A Governess for the Brooding Duke: A Historical Regency Romance Book

by Bridget Barton

  “I thank you for your consideration, Miss Darrington,” he answered, his face suddenly a little gray as he realized quite what he had in front of him.

  “I shall return downstairs, Your Grace. I shall ask Mrs Evans to prepare some tea and something for you to eat when you have finished.”

  “No,” he said, rather firmly. “Miss Darrington, I would beg that you stay with me,” he added and looked at her most hopefully.

  “Oh yes, of course, I shall,” she said a little unsurely and walked over to the window in an attempt to give him at least a little privacy.

  As he read, Georgette periodically turned a little to regard him in secret. Even by the end of the first letter, she could see that he was most terribly moved. As each letter went on, he smiled at points and let his head drop a little at others. Georgette had, of course, read every single one of the letters that Josephine had written to her brother. In truth, she had read them twice and had felt really rather moved herself. She could not help thinking that Josephine was a woman of such goodness and, having read her innermost thoughts, Georgette rather felt as if she knew her. And how she wished the young woman was still alive now so that she might truly meet her in person.

  When she heard a great sniff coming from his direction, Georgette knew that he had reached the final letter that his sister had ever written to him. She ran through it again in her mind as she stared out of the window, tears rolling down her face.

  “14th March 1836

  My Dearest Hamilton,

  I can hardly write for sadness for I fear that this shall be the last time. A great illness has overtaken my little household and so very suddenly that we none of us have had time to prepare for it. So unprepared was I that when my dear Carwyn’s death came but two days ago, I could not quite believe it had happened. My symptoms have not improved, and I know that I cannot possibly continue as I am. Half of me wants to be in the next world with my darling, beautiful poet, and my other half wants me to fight and kick and scream and remain here at all costs so that I might stay with my baby daughters. There is no way in which for me to win, and yet I rather fear that my fate shall be decided for me regardless.

  When I am gone, I should want nothing more than for my girls to come to you. They love their grandparents dearly, but already I see signs that they are going to fall victim to this awful infection which has preyed upon our house like a prowling tiger. Please give them the love and guidance you always gave me. I know that you are able to give it because I have always known what is in your heart. Remember that I was not much older than Eleri and Ffion when our own dear mother died. Had it not been for you, my dear Hamilton, I should never have survived those dreadful days. And yet you took me under your wing, and you made me feel safe and loved and that is all that I should want for my own daughters. And I must ask you to do it for I know not one other man on this earth with whom I would entirely trust so great a responsibility.

  I have already contacted our attorney on this account and, should the worst happen, I would beg that you take my girls and look after them until they are old enough to return to their beloved Wales.

  I love you, and I shall always love you, my dear brother.

  Your most affectionate sister,

  Josie.”

  Georgette saw him move out of the corner of her eye and heard the sigh which signified that he had finished reading the letter. As he sat in the wicker seat, he leaned forward, his body entirely covering the small box of letters he had sat and read from one end to the other. Seeing his shoulders begin to heave, Georgette knew that he had been overcome with emotion.

  For a moment, she almost decided to leave. After all, what man would be happy for a former employee to see him in so great a condition? And yet she knew that he had asked her to stay for a reason. She had comforted him once before and at a time when he had truly needed it. She knew that he had asked her to stay in the hope that she would comfort him again and, as such, she could not deny him.

  Without a word, Georgette moved to stand before him and, gently taking the box from him, she set it down on the nightstand. The Duke was still leaning forward, bent almost double across his own lap. Georgette knelt before him and reached for him, cradling his head in her hands until he sat up and drew her in towards him.

  “Thank you,” he said, quietly mumbling the words into her hair.

  “You are welcome,” she said and gently kissed his temple, fully determined to gently rock him in her arms until he was quite well again.

  “It really is more beautiful here than I had ever imagined,” he said the following morning when he joined her in the garden as she stared out towards the Rhinog Mountains. “I say, is this not the subject of that glorious painting which hangs in the drawing-room?”

