A Governess for the faithless Duke (Regency Romance) (Regency Tales Book 3) by Regina Darcy

Author:Regina Darcy [Darcy, Regina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Clean and Wholesome Romance
Published: 2016-07-31T04:00:00+00:00

SIX

The next week went by as quickly as the last had done, and by its end, Charlotte was back to her usual calm self. She had managed to avoid any contact with the Duke, walked when she knew he was otherwise occupied or absent from the premises, and so was able to keep thoughts about him to a minimum. And then his Great Aunt Agnes arrived and Charlotte once again found herself battling her inexplicable attraction to a man who was unattainable.

It began with dinner that second evening of his aunt’s visit, when she was invited by Lady Agnes to join them in the drawing room after dinner. The interrogation began almost immediately.

“Edmund tells me you have managed to tame Eliza, and have won over Mary Anne completely, Miss Williams,” Lady Agnes said, her booming tones ringing in the otherwise quiet room. “And he seems to approve of your methods. How exactly have you managed that? Because as I recall, before his dear brother departed, he had a difficult time keeping governesses. You are very young to be so accomplished. What is your secret, child?”

Charlotte gritted her teeth. She hated being called ‘child’ in that condescending tone of voice, and she hated the assessing look that took in her blue gown and saw immediately how poor it was. But this was her employer’s aunt, an aged woman who expected nothing less than total obedience from those beneath her. She held her irritation in check and answered carefully, remembering how a month earlier her words in answer to that same question had caused a rift between the Duke and herself.

“I give them something they want when they do well, Your Ladyship, and take something away when they do not,” she explained as patiently as she could.

Charlotte could feel the Duke’s eyes on her, and she valiantly refused to look at him, keeping her whole attention on his aunt.

“Ah, rewards and punishments, eh?” Her shock at Lady Agnes’s words must have been visible, because the Duke smiled, and his aunt said, “That is what it is, is it not? And a very good strategy at that!”

Charlotte replied, “Yes, Your Ladyship, I have found it to be quite effective.”

“And I have no doubt that you learned those skills at your mother’s knees. Your father is a vicar, is he not?”

“Yes, Your Ladyship, he is.” Charlotte was proud of what her father did, and made no bones about showing it.

“Well, you can tell him from me that he has done well in raising a sensible daughter. Do you play?”

The rapid change of subject startled Charlotte who stuttered a “Yes,” in reply.

“Let us hear what you can do, then,” she demanded, and sat back, her hands holding her cane like a tool for punishment, should Charlotte perform poorly.

Having never played for the Duke before, Charlotte found herself unaccountably anxious to make a good impression, and then had to remind herself sternly that this was for his aunt, and that what he thought was immaterial to her.

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