Page 23 of A Loving Governess in Disguise

Euterpe had always dreamed of her wedding day, but it did not look anything like what she was to actually have.

Her gown was plain, with no decoration at all. It was not what one would expect from a soon-to-be duchess, but it was what could be done with such little time. Her parents had kept her measurements, so a gown had been made, but there had only been time for a fitting and nothing more.

It had been finished the day prior, and Euterpe hated the sight of it. It made her feel nauseous, but she tried to ignore it. This had been her choice, she reminded herself, and it had been worth it.

Emma had been released the moment she arrived, with the Duke of Somerset claiming it had all been a misunderstanding. He had simply found her wandering the town at night, and she had been lost and frightened, so he had taken her with him.

He had only sent the note as a good-natured joke, but it had been taken seriously. Euterpe knew the truth, but it had been enough for her mother and father, so it was not questioned any further. They were simply pleased that he had been willing to wait for her for so long.

Euterpe was alone in what was once her bedchambers, and though she no longer felt at home in them, she was at least grateful for the time to herself. That was quickly ruined, however, by her mother entering.

Euterpe forced her lips together, not willing to say a word to her. She had not spoken to either of her parents, as she knew that nothing she said would change her circumstances, but she could already feel her resolve weakening. She was, after all, her mother.

“You look nice,” she said weakly. “You make a beautiful bride.”

Euterpe glared at her and then turned back to the mirror. She was wearing a white gown, her hair was pinned up, and she was wearing the family diamonds, but she did not look like a bride. She looked miserable, which she had to admit that she was, and no amount of smiling would fix it.

“Euterpe, please,” she pressed. “I know that this is not what you want, and I know you have brought your sister home, but you must understand that this was agreed upon. Adolphus is a good man.”

“To whom?” she snapped at last. “Because, as far as I can tell, he is hated by almost everyone. The only exceptions, it would seem, are you and Father. Truly, how fortunate am I?”

“That isn’t fair. He has saved you from ruin.”

“Against my will. He terrifies me, but you never cared about that. He is not saving my reputation. That is where you are wrong. He is not doing anything to help me. He is helping you, as well as himself. He is a selfish man, and he does not care about me. I wish that you would see it, but you care about me just as much as he does. Well, fear not, Mother. I hope that this helps your family name.”

“It is yours, too, dear.”

“No, it isn’t. Thanks to you, I shall be Euterpe Athill. If you truly believe that I will be able to call you my family after this, then you are sorely mistaken.”

“Euterpe, I–”

But Euterpe was not listening, and her mother knew that. She felt heartless, as she had never been so cruel to anyone in her life, but she felt as though it was warranted. They had not once thought about her feelings, so she would no longer consider theirs.

Emma was safe, and Eloise would leave with Charles once it was all over, so she was at peace. The scandal would subside, and that was what had mattered to her family. All was well, as long as nobody considered how she felt, which was perfectly fine.

With her head bowed, her mother left the room. Euterpe was alone once more, and she took a deep breath to steady herself. She took a final look at her room, wishing she could still call it her own. She wondered what would be done with it when she was gone: if they would leave it as it was or turn it into something else entirely.

She cleared her throat. She had been delaying the inevitable for too long. She was ready to go, in that she was wearing the gown, so that was what she needed to do.

As she reached the stairs, however, she heard an almighty commotion. She ran to the sound and was faced with none other than the Duke of Cambridge himself. Theodore was standing behind him, looking at her apologetically. He must have told the duke the truth, which would have upset her if she were not so pleased to see them. As she ran to them, however, her father blocked her path.

“Who are you?” he spat.

But the duke was not looking at him. He was looking at Euterpe, his eyes not leaving hers. There wasn’t even the faintest acknowledgement from the two gentlemen, which angered her father even further.

Fortunately, Charlotte and Eloise were there and tried to explain who they were. Reluctantly, upon hearing that Theodore was Charlotte’s cousin and that the duke was, indeed, a duke, her father stepped to one side. The duke came to her immediately, placing a hand on her shoulder, his other hand tilting her chin up so that she was looking at him.

