Page 60 of The Secret Life of the Elusive Governess
“This really is betrayal in the worst sense. Should we…” Caroline hesitated, “Stay away from each other?”
The Duke’s face was humorless, “Can we?”
* * *
The Silver Swan, London
“So, we are agreed,” Albion said, as he poured the last of the wine out. “She will be made to suffer, for both your cause and mine.”
Lord Crampton lifted his glass, “Without remedy. I will launch the next attack on her. I cannot use your man as she has already seen him.”
Albion chuckled and drank his portion, “I believe you will find the right candidate, you’re a smart man, with a mind like mine.”
“Agreed.” The Earl of Crampton grinned. “By my power, she will be removed.”
Chapter 23
Awary glance shifted from side to side in an apprehensive manner before a slender body slipped down the narrow corridor of the servant’s wing that led to the bedrooms.
I must find something to discredit her. She is too comfortable around our Duke.
Fingers wrapped around the doorknob of the governess’ room and silently pushed it open. The inside was dark as the windows were shuttered but even with the dim light, the interior was clean and orderly.
The stranger sneered.And she had to be so perfect, too.
Without preamble, a hand lifted the slender mattress and looked under it—there was nothing. The armoire and wash closet were searched next and as before nothing incriminating was discovered. The desk was the last resort and after rifling through the books on the table and the random papers there, the first drawer was tugged open and searched. Still nothing.
Despair was starting to set in when the lower drawer was tugged out and eyebrows lifted. Laying there was a sketchbook, that from its make looked expensive.
The book was lightly taken out, unbound and opened, and the subject matter on the first page sent a surge of elation through the searcher. As the pages were flipped and the same subject was depicted in many other forms, the hunter felt giddy.
This was it—this was what was needed to get this troublesome woman out of the manor and out of their lives. Clutching the treasure trove closely, the searcher closed the drawer, looked around to make sure nothing looked disturbed and left the room with a soft close of the door.
Goodbye, Miss Robins. Your time as the Duke’s favorite has run out.
* * *
Caroline knew it was somewhat foolhardy to leave the security of the mansion when there was someone out there that scared her, but she had to go back to the town. She needed a particular medicine from this apothecarysince the last two shops she had gone to were out.
“Are you sure?” she pressed, “I need it desperately.”Or my monthly will be terrible.
The old wizened man shook his head, “I am sorry, miss, but those shipments of laudanum from London have been few and far between. And when we do get it, the bottles are sold off in hours.”
She sagged, as her mind ran ahead of her, “Do you possibly know where I can get some before it gets dark?”
The man took off his pince-nez spectacles and rubbed them with a cloth before replacing them, “There is an old one, at the end of the town but a fair lady like you would not dare been seen in those parts, Miss. Ruffians and blackguards roam the streets looking for easy prey.”
Do I dare?
“Thank you, and good day to you, sir.” Caroline sighed and left the dusky little ground-floor shop.
Her vigilance was heightened as she looked all around and kept to the wide-open spaces and crowded walkways. The evening was drawing near and Caroline felt hard pressed to go back home before anything dangerous happened.
Once again, she reasoned if it was sensible to risk her safety for the bottle of laudanum and decided to go without it. Shooting a look to the direction the chemist had told her, Caroline decided to not go.
Looking around she realized that Mr. Collins had moved off and vaguely remembered him saying he was going to the butcher’s.
“I guess I’ll have to find that potion another day,” Caroline murmured to herself.
