The Enigmatic Governess of Buford Manor_A Historical Regency Romance Novel

by Emma Linfield

  “Oh, I am terribly sorry,” she said with false politeness, trying to keep up the façade of sweetness. “I do believe that Ewan, my younger brother, needs my attention. I shall speak to you later on.”

  Without waiting for him to answer her, Ivy held onto the skirts of her dress and made her way across the great hall in her home before her father could catch up to her. Her brother was standing there, talking to one of the gentlemen who worked with their father for many years, but Ivy did not aim for him. Mary was also at the Winters home tonight with her husband, and Ivy needed to speak to her childhood friend. Mary was always the one that the girls in the friendship group turned to for advice; she seemed to have the best way of seeing things. It was just a shame that she had not been able to get herself out of an unwanted marriage.

  “Mary, may I ask for your assistance with something?” Ivy asked through gritted teeth.

  Mary glanced up at her husband, silently asking for permission, which irritated Ivy no end. Why was it never the men who had to ask for permission? It did not seem fair. With the irritable way that Ivy was feeling, she feared that this might be the thing to make her snap. Thankfully, Mary’s husband nodded tautly, allowing her, which meant Ivy had no reason to yell. She was getting what she wanted, a moment with her friend.

  “Yes, of course, Lady Winters. Let us find somewhere to talk.”

  Chapter 2

  By the time Ivy and Mary made it to the hallway, Ivy was ready to explode. The more she thought about the way Royce had spoken to her, the angrier she became.

  “Oh, my goodness, Mary, you would not believe it!” she burst out once they were alone. “My father has just made it very obvious that he would like me to spend some time getting to know Duke Royce Merrick, so I have just been speaking to him, and he is horrible. He is so terribly arrogant; I have never spoken to anyone like it.”

  Mary hung her head low and looked like this was the one subject matter that she did not know how to discuss. “It is a problem,” she told her friend quietly. “As you know, this is the same problem that I had, and it did not turn out well for me.” She glanced her eyes towards the hall to check if anyone was listening. “There might not be anything that you can do about it. How seriously do you believe your father is about him?”

  “I do not know,” Ivy answered honestly. “He did not mention him to me beforehand, but I suppose that does not mean much.” Ivy brushed her finger over her lips thoughtfully. “What do you think I should do?”

  Mary wanted desperately to help her friend; she did not want Ivy to end up in the same miserable situation as she found herself. Mary was a quieter person who could tolerate things better, but Ivy had a fiery temper, and she did not think that any marriage with her would last very long. There was no bigger stigma than divorce.

  “Maybe you should try speaking to your father. He is a more reasonable man that mine…”

  “I just do not know what I would say,” Ivy admitted sadly. “I do not know how to address it.”

  Mary stepped closer to Ivy, and leaned in so that there was no chance that anyone could overhear them, even if someone were trying to listen in. “I have heard things about Duke Merrick. Will it help you to know?”

  Ivy nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, any information would be wonderful, whatever you have heard.”

  Mary darted her eyes from side to side, her heart racing in her chest as she relayed gossip that she probably should not have heard in the first place. “I have heard that Duke Merrick is a terrible man, and that he has gambled all his money away. He is in a terrible financial state, and he needs a wealthy wife for the dowry. I heard my husband talking to one of his business associates about how he is running his business into the ground because he is more addicted to making bets that anything else. He is not concerned with making a success of himself.”

  Ivy felt stunned into silence; she could hardly believe it. “Maybe that is why he was so prickly when I tried to talk to him about his company; perhaps I reminded him of the mess he has gotten himself into.”

  It started to make a lot more sense. He had been angry when she discussed business, especially when she mentioned the money side of things. Maybe the change in his attitude had not been because her father was no longer listening in to their conversation, but it was because of the subject matter at hand. Still, whatever the issue was, Ivy knew for certain that she did not want to marry him. He was not the man for her.

  “I think I shall have to speak to my father,” she said decisively while smiling at her friend. “I will have to try tonight before he arranges any further meetings. I think I will tell him what I have heard, do not worry, I will not mention any names, and I will tell my father that I am going to pick my own husband.”

  Mary was not sure that Ivy’s plan would work out, but she was also very aware that if any of her friends could change their father’s mind and pick out her own husband, it would be Ivy. Ivy had never been the one to play by the rules. She was the one who liked to challenge the way that things were, so maybe this would be her first real battle. The man’s world that they all existed in could not be changed by one woman, but Ivy would try.

  “Are you going to speak with him now? Do you need me to come with you?” The idea terrified Mary, but she would do it for her friend if Ivy asked that of her. “I can support your argument.”

  Ivy could practically see Mary shaking as she said those words, so she touched her arm and smiled reassuringly at her. “Thank you very much, but I will be fine. I really do appreciate the offer; it is very kind of you. You have already done so much for me by giving me the information that I need to stop this before it starts.”