“What are you doing here?” she whispered. “You should not know where I am.”

“Nor should I know who you are, and yet I do. Fear not, Euterpe.”

Her name sounded beautiful for the first time in her life when he said it.

“Even so, I do not know why you are here.”

“I have come to take you home. I cannot bear the thought of you marrying a man that you do not love.”

“Your Grace, I have no choice. This is how it must be.”

But his gaze pierced hers, and she could not look away. She knew her family was watching, but she had already caused more than her fair share of trouble. There was no need to act like a saint anymore.

“Tell me that you love him,” he said gently. “Tell me that this is what you want, and I will go, but you and I both know it is not the case. You do not want to marry him, do you?”

“This has nothing to do with what I want nor anything to do with love. You have always believed that. That is why you were looking for a wife worthy of your title, which, of course, a governess could never be.”

“And it was foolish of me to believe that. Now tell me that you love him.”

She knew that she had to so that he would leave and she could do what was necessary, but the words refused to come. She couldn’t do it; she couldn’t look the man that she loved in the eye and tell him that she did not. It wasn’t something she was capable of, not when he was looking at her the way he was.

Then she realized why he was telling her to do it. It was his way of confessing to her; it had to be. He would never have made the journey to her if he did not, especially considering his fears. Perhaps, she thought, he loved her in return.

But that did not matter. She had to marry the Duke of Somerset, or he would follow her for the rest of her life. She was too afraid of him to run, which meant she had to stay put.

“Please, go home. Do not worry about me. I will be fine.”

“Euterpe, I will worry about you until the day I die.”

She laughed softly, at last looking down only to see her plain gown and trembling hands.

“You mustn’t be so melodramatic,” she said firmly, pushing past him.

But he took her hand in his, turning her back to face him again. She gasped at his touch, again aware that they were being watched.

“I have never been any good with words,” he explained, shaking his head in exasperation, “but I like to think that I can show how I feel well enough.”

And then, his other hand taking her waist, he pulled her close, pressing his lips to hers.

Her eyes widened in shock, the gasps around her filling her ears, but then she sighed into him, reciprocating his kiss with fervour. She wanted to believe that all would be well, and that the Duke of Cambridge would take her far away, fix everything, and rid her of her husband-to-be, and for a faint, fleeting moment, she truly did.

They broke apart, and Euterpe was aware that all eyes were on her and what she had just done, but she did not care. She was happy, truly happy.

That did not last long.

There was a scream, and Euterpe turned quickly to a horrified Emma, fear in her wide eyes. She had covered her mouth with both hands, and tears were already streaming down her cheeks.

“Please,” Emma whispered. “Please don’t.”

“And to think,” the Duke of Somerset laughed darkly, “I was going to save you from ruin.”

“Adolphus,” Euterpe’s father gasped, “what are you doing?”

“What you were too cowardly to do yourself. We had an agreement, Cheslyn. I would save your family, and you would give me what I have always coveted. You promised me that I could have her, only to go and let her ruin herself before I could get my hands on her. Fear not, though, for I will do the right thing and take her regardless.”

“You will never do that,” the Duke of Cambridge sneered. “Not as long as I am breathing.”

He took a step towards Adolphus, but he simply nudged Emma forward and caused her to cry out in fear.

“I would not do that if I were you.” He chuckled. “You see, unlike you, I like to come prepared, and so when I came here to ensure all was going as planned, and I saw more carriages than there should have been and heard all of this commotion, I was pleased that I had brought my pistol with me. It made for excellent insurance, especially now that it is pointed at this pretty thing’s back.”

Emma began truly sobbing at that point, and Euterpe froze in tears. She was only a girl, and she had done nothing to deserve any of what was happening to her. She had never liked the Duke of Somerset, but she had never expected him to be so openly violent when he did not get his own way. Neither, it appeared, did her parents.

