“More so than yourself.”
“That’s quite a statement,” Katherine said with a laugh.
“I see everyone clearly,” Lord Garret went on. “It is what makes my life a living hell.”
Katherine went silent, not liking the notion that the duke’s brother’s life was a living hell. But nonetheless, whether or not his life was as he said, this had nothing to do with Katherine’s clear intention. She needed to convince Lord Garret that she was well-suited to her position.
“Have I in the least changed your opinion of me in regards to the children?” Katherine finally asked.
“Not in the least,” Lord Garret replied, and Katherine’s face fell. What was the use of even trying to convince him? He seemed hell-bent on proving her to be unfit. Katherine decided that the only clear course of action was to show defiance and turn her back on the situation.
“If you’ll excuse me, Your Grace,” Katherine said, doing just that and walking away.
“One last thing,” Lord Garret said, his voice all seriousness.
Katherine turned back. “What’s that?” She asked.
“Your blouse is torn,” Lord Garret said, looking down at Katherine’s chest. She felt a warm flush come to her cheek and thought that the duke’s brother was perhaps playing a trick on her, but upon looking down she could clearly see that her blouse was, indeed, torn.
“Heavens,” Katherine said, bringing her hand up to it. She looked back up at Lord Garret in sheer embarrassment, and watched as he averted his gaze in a gentlemanlike fashion. “I thank you,” Katherine said hastily, rushing away to her room. The remainder of the day, Katherine felt unfit to teach the children. Her nerves were in too much of a state from her interaction with Lord Garret. She spent time in her room, fixing her torn dress, and thought of the gorgeous chocolate eyes that bore into her earlier that day.
Although anyone else would have found the interaction unpleasant, Katherine begged to differ. Lord Garret was all businesslike and serious, but she couldn’t escape the charm of his eyes and the shocking handsomeness of his overall appearance.
Katherine had never seen such a male figure in all her life. Should she blame herself for being affected so? In her estimation, Lord Garret’s handsomeness, and the effect that it had on her, was entirely out of her control and she would do her best to not think about it.
But think about it she did. In fact, Katherine could have sworn that at dinner that night, she was perhaps caught staring at him. There was something akin to amusement on his face when he caught her doing so.
She was confident that her dress was no longer torn, and therefore, there was no reason for Lord Garret to look down at her décolletage. However, she did catch him doing so on one occasion. Perhaps this was for the purpose of inspecting the dress to make sure that it had been fixed? Katherine wouldn’t be able to know for sure.
But one thing was certain: her fascination with Lord Garret was becoming more intense by the day, even by the hour. At the dinner table, she turned towards the duke and caught him gazing at her as well.
Has the whole world gone mad?
Truly, there was a kind of madness beginning to brew in Bonhomie. However, it was a madness of the heart.
Chapter 8
Lord Garrett was rattled after his interaction with Katherine. It was as though something had become unhinged within him. He reasoned with himself that it was because of his fervor in regards to the proper upbringing of the children, but then it occurred to him that something else was stirring; he knew not what. He was captivated by her loveliness, and it was the first time that he had come so close to her. He was surprised to discover that she was even more beautiful at such a close vantage.
Considering that he felt unhinged, with his thoughts not as clear as before, Lord Garret decided that he would keep his distance from Katherine for some days. But what was of the utmost importance was to still take the time to view her classes from time to time.
Days passed and Lord Garret continued to observe, but his perspective on what Katherine was doing was beginning to change. Yes, he could see the children’s enthusiasm; their growth in arithmetic, reading, and dance. He even stood in the doorway and watched a little play that was being put on. To his satisfaction, he discovered that it was A Midsummer Night’s Dream. William Shakespeare would provide a good education for the children.
But Lord Garret didn’t wish to show too much enthusiasm on these occasions, even though his opinion was beginning to change. If Katherine got it into her head that he had changed camps entirely, then she might get uppity, or worse, complacent in her teaching. For this reason Lord Garret kept a solid demeanor and a placid face, so as not to give himself away. But he had to admit to himself that he was rather pleased.
“How are things coming along?” The duke asked Lord Garret as he came into the study.
“Things are acceptable,” Lord Garret told his brother.
“You’ve been observing?”
“Keenly.”
“And Katherine is beginning to appeal to you?” The duke asked with a mischievous grin.
