She wrapped her hands around her mother’s neck when she finally stopped. Her head spun a little and her eyes felt dry but she was happy to have being spun.
“Okay, I won’t run anymore, mother,” she said, grinning mischievously as she wriggled in her mother’s grip, wanting to be let down.
“Selina…” The sound of her mother shouting after her as she bolted the minute her feet touched the ground followed her as she ran toward her father.
His loud laughter drew her to him and he knelt down, his arms outstretched, waiting for her to run into them.
“Hmmph… My princess is getting bigger everyday.” He tickled her causing her to giggle. Her father picked her up and walked in the direction she had just run from, towards her mother.
“Ladies, I can see you are both having a wonderful day.” He leaned down to press a kiss on her mother’s forehead, pulling her into him with Selina still in his arms.
Yes, she had known love just as well. She had been cherished by her parents and had reciprocated their affections. Her life had been a happy one until…
Selina tiptoed past the empty bottles of alcohol, trying to be as quiet as she could to avoid getting caught. She had heard a sound and wished to investigate it although she was worried that she should not have.
She reached a door left slightly ajar and peeked through, the sight before her breaking her heart. She watched as her mother dropped the basket on the floor, her hand rubbing at her eyes as she sobbed quietly.
“Helen!” her father’s voice cut through the air, chilling her to the bone. Her mother was yanked off the ground the next moment, and Selina closed her eyes as the sound of a slap rang in her ears along with her mother’s cries.
Selina shook herself out of the memory that had quickly turned sour, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. She had known love but she had also known pain. Lots of pain.
She hurried to fix the frown on her face but was not quick enough to do so. She wondered how long she had been stuck in her memories as she saw Barbara staring at her with concern.
Desperate to escape the questioning look of concern, she turned away to look out the window but saw that just like Barbara, Grace had also been looking at her.
“Selina also lost her parents in a terrible carriage accident,” the dowager explained to Barbara. She moved away from the window and came to stand in front of the pair. “It is a hurt that is still very fresh and sensitive for her to think of.”
The guilt again ate at Selina as Grace came to her rescue. However, she simply nodded and smiled, not meeting either of their eyes.
“That is correct, it still is quite sensitive for me, but I am happy. Ever since I happened on the Dowager Duchess and she took me in, I have been very happy. Even now, spending time with you, I am also very happy,” she said to Barbara and tapped her nose gently.
“I am happy that you are here. I really like you and I like the time that we are spending together,” Barbara said.
“My previous governesses were not like you. They were always so scared of my brother and would often quit early into our lessons for fear of what he would do to them.”
Selina wondered whether there was a reason for them to fear the duke other than his striking appearance and inability to utter the right words but she could not think of him ever doing something that would put his sister at a disadvantage.
“But you, you do not seem to be scared of him, so that means that you would not run away, right?”
Selina could hear the fear that Barbara was trying to keep at bay, she could see the uncertainty in her eyes.
How could any of the governesses have seen this young girl who desperately needed education and friendship abandon her just because of the rudeness of The Duke and fear of his appearance? None of it had anything to do with Barbara.
The previous governesses should at least have remembered their duties to the young lady instead of simply running away with one look at the Duke.
Moreover, she was willing to bet that despite how intimidating the Duke looked, his appearance and personality were opposite. Selina remembered how she had gotten him to climb up a tree when he really did not want to.
She supposed the word should have been that he tried to climb up the tree, considering how terribly he had failed at that simple task.
Although he pushed at her buttons with every word he uttered from that mouth of his and his expression that often spoke of his haughtiness, Selina could not much see what had driven so many governesses away.
Had there truly been none who could ignore him and focus solely on the child?
It had merely been days since Selina came to stay in this household. In that time, she had spent a lot of time with Barbara when she did not have to be with Grace. As such, Selina was rather confident that she knew her to a certain degree and could speak to her character.
Barbara was a free-spirited young lady, and she was the sweetest child, always looking for ways to make things easier on those around her so she would not be a burden.
She was sure that anyone who spent more than a week with the girl and was not completely immersed in their own selves but truly got to know her would come to see how good of a person she truly was and would not want to part with her so easily.