“Let her go,” Euterpe screamed. “I will do anything.”

“Anything? Wonderful. I do love a wife that is willing to please me, and I hope that you will be less difficult in future. I am a good man, Miss Cheslyn, and I hate to resort to such violent means as this. Do not force my hand in future.”

“Yes, of course.”

She lowered her head, waiting for him to let Emma go, but he did not. He looked at her with the same sickening grin he had worn since making himself known.

“Before I let your maid go, though,” he said, smirking, “you must tell this man that you have never cared for him and never will. You have only ever wanted me, and that is what you will soon have.”

Euterpe did not want to say such things, not when she loved him so, but then an idea came to her. Fortunately, she had stepped in front of the Duke of Cambridge when she had spoken, so to speak to him, she could turn her back to Adolphus.

“I do not love you, Your Grace,” she said sadly but gesturing wildly with her eyes to the Duke of Somerset. “I never have. I will marry the Duke of Somerset, and I will be very happy indeed. Now, please, go.”

She desperately hoped that he would understand what she had meant, but he simply nodded sadly and took his leave, summoning Theodore to join him.

“Very good.” Adolphus nodded, at last lowering his pistol and letting Emma leave him.

She ran straight to Charlotte, who took her in her arms and tried to soothe her. Euterpe smiled at the fact that Emma was safe again, feeling immense pain that she had been used twice by the duke, but then she realised that Theodore and the Duke of Cambridge were not turning back. He must have misread her signs, and now …

“Ensure that you do not disobey me again,” he continued, walking towards her. “I will not hesitate to do what I must if it means making you a good wife. I am only doing this for you, and one day, you will thank me for it. Am I clear?”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

He grinned at her, then bowed slightly, taking his leave.

“I shall see you all at the ceremony, then?” He laughed as he went. “It is improper to be late to such occasions, so you might wish to leave soon.”

But he only made it halfway out of the door.

As he stepped out, two large figures pounced on him, shoving him to the ground. With a gasp, Euterpe ran to the commotion, her family following suit. Outside, there was none other than the Duke of Cambridge on top of him, fighting with a ferocity that Euterpe could never have imagined him possessing. He had always been so gentle with her that she would never have imagined that he could be so frightening.

And yet, she was not scared of him at all. The Duke of Somerset, on the other hand, clearly was.

At last, footmen came and pulled them apart. Theodore, who appeared only to have aided in pushing the duke to the ground, stood nearby with a wicked grin. Euterpe gave him a look.

“What?” he asked. “You cannot blame me for finding entertainment in this. If you ask me, it has been overdue for some time now.”

Despite the fact that Euterpe hated violence, she had to agree with him.

At last, her father stepped between the two men, looking at the man he had called his friend for years with a menacing look in his eye.

“You will leave, Adolphus,” he warned, “and you will never return.”

“You cannot tell me what to do, George. We all know that I have your secrets, which will destroy your family forever if I tell the ton about them. You need me just as you have done for years.”

“For a long time, I believed that threat.” He nodded. “And I did what I thought was best for my family, but now I see you for what you are. You are not a man; you are a petulant child, and if there is one thing that I have learned in all of this, it is that I must allow my daughters to make their own choices. Euterpe does not want to marry you, and so she will not. Now leave before I have you sent away.”

He gestured to the Duke of Cambridge, who seemed quite content to lay his hands on him a second time.

“Very well.” He nodded. “I will go but know this, Cheslyn. I will have my revenge soon enough, and you will be sorry to have ever crossed me.”

“Yes, and I am certain that your mother will be very encouraging of it.” Cheslyn laughed.

With a scowl, the duke boarded his carriage and left. Euterpe felt herself lose all tension in her body at once, and she almost fell to the ground. She was free, and she had the man she loved to thank for that. It was his intervention, she knew, that had led to her freedom. He ran to her, taking her in his arms and holding her close. She felt like she was breathing properly again for the first time in weeks, coming alive again.