“She is acceptable. I believe that you are the one that finds her appealing,” Lord Garret said, accusing his brother of admiring Katherine too often.
“Who doesn’t find her appealing, brother? She’s like a ray of sunshine.”
“That can burn one’s skin.”
“I think that you’re hiding your true feelings about her.”
“That’s utter nonsense.”
“It’s true.”
“Let’s cease this conversation,” Lord Garret said, not wishing to delve into things further. He was on a mission to think of Katherine as little as possible. “The garden needs work,” Lord Garret said, wishing to change the subject.
“You hired the chap,” the duke replied, looking down at his ledger.
“I didn’t hire him to be a lazy buffoon. He sings to himself while he works, did you know that?” Lord Garret asked, plopping himself down into the chair on the other side of the duke’s desk.
“Then hire someone else,” the duke said. “You’re good at that.” The duke and Lord Garret’s eyes met, neither of them looking away. Must there be constant confrontation between the two of them? They weren’t schoolboys anymore, they were men. In Lord Garret’s opinion, maintaining a businesslike relationship with his brother was best.
“I shall, then,” Lord Garret replied. He sat there for some time in silence, wondering what else he could accomplish before tea was served that afternoon. That was when Lord Garret realised that the children were engaged in music at that hour, and he wished to hear Constance play. “I’ll see you at tea,” Lord Garret said, getting up from his chair and leaving the room.
“It’s the only thing that is truly guaranteed,” the duke replied, not looking up to bid his brother adieu.
Exiting the study, Lord Garret made his way to the classroom where indeed he could hear the music playing. The door was always kept ajar so that passersby could peer in at their leisure. Lord Garret leaned against the doorway, as was his custom, and watched and listened.
Constance was playing Bach without the help or instruction of Katherine, who merely sat beside her at the upright piano.
“Good, good,” Katherine said by way of encouragement. “That’s right.” Harry was seated on the floor behind them, cross-legged.
Constance’s hands graced the piano effortlessly, something that Lord Garret had not seen before. Yes, she truly was improving in remarkable ways. Lord Garret tilted his head to one side and closed his eyes, listening to every note that she played. He was in a dream, and didn’t wish to open his eyes or to wake. Standing there for some time, Lord Garret finally realised that the music had stopped and Katherine was turned towards him, her eyes wide with wonder.
“I apologise,” Lord Garret said, not liking the notion that she had caught him there with his eyes closed, basking in the music.
“It’s quite alright,” Katherine replied.
>
“Uncle!” Harry cried, getting up from the floor and running into Lord Garret’s arms.
“Am I getting better?” Constance asked from the bench.
“Infinitely better,” Lord Garret replied, picking Harry up and holding him in his arms.
“You can come in, if you like,” Katherine said. “We’re about to have a lesson in stargazing.”
“Stargazing?” Lord Garret asked, thinking it far-fetched.
“That’s right. It’s something new that we’re learning about,” Katherine said.
“It doesn’t take much effort to merely tilt one’s head and look up,” Lord Garret said dismissively.
“But it’s fun!” Constance protested.
“Well, I’ll leave you to your stargazing,” Lord Garret said, wishing to have none of it.
“Stay, uncle. Please,” Harry said, frowning for emphasis. Although Lord Garret was immune to many things, he could scarcely turn away from Harry when he frowned like that. He sighed to himself and stepped into the room.
“Very well,” Lord Garret said, wondering how much there truly was to say about stargazing. Katherine was no Galileo. Lord Garret seated himself in a chair and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
“Can I sit on your lap, uncle?” Harry asked, and Lord Garret obliged, picking the boy up and placing him in his lap.
“Now then, what do the stars appear like to us?” Katherine began, and Constance raised her hand in order to speak first.
“Beads of light,” Constance said with pride.
“That’s correct. They look like beads of light over our heads. Like diamonds or crystals.”
“Some are white,” Henry explained, “and some seem even yellow or orange.”
“Yes, and do you know why they appear to be different colours?”
“Because they’re on fire?” Constance asked.
“No, it pertains to their distance from us. Stars that are further away are a different colour than stars that are closer.”
“I see,” Harry replied with grave seriousness.
“Now,” Katherine went on, full of enthusiasm for the topic. “What do we call a collection of stars which create a kind of image of something that we recognise?”
