The Duke was sitting behind his desk, a glass of brandy in his hand and a mountain of ledgers before him. He looked up, his blue eyes startled and then darkened with that familiar, intense heat as they landed on her. She assumed it was the same look he gave her when they passed in the hallways.
“Everything seems a bit fraught with the boys, Your Grace,” Imogen said as she stepped into the room. She didn’t look at him directly as she closed the door. “I’ve been trying to understand them, so I may help them find their way, and I find myself wondering… if some of their misbehaviors might stem from the expectations you’ve set.”
The Duke of Welton froze, his glass halfway to his lips, and an eyebrow arched in amusement.
“I beg your pardon, Miss Lewis? What is the meaning of this?”
“Well,” she said, her voice shaking as she began to lose her resolve under his sharp gaze, the scent of him making her dizzy. “I said?—”
“Yes, I am the cause of their current state as mischief makers, it seems, at least according to you,” he said plainly as he downed his brandy in a single gulp. “What do you suppose I do about it? Hm?” His tone was almost teasing, which only made Imogen’s blood heat under her skin.
“Well, I…” She stumbled. “As their governess, I feel that…well…”
“What is your plan,governess?”
“Would you please… Well, would you like to join us tomorrow after breakfast, for an educational picnic at Hyde Park?”
“An educational picnic? A bit of a contradiction, don’t you think?”
“I have been organizing some lessons surrounding local ecosystems and think we ought to enjoy the autumn weather before it turns too cold, Your Grace.”
“I am sorry, but I do not have time for such things. Business calls, Miss Lewis.
“I hate to be so bold, Your Grace… but…” she whispered, biting her lip.
“What is it, Miss Lewis?”
“Well, I just think it would do a wonder for the boys’ spirits if you were to join. That way, you could see firsthand all the work we have done. It would mean so much to them.”
“If it means all that much, I will make room in my schedule for a brief outing. Will that suffice?”
“If it is not too much trouble, Your Grace.”
“It is inconvenient, but not insurmountable for tomorrow’s schedule.”
“It’ll benefit the boys greatly.”
“I did not have children for a reason, and now, you see, I have two.”
“Well, I am most grateful for your making the adjustment to your schedule,” she said, rubbing her hand on her. “Thank you.”
“I am a Duke, and the maintenance of a duchy is no small feat. While I am happy to do my duty to help it thrive, it is not without sacrifice. You should have seen the shambles my father left this in…” his voice trailed off as he got up to refresh his glass. “I need another drink.”
“You owe me no explanation, Your Grace. I am sorry for the intrusion, and am grateful for your joining us, and this opportunity,” she said, having fully recovered her composure.
“That will be all, Miss Lewis.” He dismissed her as he filled his glass. “Until tomorrow.”
“Until tomorrow,” she said as she slowly crept out of his study and shut the door tight before turning and leaning against it. “Until tomorrow.”
Chapter Six
“It is a park, Your Grace, not a battlefield,” she said with the quiet, terrifyingly polite resolve which Ambrose had come to know well in her brief time with his household. “The fresh air will do your own constitution some good. Relax., Take in the sights comfortably.”
The morning sun was uncharacteristically bright for a London autumn. Arthur, Philip, Ambrose, and Miss Lewis sat on a sprawling wool blanket in a quiet corner of Hyde Park.
She was in her element, spread out among sketches of oak leaves and acorns, her brown hair catching the light and sparkling. Arthur and Philip were focused on every word, their small hands stained with the green of crushed grass as they tried to identify the samples she had helped them gather.
“This is a maple leaf,” she said. “Let us count the points.”