  The girls waited out in the hallway for a few more moments as Ivy steeled herself, ready for the potential argument that might be about to happen. Once she presented all of her arguments calmly to her father, Ivy did not think that there was much that he could say, but she did not know how much he liked Royce. If he thought that this Duke was the right man for her, then she might find him harder to persuade. She was going to have to use everything that she had to make her father see that this marriage simply could not happen. If her father wanted the best for her, then he would understand and probably agree with her as well. He had to.

  “Right,” she finally said. “Let us go back inside. I need to get to Father before anyone else does.”

  The hall looked the same as Ivy peered back around the door, it was almost as if everyone else at the party did not realize the life-changing decision that she had just made. There were people dancing, drinking, eating, all without a care in the world. The only person that Ivy could not see was Duke Royce Merrick.

  Soon, Ivy’s eyes found her father and she knew that it was time. She gave Mary one last grateful look before she moved through the crowds of people with only one goal in mind.

  “Father.” Ivy gently grabbed her father’s attention from her brother who he was currently talking with. “May I have a word with you? A private word alone?”

  Lord Winters gave Ewan a look, suggesting that he was to be the host for the time being. He might have only been eighteen years of age, but Ewan was known for his maturity, which was why so many people wanted to work with him. He was a great boy who would end up a wonderful man.

  Ivy and her father left the hall, and walked towards his home office where he held his most private meetings. Some of the most important moments of Lord Winters’ career had happened in this room.

  “Is everything alright?” he asked his daughter as soon as they were inside. “You look like you have a lot on your mind. Is there anything that I can help you with?”

  “Yes, there is.” Ivy could not sit down; she found her feet pacing up and down the room. “I do not like Duke Royce Merrick. I know that you like him for me, but he is not a nice person.”

  “But you did not speak to him for very long.” Lord Winters felt confused. “You left him after a few moments.”

  “Yes, because of his arrogance.” Ivy nodded ferv
ently. “He did not speak to me well at all.”

  Lord Winters knew that he would have to handle this delicately. His daughter and her strong opinions had caused him many issues over time. “I understand that, but first impressions are not always right…”

  “It is not just that. There is more.” Ivy moved closer to her father, wanting him to see just how serious she was. “I have heard that he also has a gambling problem and that he needs a big dowry.”

  Lord Winters did not think this was correct. He had researched Duke Merrick a lot before inviting him to the party to ensure that he was a suitable match for his daughter, and he had heard nothing of the sort.

  “Who has said this?” he demanded. “I do not think it is the case. Duke Merrick has a very successful business.”

  “But how much do you know about the shipping trade?” Ivy demanded. “Are there not ways that he could disguise his gambling? Maybe getting married is the next step in covering his tracks.”

  Lord Winters did not know what to say to that. He did not ever like to associate with less than savoury business types, but he knew they existed. Men who had gotten themselves into financial trouble, often through the use of gambling, became desperate enough to do anything to cover their debts. To him, Duke Merrick did not seem the type of man to do that, but he could not be certain. He could not guarantee that was not the case.

  “Father, I do not want to spend any more time with him,” Ivy insisted, pressing the point further. “I do not like him, I do not want even to consider getting married to him. I will never be able to trust him.”

  This was what Lord Winters feared, the last thing he wanted to do was make his daughter unhappy, and by looking into her eyes, he could see he would be doing just that. Maybe she was a little stubborn and opinionated, but if she had made up her mind, then he did not want to do anything to change it.

  “I will speak to him,” he eventually told her decidedly. “Duke Merrick has expressed an interest in spending more time with you, so I will be sure to let him know that is not going to happen.”

  Lord Winters paused, waiting for the moment that Ivy might back down and give him just one more try, but it was instantly clear from the flash behind her eyes that she was sticking to her demand with this one. He rose from his seat, thinking that his wife would have been proud to see their daughter being so decisive. They were alike in a lot of ways, Ivy’s mother was also a very determined woman, one who could have changed the world if she had lived longer. He had to let his daughter make her own decisions.

  “Please go back to the party and speak to other people, I know Duke Merrick is not the only person who wishes to make your acquaintance. I will speak with him now and clear things up.”

  Ivy nodded and agreed with him, but she did not head into the hall right away. She first needed a moment alone to get her thoughts together. Plus, she did not want to witness her father talking to Duke Merrick, that was something she simply wanted to happen without her there. She wanted to forget she had ever met him at all. Ivy was simply grateful that she did not have to see him again. Thank goodness she had worked up the courage to speak to her father to sort this out before it got more complex.

  As for speaking to other men, well that was unlikely to happen anyway, but Ivy had already asked too much of her father today, she could not do more. For the rest of the night, she would have to play the doting daughter, whatever that took.

  Chapter 3

  Ivy did not leave her bedroom again until she heard a lot of commotion coming from the downstairs area, and that was only because curiosity had gotten the better of her. If there was some drama going on inside her house, she needed to know what it was. Especially if it would end up being the sort of thing that everyone talked about for days and weeks afterward. She did not want to miss out, so Ivy left the safety of her bedroom in a hunt for whatever it was. She would curse herself forever if she missed it out of fear.

