The Rags-to-Riches Governess--A Cinderella Regency Romance

by Janice Preston

  * * *

  He told George he was going away after dinner that evening, after the servants had withdrawn and while they lingered over their port and cigars.

  ‘I am pleased you are easier about leaving the children now,’ said George. ‘The boys have certainly taken to Miss Pike and her parrot—I never saw such looks of delight as on their faces when she descended from the post-chaise carrying its cage.’

  ‘I am not leaving them. They are coming with me.’

  George stared. ‘You’re a brave man, Dolph. Don’t you remember the horror of that journey back from Hewton with their ponies?’

  ‘Oh, I remember all right. That is why I hoped to prevail upon you to return to London too. I can keep you company in your carriage while the children, Miss Pike and Cassie occupy the other.’

  ‘Ah.’ George fell silent, staring at his glass while he twiddled it between his thumb and forefinger. ‘The thing is, old fellow... I am not quite ready to go yet.’

  Dolph waited, watching a succession of expressions flow across George’s face. Eventually he looked up.

  ‘You may take my carriage—it’ll be more comfortable than all cramming into yours or hiring a post-chaise. Winters can return here for me. There’s no rush...as long as you have no objection to my staying here?’

  ‘Not at all.’ Still Dolph waited, until the words burst from George in a torrent.

  ‘You see...the thing is... I didn’t expect... I never expected...’ He snatched up his glass and gulped the remaining port in one swallow. ‘I don’t want to leave her, Dolph. I cannot leave her.’

  ‘So...what do you intend to do about it, my friend?’

  ‘I shall ask her to marry me.’ George poured another measure into his glass and shook his head in disbelief. ‘It very much looks as though we are both on the brink of entering the parson’s mousetrap, Dolph.’

  ‘In my case, there will be bridges to mend first. I can only hope I shall succeed.’ He raised his glass. ‘To you and Philippa, George. I hope you will be very happy together.’

  ‘Thank you, my friend.’ George’s glass chinked against Dolph’s. ‘And, in my turn, a toast to wish you luck on your mission to repair those bridges in London.’

  * * *

  Two weeks to the day after Leah’s arrival in London, Mrs Butterby suggested they take advantage of a dry afternoon by taking a drive in the Park in Lady Tregowan’s barouche.

  Barely had they arrived in Hyde Park when Aurelia said, ‘May Leah and I walk for a spell, Mrs Butterby? The crowds are sparse enough that you won’t lose sight of us.’ Only then did she look at Leah and add, ‘If you should like to walk with me, that is, Leah?’

  ‘I shall be happy to.’

  ‘Of course you may.’ Mrs Butterby peered all around and then tutted. ‘’Tis most vexing. Lord Sampford assured me he would ride in the Park this afternoon. Veryan too.’ She sighed. ‘Oh, well. ’Tis early yet... I dare say they will be here later.’

  Leah smiled at their chaperone’s disgruntled tone even as she wondered how long it would be before one of their approved admirers, such as Sampford or Veryan, joined them. Not long, she suspected—their possession of a tidy fortune each had guaranteed the persistent attention of several gentlemen of the ton. Mrs Butterby was kept on her toes warning the undesirables away, but both Sampford and Veryan had earned her approval as being suitable marriage prospects even though neither Leah nor Aurelia could stand either gentleman, whose conversation appeared to consist entirely of tittle-tattle.

  Without warning, Dolph’s image materialised in her mind’s eye. His conversation had never been dull or trite. She sucked in a deep breath, willing her emotions down, determined to reveal no sign of distress as she swallowed past the aching lump in her throat. When would it get easier, this sense of loss? She missed him. She missed the children. She missed her home. This—she cast a sweeping glance around the Park as she and Aurelia strolled, taking in the members of Polite Society who had already returned to Town and who, like them, were promenading in order to see and be seen—this was not what she wanted.

  ‘Leah...’ Aurelia halted and faced Leah, a tiny crease stitched between her fair brows. ‘I wanted to talk to you alone... Oh! Not about your precious Dolph,’ she added quickly. ‘I promised, did I not? No. It is Beatrice. We can delay no longer... We must go down to Somerset to rescue her. I have an uneasy feeling, right here—’ she pressed her hand to her midriff ‘—and it will not go away.’

