Page 6 of The Secret Life of the Elusive Governess
“I apologize, Miss Robins,” Moses offered peacefully. He looked around and noticed the soft sway of the trees to the dying summer wind. He looked back at his newest companion who, though standing quietly, was clearly nervous. “Now that you have regained your balance, would you care to walk with me, Miss Robins?”
By the slight widening of her eyes, he could see her astonishment but stood still waiting for her reply.
“I am honored, Your Grace,” she spoke gently and grasped her skirts.
His eyes darted down to catch the motion and admired her slender and graceful fingers as they grasped the dark cloth.
His gaze went back to hers as he spoke, “I assume you know that we have the issue of sending Nicholas off to school looming before us. How academically ready is he, Miss Robins?”
Looking at her, he noticed her defined profile, and his mind hearkened back to the thought he had had when seeing her first.
She truly is a beauty.
Miss Robin’s delicate oval face, high cheekbones, and smooth column of neck gave her a profile that he thought should be immortalized.
“His speaking of French is on par for his age, and his reading and writing of the language are very well. He is doing well in Greek and Latin, but his arithmetic does need some work and he has shown an interest in history and learning German.”
“Hm,” Moses considered, as they rounded a large rose bush. “And how are his manners?”
She hesitated before replying, “May I speak freely, Your Grace?”
Moses stopped mid-step, “Of course, you may. You’re free to speak, Miss Robins. There is no castigation here.”
“He is too grave for my peace of mind, Your Grace,” Miss Robins replied with a concerned look lining her face. “He is far too pensive and I…” here she looked quickly at him to ascertain his emotion, “…am led to believe that Her Grace’s condition is affecting him. Please forgive me if I was too bold.”
Moses heard the quick fearful addition to her words but felt compelled to soothe her anxiety. “To be honest, Miss Robins, his morose disposition has been a concern of mine, also. However, I do not believe my wife’s affliction is his infirmity. He is a young boy. Miss Robins, I am assured his behavior is because he has no peers to correlate to. The school, with boys his age, will probably change his disposition.”
Her sigh of relief was audible, “I sincerely hope so, Your Grace. Thank you for alleviating my fears.”
The air between them changed and Moses was not sure what to attribute it to. Perhaps the pale sky had suddenly changed to a quick mélange of dark reds and indigo by the riveting sunset, or perhaps the wind had picked up and caused Miss Robins to twist her head away and by doing so, cause her lashes to flutter.
She was so close he could smell the genteel perfume wafting from her skin and soft sparks of magnetism drew him. There was no contest that she was beautiful and despite her station, he admired her…and felt drawn to her smile.
But did admiration transform into…attraction?
* * *
There was no physical way to smother the small sparks that were running over her skin. There was no touching between her and the Duke, but Caroline felt something intimate was happening. It was more meaningful—more of a meeting of the mind rather than one of the skin.
She felt his dark green eyes trace over her, and the soft sparks that they sent over her skin were frightening but also magnetizing. The Duke cleared his throat and the spell was broken.
“Miss Robins…”
Caroline tensed hard as her mind had tripped into flurries.
“…if you can be as candid with me as possible, as often as possible, I would appreciate it. Your honesty is like a breath of fresh air to me.”
Caroline nearly swallowed her tongue at the almost inconceivable request that the Duke had lobbed to her like a ball. “I’m sorry, Your Grace, you want me to be…candid—truthful—with you?”
“Yes,” The Duke’s tone was dry.
She still didn’t believe it, “Completelyhonest?”
“Yes, Miss Robins.”
She blinked, “Even to the point where the truth might be…brutal?”
“Brutality is needed sometimes,” the Duke added, with a smile that Caroline had never seen before. It was a combination of amused, knowing, and teasing. “Miss Robins, there are many things and many people that I deal with every day, but there is one rarity. I cannot calculate the number of people that have the bravery to be candid with me. However, you, Miss Robins, must be in that fraction.”
