Page 72 of The Secret Life of the Elusive Governess
“It is for the best, Caroline,” the Duke said as quietly as he could.
Her face looked tortured, “I know but it still pains me. I feel as if I am leaving a part of me behind.”
Moses knew that discretion should be used, especially as he was toeing the line of infidelity but he could not resist pulling her close and whispering into her ear. “It will be all right, I promise you.”
Leading her out and into the foyer, Caroline stopped in her tracks and spun and jerked her head over her shoulder. Curious, Moses followed only to see Miss Orville, Lavinia’s maid, sneering at Caroline. The moment she saw the Duke her face went pale. She curtseyed, turned, and hurried away.
“She hates me,” Caroline murmured, “Just like her mistress does.”
A sudden suspicion came over Moses but he did not have time to follow through on it and investigate. That had to be slated for when he came back.
Could she be the one?
“Miss Robins?” a voice said from the doorway. It was Oliver, the stable boy, and he was holding a box in his hand. “Sorry, Your Grace, I didn’t see you.”
Moses waved him off, “What is that you’re holding, Oliver?”
“Someone rode up to me as I was coming from my home and told me to give Miss Robins this,” the boy replied. “He said it’s from an old friend.”
Moses stepped from beside Caroline to take the box. “Do you remember what this man looked like, Oliver?”
The boy seemed to feel the gravity of the situation and nodded, “Yes, Your Grace, he was tall, thin, and had wiry brown hair and squinty, beady eyes.”
Caroline gasped and slapped a hand over her mouth just as Moses’ lips thinned. That was the description of the same man who had nearly assaulted Caroline.
“Thank you, Oliver,” Moses said curtly, “You have done well.”
The young man lingered in the foyer, clearly sensing something was wrong. “Your Grace, if I have—”
The hand the Duke held up silenced him mid-sentence and he stood there, shifting nervously on his feet. Moses ran his fingers over the ordinary wooden sewing box with a latch, almost with the barest hint of hesitation. He set the object on the nearest table and without more preamble, opened it only to slam it shut.
My God! This is pure evil at its worst.
His fist was trembling on the top of the box and his face had gone pale. Moses was severely tempered to yell out in rage and lob the box as far away as possible but knew he had to hold onto his composure for Caroline’s sake.
“Your Grace,” Caroline’s voice was timid. “What is inside?”
“Nothing that would benefit you, Miss Robins,” Moses grated. “It is only a heinous act from a deranged person.”
She edged up to his side and Moses, with a quick glance, could see a determination in her blue eyes that he had glimpsed once or twice. “If you would allow me, I would like to see what my old friend has given me.”
“Miss Robins, it will do you no good,” Moses stressed.
She gently removed his hand from the top of the box, “If it would please Your Grace, I think I can decide that for myself.”
Clenching his hand to his side, Moses stepped away slightly as Caroline lifted the box’s lid.
* * *
Fear was cramping her insides, but Caroline still lifted the box lid and stayed in place when she saw what was inside. Laying on a bed of the deepest red velvet was a young bird—it was dead and had it both wings broken so macabrely that the bones were jutting out of the sockets. The glassy black eyes of the dead animal were blank, empty, and lifeless. Caroline knew enough of symbolism and the message laying before her was clear; she was not going to escape her uncle for much longer.
Something was bubbling up inside Caroline. Instead of the fear that she should be feeling, angered determination to beat her villainous uncle at his game came upon her. She slowly closed the box, lifted it, and gave it to Oliver.
“Oliver, be a lamb and burn this box and its contents to ashes,” Caroline said calmly though anyone would be foolish if they did not hear the underlying order. “Thank you for carrying it to me. I know what to do now.”
The young man’s eyed darted between Caroline’s and the Duke before he nodded, “Yes, Miss Robins. I will. Good day, Your Grace.”
It was only when Oliver was gone Caroline let the stiff line of her shoulder out. “Please, let us leave.”
