Page 30 of The Precious Secret of a Loving Governess
Anyway, I wished to update you on this development in hopes that you might come to visit us soon and that you would know that your father truly is a good man. Weak and riddled with mistakes as we all are, he has shown himself repentant and I am overjoyed to return to the union we long ago committed to.
With Deep Love,
Your Mother
Victoria brought her thoughts back to the present, letting go of the memory of that morning when she had read the letter with utter astonishment.
“I am very happy for you,” Miss Franklin said, breaking the quiet in the room.
“Thank you. I am glad as well. It should be good to have my parents returned to one another like this,” Victoria smiled.
“Are you going to see them?” Miss Franklin asked.
“I should like to very much, but I have only just begun this position. I cannot very well ask the Earl for a great deal of time off in order to visit them until I have been here a while longer,” she reasoned, giving the answer she had realised that morning when thinking the very same thing.
“I am sure he would be understanding, given the situation,” Miss Franklin noted.
Victoria simply nodded quietly. She wondered how she could possibly explain it. After all, she had wished for her station to be kept a secret all along. If she’d managed, she would not have allowed anyone to know about her past.
It was only when the Earl of Hanover revealed to her on her first day that she conceded to the fact that it would be a difficult secret to keep, and now she had determined to share it without shame to those who asked. It was not easy to express, but she was able to do it.
If her father had truly changed, however, it would be painful to have people continue to ask. She would not wish for them to see him for who he was if he had truly become a new man, a good one who was faithful to his wife and responsible with his dealings.
But whatever questions might still come, Victoria was prepared to explain to others that her father had made mistakes. Those mistakes had been difficult, but they did not reflect his true nature.
She would choose to be proud of him. Proud of her father for changing for the better and proud of her mother for being a woman of grace and mercy. Yes, she came from excellent parents and she would not forget it. She only hoped that she could make them as proud as they had made her.
Chapter 14
Reginald had been rather impressed by the impact of Miss Jamison upon his daughter and was curious to learn more about what made her this unique woman. He had been thinking about it often enough, but now was the time for him to see her in action and learn.
He had questions for her, things that his daughter could not answer. It was best if he learned straight from the woman herself. He determined that he would speak to her again, and perhaps more than once if he had the opportunity to do so.
There was something about the idea of spending time with her that continually got him excited. He enjoyed seeing her and learning about her. He enjoyed every moment in her presence even if it was difficult or strained.
Reginald had wished that Miss Jamison had spent more time around him at the dinner and that he might have had a better chance to interact with her. But there had been something in her demeanor that night that told him she had little desire for company, regardless of what he might wish.
For now, his best option was to call her to his office and speak with her without the presence of others. He could read her face more easily and not have to worry about her anxiety of being around those who might know of her family history.
“Miss Franklin, could you please send in Miss Jamison?” he requested, sitting in his study with a glass of brandy.
He waited, pondering all the things he wished to know. Before long, the governess appeared, and Reginald found himself straightening his jacket despite himself in an effort to appear more presentable.
“Ah, Miss Jamison, it is good to see you,” he greeted.
She appeared strong but uncertain, a blend of curiosity and boldness that he was coming to see as her nature. The young woman was coming to terms with her lack of authority while still maintaining her pride and it suited her well, and made her more intriguing than most.
“And you, my lord,” she curtseyed, lowering her eyes as she bowed her body. It was a graceful maneuver, something he was coming to expect from her. With a straight spine and extended neck, she was rather the portrait of delicacy and elegance. It was a position that no governess was ever expected to take.
“You may take a seat,” he offered.
Miss Franklin was awaiting further instructions and he asked Miss Jamison if she wished for anything. When she shook her head and told him she was content, he dismissed the housekeeper who he had seen befriending his governess quite well.
“Now, to business,” he smiled.
“Yes, my lord? What is it that you wish?” she asked, as if expecting him to order her about as easily as he did the housekeeper and the maids.
“I must say that you have made me rather curious regarding my daughter,” he confessed.