  “It certainly is, Your Grace. Those are the Rhinog Mountains, and the picture was painted by Carwyn Thomas.”

  “I think he loved her as much as she loved him,” he said a little sadly.

  “I am quite sure of it,” Georgette said and smiled at him reassuringly.

  “If only I had seen it then.”

  “You must not do this, Your Grace,” Georgette said, looking him squarely in the face. “You have read your sister’s letters, and you must know from them alone that she would not want you to spend life torturing yourself with what might have been.”

  “As always, Miss Darrington, you are quite right,” he responded and gave a light laugh.

  “I think I shall quite miss this place,” Georgette said and meant it.

  “It does rather capture the imagination, does it not?”

  “I think it is the most magical place I have ever seen.”

  “And you a confirmed Londoner!” he said with a laugh.

  “I suppose we all of us can change, Your Grace.”

  “Myself included,” he said with a sigh and turned to face her, stepping towards her at the same time so that they were but inches apart. “And perhaps you will not miss this place if you return with Eleri and Ffion for holidays.”

  “Oh yes, I should like that very much,” Georgette said, finding herself inordinately pleased to realize that she had been returned to her previously despised status of governess.

  “I am glad to hear you say that, for I should be very glad to have you here with me.” Suddenly, he was reaching for both of her hands. “But please understand that I do not wish you to return with me as a governess, Miss Darrington, but rather as my wife.”

  “Wife?” Georgette said and felt her eyes open wide. “You mean … You mean …?”

  “I mean I love you, Georgette. I love you as I have never loved another in all my life.” He pulled her towards him until they were touching.

  “And I love you too,” she said somewhat hoarsely. Her voice was thick with emotion. “But I had never dared to dream …”

  “And I have done nothing but dream, Georgette. From the very first day I met you,” he said and leaned forward to kiss her.

  “The last days have been the best of my life, truly they have,” she said when finally they broke their embrace. “I cannot believe how I have gone from desolation to complete happiness in what feels like a single step.”

  “Am I to take it that you will marry me, Georgette?”

  “Yes, I will marry you; of course, I will marry you,” she said, smiling through her tears.

  Epilogue

  “Eleri, you ought not to eat quite so much cake, my dear,” Lady Cynthia said with a smile.

  “Aunt Cynthia, when you provide as much cake as you do in your own home, I can hardly believe you can say such a thing,” Hamilton remarked and laughed heartily.

  “Rwy'nhofficacen,”Eleri said with a broad grin as she made a great pretense of shyly reaching for another slice, much to Ffion’s delight.

  “That was something about cake, was it not?” Hamilton said, his eyebrows knitting together as he searched his brain for the words.

  “Yes, Eleri says that she likes cake, darling,” Georgette said and smiled at her
husband.

  “It is nice to see that some things never change,” Lady Cynthia said. “Although I must admit I rather think that the children prefer Mrs Evans’ cakes to the ones on offer at Winterbourne.”

  “Yes, and so do I,” Hamilton said and laughed again.

  “Hamilton!” Georgette said and playfully squatted his arm.

  “No, do not chastise him, my dear. This is my dear darling Hamilton of childhood. He was a cheeky sort of a boy, and it would seem that nothing has changed.” Lady Cynthia smiled indulgently at her nephew.

  “Yes, I should certainly agree that he is, indeed, cheeky.”

  “Georgette, may we be excused?” Ffion said, already beginning to rise before even being given permission.

  “Of course you may. Have you had enough to eat?” Georgette said gently.

  “Diolch i chi ie,” she replied and tore off at speed up to the top of the garden, with Eleri, still chewing a piece of cake, hot on her heels.

  “They seem to have grown very suddenly, do they not?” Lady Cynthia said, her eyes twinkling with emotion as she watched the girls make a rather hearty attempt at climbing one of the apple trees.

  “They have indeed, Aunt,” Hamilton answered, following her gaze. “It seems every time we come here to Beddgelert, they flourish a little more. They have grown quite tall for little girls of six, have they not?”

