” she replied politely.
“And we are glad to have you. The Earl of Hanover has a lovely daughter and it is certainly time that she has someone to tutor her. We have been quite concerned about her education, but now that you are present, all shall be well,” Delia said.
Victoria nodded, believing that for her own sake this was indeed the best solution.
“And you are happy working here?” she asked frankly.
“Oh yes, Miss Jamison. This is a wonderful place of employment. I have had a great number of friends take up work in grand estates like this one and they have had horrible masters. But the Earl is a good man,” she remarked.
Victoria felt ill of ease that the housekeeper and the coachman had used the exact same phrase and she wondered if they were trained to say such things. Was he really such a good man? Or was he someone that they feared enough that they spoke highly of him, despite poor character?
She couldn’t help but wonder. And everyone was speaking of the Earl, but she still knew nothing of his daughter.
Victoria imagined that the answers would come in time and she was better off calming herself and trying to simply get used to the new home she would be living in. She did not have to have all the answers at once. She could enjoy getting the hang of this new life without being aware of everything, even if it did leave that niggling anxiety in the back of her mind.
“Well, I am glad to hear that,” she told Miss Franklin.
“And you have a great deal of tutoring and experiences?” Miss Franklin asked.
Victoria smiled once more in that shy way.
“I suppose you might say that. I was fortunate enough to have learned well from a young age. I am certain that I can be of use for the young lady of the house, although I do hope she and the Earl are satisfied with what I have to offer,” she replied humbly.
“They shall be. I’ve no doubt about it. You seem quite the kind young woman and truly I think the Earl would prefer that over intelligence anyway. And if you have learning, he will be satisfied. I, myself, had a good learning. But not enough to be a governess,” Miss Franklin said.
“Oh? Why do you say that?” Victoria asked.
“My mother taught me. She was well learned by her own mother. But being taught by your mother isn’t usually enough to convince anyone to give you a job as a governess. What sort of tutors did you have?” she pried.
“Oh, as I said, I was very fortunate. My father was…he knew of good people,” she replied vaguely.
Victoria knew that she could hardly share the fullness of her story, but it mattered not. She was here for a position, one she knew that she would be able to do well. And if it meant hiding facts about herself in the meantime, she didn’t mind that so much.
“What else do you enjoy?” Victoria asked Miss Franklin, curious to learn more about the housekeeper she thought might become a friend.
“Well, I am quite good at singing,” she replied happily.
“That is lovely to hear, for I am far from the best at such. Perhaps, I might be so lucky as to hear you sing some day?” she asked, trying to encourage the young woman.
“I should be ever so delighted, Miss Jamison. Anytime you wish it, I am here,” she replied.
“Wonderful, thank you so much. I love a good song now and then,” Victoria smiled. “And the pupil I am to teach?”
“She’s a good girl, Miss Jamison. You shall like her a great deal, I am sure. Obedient, kind, and sweet as can be,” Miss Franklin replied.