Both children went silent, neither knowing the proper answer.
“Constellations,” Lord Garret replied with a smile.
“That is right!” Katherine said, looking to Lord Garret and noticing his smile. As soon as she saw the grin, Lord Garret dropped it immediately. “They are called constellations. And do you know some constellations by name?” Katherine asked the children.
“Cassiopeia!” Constance said with a flourish.
“That’s right, and do you know where Cassiopeia is in the sky this time of year?” Both of the children seemed stumped, and even Lord Garret did not have the answer. “It is in the North East,” Katherine said, pointing to the proper direction in the sky. “That’s why you can see Cassiopeia when you’re standing on the front step of Bonhomie.”
“Oh!” Constance said in recognition.
“What’s another constellation that we know?”
“Great Bear!” Harry said, throwing his hands up in celebration. This caused both Katherine and Lord Garret to laugh.
“That’s correct. Great Bear is another constellation that we can see in the sky. In what direction is it?”
“No idea,” Harry said flatly.
“It’s in the North West.”
As Katherine continued the lesson, Lord Garret was aware of the fact that he was still grinning from ear to ear. It frustrated him no end, but he couldn’t manage to wipe the smile off of his face, and so it remained.
Katherine’s teachings were utterly delightful. It was not something that he had expected. Was it merely because she was beginning to enchant him? Is that why his perspective was changing? It seemed that, only days prior, her lessons were ridiculous and improper, but now he could see how engaged the children were and how much they were learning.
“Now, what of Arcturus?” Katherine asked. “It’s the brightest star in the sky, is it not? And you can find it West South West,” Katherine said, pointing in the appropriate direction.
“I wish to see it right now,” Harry said, and both Katherine and Lord Garret laughed again.
“Unfortunately, it’s not the right time of day to see it. Why do you think that is, Harry?” Katherine asked.
“Because it’s bright outside.”
“That’s right. The sun is still shining overhead and that means that the stars have not come out yet.”
“Actually,” Constance said, correcting her. “The stars don’t really come out. They’re there all along, but you cannot see them until it’s dark.”
“That’s a marvelous point, Constance,” Katherine replied. “The stars are overhead all day long, but it is not until the sun sets that we can truly see them.”
How was it possible that Katherine appeared to Lord Garret to be even more impossibly beautiful as she taught the children? It was ridiculous. In fact, seated there with Harry lovingly in his arms, Lord Garret was struck by the fact that he was utterly tangled between Katherine’s fingers. She had a hold on him and the acknowledgment of it was rather uncomfortable.
“I must go,” Lord Garret said, picking Harry up and placing him on the chair before turning to leave.
“Too soon,” Constance said with a frown.
“All this frowning,” Lord Garret said in frustration. “Your governess should teach you not to frown.”
With that, he left the room without saying anything more. He had seen enough. Katherine was witty, intelligent, beautiful, and charming, and it vexed Lord Garret to no end. Why should all of these qualities be frustrating in a woman? He couldn’t understand it.
Taking tea that afternoon, Lord Garret decided to remain quiet and return to observing things. His brother had his head in the clouds as usual. The children were remarkably well-behaved and Lord Garret caught himself watching Katherine as she sipped her tea.
Mostly, he regarded her hands. They were dainty and slim, and her fingers were rather beautiful. Lord Garret thought that you could tell a lot about a person by observing their hands. He looked down at his own and noted how large they were, callused from holding onto the reins of his horse and from years of refusing to wear gloves.
“Renee is preparing a special dinner tonight,” the duke said.
“What’s the occasion?” Katherine asked, and Lord Garret was instantly frustrated. It was very much like Renee to be extravagant for no apparent reason.
“We’re celebrating having Katherine with us for one entire month,” the duke said, looking towards Lord Garret.
“Truly, there’s no cause to celebrate,” Katherine said bashfully.
“There is cause,” the duke replied warmly, and turned to smile at Katherine. Was that jealousy that sparked in Lord Garret just then? He felt a tinge of it. Lord Garret didn’t like watching his brother and Katherine smile at one another so.
“Can’t we celebrate with cottage pie?” Lord Garret asked dismissively, picking up his tea.
“Renee would not have it,” the duke replied.
“So, I suppose it’s bœuf bourguignon.”
Risky Rules of a Passionate Governess Page 9