“My apologies, Mr. Notley, for presuming,” Miss Smith hurried to say.
Leonard gave her a tight smile, the fist of pain that had been lodged in his chest for the past three years giving him a sharp jab. “It is quite all right, Miss Smith. Elizabeth is my ward, and has been for over two years. We share a resemblance, so it is a natural conclusion.”
She smiled back, and his heart gave a respondingthwump, which was swiftly followed by a tumult of regret, fear, and sadness.Christ, this was going to be difficult.
The woman had appeared on his land covered in blood—which presented an admittedly curious puzzle. And without knowing the full truth of what transpired, his trust in her was heavily tainted. Her genuine fear and reluctance to discuss the matter, however, seemed to confirm a carriage accident—in whichsomeonehad been gravely injured. This could lead to countless conclusions.
Perhaps she and another governess journeyed together in search of positions in the countryside. Or, mayhap she had been travelling alone with a man and withheld the truth to preserve her reputation—fuck knows whythatthought made him ill at ease. The possibilities, as they say, were endless.
Despite his tainted trust, he was wont to give her the benefit of the doubt while they awaited confirmation, for Christ knew not everyone thatappearedguilty of somethingwas.
Additionally, the woman had a good rapport with Lizzy. As evidenced by her comportment, mannerisms, and speech, she had, herself, been trained by the very best governesses. He would request proof of her qualifications, but truthfully, the utter relief at having found someone to teach his niece surpassed the need for proof. And, the possibility of her learning the truth ofhisidentity in the exchange was too perilous.
He avoided looking at Percy, for he was sure that the man could read his expression. This wasLeo’sdecision, damn it, and he was doing it for Elizabeth, who deserved a hell of a lot better than to be stuck alone with him.
“As for the governess position,” he said, his voice slightly lower than he’d intended, “your timing is rather fortuitous, as we have need of one. If you would care for a position here, it is yours to claim.”
* * *
A knot caughtin Juliana’s throat, and she swallowed against it. It was what she’d wanted: a temporary position in a safe place to wait out the storm. Butwasit safe? She’d told Mr. Notley about the carriage accident; what if he decided to search for the wreckage? Then he would know what she’d done…
Her gaze fell on the small child, innocently tugging at her uncle’s blond wrist hair.
No matter how tempting, she would not—couldnot—come to care for the man sitting before her. The position was simply there to fill the time before she was able to continue her journey to London—and complete her rendezvous. Of course, teaching the darling Miss Notley would be but an added pleasure to her stay.
She inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with a steadying, cinnamon-and-coconut-scented breath before smiling at Mr. Notley on an exhale. While she would never come to fully trust another man, she had been insensible in this estate for five days and neither her belongings purloined, nor her person assailed. So, she conceded this once. Little Miss Notley needed her, after all.
“I would be delighted to accept the position,” Juliana said.
The man’s striking blue eyes crinkled in the corners and his lips widened in a smile, revealing clean white teeth. Good heavens, but the man had a wonderful smile.
“Thank you, Miss Smith. My man-of-all-work, Percy, will explain the particulars of the position to you, and once I have concluded with some correspondence, I will show you around the estate.”
“That sounds lovely, thank you.”
“Do you know where you were on the road before your horses ran into the forest?” he asked. “I would like to be specific in my letter to the magistrate.”
Juliana’s lungs froze, and every muscle in her body seized. Where…?Good God, no. He couldn’t… No one could… But someone might one day, and they would know. Not that it had beenher, though. Mr. Notley and the magistrate, however, would know if they saw…
Where was Notley’s estate located, precisely? Without knowing her exact location, she couldn’t even lie about the carriage’s direction to save herself. If shedidknow, however, would she reveal the truth?No. The horrid, honest word crept from the depth of her soul. What she’d done was… Lord, but she despised thinking on it.The blood…
The corners of her vision began to quiver, and her lungs—no longer frozen—seemed incapable of taking in enough air. She gripped the chair’s arms in an effort to ground herself as the room began to swim. Her chest constricted. Oh, heavens, was she about to faint? She was certain that she would either faint or perish; no other option was viable.
Mr. Notley and his man, Percy, were at her sides, gripping her arms, and before she’d even truly realized that she was walking, they had moved her through an adjoining drawing room and out a pair of French windows into a blast of frigid air. Juliana gasped and her body trembled. She blinked, her gaze focusing past the vapour of her rapid breaths.
The portico’s cover provided protection enough for her to observe without being snowed upon, and she took it in. White, fluffy snow fell from the sky in clumps, sticking to the collection already layered upon the ground.
Her breathing gradually slowed, and the unrelenting quivering turned into an occasional tremble from the chill.
“Thank you,” she said, her breath a cloud that quickly dispersed.
Percy nodded once. “Of course, miss.”
“How did you know what to…do?”
He looked over her head at Mr. Notley, then returned his dark gaze to hers. “I’ve seen this previously. A distraction will not always help, but I’m glad that it did, this once.”
“How do you feel?” Mr. Notley asked.