  “Indeed they have grown tall. And their hair is just a little darker now, just as Josephine’s turned at that age. I daresay when they are fully grown they shall be quite golden.”

  “Oh, I am sure of it,” Hamilton said and reached out to lay a hand on his aunt’s arm.

  “And they are so very much looking forward to a little brother or sister,” Lady Cynthia went on. “In truth, they have spoken of nothing else these last weeks. They chatted constantly this morning at breakfast, the pair of them, deciding on a list of names.”

  “I think they are almost as excited as I am myself, Cynthia,” Georgette said, beaming brightly.

  “And it is not long now, my dear.” Cynthia began to chuckle. “In fact, I should say that if you do not head for home in the next few days, I am quite sure that the two of you shall have another Welsh child in the family.”

  “I think that would be rather fitting, Aunt,” Hamilton said, smiling warmly at her.

  In the eighteen months since they had been married, Georgette had been happier than she had been in her entire life. It seemed to her that her life had changed entirely, despite the fact that she still made her way to the schoolroom every day to teach Eleri and Ffion, just as she had when she was their governess.

  At first, Hamilton had objected just a little. After all, was the Duchess of Draycott really going to continue to teach? Ought they not to employ another governess altogether?

  Of course, in the end, Georgette won the tiny battle. And it had been tiny, not to mention terribly good-natured. It struck her that her new husband was entirely pleased that she had decided to continue on with their education, not least because she was likely to be the only governess in all of England who was prepared to learn a most complicated language purely and simply to keep it alive in the hearts and minds of her little charges. And Hamilton had even begun to pick up a little of the language himself, which had been almost everything she had ever wanted at Draycott Hall.

  Uncle and nieces had been thrown together at last and, within a matter of days, it seemed as if there had never been an awkward moment between them in their lives. Eleri and Ffion had simply loved him immediately, excepting his advances towards tentative friendship at face value and welcoming him with their tiny, open arms.

  “In truth, I think it would be rather fitting also. Not least because I really am too large to travel,” Georgette said, and everyone around the table laughed heartily. “I mean, I know I would fit easily into the carriage, but I simply feel too cumbersome to make the journey.” Instinctively, she laid a hand upon her belly.

  “Well, as far as I am concerned, the weather is fine and the scenery beautiful. I should be more than happy for my child to be born here in Beddgelert. What do you say, Aunt Cynthia? Ought we to stay?” Hamilton said and smiled.

  “Oh yes, please let’s stay.” Cynthia smiled contentedly.

  Although she did not always make the trip with them to North Wales, Cynthia always enjoyed herself when she did. She had told Georgette that she felt closer to Josephine in Beddgelert than anywhere else. It was a heartfelt admission which had brought tears to Georgette’s eyes.

  “Is that settled? Might I be permitted to relax upon the point?” Georgette said, hoping against all hope that she could simply remain where she was until the child had been born.

  “I certainly see no objection. Yes, let’s stay,” Hamilton said, rising to his feet as he made ready to catch Eleri who was running like the wind in his direction. “What’s the hurry?” he said, before lifting her and kissing the top of her bright blonde head.

  “Uncle Hamilton, please will you help me get into the tree? Ffion is already up there, and I cannot get in. She is laughing at me, even though she climbs like a little monkey.”

  “Yes, come along,” he said, laughing as he carried Eleri back towards the apple trees.

  “I never thought this day would come, Georgette,” Cynthia said, smiling. “I had never dared to hope that my nephew would find a way back to himself. And yet he has, has he not? And I have you to thank for it all, my dear. What a good day it was for this family when you decided to become a governess.”

  “Although I could never have seen it at the time, Cynthia, it truly was the most wonderful thing that could ever have happened to me, losing everything and becoming a governess.” She leaned back in her chair and stared up into the bright blue sky. “I rather think that my downfall was the saving of me,” she said and reached out to take her dear friend’s hand.

  THE END

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