A Governess for the Brooding Duke(48)

And yet, she could not help thinking that if her own life had not taken so devastating a turn, there might be nobody to fight for Eleri and Ffion. Of course, she knew she could not possibly know that for certain. Another governess might have come along of even greater strength of will than her own; someone who might already have managed to get through to the Duke in some way, even make him see a little something of his faults.



Georgette let out a snort of laughter so uncommonly unladylike for her that she was pleased to be entirely alone. And yet the feeling of amusement had assailed her quite suddenly, and she found she rather enjoyed her solitary mocking of the man she thought would be unlikely to ever, ever change.



Still, her conversation with Lady Cynthia Lyndon had given her food for thought without a doubt. Despite the fact that Lady Cynthia had argued so dreadfully with her nephew, it had been clear to Georgette that she still loved him a great deal and that the differences between them were really rather breaking that good woman’s heart.



Perhaps there was something more to know about him, something good in his character which had simply become lost under everything else which would seek to make him so unappealing.



Ever since their conversation of just days before, Georgette had been quite unable to think of anything else. Her mind was full of curiosity, and she wondered at the heartbreak, anger, and misunderstanding which Lady Cynthia had mentioned in brief. Even more, she wondered what the dreadful choices which should never have presented themselves might have been, and if she would ever find them out.



Still, Lady Cynthia had promised to tell her all of it, piecemeal if she must. However, that was a promise which had been made in the heat of emotion when the woman was most dreadfully upset, and Georgette, comforting her in the schoolroom, had become her protector and confidant. But surely the woman might think better of her closeness to a woman who was, to all intents and purposes, nothing more than a slightly elevated servant.



Suddenly, Georgette heard the crunch of a footstep and looked up sharply. She had been quite in a world of her own and had simply not heard anybody approaching at all. And her silence and stillness had clearly done much to camouflage her because when the Duke regarded her also, it seemed that he too was surprised not to be alone.



“Forgive me, Miss Darrington. I had not meant to startle you.”



“Not at all, Your Grace,” she said nervously, trying to rise to her feet.



“No, please do not make yourself uncomfortable. And there is no need to rise, Miss Darrington,” he said, holding a hand out in front of him as if to wave her back down into comfort.



The suddenness of his appearance had left Georgette at something of a loss for words. Try as she might, she could hardly think of a thing to say to him.



“It is a very fine day for walking, is it not?” he said, and Georgette almost laughed.



It became suddenly very clear to her that he felt as awkward as she, and he too had wondered and searched for something to say.



“Yes, a very fine day, Your Grace,” she said, finding her response a little easier now that he had taken steps to start some sort of conversation between them. “If a little warm,” she added, casting her eyes to her abandoned bonnet.



“Indeed, too warm for a bonnet, I think.” He smiled at her, and she suddenly felt a little sorry for him again.



Despite her anger of the last days, there was still something in his manner which seemed to affect her heart just a little. It was sadness and a great discomfort as if he were not quite settled correctly in his own body somehow. And for all his confidence and self-assurance, Georgette could not escape the feeling that he also suffered great moments of awkwardness, and that this was very likely one of them.



“This is the first time I have walked here, Your Grace. I have rather wasted my Sunday afternoons if I am honest, and so I have come out here today to avoid doing such a thing again.” She was suddenly keen to at least say something which might put him a little at his ease.



At that moment, she could hardly believe that the man standing quiet and uncertain before her was the very same man who had regarded her rather coolly from behind his desk and dismissed her claims of the poor behaviour of his staff outright. She could hardly believe that he was the same man who, on their first visit to the church, had annoyed her so greatly that she had fought an urge to stamp on his foot. No, the man before her now seemed very different; somewhat out of place and not a little lost.



“It is a very fine place to walk, Miss Darrington. I count myself very fortunate to have such a place at my disposal and yet, at the same time, I realize that I have not been here myself for many weeks. Of course, the moment I step foot upon the path which leads me through the trees, I am reminded of the peace that is to be found here and find I must chastise myself for taking such a thing for granted.”