Page 30 of The Earl’s Disguised Governess (Delightful Dukes and Damsels)

Chapter 2

Giles DeVere paced furiously through the dimly lit halls of his London home, his footsteps echoing off the dark wood floors. The house, with its closed curtains and dark wallpapers, felt stifling, almost suffocating to Nora, who stood silently in a corner, watching her uncle’s rampage. The air was thick with tension as Giles muttered angrily to himself, almost oblivious to her presence.

“Damn it all!” Giles shouted, slamming his fist onto a table, causing a delicate porcelain vase to teeter precariously. “That blasted shipment of spices was supposed to be our saving grace! Now, it’s all gone to ruin.”

Nora bit her lip, her heart pounding in her chest. She had seen her uncle in that state many a time before, so utterly consumed by rage and frustration. He owed several debts, she knew—social debts from light gambling, patronage, and his membership at the gentlemen’s club. But the loss of the spice caravan had pushed him to the brink of panic.

“What am I to do now?" Giles continued, his voice rising with each word. “The creditors will come knocking soon enough. And what of my reputation? To be known as a man who cannot pay his dues—it's unthinkable.”

He moved to the window, yanking the curtains open with a violent tug, letting in a sliver of the gray London light. The room, still mostly in shadow, seemed to reflect his inner turmoil. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, his face a mask of worry and anger.

Nora took a tentative step forward, her voice trembling. “Uncle, surely there's something we can do. Perhaps we can speak to your creditors, arrange some sort of—”

“Speak to them?” Giles interrupted, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. “They are sharks, Nora. They smell blood and they will not be appeased by mere words.”

He turned away from her, staring out the window with a clenched jaw. Nora felt a pang of helplessness, her own fears mingling with her uncle's. The oppressive atmosphere of the house seemed to close in around her, the darkness pressing down on her chest. Nora had been trying to come up with a way of leaving Uncle Giles and his oppressive home, but she knew that as a young woman she had very few chances of doing so.

After the tragic death of her parents in a fire at a very young age, Uncle Giles had taken her in. His own daughter Melody had immediately become a sister to Nora, in every sense of the word, where even Uncle Giles did not make any difference in his treatment of the two girls. He had always been a controlling man, concerned only with money and status, which often came at the expense of his family members.

It was then that Uncle Giles turned to Nora again, dismissing her with a wave of his hand. “Leave me. I cannot think when you’re lingering there, watching me.”

“Yes, Uncle,” Nora nodded, shuffling out of the room and heading toward a small library at the end of the corridor.

Her uncle had never been keen on reading, but his late wife was. From the little that Nora could remember of the woman, she was kind and soft-spoken, preferring the company of books and her children, Melody, and Nora—whom she had taken on as her own—to the company of the ton, which her husband revered so much.

Sadly, the woman had passed away young, having succumbed to an illness that took her away… fortunately in haste and without much pain.

Nora hid herself in the library, as she always did when her uncle was in one of his moods. It was a place he rarely visited, so she had no fear of being interrupted or sought after.

She could satiate her curiosity, grateful for her aunt’s wide array of interests during her lifetime. This was where she could hide herself away from the rest of the world and lose herself in a book, in a reality that wasn’t her own, but rather a better one, a more beautiful one, one where she was allowed to be herself.

As the morning light streamed through the small, high windows of the library, casting a soft flow over the endless rows of books, Nora suddenly heard the door open. Her eyes darted in the direction of the sound, only to be relieved upon seeing the face of her cousin.

“Melody!” she exclaimed, placing the book she was holding on a nearby table, then rushing to embrace her cousin. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see you, of course,” Melody revealed, her blue eyes wide and joyful. In fact, ever since she had left that house, she was glowing. It was impossible not to notice.

“Have you spoken to Uncle since your arrival?” Nora hesitated to ask.

Melody shook her head. “I heard him talk to himself from the main hallway. I asked Thornton about his mood, and he assured me that he did not want any visitors, which suits me just fine, as I came to see you and not him.”

Thornton had been Uncle Giles’ butler for the past twenty years, and he had more of a fatherly influence on the two girls than Uncle Giles had himself. Thornton would tell them when to avoid the man, especially when he was in a particularly bad mood, and that morning was obviously no exception.

“We could go out into the garden,” Nora suggested, not wanting to stay inside the house and stumble onto her uncle, “and sit on the bench.”

Melody beamed at the idea. “I would like that very much. We could have some tea and scones?”

“Just like old times,” Nora said with a sigh.

While she was overjoyed to see her cousin so happily married to a man who not only loved and cherished her, but nurtured her soul, Nora had to admit that the oppressiveness of her uncle’s house became even harder to bear with her cousin gone. She knew that she herself needed to leave as well, that she wouldn’t be able to endure it much longer.

Fifteen minutes later, the two ladies were seated in the garden, with cups of tea in their hands, relishing the aroma.

“Is this new tea?” Melody wondered. “I don’t remember Father having it before.”