“My Lord,” he said suddenly, letting her go and approaching her father, “I understand that it is not the opportune moment and that we have far greater issues at hand, but it would be an honour if you would allow me to marry your daughter.”

“No!” Euterpe gasped, and all eyes turned to her incredulously.

“What on earth do you mean?” Eloise replied, laughing slightly.

“What I mean is,” she said quickly, “I do not think it is right to marry a man who has never courted me.”

They all laughed at that, and the Duke and Lord Cheslyn agreed to begin their negotiations. Before they left to do so, however, her father turned to Eloise, sadness in his eyes.

“My dear daughter. I cannot believe what I made you feel you had to do. If it takes a lifetime, I will do what I must so that you forgive me.”

“It is alright, Father. I understand that you were only doing what you thought was best, but I truly do love him. I know that Mr Atkins is not what you envisioned as my husband, but he truly is the most wonderful man.”

“I can see that you love him, and I can see that he loves you in return. Why else would he follow you across the country? Eloise, if this is what you want, we will support you. I have lost you both once, and I refuse to allow that to happen again.”

Eloise burst into tears, embracing her father tightly. Euterpe smiled at the sight, pleased that, even if it had taken everything to reach that point, it had been worth it.

“Can I … Can I kiss you again?” the duke asked, appearing at her side. “Or would you rather wait until the wedding?”

She smiled at him, leaning in close.

“I suppose arrangements can be made for that.”

Epilogue

The Duke of Somerset’s revenge did not go as he had planned.

He had tried to slander the family, but before he could do any real damage, a very scathing edition of a scandal sheet came to bite him. It entailed many aspects of his life, from the way he used blackmail to the times he had engaged in corruption to get his way.

It also just so happened to detail the fact that he had a child, a son, with a lady who once been his servant. At the news that she was expecting, he had sent her away to the country, never to see her or his child again.

Euterpe finished reading the scandal sheet that Emma had handed her, placing it down and smiling. He would not be jailed for his crimes, as he was too powerful for that, but his reputation had been destroyed to the point that the ton would shun him, and that, in turn, would lead his finances to decline as his business partners would leave him.

“This is a work of art,” she sighed wistfully. “Truly, a genius has written this.”

“A genius? Do you truly believe that?”

Something in the way Emma had said that made Euterpe tilt her head, studying her carefully.

“Do you enjoy writing, Emma?”

“I do. It has been a passion of mine for some time now.”

“Yes, I can see that. I must say, though, that I never expected you, of all people, to be writing gossip.”

Emma blushed, but she did not argue with her.

“Come, we must leave soon if we are to travel a good way before we stop for the night.”

Euterpe nodded, following her to the carriage. It had been two weeks since her courtship had begun, and he had already made the long journey to her three times. She wanted their marriage to be an equal partnership, so it would only be fair if she travelled to him in return.

She had not seen Ella yet, and she wondered if the little girl had lost trust in her after all that had happened. Even so, she longed to see her again. She was a wonderful little girl, and she could not wait to see her again.

When she did arrive, Ella ran to her immediately and leapt into her arms as though no time had passed at all.

“You are home!” she exclaimed. “I thought you would never return.”

“As did I,” she confessed, “but that is over now. I am here with you.”

The little girl took her hand and pulled her inside, and Euterpe followed her happily. They went to the library, and Ella showed her all the books she had read while Euterpe was away, and though she thought that the child’s abilities could no longer surprise her, she still was by the level at which she could read.

After that, they began wandering the household as though the duke was not there at all. Eventually, of course, he did make his appearance.

“There is no need for you to stop work,” Ella pouted. “Euterpe is perfectly happy with me. Isn’t that right, Euterpe?”

“I am very happy to be with you again, yes. It would be nice, however, to spend time with both of you.”

She seemed to consider it for a moment before nodding.

“I will allow it, but I want a tea to be brought. I must practice my etiquette.”

“Very well.” Edward laughed. “But you are not to pour the tea yet. It is too dangerous.”

