Page 45 of The Governess’ Unlikely Suitor (The Dashworth Brothers #2)

A fter much convincing, Kate managed to persuade Pete and Silas into having baths, the process taking all of the skills she had honed over her long years as a governess.

Pete was old enough to be conscious of his body and hid behind the screen for the five minutes in which he cleaned himself.

Silas, younger and happier to be wet and warm, soon relaxed into the water and wanted Kate to talk to him while he splashed the contents of the tub onto the rug near her hearth.

While his brother played, Pete prowled around the edges of Kate’s sitting room, grumbling about how the water had made him itch and fiercely muttering all the reasons he would never wash again.

He was wearing clean clothes that Emily had somehow managed to alter in the brief moments from when she had seen him standing in the entrance hall and the end of his bath.

The woman was a genius with a needle and thread and her work had only compounded Kate’s guilt at not going to her or any of the Dashworths for help in the first place.

Edward had disappeared shortly after their return to Glanmore House, his stern features and Emily’s red-rimmed eyes hitting Kate in the heart harder than any punch.

Before he left, he’d given her a letter that had arrived from Simon.

While Pete made another circuit of the room, glaring at his tormentor, the bath, she pulled the letter out and read.

Sister,

I have arrived safely. The weather in this country is nothing short of an abomination. It is like summer, despite being the autumn.

My investigation is going well, but I do believe I will be some months in this country. I hope the Dashworth family is continuing to treat you well. Write back and inform me if not.

Yours, etc.

Simon

‘Well…’ she huffed out. ‘I do not believe it was worth waiting thirteen weeks for this.’

‘What is it?’ asked Pete, his annoyance at the water temporarily forgotten.

‘A letter from my brother. He is in America. I have been waiting for three months for word from him and he has sent me barely anything.’

Pete shrugged. ‘You’re lucky he’s written anything at all. If I had a sister, I wouldn’t.’ With that pronouncement, he set off again, clearly not done with his diatribe against cleanliness.

Jane entered, a footman following her with trays of food, enough to feed a whole army, certainly too much for two little boys. Silas was out of the bath in a flash, not worrying about covering himself before running towards the food.

‘Dry yourself, please, Silas,’ Kate said, before he could soak her room. ‘And remember to put some clothes on. There are ladies present.’ She nodded to Jane.

Jane smiled. ‘I’ve five younger brothers, Miss. There’s very little I have not seen. I’m to watch the boys. Lord Edward has requested your presence in the Blue Lounge.’

Kate clutched her dress, her fingers burrowing into the folds. ‘Did he say what he wanted to see me about?’

‘The boys, I expect, but he didn’t say, Miss.’

Kate was pushing the door open to the lounge with no conscious thought as to how she had got there. The last twenty-four hours had existed in a whirl of emotion and she had no idea how she was feeling; numb if anything.

Edward was moving around the lounge, straightening the already tidy cushions.

She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. Fury surged through her, not at him but at the woman who had made this lovely, lovely man so anxious years after she had gone from his life, that he still could not relax in his own home.

‘You wanted to see me.’

‘I did. There is much we need to discuss.’

He made his way over to the table containing the newspapers and began folding them.

‘They are already straight,’ she said. She meant it kindly but from the instant tightening of his back, she realised it was the wrong thing to say.

‘I know that,’ he growled. ‘Do you think I want to do this? Do you think I have any control over it?’

She crossed the room and placed her hands on his back. ‘You can stop now, Edward.’

The muscles under her fingers remained taut, but he held still, his fingers not smoothing or straightening anything.

‘Everything is fine, Edward. Everyone is safe and at home. We are all well.’ He turned slowly and her fingers traced along his body until they were resting against his chest. ‘Talk to me.’

‘Your brother wrote to us too.’

‘I hope it was more informative than my letter. I do not believe he wrote more than six sentences and most of it was about the weather.’

Edward’s eyes crinkled in the corners, some of his tension leaking out of him. ‘I do not think he is enjoying the heat.’

‘No. But that is not all he said to you, is it?’

Edward’s amusement faded. ‘No. His main message was about a bank my older brother visited. The upshot is that we are more certain than ever that Sebastian’s death was foul play.

’ He closed his eyes for a moment; seeming to draw strength from the gesture, he carried on.

‘I realise he was going through this two years ago, but I cannot let go of the idea that he might have been frightened, not just for himself but for his wife and for Charlotte. I mean, the day you found Charlotte in the library, I vacillated wildly from fear she was lost to sureness we would find her. That was harrowing enough, but for him to have to face the terror he might die and she would be left alone in the world with no one to care for her…’ His large body shuddered.

