Page 36 of The Secret Life of the Elusive Governess
Caroline looked at the chessboard loaded with the ivory and onyx pieces and saw the carved figures split into doubles and swim before her. She closed her tired eyes in an effort to get rid of the double vision.
I’ll just rest my eyes for a moment.
Chapter 15
“Miss Robins?” Moses spoke while pouring out a single measure of wine. With his back towards her, he pitched his voice loud enough to go over his shoulder. There was no reply.
Frowning, the Duke filled the other glass and closed the decanter. Grasping both glasses, he turned to see Caroline canted to the side of her chair, fast asleep.
The moonlight coming from the window traced over her face with ethereal fingers and highlighted her pale skin. Slowly, Moses set her glass on the table just aside from the chessboard and sipped his. It was unbelievable how sleep rendered the most mature adults back into a childhood state. This close, Caroline looked like a little child, so young and innocent.
Pressing the rim to his lips, Moses surveyed her.She is going to make some man exceedingly happy.
Caroline was beautiful and brilliant, what was there not to love? Swirling the potent liquid Moses pondered, what if he could peer into the future and see who the mate of this wonderful woman was? A brief flash of him as her husband ran through his mind, but after the following thrill, shame forced his delight out of place.
He could never be hers. There was a lady upstairs with his name attached to hers…but, what of it? No matter how many times he reminded himself that he was married, the stark realization that his marriage was a sham never failed to occur.
Taking the last drink, Moses settled his glass on the table between them and stood. Crossing over to her, he softly shook Caroline’s shoulder. “Miss Robins, please wake up.”
Three minutes later and with no response, Moses huffed under his breath. Tugging his tight cravat off and dropping it on the table, the Duke gently slipped his hands under her back, under her knees, and then lifted her up to his chest. Her weight did not make a mark on him as she was light as a feather.
Her head nuzzled into the crook of his neck and Moses felt a thrill run through him. She was unconscious but her touch, the soft slither of her breath sliding over his bare neck, sent riveting sensations through him.
Praying for strength and composure, Moses carried her down the corridors and crossed the partitions to the servants’ quarters. Entering the hallway, the Duke stalled mid-step, where was her room?
I should have thought this through.Moses groaned.
“Your Grace?” Mrs. Willow’s bewildered voice came from down the hallway, “Do you need some help?”
Moses was glad that the person who had found him was someone who would not conjure up some torrid fallacy in their mind. “Mrs. Willow, if you would show me where Miss Robin’s room is, I would be grateful.”
“Of course, Your Grace.” In the narrow corridor, the cook squeezed around him and his precious cargo and headed down the hall, “Please, follow me.”
With careful steps, Moses followed the older woman to a room and when the door was opened, stepped inside and gently laid Caroline on the bed. By doing so, her head slipped from his neck and for a moment he mourned the loss of her warmth as it was canted to the side on her pillow. A tender feeling, a mix of protectiveness, care and compassion, wonder, and awe wrapped around his chest so tightly he felt breathless.
“…She is a singularity, isn’t she?” Mrs. Willow’s voice cut through his thoughts.
“That she is,” Moses cleared his throat while removing himself from her side, “Mrs. Willow, will you please make her comfortable?”
“Of course, Your Grace,” the older woman nodded, “I just wish Her Grace wouldn’t work her so hard.”
Her words seemed to slap him in his face, “I’m sorry, what about Her Grace?”
Frowning, Mrs. Willow spoke as hushed as she could, “Her Grace dismissed Miss Orville and has been using Miss Robins for the past week. How she managed to tend to her and teach the children I cannot even imagine.”
Anger laced through Moses' chest.So, that is why I saw the apron.
“I see. See to her comfort, Mrs. Willow, thank you, and good night.”
Striding through the corridors, Moses felt like something had erupted within him. Lavinia had gone against his orders and taken advantage of his absence to abuse Caroline even more.
What am I going to do with her? When is she ever going to learn?
He bypassed her sitting room and went directly to their shared bedroom and there, just inside the doorway, stopped in mid-step. Lavinia was already in bed and asleep.
His teeth ground as he wanted to wake her to answer for her actions but loathed doing so. With a stiff jaw, he turned around and went away with his anger burning in his chest. He had to deal with her another day.
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