  ‘Rescue her? Do you imagine her brother has her locked away?’

  ‘I would put nothing past him,’ Aurelia said darkly. ‘She was scared of him. I know she was.’

  ‘Yes. I know it too. I am sorry. I have been preoccupied—it’s almost a week since we agreed to talk to Prudence, isn’t it? I quite forgot, I’m afraid.’ Guilt curled through her. ‘I have been selfish.’

  Aurelia tucked her arm through Leah’s, and they began to stroll once more. ‘As you said, you have been preoccupied. We still have time.’

  ‘Then we shall talk to Prudence today.’ Leah’s heart sank at the sight of two gentlemen on horseback. ‘Uh-oh. Here are Veryan and Sampford. Prepare yourself for another sparkling display of wit and intelligence.’

  Aurelia giggled. ‘You wicked woman! You know you ought to be grateful for their condescension in even noticing us.’

  ‘Oh, I assure you, I am fully aware of the honour they do us,’ Leah murmured.

  They curtsied as Their Lordships halted their horses and bowed.

  ‘Good afternoon, Miss Croome; Miss Thame. What a splendid afternoon for a stroll.’

  Leah smiled dutifully. ‘Splendid indeed, my lord.’

  ‘You have escaped the clutches of the good Mrs Butterby today, I see.’

  Veryan’s patronising tone set Leah’s teeth on edge.

  ‘Not entirely,’ Aurelia responded. ‘She is being driven in the barouche. Miss Thame and I wished to enjoy a quiet stroll together.’ She tilted her chin. ‘So, if you will excuse us, we shall be on our way.’

  ‘Now, now, Miss Croome. I know you do not mean it, for I am familiar with your teasing ways. Indeed, I have a fancy to take a stroll myself,’ said Sampford. ‘What say you, Veryan? Shall we take a turn about the Park with the ladies?’

  Aurelia cast a speaking look at Leah as Their Lordships dismounted and handed their reins to the groom riding in their wake. Leah knew her sister was quite capable of sending this pair of peacocks packing, if Leah did but give her the nod. But even though she resented the interruption to their conversation, she was aware the Season had a long way to go yet, and there was little point in insulting prominent members of the ton just for the sake of it.

  Their Lordships proffered an arm to each of the sisters. Leah sent a resigned smile to Aurelia before laying her hand upon Veryan’s forearm. This might spell the end of their conversation about Beatrice, but she would not allow herself to become distracted from the subject again. How awful if they did nothing and Beatrice was in trouble.

  As the four of them strolled, Leah directed her gaze straight ahead.

  ‘Oh!’ The exclamation escaped her before she could stop it.

  ‘Are you well, Miss Thame?’ Veryan laid his hand over hers and squeezed it solicitously. ‘Shall I summon your chaperone?’

  ‘No. Indeed, I am well, my lord.’ Leah could not tear her attention from the figure approaching them. His head was tilted down, and the brim of his hat was low so she could not fully distinguish his features, but the set of those shoulders...the power of those breeches-clad thighs striding along... She swallowed, her pulse fluttering. Could it be?

  Veryan followed her gaze. ‘Well,’ he tittered, looking past Leah to Lord Sampford, ‘Dolphinstone’s vow to shun Society did not last long, did it? I wonder what could possibly have prompted him to come up to Town so soon after losing his governess?’

  Leah
cringed inside. She knew what he implied—she’d made no secret she’d worked as a governess, most recently for Dolph, and she’d heard the snide comments as to why he had let an heiress such as her slip through his fingers. But she would not gratify Veryan by rising to his sly dig.

  Not so Aurelia. ‘What is it you imply, sir?’ Her eyes snapped fire.

  Veryan smiled mockingly. ‘Nothing that need concern you, my dear.’

  ‘Then you should not have mentioned it,’ said Aurelia. ‘It was impolite.’

  Leah caught Veryan’s barely disguised smirk, and anger at his superiority roiled her insides. No wonder Aurelia resented these arrogant aristocrats. And then her fury was further fuelled by anger at Dolph for breaking his word by leaving the children again.