“Do you see how difficult he is?” Ella laughed. “I cannot believe that you are to be married.”

Euterpe and Edward looked at one another sharply. He had not yet proposed, which was at Euterpe’s request. She did not want to marry him until they had spoken with Ella and she had promised them that it was what she had wanted. That was partly why she had come to visit them.

As they sat in the drawing room with the tea, Edward nodded to her, her sign to ask Ella what she thought.

“You know,” she began, “we are not yet engaged. We have discussed it, but I cannot accept a proposal without your permission.”

“Why?” she asked through a mouthful of cake. “I am not your father. Then again, from what I have heard, you do not care much for what he thinks either.”

They all laughed, Euterpe shaking her head.

“What I mean is, it is important to me that you are happy. I know that you liked me as your governess, but being your aunt is another matter entirely. I want to be certain that this will please you.”

“Of course it will!”

“I have told her this,” Edward sighed. “But she wanted to hear it from you.”

“Very well. I shall tell you. Euterpe, it would be an honour to be your niece. It is thanks to you that my uncle can smile again and that he can ride in carriages. Did you know that we have been to town this week, and the park? You have changed him, and I like it, and I want you to be his wife. I hope that is enough for you.”

Euterpe felt the tears welling in her eyes. At last, she felt quite ready to be the Duchess of Cambridge, but before that could happen, she would have to be proposed to. Eloise would be pleased when it happened, too, as she had decided to wait for Euterpe to marry first, as she was the eldest.

“Might Euterpe and I leave you be for a while?” the duke asked Ella, and she nodded without looking up from her tea.

They left for the garden, and as they walked, Edward cleared his throat repeatedly as if wanting to say something but not being able to.

“You need to say the words.” Euterpe giggled. “I understand that you are finding difficulty with all this. In all honesty, after all that has happened, I will simply be glad to be your wife. We do not need to do all this.”

“Yes, we do! You deserve to have all the happiness that I can give you, and if that means that I find my voice, then so be it. I simply want to be in the garden first, as I have something to show you.”

Euterpe followed him with curiosity, and soon, they came to a small clearing. He had rows of tulips planted there, and her breath caught in her throat.

“How beautiful,” she gasped. “How did you do all this so soon?”

“Eloise told me how to do it when I visited you. She had read a book about it, and she explained the process. I could have had my gardener do it, but I wanted to try it for myself. As it would seem, I am quite good at it.”

“Indeed you are. It is beautiful.”

“Good, because I wanted everything to be perfect for this moment. Euterpe, I have loved you since the moment we met, even if I did not dare admit it to myself. You are the kindest lady there is, and you have a heart larger than the body it is confined to.

It just so happens that you are also the most beautiful lady as well, and I cannot believe that you came into my life. I needed you, and I still do. I miss you when you are not here and when I am not with you, and I do not want to be apart from you anymore. I never want to be away from you.”

Somehow, he had managed to keep his tone measured as he spoke. At last, he had found his words, and Euterpe thought they were the most incredible ones she had ever heard. He was perfect, the only gentleman for her, and she could not believe that of all the ladies in the world he had chosen her.

“All this to say,” he added, after a breath, “that I know this is to be expected and that I have been unable to surprise you with this, but …”

He then got down on one knee, pulled a small box out of his pocket, and opened it to her.

“Euterpe, will you marry me?”

She almost forgot to accept it as she threw herself at him. She managed to gasp a quick ‘yes’ as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her tears of joy falling onto his cheek. He, in turn, took her by the waist and held onto her tightly as though he never wanted to let her go.

Euterpe knew that he would not.

***

When her wedding day came a second time, Euterpe could not have been happier. This time, when she looked at herself, she could only see a face smiling back at her, an exquisite gown clinging to her skin. Emma fussed around her, fixing her hair for the hundredth time and asking if she needed more rouge. Euterpe couldn’t help laughing, thinking about how much had changed in mere months.

