Page 9 of An Unforeseen Kiss (Captivating Kisses #4)

T hey arrived at Millvale, all of them glancing out the window at the beautiful estate, full of rolling hills with green grass and large trees shading the lane they drove up.

Eden had thought Traywick Manor gorgeous, but then again, this was the country seat to a duke.

She had heard Kent was the loveliest county in England.

After driving through it and now being at Millvale, she tended to agree.

“Do you think Val will act like a duke?” Justina mused.

Verina nodded. “He must. After all, he is one. I do understand what you are saying, though. He was a lively boy. But dukes must be sober. They are the leaders of Polite Society, only slightly lower than a prince in rank.”

“Remember, even though he is your cousin, you are to address him as Your Grace at all times,” she reminded her charges.

“He may give you leave to call him Millbrooke in private, when it is just the family gathered together, but even his mother will address him formally now that he is the head of the family.”

“More of those rules,” Justina said, shaking her head in disgust. “I am glad Verina will make her come-out before I do. I do not like rules.”

“You are a well-behaved girl, Justina,” Eden said.

“It will not be hard for you to follow rules when you make your come-out. It will be helpful that Verina will have made her debut before you, however. You will be able to learn from her experience. And speaking of rules, I shall be calling you Lady Verina and Lady Justina from now on. I know I have relaxed when it has just been the three of us, but living in a duke’s household, we must be on our best behavior. ”

“Do you wish you could have made your come-out, Miss Snow?” Verina asked.

She had told the girls the barest details of her background, merely saying that she was genteel but had become impoverished. They had been respectful and not pressed her overmuch as to why. Since she was a governess, they would at least understand she had to earn her living.

“You know I have told you it was not possible for me to make my come-out,” she told them. My father was killed in a riding accident. I cared for my mother, who was quite ill herself. When she passed, then I came to look after the two of you.”

She had always left out the part about her odious cousin’s demand that she vacate Brownstone, as well as the fact there had been another household between her own and theirs. The thought of even mentioning the loathsome Lord Kessley caused her belly to roil.

“I would wager that you would have captured the heart of several eligible bachelors,” Justina ventured. “You are quite pretty, Miss Snow. Some would even say beautiful. Though you dress rather plainly.”

“As is befitting for a governess to two young ladies,” she said, smiling brightly.

Oh, but how Eden wished she could have worn the ballgowns she and her mother had dreamed of her wearing. To dance with titled noblemen. To flirt a bit. Perhaps to have even engaged in a stolen kiss here and there.

She shook her head, pushing aside those girlish dreams. She would live vicariously through Verina if Lady Traywick allowed Justina and her to come to town.

By the time Justina made her come-out, though, Eden would be gone, working in another household.

The thought saddened her, and she told herself to live one day at a time and not borrow trouble.

The future would come, and she would be prepared for it, but she should enjoy what happiness she had today.

She had two sweet, kind girls to teach, and Lady Traywick was wonderful to her, treating her almost as a member of the family.

That would change during their stay at Millvale, however.

While she always took her meals with the girls and Lady Traywick, it would be different in a duke’s household.

She supposed she would either eat in the servants’ hall or have a tray in her room.

If given the choice, she would opt for the tray.

Some servants were uncomfortable around a governess, who was consider an upper servant, and Eden would not want to make trouble while here at Millvale.

“I see the house!” Justina cried. “Oh, my. Look at it. It is enormous!”

Her charge was right about that. The house was the largest she had ever laid eyes upon, reminding her again that they were now on a duke’s property.

“I hope we can go riding while we are here,” Verina said.

“Most likely, the duke’s stables will be large. I will speak to your mother about it. She can convey to His Grace your wish to ride. And your two cousins might also enjoy riding. If they do, I am happy to chaperone you all on rides together.”

“Are they expecting us?” Verina asked. “I do not see anyone outside yet.”

“I gave Lady Traywick an idea of when we might arrive, but I was not able to provide the exact date. You saw how the roads were. Unpredictable, at best.”

“Wait, I see Mama!” Justina said, her excitement obvious. “And I think that must be Aunt Alice with her.”

Eden liked how close these girls were to their mother.

It reminded her of her own relationship with her mother.