  Dolph nodded at Sampford and Veryan but clearly had no intention of stopping. Then his gaze met Leah’s, and shock flashed across his expression before he successfully blanked it. He halted, raised his hat and bowed, his jaw muscles bunched, brows low over frowning eyes.

  ‘Well met, Miss Thame.’

  Leah curtsied, determinedly blanking her own expression. ‘My lord.’

  ‘You are in good health?’

  ‘I am. Thank you.’ She longed to demand why he had left the children, but refrained, knowing any hint of discord between them would only encourage further gossip. ‘Will you allow me to introduce Miss Aurelia Croome?’

  ‘Indeed. I am pleased to meet you, Miss Croome.’ Dolph’s smile did not reach his eyes.

  Aurelia curtsied, her smile equally cool. ‘I am fascinated to meet you, my lord, after hearing so much about Miss Thame’s life at Dolphin Court.’

  Dolph’s eyes narrowed and he shot a questioning glance at Leah. Who lifted her chin. Dolph’s jaw firmed again.

  ‘If you will excuse me, I have a meeting I must attend.’ He studied Leah, and she felt her colour rise. ‘I shall call on you if I may?’

  Leah dropped a curtsy. ‘Of course, my lord.’

  She did not turn to watch as he walked away although every fibre of her being screamed at her to do so...to run after him...to know why he was here. Instead, she battened down her emotions and set herself to the interminable exchange of small talk that passed for entertainment in Polite Society.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  ‘Are you all right?’ Aurelia whispered to Leah twenty minutes later, after Sampford and Veryan delivered them back to Mrs Butterby. They were already seated side by side on the backward-facing seat, opposite their chaperone, who was distracted as she ascertained Their Lordships’ attendance at Lady Todmorden’s rout that evening. ‘You have been so quiet, and you look even paler than usual.’

  Leah merely nodded. The effort of concealing her shock from their escorts had left her with a mouth too dry and brain far too jumbled to trust herself to say anything. Aurelia squeezed her hand and Leah desperately tried to calm her breathing as she pushed aside her conjectures—and, to her dismay, her hopes—as to why Dolph was here, in London.

  ‘Thank goodness that ordeal is over,’ Aurelia declared as the barouche pulled away. ‘Do you think they have any notion how exceedingly tedious their conversation is?’

  ‘Aurelia! Please!’ Mrs Butterby indicated Hall, who was driving the barouche. ‘You do not wish for such opinions to become common knowledge.’

  ‘Do I not?’ Aurelia rolled her eyes at Leah, who forced a smile, grateful to her sister for diverting Mrs Butterby’s attention away from her.

  ‘You really are hopelessly outspoken—it will win you no friends in Society. Please, Leah, will you tell her?’

  Leah hated their chaperone’s tendency to try to get Leah to side with her against Aurelia. She shook her head. ‘It is not my place to tell Aurelia how to behave.’

  Aurelia squeezed her hand again, and Mrs Butterby spent the rest of the journey delivering a homily to Aurelia on ladylike behaviour. When they arrived home Leah and Aurelia headed straight for the drawing room, and Mrs Butterby said she would join them shortly.

  ‘Really!’ Aurelia flung herself onto the sofa. ‘She is infuriating. Have you noticed how she constantly tries to set you against me? I can only view her strategy as one of divide and conquer—she no doubt believes we will be easier to manage as individuals than as friends who support one another.’ She directed her bright blue gaze at Leah. ‘We are friends, are we not, Leah? I know I am sometimes a touch...shall we say, confrontational—’ a smile flashed across her face ‘—but I would do anything for you. You do know that?’

  Touched, Leah sat next to Aurelia and hugged her. ‘Yes, I do know it, and yes, we are friends.’

  ‘And, as your friend... I know I said I would not pry, but... Leah... Lord Dolphinstone.’

  Leah’s heart somersaulted in her chest, and her pulse picked up again. Just at the mention of his name.

  ‘You did not tell me he was so handsome.’

  When Leah did not reply, Aurelia sighed. ‘Well, it is hard to contain my curiosity, but I did say I would not pry, and friends should stick to their word. And sisters, even more so.’

