Page 21 of The Secret Life of the Elusive Governess
The Duke reached up and though Caroline knew his reach was for her shoulder, his hand met her face. But she was more concerned with not wanting any more problems in his life, than with proper behavior.
His palm closed over her cheek just as he spoke. “If I do not tell her, she will believe she can get away with much more. This must be cut to the quick. I swore an oath to protect all who are under my roof, Miss Robins.” The Duke murmured to himself. “And you are under my roof, so please do not worry.”
He softly pushed her away from the door and opened it, “Good evening, Miss Robins.”
“Good evening, Your Grace,” she could only offer weakly.
I am doomed,Caroline despaired as she watched him leave,I am doomed here.
Chapter 9
Moses strode away from Miss Robins without looking back. The remnant of his touch to Miss Robins’ face was sending sensations up his arm, feelings that then transformed into an influx of emotions in his mind. He felt a heady mix of anger, irritation, and unbelief at Lavinia’s gall and the pain and distress coming from Miss Robins were spurring him on to go set this matter straight.
His mind flashed back to the plea the governess had just pressed on him and with her hurried words he had felt her fear. He knew she was dreading any more interactions with his wife or worse, any confrontations. As a Duchess, Lavinia had much power but if he vetoed it, she would be rendered incapable and he was going to make sure she had no power when it came to Miss Robins.
“Please.” She had begged, with a lock of her hair escaping her tie and brushing her cheek. “For the sake of peace, please do not tell her.”
“I am a man of my word, Miss Robins,” Moses murmured, “If I say you will be secure here, I mean it.”
He felt protective—inordinately protective—of the young woman in the room he left behind. He had just come from the town, and upon arriving had gone to his study to get a drink, but on his way, had suddenly diverted and went to seek out Miss Robins. He had no logical explanation for it, but he had done it, and upon seeing her distress, had thanked God that he had followed his intuition.
Pushing the door to their master bedroom in, he scanned quickly and did not see his wife, so he went to her sitting room and found her there, sitting at her writing table and penning a letter.
“Lavinia.”
His firm voice gave her a start. Instantly, she dropped the quill, hurriedly spun on her seat, and placed her back to the desk, actively blocking him from seeing what she was writing.
“Moses!” she pressed her hand to her heaving chest, “You have startled me.”
Deciding to overlook her suspicious actions as he had more important matters to attend to, Moses made sure to meet her eyes squarely, “I do not recall any conversation about sending Nicholas to boarding school this fall. Can you enlighten me to such discourse?”
Her face paled before it flashed red and she stood, “She told you? How dare she go behind my back and run to you!”
“Actually, it was I who went to her, not the other way around. And even more, I was the one who hired Miss Robins.” Moses replied while not bothering to explain why he had gone to the schoolroom in the first place.Thank god for Hind’s idle mention.
“I am the higher authority here, and in no way, manner, or form will you dismiss her without my consent.”
“But Mo—”
“No buts, Lavinia,” Moses replied stiffly, “Nicholas is not ready for boarding school yet and until he is thirteen and fully schooled, he will remain here where he belongs. Do you understand me?”
“I understand,” the Duchess said sourly.
“And you will not abuse or harass the governess from this point on.” Moses pressed. “She has a job to do and nothing will benefit from her feeling like she is under constant scrutiny or duress.”
He was not sure why he was going to such lengths to protect Miss Robins, but he knew that even after this, he was going to take further measures. If there was one thing Moses knew, it was that Lavinia always found a way to get what she wanted. He also knew that she went to greater lengths to get what she wanted more so after being thwarted.
“She is doing her best, Lavinia, but she cannot do it all,” Moses pressed, “Nicholas has to do his part, too, by studying and putting himself in the position to learn. His success is based on both his effort and Miss Robins’. Do you hear me?”
“I am not a child, Moses, and you cannot scold me like one,” the Duchess defended with a stubborn tilt of her chin. “Do you think that I am blind or deaf, Moses? I have heard you laud this woman with much praise, even the morning when she quoted some nonsense at you. You are acting like she is their mother, butIam their mother. I spent hours in the pain of childbirth to bring them forth and this is how you reward me? Diminishing my power for the sake of a…agoverness! Are you going to put me away and marry her instead?”
“Do not irritate me, Lavinia,” Moses snapped, “And do not try to trap me. They needed a motherly figure after you had fallen ill for so many years. The nurses did their part and, now, Miss Robins is doing hers. They had to take up where you had left off. I am not blaming you for falling ill, but good God, Lavinia, there had to be someone to care for them.”
“Moses,” the Duchess’ voice had suddenly slipped to soft and pleading, “I understand. I truly do. I may have gone over the limit, but my only motivation was a worry for my son and my good intentions for him.”
“By instilling fear in Miss Robins?” Moses asked with incredulity. “Do you know what fear can do to a person? It hampers them, it takes away their concentration, and it makes them stressful.”
“It can also spur them on to do better,” the Duchess inserted.