From what Lady Traywick had mentioned on previous occasions, that was rare within the ton .

She had been close to both her parents and hadn’t a clue why other parents and children were not.

Eden supposed life had worked out as it should have because she would not have ignored her children as other parents did.

Being a governess gave her the opportunity to be around children and watch them mature.

The carriage began to slow and then came to a stop. Lady Traywick rushed to the door, waiting as the footman opened it.

“My girls!” she said, holding her arms wide.

Justina bounded from the carriage first, with Verina close behind. Both of them embraced their mother, who was now crying tears of joy at being reunited with her daughters. She had witnessed similar scenes between the three each year the countess returned from the Season.

“Oh, I am so happy you came,” Lady Traywick said, looking up as Eden was handed down by a footman. “And Miss Snow. I am grateful to you for having brought my girls to me.”

“I was happy to do so, my lady,” she said demurely. “It will also be good for them to continue their lessons while they are at Millvale.”

“I could not agree more. Come, say hello to your aunt.”

Eden stood beside the carriage as this reunion occurred. Footmen lowered the trunks on top. Bessie, the maid who had accompanied them from Cumberland, climbed from where she had sat next to the driver. The maid would care for the girls during their stay at Millvale.

“They’re happy to see her ladyship,” she remarked to Eden.

“Yes, they are.”

“This will be a real adventure for us, won’t it, Miss Snow?”

“It will, Bessie. We are blessed to have been able to come to Kent.”

“I hope the housekeeper won’t put me in a closet. Looking at this house, there’s plenty of room.”

“I am certain you will be taken care of accordingly.”

She watched as the wan duchess greeted her nieces and then motioned for them to accompany her inside.

A woman whom Eden suspected was the housekeeper came toward Bessie and her. “Good afternoon. I am Mrs. Quigby, the housekeeper at Millvale.”

“I am Miss Snow, governess to the two young ladies, and this is Bessie, who will be the maid taking care of them.”

“I have rooms for you both,” Mrs. Quigby said genially.

“Bessie, you will be sharing with one of our new maids. Miss Snow, you will have a room to yourself. Come inside and let me show you where you will be as soon as I get the young ladies settled. Quigby will take you to the kitchens for now. I’m sure you could use a cup of tea. ”

“Thank you, Mrs. Quigby,” Eden said.

The housekeeper led the new Millvale guests upstairs, while the butler took them to the kitchens. Cook greeted them, settling them at a table and getting them a cup of tea.

“I’m readying tea now for the family,” Cook said. “Didn’t know for certain when you would arrive. Give me a minute to get that together, then I’ll give you each a slice of ginger cake.”

“That would be lovely, Cook,” she said, seating herself at the table and mixing a bit of cream into her tea. She noted no sugar present and knew some households kept it in reserve for the family only.

Cook chatted with them as she arranged items for the teacart, telling them a little about the house and grounds, as well as naming several of the other servants.

Eden merely enjoyed her tea and the fact that she was no longer bumping along roads in a carriage.

She was glad Lady Traywick had written they would most likely stay until the end of summer because she was not looking forward to making the long journey back to Traywick Manor anytime soon.

Quigby made another appearance, asking, “Is tea ready, Cook? Her Grace is taking the others to the drawing room now.”

“Yes, the teacarts are ready to go.”

The butler signaled two maids who had accompanied him, and they rolled both carts away.

“Now, let me get you some cake,” Cook said. “Then I want to get off my feet for a few minutes and join you.”

Soon, they had plates before them, and Eden thought the ginger cake moist and tasty. She was only a few bites into it when Mrs. Quigby appeared, looking a little flustered.

“Miss Snow? You are to join the family in the drawing room,” she said, seeming out of breath, and Eden thought she must have run from the drawing room to the kitchens.

“That is not necessary,” she said.

“The young ladies are insisting,” the housekeeper said. “Lady Traywick, too.”

Feeling awkward, she rose and excused herself, following the housekeeper.

On the way, she said, “Often, it is just Lady Verina and Lady Justina and me. We take tea and our meals together. I was not expecting to do so here at Millvale.”

Mrs. Quigley stopped. “It is most unusual. No governess I have ever known has socialized with the family.”