The Governess (Ladies of Miss Bell's Finishing School Book 1) Read online

  Adelaide was still stupefied by the last day of her life, and could not respond coherently. She was quite certain she did not like Mr. Fielding, but he had been kind enough to bring her to an appropriate chaperone—and that when he had seen the worst side of her tongue. Now she not only owed him an apology and gratitude, she would be obliged to stay in his house.

  “Would you care to write notes to your friends while my maid packs my belongings? Then they will know you are here as soon as they arrive in Town.” Lady Middleton walked over to a small writing desk and laid out paper and pen. “Is there anything else I may have sent to you while you wait?” Before Adelaide could answer, the lady tugged on the bell-pull and ordered tea.

  “Now, my nephew mentioned you might need more clothing, seeing as you have only brought the small reticule in your hand and are wearing the gown you arrived in. It is much too delicate a thing for him to say to you, of course, but he is ever the considerate boy. Is he not?”

  Adelaide nodded, feeling very self-conscious that he had noticed such a thing. Of course he would, she thought, given how immaculate his own person was. He must have been disgusted by her! Her lips cracked into a smile at the thought.

  “On second thought, perhaps you should come with me and we will see what my maid can fit to you. It is too late to visit the shops today but we can attend to that on the morrow. Come along, dear.” Adelaide climbed the stairs behind Lady Middleton, thinking it was futile to resist this force of nature.

  Robert hurried back to his town house to check Debrett’s Peerage to see if his suspicions were correct. He dashed into the house with scarcely a greeting to his butler and into his study. Knowing its precise location, he took the book from the shelf and cracked open the rarely used tome. He flipped to the desired page as quickly as he could. Running his finger down to the name, he stopped at Elliot, Philip. His eyes moved to the right and he found Adelaide. Briefly closing them against the unwelcome truth, he slid down in his chair and rested his head on the desk with a groan.

  “Why me?” he wondered aloud.

  Philip had been working with him on covert operations for Wellington and had not been heard from in almost a year. Philip belonged to a group of soldiers who considered themselves brothers, and Robert had befriended most of them. The six brethren had vowed to take care of each other’s families should something happen to them, yet Philip had been Robert’s responsibility when he had gone missing. Allowing this to happen to Philip’s sister was more a sin of omission than a deliberate error. Robert had known, in the back of his mind, that Philip had a sister at school; he had, however, failed to determine her well-being.

  Closing the book slowly with a considered motion, he addressed four quick notes, before returning the book to its shelf and preparing to set forth to consult with Philip’s fellow brothers. He mulled over the various options. Miss Elliot was not compromised, yet, but coming to live in his home, a renowned bachelor, even with the protection of his aunt, would still raise eyebrows.

  He smiled a little at the thought. He would not lack for entertainment while she and his wards were in residence. However, he was as good as her guardian, with Philip’s whereabouts unknown, and therefore under his protection. It was a pity; he would have enjoyed taming her very much, he thought with a wry twist of his lips.

  Placing his beaver hat atop his head, he took his Malacca cane from Percy and began walking towards St. James’ deep in thought. Anyone of his acquaintance who might have passed him would have guessed at his rudeness, so deep in concentration was he.

  By the time he arrived at White’s Gentlemen’s Club, the major-domo held the door for him. “Good evening, sir. The other military gentlemen are here. Will you be joining them for dinner?”

  “Yes, thank you,” he replied, handing him his cape and hat while still pondering the best course of action.

  Matthias, Colin, James and Luke—the four remaining brethren—stood cautiously when he entered the private dining room, but waited for him to speak.

  “Good evening, gentlemen,” he said as he joined them and sat down.

  They all returned to their seats, still watching him with a certain degree of wariness. Robert had called an urgent meeting, a plea to come without delay.

  “Relieve our anxieties, please, Major Fielding. Has Philip been found?” Matthias Landry, now the Earl of Thackeray, asked, staring at Robert with his piercing green eyes.

