Risky Rules of a Passionate Governess

by Henrietta Harding

  Before long, the blackberry tart was served for pudding and that’s when the children finally perked up. The conversation turned towards all the exciting things that they were going to do in London, and Katherine felt the duke’s eyes turn towards her again, as though he was finally able to deal with the question that, figuratively, had been placed on the table. It seemed as though the duke was trying to gauge Katherine’s excitement about going to London.

  “I want to buy perfume there,” Constance said precociously.

  “And I want a train set,” Harry said.

  “Come, come now. It’s not all about shopping,” the duke said. “We shall walk along the Thames and visit the palace.”

  “Oh, yes!” Harry said with enthusiasm. “That sounds like fun.”

  “I want to meet the Prince Regent,” Constance said.

  “I’m sure that could be arranged,” the duke replied, and he wasn’t being humorous either. Katherine knew full well that the Duke of Easterly’s standing was good enough to receive an invitation to pay a call. “How do you fell about all of this, Katherine?” The duke finally asked, and all eyes turned towards her.

  “I think that . . . I should like to stay at Bonhomie, and teach Lord Garret.”

  It was a bold statement and Katherine didn’t know if she’d regret it or not. Her former plan to be cold and distant from Lord Garret was utterly falling apart. By saying that she wished to stay, was she in some way admitting to her fascination with him? Mustering the courage to look up at Lord Garret once more, she saw the warmest smile that she’d ever beheld on his handsome face.

  ***

  The duke was already at a loss. Was this phenomenon happening already? Was his brother already stealing Katherine from him? Lord Roland was torn. He wished to see his brother succeed in his business attempts; in fact, it was essential for the prosperity of Bonhomie. And he wasn’t entirely opposed to Lord Garret spending time alone with Katherine. Or was he? Lord Roland was confused.

  “I suppose that Prudence could look after the children,” the duke finally said.

  “Ugh,” Constance replied, rolling her eyes.

  “Come, now, Constance,” Katherine gently scolded.

  “But she’s so dull,” Constance said.

  “She’s a fine woman and I don’t want to hear another word about it,” the duke said in no uncertain terms. He then turned and gave his brother an inquiring look. What are you up to? Can this be trusted?

  “I, for one,” Lord Garret said, averting his eyes from his brother’s gaze, “think that this is a perfect plan. How often do you get to spend quality time with the children?”

  The duke felt momentarily flustered. Was his brother judging the amount of time that he spent with his own children? Like Lord Garret, Lord Roland was a busy man and did not get to play and interact with them in the way that Katherine did. Then, seeing his brother’s wisdom, the duke sighed to himself.

  “You make a sound point,” he replied to Lord Garret, then looked over at his children lovingly. “We do not get to spend enough time together.”

  “And Prudence won’t even get in the way,” Lord Garret went on. “She’s practically invisible anyhow.” At this, the children laughed.

  “Katherine,” Lord Roland went on, turning towards her. “Why didn’t you tell me you were teaching the children Italian?”

  “I’m not sure,” Katherine replied bashfully. “I only taught them a few basic phrases. It’s a leftover oddity of my childhood that I learned to speak it.”

  “I think it’s wonderful.”

  “It delights me to hear you say that,” Katherine replied.

  Momentary pride swelled in the duke’s chest. He had a cook that spoke French, a governess that spoke Italian, and a gardener that spoke German. Bonhomie had turned into bloody Switzerland on its own!

  He decided to relax his fears and give his brother the instruction that he craved. That’s not to say that the duke wouldn’t have his worries or reservations when he was in London, leaving Katherine and his brother behind. The duke would probably worry no end. But in certain things, the duke reasoned that it was best to relinquish control and merely trust.

  He turned to Lord Garret, only to discover him looking across the table at Katherine. What was his brother thinking? Was he sincere in his desire to learn the language, or was he merely trying to be alone with the object of his affections?

  The evening coming to a successful conclusion, Lord Garret and the duke retired to the sitting room for brandy and cigars whilst Prudence put the children down and Katherine went to her room. It was good that the brothers were alone on that night, because in the duke’s estimation, more gentlemanly conversation was necessary.