“Yes,” Nora confirmed. “Lady Cunningham has announced that all households ought to have this tea. If I remember correctly, as Uncle has corrected my pronunciation so many times, it is Pu-erh tea.”

“Purr tea?” Melody repeated, sounding like a cat purring.

“No,” Nora chuckled. “Pu-erh,” she explained, offering the correct pronunciation once again. “Apparently, it undergoes a unique fermentation and aging process that can take years, even decades. And it is this aging process that enhances its flavor and value, making it a highly sought after commodity.”

“So, yet another symbol of status that Father simply had to obtain?” Melody frowned.

“You know that as well as I do,” Nora confirmed. “He is buying insanely expensive tea, and yet, he has substantial debt he doesn’t know how to resolve.”

“Is that why he was so furious when I arrived?”

Nora sighed, her shoulders slumping. “It’s a long story, Melody. He’s been under a lot of pressure lately, with the failed spice caravan and all his debts. But it’s more than that. I don’t know how much longer I can live here.”

“Oh, you poor thing,” Melody said, taking Nora’s hand into her own. “Things must have been so hard for you after I left.”

Nora smiled reassuringly. “You cannot blame yourself for finding a way out. I need one for myself as well. You know what a hard man your father is. He doesn’t believe that women should be educated or have any true purpose in life beyond being wives and mothers. But I want more than that, Melody. I want to learn everything there is to know. I want to do something meaningful.”

Melody seemed to hesitate, almost as if she had something to say, but wasn’t certain whether it was the right moment for it.

“Is something the matter?” Nora wondered softly.

“Nora, I… I don’t mean to upset you, but Travis told me something you should know. He was at Lord Fauntleroy’s card game two nights ago, and there, Travis overheard Father talk about marriage.”

“Marriage?” Nora echoed. “Mine?”

“Yes, yours,” Melody acknowledged. “Apparently, he thinks it’s the best solution, given the circumstances.

Nora felt as if someone threw a bucket of ice-cold water over her. “But… who does he want to marry me off to?”

“I don’t know,” Melody admitted. “He didn’t mention a name, but apparently, he already has someone in mind. And he seems determined to go through with it soon. Perhaps it could be a way for you to finally escape this house.”

“Escape?” Nora’s voice reverberated around them, returning to her with even more incredulity. “Melody, you know how I feel about marriage. The last thing I want is to be another man’s servant, to be needed just for the purposes of bearing children and then live my life according to someone else’s rules, just like I’ve been doing so far. It wouldn’t be an escape. It would be just a change of a home, but with another master. I want to be free, to choose my own path in life.”

Melody reached out, taking Nora’s hand into her own. “I understand that, Nora. But what can you do about it? My father won’t give you the freedom you seek. To him, you are a daughter. A commodity that is to be exchanged for benefits in society, just like he did with me.”

Nora smiled. “But Travis loves you.”

“Yes,” Melody gushed. “I was fortunate. Travis is the most wonderful man in the world. I couldn’t imagine being married to anyone else.”

“I am very happy that is so, Melody, you know I am. But I know that won’t happen for me. I… I am not that fortunate,” Nora said sadly. “All I know is that I cannot let your father dictate my future. I am very grateful for what he has done for me, for taking me in when I had no one, but I won’t be his tool in his quest to climb higher on the social ladder. I have to find a way to make my own choices, to live my own life.”

“You know you can always stay with us,” Melody suggested tenderly.

Nora was washed over by love for her cousin. They had grown up together, as sisters, and their bond had only strengthened in time. Now, she couldn’t imagine her life without her, although they did not see each other as often as they used to.

“I really appreciate your offer, Melody,” Nora replied, feeling as if she might start crying at any moment. “But you and Travis have only been married for two years. You need to spend time together and alone. You need to… work on expanding your family, and I would only be in the way.” Nora chuckled and her cousin joined in.

“Yes, I am hoping that we might have some good news to share very soon,” Melody said mysteriously, much to Nora’s delight.

Melody was one of the kindest people she had known, and she deserved nothing but happiness. As for herself, she viewed happiness as something other than being married to a man. She never planned on getting married, simply because she believed that no man would understand her need for intellectual pursuits, her need to be her own person, without having to adjust to someone else’s needs.

In the end, it seemed easier to simply remain alone her entire life, and do the things that made her happy. However, the ton viewed it as selfishness, although she didn’t see it as such. It was her own life, and she had the right to be responsible for it.

“I am so happy,” Nora spoke, blinking away a few stray tears. “And don’t worry about me. I will find a way out of this, I promise.”

“I know you will,” Melody nodded. “You have always been the more resourceful one. Just remember that you are not alone in this. I am here for whatever you need.”

“Thank you, Melody. I needed to hear that,” Nora responded, wrapping her arms around her cousin and embracing her tightly.

The two cousins sat in silence for a moment, drawing strength from each other’s presence. Despite the oppressive darkness of Uncle Giles’ home and the uncertainty of the future, Nora felt a spark of hope. With Melody’s support, perhaps she could find a way to break free from the constraints that bound her, and forge her own destiny.