  “Unfortunately, no…but his sister has.”

  “What do you mean?” As Colin spoke, a stray ginger curl fell onto his forehead.

  “I mean, she appeared at my estate in the form of a governess for my two new wards.”

  “This does not look good. Not at all. Philip would never have left her in such circumstances.” Luke said aloud what they were all thinking. His thick black brows were drawn together, making him look formidable.

  “Precisely.”

  “What do you suggest we do?” Matthias asked. “He has not been declared dead.”

  “Not to my knowledge, no. His body has not been found, and unless petitioned, it is several years before the courts will do so,” Robert said slowly.

  “Matthias, do you think you could find Philip’s solicitor and see if there is any provision for Miss Elliot?” Luke asked. Matthias had studied law at Oxford despite being an heir to an earldom.

  “Of course. But do you not think the solicitor would have contacted her before now if there had been any arrangement?” Mathias asked.

  “I cannot presume to know. Philip was young when his commission was bought and I cannot think the man we served with would have knowingly left his sister without provision.”

  “Someone paid for his commission and her schooling,” Colin, the quiet, observant one, pointed out. “And he did ask us to protect her.”

  “Indeed. Before I take it upon myself to act on her behalf, I would very much like to know what the circumstances are.”

  Luke whistled under his breath. “You would become her guardian? Are you certain you wish to do that? The bachelor beau?”

  “Miss Elliot is not one I could leave to fend for herself, I am afraid. She has Philip’s looks and his temper.”

  “I am having trouble picturing Philip as a lady,” James quipped, and they all laughed.

  “I intend to continue searching for him,” Robert announced.

  “My men have found nothing,” Luke added.

  “You still have men over there?” Robert asked with astonishment.

  Luke gave a disheartened nod. “Tobin.”

  A waiter knocked and entered with their dinners. All picked sombrely at their steak and kidney pies with the reminder of their brother left behind, and how the war had left an indelible stamp on all their lives. They had sold out and tried to leave their demons behind them, but being fierce patriots, all were determined not to let Napoleon win in England now they were home again.

  “Since none of you know any details of Philip’s estate, I will continue to ensure she is taken care of,” Robert remarked.

  “We mean to help. We promised Philip,” James explained. Luke, Mathias and Colin readily agreed.

  “I must return home. With my father’s recent death, the estate is in too much turmoil,” Matthias answered, though Robert could see the difficulty those words cost him. “However, I can have Philip’s affairs looked into.”

  “I am certain the four of us can manage the rest,” Robert replied. “I know I am not one of your brethren, but I feel the same commitment to Philip.”

  The others nodded their understanding.

  “Shall we meet again in two days’ time? Hopefully there will be more news and together we can make a decision about what would be best for Philip’s sister.”

  “Does she know he is missing?” James asked.

  “I did not ask directly. I needed to confirm her identity, first. I think she suspects, however. I will have that difficult conversation with her when I return. She is staying at my house for the time being.”


  All eyes were upon him with open astonishment. “Hold hard, boys. My aunt Phyllida is there with her.”

  “Poor Beau Fielding,” they harassed, mercilessly.

  “Tease all you like, gentlemen. Aunt Phyllida intends to bring her out. You will all have your turn at escorting her about Town.”

  Chapter 5

  Lady Middleton was like a storm that came upon you with no warning. Before Adelaide knew what was happening, she was being cosseted and fitted by a virtual army of maids. Two were draping dresses around her person and pinning them, another was attempting to style her hair, and another was laying out shifts, petticoats, silk stockings and shoes for her. The worst part was, even when Adelaide could get a word in, no one paid any attention to her objections.

  She had begun to think over what had happened and let her mind wander where it would, when she suddenly realized she was being spoken to.

  “I beg your pardon,” she said meekly.

  “Have you no family or guardian, child?” Lady Middleton repeated.

