“Miss. Montgomery.” Edmund tried to calm her down, lifting his hands to the level of his chest, “Please, try to calm down so we can discuss this.”
“I shall not calm down!” Her nostrils flared as she spoke. “And there is nothing to discuss. My mind has been made up. Good day to you!”
With those words, she turned around, and started marching towards the door. As she did so, Edmund couldn’t help but notice that the entire back of her dress was caked in mud. She had probably sat in it, as a result of some mischief which the girls were surely to blame for.
As he watched her stampede out, he heard a chuckle. He turned to Miss. Blake and saw that her gaze was lifted. She was focused on the governess, as she pressed her hand to her lips, trying to suppress more laughter. Her bright blue eyes had a streak of purple in them. They were the strangest, most beautiful eyes he had ever seen.
Suddenly, he felt equally amused by all this. His lips spread into a wide grin, as he pressed them tightly together, not wanting to chuckle out loud.
The governess finally disappeared, leaving the door to the study wide open. He released a low snicker, but immediately straightened himself, not wishing to lack seriousness in front of the young woman.
Realizing what had just happened and that they were once again left without a governess for the girls, he sighed, resting his hands on his hips. Miss. Blake had also stopped smiling and was focused on an invisible spot on the floor.
“It seems that we just lost our governess,” he thought to himself, out loud. He wasn’t really addressing her, even though it appeared that way.
The smiling Edmund she got to see was gone. Now, in his place, there was a brooding character once more, weary and a little afraid of what the future might reveal.
* * *
Rosalie watched the man before her pace about the room. He wanted her out of his home, and she understood that. Who would want a stranger they found unconscious on their estate? She was nobody to him. He had no reason to help her in any way. But he didn’t even know that by making her leave, he would be signing her death warrant. Mr. Loveless would find her. There was no doubt about it in her mind. She dared not even think what would happen to her then.
Miss. Montgomery’s sudden departure gave her the idea of salvation. It was a blessing in itself. The only way she could remain safe and hidden from the Devil personified, would be to stay here. And she was determined to make that happen.
“My Lord…” she spoke, softly. She still seemed to ponder what was on her mind. Then, a moment later, she gave voice to her thoughts. “Per chance, I could look after the girls.”
“You?” He frowned at the idea.
Rosalie knew that she had left a horrible first impression. Odds are no one in their right mind would hire a girl they found in the woods, half-dead. Furthermore, she couldn’t even prove that she was indeed capable of teaching those girls many things. All she had was her own word, and under these circumstances, her word meant little.
“Yes, me,” she nodded, looking at him straight in the eyes, for the first time since they had spoken. She seemed more confident about her confirmation. More resolute.
She stood before him gracefully, her body long and erect, her hands clasped in front of her. She had all the bearings of a lady, and yet, no lady would ever be caught in the woods at night, barely conscious. But she had to make him rethink all that and see her in a different light. A better light.
“This is highly irregular, Miss. Blake,” he told her. Her idea was strange, and sudden. But stranger things had been done. And, besides, he firmly believed that he was left with no other option. “Tell me a little about yourself, what you do remember?”
He still seemed wary of her. Suspicious. She could recognize that look on his face. She had seen it many times. He was keeping his guard up, and rightly so. He had no reason to trust her. She knew that much.
“I grew up in an orphanage,” she started, surprising him. “As you can imagine, it was hard, but I was fortunate.”
“Fortunate?” he repeated. “How?”
She smiled for the first time, and it was a smile that brightened up the whole room. She remembered a time when life seemed so simple, so sweet.
“The Headmaster, Mr. Goosevelt was kind enough to provide me with an enviable education for someone in my circumstances,” she explained. “He provided me with lessons on how to read, write and count. We mostly used cookery and piety books, although he was fond of poetry, so we referred often to those as well.”
“Was that all he taught you?” Edmund asked.
“Oh, no,” she shook her head, that smile still lingering. “He taught me that girls should be decorative, modest and marriageable. So, he also taught me about body posture, movement, and needlework. I know how to dance as well, and I do speak a little French.”
“Is that so?” Edmund leaned back into his chair.
Her face was expressionless. Many would have been in awe at her by now, but not him. He was more difficult to amaze, but she had to make it happen. The alternative was unthinkable.
“So, as you can see, My Lord,” she spoke more confidently now, but still occasionally looked away, when she noticed that he was holding her gaze a little too long. “I do believe I am qualified for the position, even if it is without references.”
“Indeed, references are a matter of importance when it comes to hiring someone.”
“But they are not crucial,” she reminded him. “I can prove my worth, if I am given a chance, My Lord.”
