Page 5 of The Iron Duke’s Flaming Christmas

Chapter 5

“Oh!” Selene gasped, as cold water fell onto her head, saturating her hair and wetting her gown. “What…?”

Confused, she looked around. She had just walked into the nursery at Trenton House to meet her new pupil, Lady Lenore. She was still standing in the doorway. Mrs. Kittles was just ahead of her and had made it into the room in one piece.

She gasped. A petite girl with curly dark hair, tied with blue ribbons, was standing on a chair with an empty bowl in her hands. Clearly, the water had come from that bowl. And Lady Lenore had just tipped it onto her head!

Carefully, she wiped the water out of her eyes. Mrs. Kittles looked shocked, her mouth open, staring at Selene. There was a tense silence. The little girl looked at her with the same dark eyes as her father, clearly waiting for her reaction.

I expected that this was going to be difficult. But I had no idea that it was going to be so challenging even before I opened my mouth. Perhaps it would have been better if Lady Lenore hadn’t been told I was coming to meet her.

Suddenly, Selene started to laugh. Lady Lenore frowned, looking confused.

“Well, that was quite a welcome,” said Selene, in between laughter, gazing at the girl. “I was not expecting that at all!”

“Are you not going to punish me?” said the little girl, tilting her head to one side, in a bird like way.

“Punish you?” Selene pretended to ponder the question. “Is that what you were expecting?”

Mutely, the girl nodded.

“You should come down from the chair,” continued Selene. “Then we can talk properly about it. If you please.”

The girl looked surprised, confusion flashing across her face, but did what Selene suggested, carefully climbing down from the chair and walking across the room to stand in front of the fireplace. She gazed at Selene warily.

Selene’s eyes flickered around the room. The nursery was beautifully furnished, with many toys. A grand rocking horse took pride of place against one wall. There were two large bookcases, filled with expensive books.

It was painted a soft apple green. Selene’s heart contorted. It was a child’s wonderland, filled with treasures. How she would have loved to live in such a room as a child, with unlimited toys, dolls and books!

Mrs. Kittles sat in the rocking chair by the fire. Clearly, the housekeeper had decided to keep out of the interaction, and merely observe. It was equally clear to Selene that this was a sink or swim situation—what she did now would influence her relationship with the child going forward.

She took a deep breath, gazing at the little girl, smiling faintly. “Do you always greet your new governesses in such a manner, my lady?” Her voice held a hint of amusement.

Lady Lenore’s dark eyes flickered. “Sometimes. They usually cry and scream and stomp their feet.”

“I see,” said Selene gravely, nodding her head. “I can see that a lot of people might react in that way.” She took a deep breath. “I will answer your question now. I am not going to punish you.”

Lady Lenore looked surprised. “You are not?”

Selene shook her head. “No. It was merely water, and it did not hurt me, although I must look quite a fright now.” She made a silly face. “Like a gargoyle, perhaps? Or a drowned rat?”

Lady Lenore giggled. “Maybe.”

“Why do you throw water or do other such things to your governesses?” asked Selene, kneeling in front of the child, so that their eyes were level.

Lady Lenore looked surprised again. Obviously, nobody had ever asked her such a question before.

“Because I can,” responded the girl slowly, shrugging her shoulders. “Because it means that they will leave.” She hesitated. “I do not like them. They yell at me and stomp their feet and tell me I am bad.”

Mrs. Kittles made a tsking sound from the rocking chair, but didn’t say anything.

“And you assumed that I would do the same thing,” said Selene, in a thoughtful voice. “Although, you did not give me a chance, did you?”

The girl shook her head. “No.”

“Will you give me a chance?” asked Selene. “I promise that I will not yell or stomp my feet or tell you that you are bad.”

The girl tilted her head to the side again, contemplating Selene. Her dark eyes wandered over her face, looking at her carefully. Selene held her breath.

“Maybe,” replied the girl eventually. “You promise you will not be mean to me?”

Selene nodded. “Yes, I do,” she replied. “I have already said so.” She hesitated. “Will we give each other a chance to see if we like each other until Christmas? Can we do that?”

The girl looked solemn. “Just until Christmas?”

“Yes,” said Selene. “Then, if either of us decide that it is not working out, it will end. You do not have to force me to leave, my lady. I will do it willingly because I want what is best for both of us.”

The girl looked shocked. “All right.”

“Good,” said Selene, holding out her hand. “Shall we go to the library now and look at some books? I would like to see what you like.”

Lady Lenore’s eyes flickered to the outstretched hand. There was a moment when Selene thought she wasn’t going to take it. Then, quite suddenly, she did.