There was still difficulty when it came to her mother and father, but they were doing all they could to make things right again, and Euterpe knew she could not hate them. Eloise had been much the same, especially now that she could have an engagement of her own.

Thankfully, Euterpe’s betrothal to the duke had given them a lot of power, and though nobody in society particularly agreed with Eloise’s match, nobody dared to say a word. They were happy, and that was what mattered.

As if on cue, Eloise entered, her hand behind her back.

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

“Ready. I wish to leave now, but it is too early for that.”

“Yes, that tends to happen when you begin to prepare an hour in advance.” She laughed. “I was given this a few days ago, but I was given strict instructions not to give it to you until now. I must admit, I was quite surprised when I saw it, but it would appear that it belongs to you. Here, it would seem that you will need this today.”

She handed Euterpe a letter along with a small pouch before slipping out of the room again. With a curious look, Euterpe opened the letter.

Dear Euterpe,

I cannot wait to see you! I am entrusting this letter and this gift with your sister. I have been taking care of something for you, and I thought that today you might like to have it returned to you.

My uncle does not believe in superstition, but ever since I found this, it has brought me luck. After all, it brought you back to me. Thus, I think on your wedding day you might be nervous, and so this should help.

“I will see you soon. I cannot wait for you to be my aunt.

Yours Faithfully,

Ella.

Euterpe smiled, already knowing what she would find inside the pouch. She opened it, tipping the locket into her hand. Emma gasped beside her.

“Eloise’s locket! How did you– when–”

“It is as Ella says. There is a good deal of luck in this necklace. I suppose I should wear it, yes?”

Emma nodded, fastening it around her neck.

The hour that followed felt endlessly long, as all she wanted to do was go to the chapel and marry Edward. She longed to be Euterpe Balfour, the Duchess of Cambridge, and she willed time to move faster.

At last, she could enter the carriage and leave for her wedding. She rode with her father, who looked at her with such pride that she forgot all that had happened for a while. When they arrived, she took his arm, and they waited to walk down the aisle.

“I am so proud of you,” he said softly. “You have taught me so much, and I shall miss you when you are gone. I could hardly think at all when I lost you, Euterpe.”

“I know, but it is over now. This is not you losing me; it is you helping me become the happiest lady I can be. Besides, we shall visit you, and you may come to see us whenever you wish.”

Her father nodded, and then the time came for them to walk. She thought that her nerves might appear then, but they did not. She was simply happy to be starting her new life, and it could not come soon enough.

Their guests rose to their feet, all looking at her, but she only saw Edward. He truly was so handsome, and as she drew nearer, she at last found Ella, who was wearing a beautiful blue dress and waving at her. Euterpe gave her a quick wave back, making the little girl beam.

The ceremony began, and Euterpe tried to enjoy every minute without willing it to be over so that she could be his wife. As the vicar spoke, she at last felt the fluttering in her chest that she had been waiting for. It was not nerves, exactly, but it was similar. The first glimmer of her love for her new life, she thought.

The time came for the vows to be exchanged, and Edward said his perfectly for a man who claimed not to be good with his words. Euterpe could feel herself begin to cry, and she had to blink back her tears as she spoke hers. She promised always to cherish and obey him and that she would be by his side until death did them part, and of course, she meant every word.

When, at last, they were announced as husband and wife, all those in attendance rejoiced for them. It had been a tumultuous romance, but standing at the altar, Euterpe could honestly say that she would never have had it any other way. It had been worth all the difficulty, as it had led her to the man she loved.

After the day’s festivities had passed, and they were returning to Cambridge with Ella, Euterpe sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. Ella was asleep on her side of the carriage, Edward having removed his coat so she could have a pillow. She looked like an angel, which beneath all her tricks and clever words, Euterpe knew she was.

“Was that the wedding you had dreamed of?” Edward asked gently.

“Yes,” she nodded, leaning upward to kiss him. “And I have dreamed of the life that you and I shall lead in equal measure.”

THE END?