She pressed her fingers into his chest, trying to ground him in the moment. ‘She is safe and well. Nobody knows what the future holds, but you are doing the right thing by your niece.’

His smile was slight, but at least there was one. ‘Thank you.’

‘No, thank you for what you did earlier. The way you took care of the boys, their mother; not many people would do that.’

He raised an eyebrow. ‘Why are you so sceptical about people showing empathy?’

‘You forget I have worked in several aristocratic households; Chorley was the worst example, but none of them were empathetic to those beneath them on the social scale. The members of the upper classes I have witnessed are kind to those of their own social standing but not necessarily to those under them. Trust me when I say what you did today was special.’

He looked at her from under his thick eyelashes. ‘It saddens me that you might be right, when in reality I did very little at all.’ He reached up and covered her hands with his.

She twisted her fingers, linking them with his against his chest. ‘I think my brother is going to be gone a long time.’

‘Yes.’

‘While I was cleaning Pete and Silas’ house I thought a lot about my future and what I want from it.’

He shifted on his feet. ‘And what did you decide?’

‘I think I need to speak with Chorley.’

His grip tightened. ‘In what sense?’

‘He has been sending flowers and notes.’

Edward raised an eyebrow. Beneath their linked hands she could feel his muscles tightening again. ‘Has he indeed?’

‘It needs to stop and I think I must be the one to do that.’

‘It is not necessary. I have been looking into him. He has debts I can purchase; once I own those he cannot touch you again.’

His dark eyes blazed down at her, his brows creased in a fierce, protective frown.

Other than Simon, there had been no one to care for her this much and another piece of her heart was lost to this man.

It was very tempting to let him do this for her, but it wouldn’t truly solve her problem.

‘He cannot touch me because of you , not because of me .’

His forehead crinkled. ‘That does not make sense.’

‘I want him to stop sending me flowers because he realises he has no control over me , not because of something you have done.’ She didn’t add that once he was out of her life, whatever hold Edward had over Chorley would vanish when she left his protection.

‘May I come with you when you confront this monster?’

Now that she wasn’t going to argue with. ‘I would be grateful for your support.’

He nodded, but she did not feel any release of tension in the muscles beneath her fingers. ‘What else do you have planned?’

It was not surprising he realised there was more.

They had become close over the last three months and he was probably as able to read her moods as she was his.

This was the harder part, but it was necessary.

She took a deep breath and began, ‘As much as I have appreciated everything Emily and all of you at Glanmore House have done for me, I am here under false pretences.’

He jerked in her touch. ‘No, you are not.’

‘Yes,’ she said softly, her heart heavy.

‘I am. Emily does not need a companion. She has Freddie and the rest of you and she will soon have her baby. I understand it was a ruse to get me here so Simon would not worry about me when he travelled. No, there is no need to protest; Emily has admitted as much. It is fine, I understand, but I think it is time for me to move on.’

‘What?’ His jaw went slack.

‘I do not want to marry any of those men who have come calling. I find the whole thing faintly ridiculous. I try to picture myself as a member of the Ton and I cannot do it. I would be bored, Edward. I like working; I miss it. I want to get back to doing something that makes a difference.’

Edward had gone completely still; he may have been carved from rock for all he was moving. He was looking straight at her, but she did not think he was seeing her. Eventually, his Adam’s apple bobbed. ‘I see.’ He cleared his throat. ‘What do you want to do with your life?’

The hours scrubbing earlier had given her plenty of time to think of this and once she’d had the idea, the rightness of it had settled on her bones.

‘I would like to create a home for children like Pete and Silas. A place where they can come and be cared for and perhaps learn. I do not know how much money it will entail, but I wondered about asking the duke if he would sponsor such a venture. If he was prepared to put up a dowry, he could use that money for something worthy like this instead. Do you think he would?’

Edward squeezed her hands once and then let go.

She left her hands where they were resting on his chest, not ready to forgo his touch just yet.

He cleared his throat again, then rubbed his upper lip before saying, ‘I cannot speak for Tobias, although I do think he is worth approaching. He may appear to be austere, but I think there is a very kind and thoughtful man lurking beneath his exterior. But I have money, Kate. I would be happy to fund your idea, because you are right: it sounds like the sort of project one should be investing in. If you look into it in more detail, find out costs, locations, that sort of thing and then come back to me with a plan.’ He brushed her forehead with a featherlight kiss.

‘I hope you will excuse me now though; I have an engagement this evening for which I must get ready.’ He disentangled himself from her loose hold and stepped away from her.

He paused for a moment, a small, sad smile on his face.

‘I hope this goes well for you, Kate, I really do. You deserve to be happy.’