  “I’m unsure of what you’re doing, brother, but I hope to trust you,” the duke said, taking a puff of his cigar.

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s a bold thing that you have requested.”

  “And Katherine has accepted.”

  “She seemed confused by the proposition; as though she did not know how to answer me,” the duke went on.

  “What is there to be confused about? The girl speaks Italian and I need to learn. What’s more, she’s tired.”

  “How’s that?”

  “She’s tired. Katherine works at Bonhomie every single day. I can sense it.”

  “But that’s her job.”

  “She needs a break from it from time to time.”

  “Since when did you become a labour authority?” The duke asked in exasperation.

  “I’m merely stating the facts. It will be good for her to focus on other things for a while.”

  The duke was in shock and frustrated. Why had his brother’s demeanor changed so markedly? He had a mind to remind Lord Garret that he was the one that wished to get rid of Katherine less than a month ago. And now he was playing the saint. Lord Roland didn’t understand any of it in the least.

  “I have allowed her to return home for a Sunday. Next Sunday, in fact,” the duke said, wishing to defend himself.

  “She has not been home yet?”

  “No, brother, she has not.”

  “I never thought of you as a bloody tyrant!” Lord Garret said.

  “My god, man,” the duke replied, getting up from his seat. “You critique the amount of time that I spend with my children and then you judge the way in which I regard my servants.”

  “Katherine is no servant,” Lord Garret replied bitingly.

  That is when Lord Roland knew that he had a serious problem on his hands. Yes, Lord Garret’s regard for Katherine must have escalated more than he could have foreseen. The duke chose to continue the discussion with a steady hand.

  “No, she is not,” the duke conceded.

  “So please don’t call her that in my presence.”

  “I was referring to the staff in general. Not Katherine, specifically.”

  “Let’s drop the matter,” Lord Garret finally said, clearly angry.

  “Yes, I’m going to bed,” the duke replied.

  “So soon?”

  “We have an early start tomorrow.”

  “Do as you please.”

  “Brother,” the duke said before departing. “I know that I can trust you in the time that I’m away.”

  There was a serious expression upon Lord Garret’s face. “Need you even say that?”

  “No. No, I suppose that I do not,” the duke replied, and with that, he left the room, still carrying his brandy in hand.

  Chapter 13

  The following morning, Katherine awoke with the sun once more and found that she was in desperate need for some healthy exercise, if only to calm her nerves. Tying her bonnet upon her head, she walked down the stairs and out of the back door, where she found Hans, the new gardener, already at work.

  “Hello,” she said to him, having only seen him from outside her window.

  “Guten Morgen,” Hans said with a warm smile, taking off his hat.

  “I fear that I haven
’t properly introduced myself. My name is Katherine.”

  “Yes, I know, Fräulein Katherine.”

  “You know my name?”

  “And don’t you know mine?”

  “It’s Hans, I believe.”

  “See, names spread quickly.”

  There was something peculiar and interesting about Hans. He couldn’t be any older than herself, and he had a delicate and refined appearance that seemed foreign; and for obvious reasons. Where the de Bowes men were large and swarthy, Hans was quite slim and willowy. His gentle green eyes shone like emeralds in the morning light. There was also something uniquely peaceful, simple, and happy about him.

  “Are you enjoying yourself here?” Katherine asked.

  “I enjoy being outdoors, yes.”

  “And how is it that you left your own country?”

  “I ran away from home,” Hans replied simply.

  “Goodness, why?”

  “My father was not a nice man. And I want to learn English. So, I depart.”

  “How remarkable. Your family must be wondering where you are.”

  “Nein, nein,” Hans replied with a shake of the head. “I am one of eleven children. They do not notice that I am gone.”

  Katherine gave an anxious laugh, and then felt bad for doing so. There was nothing funny about Hans’ situation in the slightest.

  “Well, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

  “Why are you up so early?” Hans asked, giving breath to his curiosity.

  “I was just . . .” the realisation of why she was taking some fresh air returning. “Hoping to clear my mind.”

  “Being out here helps to do so, yes,” Hans said, looking around at the landscape. “I can go entire day and not have one confused thought,” he added with a smile.

  “That’s admirable.”

  “And what is making you afraid?” Hans asked next.