  “I have a brother in the army, and an aunt, but I have not heard from her since I left for school several years past.”

  Lady Middleton clucked her tongue. “Who is this aunt, if I may ask?”

  “Lady Hogg.”

  It was apparent from the scowl which appeared on Lady Middleton’s face that she had no love for her aunt. Adelaide felt much the same way. It was why she had not attempted to make contact when her time at Miss Bell’s was over. Aunt Hogg had made it very clear that Adelaide and Philip were burdens. By buying him a commission and sending her to school, in Aunt Hogg’s estimation she had done her duty by her late brother’s children.

  “Well, will she not be surprised when she sees you in Society?” Lady Middleton asked with a mischievous smile.

  “She is in London?”

  “Every Season,” the lady confirmed. “The next will begin in precisely ten days, which leaves us little time to prepare you.”

  “Ma’am, I am but a governess, now. I have no thoughts of the Season. I have nothing to my name. While I very much appreciate your kindness in helping me temporarily, this is too much.”

  “Nonsense! Your birth is excellent and you have every right to be here. Besides giving me something entertaining to do this Season, I will enjoy every moment of parading you around in front of Gertrude.”

  “Nevertheless, do but consider the cost, my lady! I must find a position.” Adelaide shook her head.

  “Do not heed the cost. It has been seen to.”

  “But...” Adelaide opened her mouth to protest but the lady held up a silencing hand.

  “I will hear no more objections. If the Season ends and you have not made a match, perhaps then I can hire you as my companion...but I will hear no more objections for now.” She gave Adelaide a stern look, and all Adelaide could do was nod in acquiescence.

  She knew she would have to mention at some point that no one in their right mind would want her without a dowry, no matter how good her birth. It would fall on deaf ears at the moment.

  “Now we must hurry so we are not late for dinner. I think the rose lustring will do splendidly for her tonight, Bowers,” Lady Middleton said to her maid. It was one of the gowns the maids had fitted earlier, which had needed little alteration. Adelaide could not picture her ladyship in these gowns.

  “These are my daughter’s gowns,” she said, as if reading Adelaide’s mind. “She is expecting a happy event, however, and these will be out of fashion by the time she can wear them again. Fortunately, you are of a similar height and build, so we may muddle through until the modiste can finish your wardrobe for the Season.” Lady Middleton hurried her from the room to dress for the evening.

  Adelaide knew she should be grateful, but she felt sick. This was not to be her life, no matter how they tried to trick her out and pretend. She was still a penniless orphan who desperately needed a position. What would be expected of her for all of this? She did not want to imagine.

  Soon she was dressed in a beautiful pink gown that had surely cost more then her wages for a year as a governess would have been. A matching pink ribbon was tied about her hair, which had been styled elegantly so that her curls draped about the crown of her head and also her face. Tears pooled in her eyes as she looked at herself in the looking-glass. She was deeply moved, for who could fail to be when they felt like Cinderella being tended to by a fairy godmother? However, this was no fairy tale and the clock would soon strike midnight, leaving her in rags on the cold, damp street.

  Following the maid downstairs to the entrance hall, she waited to be taken back to Mr. Fielding’s house, pondering what would happen next. On the short drive back, Adelaide was grateful for Lady Middleton’s chatter. She did not feel up to conversation.

  Adelaide did have to smile, though, at the thought of what her friends would think when they saw her. She also admitted to herself it would be wonderful to share the Season with them and be together again. When the carriage pulled up before the town house, it was the first good look at the building she’d had. Of white stone and four stories high, it spoke volumes of his position in Society. On the first occasion, she had been distracted by the boys and then, having let her temper get the better of her, had scarcely noticed. Lady Middleton’s home had been lavish and opulent. Here the wealth was more subtle and understated. However, it felt more like a home than Harlton Park had, and seemed so much for one man. Should not someone with so much wealth wish to have a family and share it? Suddenly, she wondered more about who her employer was and what it said about him. She felt sorry for him.

