“Miss Campbell, I trust that everything with His Lordship went well?” Thomas glanced at her with concern, pausing with a tray of silver in his gloved hands.
“Very well, thank you, Thomas,” she huffed and approached the staircase. Her plan of action had already begun to form in her mind as soon as he had denied her request.
“Will the fire be lit in the study from now on?” Thomas called up the stairs in her wake.
“No, thank you, Thomas, it will not, but rest assured that Lady Theodora and I will take our lessons in warmth!”
“I don’t understand. Miss Campbell, will you please slow down!” The butler’s voice faded behind her as she made her way over the gallery and down the hall that led to the study.
Benedict Beaumont was stubborn, but stubbornness was about to meet its match in Livinia Campbell.
Pushing open the study door, she walked into the chilly room with sheer determination and began to gather the books on her desk. “Come, Lady Theodora, we will be taking the rest of today’s lesson downstairs,” she said cheerfully, barely concealing her irritation.
Lady Theodora seemed taken aback as she frowned. “Has Benedict not allowed the fire to be lit?” Her voice was laced with concern.
“No, he has not. And in light of Lord Sheffield’s rules, we will seek alternate accommodation for our lessons to proceed in comfort. Let’s not waste any more time.” Livinia marched past her with the stack of books in her arms.
“Miss Campbell, where are we going?” Lady Theodora hurried to keep up with her. Her lack of proper walks on the estate was evident in how she began to pant.
Livinia kept up the brisk pace on her way down the stairs. “We are moving our studies to the only other room with a fire at this time of day. We shall adjust our lesson plan. Walks in the mornings, accomplishments in the afternoons, and lessons in the evenings when we can use the fire.” She rattled off her instructions before pointedly heading towards the parlour where she had first met the stubborn earl.
“Miss Campbell?” Thomas caught up to them both, hurriedly bowing to Lady Theodora before addressing Livinia. “Where on earth are you headed with all those books?” His concerns only grew bigger when Livinia headed straight for the parlour where the earl spent most of his evenings.
“Not to worry, Thomas, we will be taking our studies every evening in the parlour until such a time as when fires are allowed to be lit in the rest of the house,” Livinia said, addressing him with a smile while pushing open the parlour door with her hip.
Theodora let out a gasp of shock mingled somewhere between awe and fear. Her expression said she knew what trouble lay ahead, but her eyes spoke of the excitement she craved.
Thomas froze as if he wasn’t sure how to proceed.
“Just as I thought, the sun is setting, and a cozy little fire has already been lit.” Livinia nodded her approval and placed the stack of books on the writing desk nestled in the corner of the room. “It isn’t as big as the study, but it will do for two or so weeks.”
She worked quickly to tidy up the stacks of papers and rolls of parchment on the desk. Moving them aside would allow more room for her to work as well as making a point to the earl she hoped would resonate within him.
“And where will His Lordship write his letters while you are in his parlour? This room is reserved exclusively for His Lordship to write during the evenings!” Thomas demanded almost angrily; his brows furrowed with concern while his eyes darted to the tiny desk and its contents that had been disturbed.
Theodora chewed the inside of her cheek as if she were considering her part in the matter. Her eyes darted to the doorway, then back to Livinia as she shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other.
“Well, His Lordship may like to use the study since he does not mind the draught. There is also the possibility of us sharing the space for a while.’’ Her pulse raced with determination as she stared the butler down.
“Share?” he uttered the word as if she had slapped him across the face.
“Yes, share. It’s a concept often taught to young children when they do not wish to part with any of their treats or toys,” Livinia explained sarcastically before gesturing for her charge to take the seat beside the fire.
Doing as she was told, Theodora hurried to her chair, accepting the book Livinia offered to her.
“You may continue with chapter three while I prepare tomorrow’s lesson.” She gave her instruction while ignoring Thomas’s shocked looks. “And you may close your mouth, Thomas. I am here to take charge of Lady Livinia’s education, which is exactly what I am doing.”
The man seemed to sober up as his countenance returned to his usual sour demeanour. “Very well, Miss Campbell, I will not interfere. I will also not be involved when His Lordship’s anger is unleashed.” He took a step back with his hands raised in surrender.
“I never asked you to get involved,” Livinia answered him with a determined look and retrieved one of the books on the table before making herself comfortable on the sofa.
Thomas lifted his brows but refrained from responding before leaving the room.
Theodora quickly buried her nose in her book and continued reading, leaving Livinia to her thoughts.
I hope I have done the right thing.
Her heart began to pound as her nerves faltered. The way the earl had spoken to her had made her furious, but now she wondered if she hadn’t gone too far. The parlour after all was a private room in the house. One that a governess didn’t necessarily have a right to occupy. She wondered how angry he would be when he came into the house and realized what she had done.
A light breath made her lips part a little as she recalled the fierce look in his eyes. There had been anger, but there had also been something else.
Attraction? Or even admiration.
The pace of her breathing quickened again with the thought of his lips so close to hers. The scent of fresh hay and pinecones had emanated from his skin. Had he been riding in the forest all day? The feel of his muscular arms around her waist still made her skin tingle with heat. For the briefest of moments, she had wondered what it would be like to have his lips against the tender skin of her neck.
“Just what is going on in here?” Benedict demanded angrily as he barged into the parlour, his nostrils flaring with anger.
Livinia and Theodora both jumped slightly with fright before turning to look at Benedict.
“I thought it would be obvious, My Lord. We are studying in front of the fire. I thought you might think this a more agreeable arrangement until the fire may be lit in the study,” Livinia spoke steadily, her heart beating with anxiety now that she was faced with the consequences of her actions.
Benedict took a moment to glance around the room. His eyes fell on the stack of books on his writing desk. “Go to your room until supper is ready,” he addressed his sister while keeping his eyes fixed on the stack of books.
Theodora began to stand but halted when Livinia spoke up.
“Forgive me, My Lord, but we are not yet done with our studies for today. I thought it best to keep our studies to the evenings for the time being.” She hoped that the tremor in the pit of her stomach would not make its way to her voice.
“Do as I say.” Benedict’s voice was low and harsh as he looked at his sister.