  Leah’s arm was still around Aurelia, and she hugged her again. ‘I am so happy we are sisters,’ she said. Then she frowned. ‘And I would be far happier to admit that outright. Which brings us back to what we should do about Beatrice.’

  ‘Yes, I shall accept your change of subject,’ Aurelia said, nudging Leah gently. ‘So, speaking of Beatrice...’ She chewed her lip. ‘How would we feel if we did nothing, and she simply did not turn up?’

  Leah shoved all thought of Dolph from her mind. Beatrice was important too.

  ‘We would regret it. Deeply.’

  Mrs Butterby entered the room as Leah spoke. ‘Regret what, pray?’

  ‘We are worried about Beatrice,’ Leah said. ‘We would like to go to her brother’s house and bring her back to London before Easter.’

  Mrs Butterby sat in a chair and fussed about, smoothing her skirts. ‘She has over three weeks yet.’

  ‘But what if she misses the deadline?’ said Aurelia. ‘You did not see her when she spoke about her brother. She is scared of him. He is a brute.’

  ‘She told you so, did she, Aurelia?’

  ‘She didn’t have to tell me. I can feel it here!’

  Aurelia clapped a hand to her chest, covering her heart, and Leah puzzled again at the contradictions in this sister of hers. Defensive about her own past, and about her future too, scathing of many people she met, but fiercely protective of Beatrice, whom she barely knew, and of Leah too.

  ‘It does you credit you are concerned about Beatrice, and I promise we will not allow her to miss her chance. If we have heard nothing by early next week, then we shall all three go down to Somerset and fetch her. Although...’ she looked from Leah to Aurelia and back again ‘...you do realise that if Beatrice fails to arrive in time, you two will benefit from it?’

  Leah gasped, horrified it would even occur to Mrs Butterby that she might think such a thing. Before she could speak, however, Aurelia leapt in.

  ‘As if that would make any difference! She is our flesh and blood, and that is worth more than any amount of money. Is that not right, Leah?’

  ‘It is.’

  Aurelia had again surprised Leah, but had also delighted her because, when Leah looked inside her own heart, she knew exactly how fortunate she was—finding Aurelia and Beatrice meant more to her than any amount of wealth.

  * * *

  Dolph’s head spun as he strode away from Leah and her companions.

  Sampford and Veryan! What the devil is she doing with that pair of scoundrels? And what is she doing promenading in the Park anyway? Dressed in the height of fashion, too...

  His thoughts stuttered to a halt. George had told him she’d inherited a house and some money. He’d assumed it had been a modest amount—sufficient to enable her not to work for her living.

/>   With a silent oath, he turned for home. He’d arrived an hour ago, tired and stiff after close to five days of travel, making slow progress for the children’s sake, although they had travelled better than Dolph expected, especially once they reached the well-maintained road to London. As soon as they had arrived at his town house, Dolph had taken advantage of the dry weather to walk in the Park in order to blow the cobwebs away.

  Never had he imagined Leah would be one of the first people he saw. His plan had been to call upon her the next day, after a refreshing night’s sleep, and to tell her the truth about Rebecca’s death, and to confess his own culpability, and to throw himself upon her mercy and beg her to take a chance on him and to be his wife.

  Now he realised he’d never even thought to ask Travers for Leah’s address, and he also realised, with a wash of shame, that he’d never really believed she would refuse him again, even after he confessed the truth about Rebecca’s suicide. He had assumed—and there was that word again—she would forgive him because what he could offer her was superior to what she already had.

  For the first time, doubts assailed him. She was clearly in better circumstances than he’d imagined. What if she was enjoying her life here in London? What if she said no?

  As soon as he arrived home, he walked straight through into the mews and asked for Travers. When his coachman emerged from the stables Dolph drew him aside.

  ‘It occurs to me I should pay my respects to Miss Thame while I am in Town, and I shall therefore need her address.’

  He gritted his teeth at the amused gleam in Travers’s eyes.

  ‘South Street, milord. Tregowan House.’

  Tregowan House? What the devil...?

  Dolph fought to hide his bewilderment.

  ‘Thank you, Travers. I shan’t need the carriage in that case.’ South Street was only around the corner from his own house in South Audley Street.