  Walking down the stairs, Ivy immediately noticed that not one set of eyes were upon her. She was certainly not the center of attention any longer, but somehow that was not the good feeling that she expected it to be. It created a small ball of panic in her chest as she tried to figure out what captivated everyone instead.

  “What is happening?” Ivy asked the first person that she got near, but they were too distracted to answer. “What is going on here?” She suddenly noticed that all eyes were focused on something in particular, but she did not have the height to see over the heads of her father’s guests. “What is everyone looking at?”

  Ivy parted the crowd, people moved as they let her in to see what had caused all of this, and as soon as she got her answer, she understood why. No one knew how to find the words to explain; they simply let her see because that was easier for them. How could anyone explain the scene that lay in front of her without crumbling?

  “Oh, my goodness.” Ivy’s hands clapped loudly to her mouth in shock as she drank it in. “Father!”

  Her father, the man she loved more than anyone else, lay unconscious on the floor in the middle of his own ballroom, as two men dragged him up onto a board. His eyes had rolled into the back of his head, his skin had taken on a very pale color, he looked like he had no life in him. The sight was unlike anything that Ivy had seen before and it made her feel ill. How could this be? Her father never got sick; he saw illness as a weakness, and he was never weak.

  “Is he… is he dead?” she stammered out desperately to anyone who would listen. “What happened? How can this be?”

  It was not so long ago that she was speaking with her father, having a very normal conversation with him in his office, and there was no sign whatsoever that he was about to be sick then. He appeared to be absolutely fine, the picture of health just as he always was. Ivy did not know how long she had been upstairs, hiding away and avoiding the party, but it definitely wasn’t long. Not long enough for her whole world to change.

  “Excuse me, Ma’am,” one of the doctors, who have already been fetched, said to her, trying to get her to move out of the way. In her panic, she had blocked them in. “We must get this man to a hospital immediately. He needs urgent medical attention. We shall have to go to the nearest hospital.”

  Urgent medical attention, surely those words had to be positive. The man would have worded things very differently if he were no longer living, and they would not be taking him to a hospital. But none of this felt very positive to Ivy. In fact, she felt the world was spinning and churning beneath her. Her feet were not on the floor; they were floating. Ivy’s head spun as she thought about how terrible this was. Her father was the only parent that Ivy had left. She did not know what she would do without him; she could not lose him now. She still felt much too young to tackle the world on her own. It was the very reason she did not want a husband yet. She was quite content to remain living at home with her family where she felt happy and safe.

  She was in such a state of shock, as was everyone else in the party, that no one contradicted where Lord Winters was being taken. Usually, the wealthy would be treated at home, but in his case, it appeared to be too severe for that. The nearest hospital was not a desirable place either, it was not the worst in the city, but not a place that anyone particularly wanted to find themselves, but if he needed attention urgently, then what could anyone do?

  “Where is Ewan?” Ivy asked desperately. Her eyes flicked over the crowd, but her vision had blurred with shock, and she could barely see anything. “Where is my brother? We must sort this out together?”

  No one gave her an answer; it was almost as if she found herself in a room of people who suddenly became mute. Why did no one want to tell her anything? What has she missed? Ivy racked her brain, but all she could think about was telling her father that she did not want to marry Duke Merrick. Had that caused him so much stress that it had sent him to the medical room? If only Ivy could find her brother, she could get some answers.

  She pressed her back against the wall and watched helplessly as the men t
ook her father from the room, effectively ending the party for her. She had wanted something to happen to put an end to all of this, but nothing to affect her family members. She had already lost her mother, was that not enough? She could not go through that pain again, and this time would be so much worse, because she remembered her father, they had a bond.

  Ivy’s fingers clawed at the wall behind her while her heart thumped loudly and painfully in her chest. Suddenly, the corset she was wearing felt tight and restrictive. It prevented her from getting enough air into her lungs. Ivy felt light-headed and nauseous. She wanted every single person to go so she could sort this out, somehow. Not that she had a plan to do anything to make this okay, she simply did not want to be surrounded any longer.

  “Are you alright?” Mary’s very welcome voice burst into Ivy’s brain. “This is a nightmare.”

  Ivy turned, and gave her friend a desperate look, tugging at every single one of Mary’s heartstrings. “I do not understand what has happened,” she pleaded with Mary. “I was not in the room.”

  Mary took a step back as she realized what she was going to tell her friend. It was something that would break Ivy’s heart, which in turn made her feel terrible. But the poor Lady needed to know.

  “Ewan has been arrested, did you not see that?” Ivy did not answer, but the way that all of the colour drained from her cheeks gave Ivy all the information that she needed to know. She knew nothing. Mary was going to have to spill it all. “The police officer believed that your brother poisoned your father.”

  “Poisoning?” That word barely registered in Ivy’s brain. “What do you mean?”

  “I did not hear it all,” Mary replied helplessly. “Only that they think your father has been poisoned, and for some reason, they think the person who would do that to him is you brother.”