  Robert returned to his house prepared to relax before the onslaught of femininity took over, for he had no delusions that any peace would remain. He had been a bachelor, living on his own, for nearly fifteen years and gave thanks daily for his solitude. Percy opened the door for him before his hand reached the knob, and the look on his butler’s face told him his peace was already gone, and the ladies were not to blame.

  “What have the little urchins done?”

  “I think the better question would be, ‘What have they not done?’ sir.”

  Robert gave him sideways glance and waited for the news.

  “First, Thomas took them to the park and Master Freddy fell into the Serpentine when chasing after the ducks.”

  Robert could picture the scene in his mind. It was not, after all, an unlikely event. “I trust the boy was unharmed?”

  Percy nodded.

  “And what was their next adventure?”

  “Cook thought to let them help her bake some biscuits thinking to keep them out of mischief, but somehow they managed to break an entire shelf of crockery and spill all of the week’s flour on the floor.”

  Robert was already envisioning the wage increases his servants would deserve for putting up with his wards. “Is there anything else?”

  “Unfortunately, yes, sir. While the boys were being bathed after their kitchen mishap, Master Harry was left alone for just a moment while Master Freddy was being dried, and he decided to see if he could create waves as big as those in the sea while splashing about in the tub. I am afraid he managed enough to leak to the floor below...” The normally staid retainer averted his eyes.

  Robert went at once towards the stairs on his way to the nursery, wondering why the two footmen he had assigned to the boys could not control children half their size. He paused at the next flight of stairs and went into his sitting room to fortify himself with a drink. He would not allow this temporary disturbance in his life to cause him to lose his temper. As if it was not enough that Aunt Phyllida and Miss Elliot were about to descend upon them. He made a mental note to send a large donation to Harrow in the morning. The boys had not even been in the house four-and-twenty hours. He shook his head and set down his empty glass. When he arrived at the nursery, he found his two footmen looking weary and very afraid when they spied him in the doorway. They stood to attention immediately.

  “Where are they?”

>   The servants exchanged glances. “Asleep, sir,” one whispered, his brown eyes wide with gravity.

  “How was that feat managed by seven of the o’clock?” Robert asked with disbelief.

  The other young footman cleared his throat. “Mrs. Simms put a little brandy in their tea, sir.”

  Robert almost smiled. His old nurse had used such methods at times. He would have to give his housekeeper suitable thanks, later but he would not show his admiration in front of these two young men, who should be able to handle one boy apiece.

  “Is there anyone to relieve you for the night?”

  “Aye, sir. Mrs. Simms has sent for some nursemaids from her sister’s place, but they been asking for Miss Elliot all day.”

  “Then they are in luck. Miss Elliot will be here when they wake in the morning.”

  Robert returned to his apartments to dress for dinner. He could not remember the last time he had hosted anyone at his home for a meal. Although he rarely had dinner at home, on those occasions he took a tray in his study. Cook was delighted there would be more guests to cater to, but the other retainers showed little emotion. A collection of trunks arrived before the ladies did, so he had not imagined his folly. As far as the boys were concerned, he hoped the footmen had learned their lesson. He had sent a letter to Harrow to gain their admission and would have to keep them here and entertained at least until they were safely in residence at that hallowed institution.

  Miss Elliot was another matter altogether. Philip had been directly under his command, therefore he did feel responsible for the sister’s welfare. Unprepared, yet again, for the sight of her transformation when she walked through the door, at first he could only incline his head in greeting. Part of him was tempted to retreat, to walk back into Headquarters and buy his commission back. It would be simpler than the battles to be faced here at home.

  Robert felt his collar tighten like a noose about his neck. He had thought her a beauty before, but now, dressed in a pale pink gown, she was a mix of the Madonna’s innocence and Aphrodite’s lure—a dangerous combination. He would swear she was as yet unaware of her charms. How long would it remain so?