Page 5 of The Duke and the Enigmatic Governess
“Your Grace, are you all right?” she enquired with eyes so kind, he could not help but nod and agree with anything she said. “You look as if you were in another world.”
“I do apologize, Miss Banks, it has been a strange evening. You are quite right. Let’s get this child into the warmth.”
I was somewhere elsewhere for a few seconds. I was drawn in by that mellifluous voice and kind, bonny blue eyes. I could listen to that voice all day,Jude thought to himself.The deep contralto tone stood out from the usual high sopranos of his mother and sisters.
Come now, this is not the time to be thinking fanciful thoughts about a woman you only met a few minutes ago.This is what had happened to Father, bewitched by a pair of beautiful blue eyes and distracted from estate business by his romance with Mother, then swindled by a land agent. I’ve spent the last 10 years sorting out the mess he left behind; we were lucky not to lose the Clairville Estate.
Once they were settled in the carriage, he wondered again how he got into this scrape. All he had been doing was returning from a card game with Daniel. Since then, he had held a dying woman in his arms, acquired the woman in white, Miss Banks, and atiny, motherless child, of about four years old, a similar age to his nieces.
He led a quiet life, rarely in town, mostly on his estate in Hertfordshire and he rarely ventured into society, except for an occasional card game with friends. He was the duke with the reputation for austere living, the one who never let his emotions show.
In the morning, he would ask Daniel to set in motion enquiries about the child, currently snuggled against his frock coat, and about her dead mother. The constable had asked the little girl who she was, but she had simply shaken her head, reluctant to speak. It was as if she had lost her voice.
Jake loaded Laetitia’s bags into the carriage and Barton got the horses ready to set off to the townhouse. The little girl was nestled in a corner of the carriage bench, tucked up with blankets. After the constable roused the innkeeper again, he had reluctantly brought them blankets for the carriage.
“There you are, little one, we’re going to The Duke of Clairville’s house to stay. It will be warm there,” said Miss Banks, comforting the child.
His heart felt heavy when the little girl looked at her with large, brown eyes and simply said “Mama, I want Mama,” with tears running down her cheeks.
He called to Barton to set off and they began the journey to his house on the other side of London, Miss Banks next to him on the bench, as they rattled through the streets, the standing water splashing against the carriage sides. He realized Miss Banks had fallen asleep; her eyes closed from the rocking motion of the carriage. Her body fell sideways and rested against his and he could smell the scent of rose in her hair as it rested against his chest.
He was closer to the young lady than he had anticipated, and he knew he should wake her or at least try to push her aside, but the sensation of her body pressed against his gave him a welcome feeling of warm comfort, making him reluctant to move her.
***
As the carriage drew up outside Cambourne Place, Jude jumped down, telling Miss Banks to stay in the carriage while he made arrangements with his housekeeper to minimize the danger of infection among the household staff. Lanterns blazed, lighting the elegant stone staircase of the Duke of Clairville’s London home.
He called to Jake to alert Mrs. Driscoll to their arrival and tell her to come into the entrance hall.
“Your Grace,” called the housekeeper, coming out of the parlor to greet him. “Whatever has happened?”
“We have unexpected guests, Mrs. Driscoll, and I’m afraid this is going to cause you some extra work. We are giving refuge to a little girl, I believe of about four years old, who saw her mother die in front of her eyes only an hour ago. She’s in a state of shock. There is also a young lady who assisted the dying woman and has been evicted from the inn for her trouble.”
“Of course, Your Grace. I’ll prepare the bedchambers.” Calmly competent, she asked no further questions.
“It’s a little more complicated than that,” continued Jude, wondering how to put the next part. “The doctor who attended the scene thinks the child’s mother may have died of a fever. She ran out into the street and collapsed and had signs of a fever, possibly the putrid sore throat. The doctor advised minimal contact with people for a few days, to rule out the chance that anyone caught it from the child’s mother.”
“That’s a concern, Your Grace, and I think it’s best to be cautious,” replied Mrs. Driscoll.
“Barton, Jake, the young lady, the child, and I are all affected. The young lady is Miss Banks, who appears well spoken and tells me she was staying at the inn, on her way to take up a position as a governess in Harrogate.”
“You want to go into quarantine, Your Grace?” queried Mrs. Driscoll.
“Exactly so.”
“I’ve had the morbid sore throat and am immune to most things since I nursed on the battlefield, so I insist on staying with you. If, and let us hope this is not going to happen, any of you fall ill then we’re going to need help. With your agreement, I’d like to send to Clairville to ask if Nurse Walters can join us.”
“No one better, Mrs. Driscoll. Just as long as Mama doesn’t decide to return with Nurse.”
“She won’t. Her Grace knows she needs to be there for the twins. Your younger sisters need their mother.”
“I’ll send the carriage to Clairville. Now, where shall we quarantine? What do you suggest?”
“Hmm. Let me think. Ah yes. It will be best if you can keep to your bedroom, Your Grace. Will Mr. Quincy be staying with you?”
“Robert wasn’t with me so isn’t affected, and I’m capable of shaving and tying my own cravat. Barton can help me if I need it.”
“I suggest we divide the house in half and use the back staircase near your bedchamber, then you can access the garden, drawing room, and the rear parlor that I typically use. The young lady and little girl can have the guest bedrooms near my quarters. Barton and Jake can stay where they are. It will only be for four or five days at most.”