  Good heavens, was the boy seeing right through her? There was something all-knowing and sage-like about him.

  “I’m to begin teaching the duke’s brother today,” Katherine said, deciding to just have out with it. “I’m afraid the fellow makes me rather nervous.” What she couldn’t utter was the fact that he also filled her with an aching desire.

  “Yes, he makes me nervous, too. When I am hired by him, I tremble.”

  “I understand completely what you mean.”

  “I will let you go, now. Though I would like to speak with you all day. Everything will go according to plan today.”

  “I hope so. We shall find more time to speak again.”

  “I would like this very much, Fräulein Katherine.”

  Upon leaving Hans, Katherine felt refreshed. It would be nice to have another ally in the house. Although she knew that she could trust in Sofia, she rarely saw the maid, considering how busy she was. Katherine certainly couldn’t confide in Prudence, and her only other outlet was writing letters to her family.

  Katherine walked for some time, feeling the cold dew upon her stockings, before realising that it was the hour in which the duke and children were scheduled to leave. She would most assuredly say goodbye to them, and after that, she’d be left on her own to face Lord Garret.

  Returning to the house, Hans took off his hat once more to acknowledge her, and Katherine smiled. Upon entering the house she heard the clamor of children, servants, and traveling cases, all being taken out to the carriage for their journey to begin. The air was alive with electricity and excitement. Stepping out onto the front steps, the same steps where she was first greeted when coming to Bonhomie, Katherine felt a wave of hope come over her. Maybe the days to come wouldn’t be so fraught with apprehension after all.

  “Katherine,” Harry said, throwing out his arms to give her a hug. She embraced him, and felt his little chest heave. The boy was crying, and it brought a tear to Katherine’s eye. If only Harry knew how important he was to her. If only he knew that he was the reason why she came to Bonhomie in the first place.

  “It’s only for a few days,” Katherine assured him, rubbing his back. “There, there. I’ll be standing upon these steps when you return, waiting for you.”

  “Are you sure that you don’t want to come?” Constance asked.

  “It’s not that I don’t want to come,” Katherine assured her. “It’s merely that I must attend to important matters.”

  “With uncle,” Harry said with a frown.

  “Yes, with uncle.” Katherine put the boy down and then embraced Constance. When she let the girl go, she could see that the duke was standing beside his daughter. What sort of an adieu was most proper for the duke? She felt comfortable enough to embrace him, but to do so would be going utterly too far. Katherine gave a simple curtsy.

  “We’re off then,” the duke said, his eyes boring into hers. Why was the duke looking at her so intently?

  “Safe travels to all,” Katherine said.

  “We’ll return before you know it,” the duke assured her.

  As she watched the family walk down the steps towards the carriage, Katherine was surprised that Lord Garret was not out there bidding his own adieus. That’s when Katherine turned in curiosity and found Lord Garret in the doorframe, leaning upon it with his arms crossed in front of his chest. His gaze towards her was predatory, and Katherine quickly looked away back towards the carriage.

  She watched as the carriage disappeared down the drive, the children waving their hands out of the window. The carriage got smaller and smaller until it was gone, and all the while Katherine could feel her heart pounding in her chest.

  ***

  Lord Garret was alone with her at last, and he couldn’t have been more pleased. When she turned back to see him standing there, her eyes looked like those of a frightened doe, and it brought a smile to his lips. Although Lord Garret wished to take advantage of being alone with Katherine, he would still need to be on his best behavior. And by that, he intended to be aloof before Katherine no doubt disarmed him completely.

  “Shall we go inside, then?” Katherine asked.

  “Let’s go for a stroll,” Lord Garret said, coming down the steps. “I wish to inspect the grounds.”

  “I met with Hans this morning. Such a charming man.”

  “He’s a boy, not a man.”

  “Well, yes. He does appear to be more akin to a boy. But he has such a warm heart.”

  “And German efficiency, more importantly,” Lord Garret added, inspecting a certain hedge. His reasoning for taking Katherine along on that stroll was that, if he was inspecting Hans’ work, then he wouldn’t be spending so much time inspecting Katherine, which he wished to do.

  “Did you know that he ran away from home?” Katherine asked.

  “I did.”