Selene’s heart swelled. So far, so good. She smiled at Mrs. Kittles, who looked a little shocked, as well, but smiled back, nodding at her imperceptibly. They turned and walked out of the room toward the library. Selene held her breath the whole time. She really was the governess of Trenton House now. She still couldn’t quite believe it.

***

Ian let the curtain drop when the new governess led his daughter out of the nursery toward the library. He had been watching their first interaction from an adjacent room, curious to know how Miss Bomind was going to handle his daughter, and how Lenore was going to greet her.

He grinned to himself, shaking his head. His daughter had given her quite a greeting, pouring water over her head. It was very naughty, of course, and if he hadn’t been so curious as to how the new governess would handle the situation, he would have intervened, scolding Lenore soundly.

His heart contorted. But Miss Bomind hadn’t scolded her—instead, amazingly, she had laughed, then talked quite calmly to Lenore, brokering a deal with her. Oddly, it had seemed to work. They had calmly agreed to go to the library together.

It was unprecedented. He had never seen a governess react in such a way to such provocation. They always overreacted, trying to lay down the law, and show who was in charge far too soon, which only antagonized his daughter more. Lenore was different to other children—she had to be handled very carefully.

She didn’t like strangers marching in and trying to immediately control her. And, of course, she didn’t have a mother’s loving hand to temper her spirit.

The new governess seemed to understand that. It was very odd, indeed.

He took a deep breath, waiting a moment before leaving the room, heading down the hallway toward the library. He would observe them there, as well. Even though he had told Miss Bomind he would give her until Christmas to win over his daughter, he would turn her out without a moment’s notice if he thought it necessary.

Suddenly, he stopped, gazing at an oil portrait on the hallway wall, his heart beating fast. His skin started prickling. Usually, he never lingered long gazing at this painting, for it was far too painful. But today, for some reason, he needed to do it.

His heart swelled. There was Mary, looking particularly beautiful in a shining blue gown, her auburn hair swept up in a dramatic fashion. She was wearing the jewels of the Duchess of Trenton. Her dark eyes were glowing and there was a slight smile upon her lips, as if something was amusing her.

How beautiful she was. And how spirited. She was the most vivacious, feisty woman I ever encountered. She bowled me over from the moment I first set eyes upon her.

He realized, with a jolt, that Lenore had inherited her mother’s feistiness. His daughter was as spirited as her mother. Lenore didn’t look like her mother —his daughter had inherited his dark hair and eyes—but she was like her in spirit. Would they have recognized that in each other if Mary had lived? Or would they have clashed?

His heart filled with sorrow. He would never know the answer to that question.

Abruptly, he turned away, unable to look at his late wife’s beautiful, beloved face any longer. She should have lived to a grand old age. She should still be there now, being a mother to their daughter.

Perhaps they would have had more children, a tribe of them, crowding the nursery. Perhaps Lenore wouldn’t have been a lonely only child. Perhaps his daughter wouldn’t have felt the need to push governesses away.

His thoughts turned to the new governess. His heart lurched again. She was spirited, too. Miss Bomind reminded him of Mary in many ways, although she didn’t look like her at all, either. Maybe it was that flash of challenge in her eyes. Maybe it was the fact she couldn’t stop herself speaking her mind, even when she knew it might not be well received.

He was starting to grudgingly admire her, very much indeed. He kept walking. He was almost to the library when he stopped, staring at a statue of a Greek goddess, splendid in her nakedness. He had seen this statue a million times but somehow, he had just noticed it. Astonishingly, he was imagining Miss Bomind as the statue.

Look at how she stands there, thrusting her breasts forward, brazenly showing her belly and mound of Venus… a beautiful, sensual seductress, enticing a man to her bed. How wonderful it would be to lose myself within her…

He jumped, shaking away the inappropriate thought. His mouth was dry and his loins tight with need.

He kept going, reaching the library, peering through the doorway. Miss Bomind and Lenore were looking at books together. His eyes widened. Amazingly, his daughter was actually listening to her new governess as Miss Bomind talked to her, nodding her head. Eventually, they selected a book, taking it to a table in a far corner, sitting down together side by side.

Ian kept gazing at them. They opened the book. Miss Bomind pointed at the pictures. Lenore kept nodding. All was calm. Ian shook his head incredulously. After a few more moments, he turned around, heading back toward his study.

He sat down, gazing out the window, deep in thought, trying not to conjure Miss Bomind as the Greek goddess in his mind again, and focus on why she was here: to teach his daughter.

The new governess might actually work out this time. And with another flip of his heart, he realized he wanted it to work out. Already, Miss Bomind was changing Trenton House, and it was definitely for the better.