Page 17 of The Dark Duke's Virgin

“What? No, of course not.”

“Then she is a guest in your house, and I suggest you treat her with respect.”

He clicked his tongue, and his jaw clenched. “All I ask is that where matters of my daughter are concerned, and that includes how I choose to raise her, that myguestsmind their own business.”

“She did nothing wrong,” Caroline interjected, taking a step back so that she was closer to Esther. “I found her outside, sitting in the carriage, and when we were coming back in, she simply tripped. My fault, in fact, for I got in the way.”

“Yes!” Isabella cried excitedly. “That is what happened.”

“See,” Esther said rightly, “no need at all for all this nonsense.”

The Duke groaned loudly and ran a hand through his hair. “You would not be lying to me, would you, Isabella?”

“No! Never! Father, that is as it happened, I swear it.”

“As do I.” Caroline pointed up her chin and held the Duke’s gaze, doing what she could to keep her chin from wobbling. “We had a lovely little chat, and then I convinced her to go back to her room.” A smirk. “I noticed how upset you were earlier that she left it, so I thought it for the best.”

“What a silly turn of events,” Esther said, clapping her hands together. “Frederick, I think you owe both Isabella and Caroline an apology.” She then folded her arms and looked sternly at her son.

“I…” His Grace looked caught between anger and confusion. “I most certainly will not apologize.”

“Typical,” Esther scoffed.

“Grandmother!”

“Father…” Isabella took her father’s hand, her voice soft now. “I was just thinking…” Her eyes lit up, and she grinned mischievously. “Seeing as you let the last governess go, would it not be a good idea if Caroline was to take over in?—”

“What?” He snatched his hand back. “Absolutely not.”

“What a wonderful idea!” Esther cried. “Caroline, what do you think?”

Caroline’s eyes went wide. Looking from Esther to Isabella—who looked pleadingly at her—she had no idea what to do or say or even think! “I do not know if that is such a good idea.”

“See,” the Duke seized on the chance, “she is not interested.”

“Why not!” Isabella stamped her foot.

“I am already the companion of?—”

“Oh, do not worry about me,” Esther said. “While we are here, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“It really is not something that I know how to do.”

“What don’t you know?” Esther asked. “You are a lady of the ton, are you not? You know how this world works as well as anyone. And is that not what you wish for, Frederick? To find a young lady to raise Isabella as such? From where I am standing, it is a match made in heaven.”

“Say yes, father.” Isabella put her hands together. “Please! You must say yes.”

“A governess is not a role for someone of Miss Dowding’s station,” Frederick tired. “She is the daughter of a viscount, and a governess is certainly beneath her.”

“Semantics,” Esther said, blowing through her lips. “It is not as if she will be treated as a member of the staff. This is more about Isabella and her education than anything.”

Caroline was caught in two worlds. On the one hand, she did not entirely mind the idea of being the young girl’s governess. At the very least, providing her company for the time that she was here because Isabella clearly needed it. And further to that point, she got on well with the young girl so much so that it might even be fun. Yet on the other…

She dared to look at the Duke, whose face was contorting into an expression she could not recognize. Caroline wanted to avoid His Grace while she was here, to become invisible because the two times they had spoken so far, she had become lost to a side of herself that she did not wish to explore any further. If she was to accept this role, it might put her in situations that she knew she really should not be put in.

Thank God, the Duke seemed to understand this as she sensed he did not wish for her to take on this role either.

“Isabella…” Caroline started carefully, “I would love nothing more than to be your governess?—”

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