Livinia did her best to suppress the laughter she felt bubbling up in her chest. Theodora may have been secluded, but she was still as sharp as a whip. “You could once you are married, but your chances will be greatly diminished if you waltz into a ball and ask a lord if he would like to whisk you away to a country that doesn’t exist.”
“You made your point,” Theodora grumbled with a shake of her head and lowered her gaze to her book. “Do you think Benedict will allow me to attend a ball with you as my chaperone?” she asked without looking up again.
“I’m sure he would once you are out in Society.” She frowned at the strange question and crossed her arms to ward off the chill. She made a mental note to ask Lord Sheffield if a fire could be lit at least while studies were underway.
Her gaze wandered back to the window where she had seen him walking the grounds. The mystery surrounding the man only proved to draw her closer. Who was he? And why did he seem so deliciously dangerous to her? His presence made her pulse race far beyond anything she’d experienced in the past.
Heaving a deep sigh, Theodora turned the page. “I doubt he will, but one can dream, I guess.” Her shoulders slumped slightly in defeat, making Livinia even more curious.
Letting her curiosity get the better of her, she decided to venture a few questions. “Why do you think Lord Sheffield won’t allow you to attend balls?” She bit her lower lip in concentration.
Theodora seemed as if she were weighing her options at first. “Benedict fears that I will succumb to the same kind of …” her voice trailed off with a frown.
“What does Lord Sheffield fear will happen?” Livinia came around the desk and leaned on the edge with her hip, her curiosity getting the better of her. Why was a handsome, wealthy, and affluent man like Benedict not married? And why did he feel the need to keep his household and family hidden?
“I’m not really supposed to talk about how things used to be, but I feel I can trust you as my governess, Miss Campbell.” The girl’s eyes shone with excitement. A lack of proper socialization had left her with the need to bond with another woman.
“I cross my heart and hope to die if anything you tell me ever leaves this room.” She made a cross over her heart and held her right hand up in the air as if she were swearing an oath.
Theodora shifted a little closer in her chair and leaned over her desk in excitement. “It all started five years ago when Benedict was courting a beautiful lady from high Society. She was truly an elegant woman, and I hoped to be like her one day.”
The thought of Lord Sheffield courting a beautiful woman made her strangely uncomfortable, but she pushed the feeling aside and waited for Theodora to continue.
“Everything was going rather well for everyone. The house looked very different from how it is now. There was plenty of staff, and Mama and Papa used to host the first ball of the season nearly every year.” Her eyes shone with the grandeur of what she was saying. “Benedict would go out every night instead of just riding his horse around the estate.”
It was hard for Livinia to picture Lord Sheffield in any other way than how he was now. Being the life of the party out on the ton wasn’t exactly synonymous with his broody and private demeanour. Although she could see how a woman could fall in love with him. His handsome features and powerful character had the potential to make anyone swoon.
The memory of his eyes sweeping over her figure caused a visceral reaction that made her hold her breath.
“Why did all of that stop? What happened to …”
“Miss Campbell, if you wouldn’t mind stepping into the hall for a moment,” Thomas’s sharp voice broke her sentence.
“Of course.” She hurriedly pushed herself off the desk. “Carry on with your reading in the meantime, Lady Theodora.”
The girl gave her a concerned glance, raising her eyebrows before burying her face in the book.
Stepping out into the hall, Livinia shut the door behind her with a smile. “Is there something I can help you with, Thomas?” She knew by the look on his face that he was about to give her a very stern reprimand. She just wasn’t sure why.
Nodding towards the steps, Thomas beckoned her away from the door until they were a good distance off. “I must repeat my warning, Miss Campbell. His Lordship does not condone gossip, nor do you have the right to go poking your nose about his business.” His voice was low and hushed, but the reprimand came through, nonetheless.
“I’m sorry, Thomas, but I do not see how Lady Theodora confiding in her governess constitutes your reprimand. I am well within my rights to ask questions to help me understand the girl’s character and needs,” she answered, standing her ground in the face of the man’s judgemental glares.
“And do your duties include finding out about His Lordship’s courting history?” The expression on his face let her know that he knew very well that she was trying to fish for information. “I implore you, Miss Campbell. If you wish to keep your position here at the manor, keep your curiosity confined to Lady Theodora. You are here to teach her how to be a lady, not to discuss the family’s history.”
Livinia opened her mouth to retort but shut it instead, choosing to compose herself.
Thomas halted before turning. “I do not presume to know how much experience you have had in the world, Miss Campbell. In this situation, you will do well to remember that some men are slaves to their emotions.”
He left Livinia feeling confused and slightly disoriented.
What does he mean by that?
Her breathing quickened as she turned to watch him leave. What kind of situation had she got herself into?
Chapter 5
Benedict brushed the mare’s smooth coat while she stood in her stall. The stables housed on the estate were large enough for twenty or more horses, but the earl chose to keep three under his care. He didn’t see the use in keeping more when he was the only one who rode. A stable hand came by once or twice a week to muck out the stalls. He preferred things that way; caring for the horses occupied his mind instead of allowing him to brood.
The grey mare snorted and shook her head just as he reached her neck. “There now, girl,” he soothed the horse with his palm flat on her coat.
Horses were far less trouble than women, even when they decided to be temperamental on any given day. His mind wandered to the new governess. She had been on the estate for a week, bringing back far too much of the past than he’d like.
She hadn’t interfered in any of the mansion’s affairs, but it was only a matter of time until she did. He would never have hired a governess if it hadn’t been for his sister’s nagging.
The horse neighed again, signalling his displeasure with his divided attention. “You’re almost done,” he spoke softly to his prized mare, placing his forehead against her cheek.
A loud crash jolted the peaceful atmosphere, causing the other two horses to neigh restlessly in their stables from fright.
The horse suddenly backed into her stall, neighing in fright as she shook her head and snorted.
“What’s got into you?” He frowned and gripped her reigns, settling her back down before returning his attention to the stable doors.
The coast seemed clear save for a single wooden bucket that rolled across the floor. Something must have been messing about just outside the stable doors. He could have sworn he’d placed the buckets securely on top of one another. Foxes were always a problem this time of year. Their numbers had increased a hundredfold in the past few years, yet he preferred to chase the creatures back into the forest than to allow hunters on the grounds.
Striding across the stable floors with a frown creasing his brow, Benedict set off to find the source of the disturbance. His eye caught a piece of dark fabric disappearing around the corner just as he stepped out into the late afternoon sun.
That’s no fox.
