Page 4 of When She Was a Governess
“I know your brothers. They are good men. Noble men.”
“Yes, my lord, that is correct.”
“Had I known who you were, I would have insisted you return to the life you were meant to have. The longer you stayed with Amelia, the more you’ve grown attached. Is that not so?”
“It is, my lord. Regardless, I begged my brothers for one more year. I could not bear to leave her.”
“And now you must.” He crossed the room, pouring himself a brandy from the decanter on the nearby table.
She looked down at her hands, afraid to speak her mind but knowing she must, for Amelia’s sake. “Lord Montrose, I understand it is not customary for a man of your title to spend time with his daughter, but I would be remiss if I did not ask it of you. After I leave, she will have no one who loves her.”
He sat in his chair, glancing at her sharply. Was it guilt that flickered in his eyes? “I suppose you think me cold?”
“No, my lord. I do not know you well, but from what I’ve observed, you are a kind and generous man. I have witnessed how you treat your staff. How devoted they are to you. That is not merely a coincidence. I know because I grew up withthe Langstons. Their staff was afraid, not loyal. There is a difference.” She dabbed at her eyes. “I have spent many hours thinking about you, my lord. Imagining how heartbreaking it must have been to learn of your sister’s death and that you would be Amelia’s guardian. So suddenly. Without warning. It is the kind of shock one does not recover from.”
“Yes, it was a shock. One I never anticipated or wanted. My sister Rebecca and I were close. When she asked me to be her guardian if anything happened to her and her husband, I said yes, not imagining it would ever be necessary. But the truth is, Amelia was left with a distant uncle who had no plans to marry or have children of his own. I am not suited to care for her. Yet, there was no one else Rebecca wanted. Admittedly, I have not done as well as I should for my baby niece.”
“Had no plans? As in the past? But you plan to marry now, isn’t that correct?” Sophia asked.
“My uncle left me his fortune and this manor to me. He had only a daughter, my cousin Caroline. She married a duke and is well taken care of. I have an older brother, who is heir to my father’s title and fortune. Therefore, Uncle George, who was more of a father to me than my own, left everything to me. I spent holidays here with him, every summer from the time I was eight years old. He knew how much I loved this land. This manor. But there was a stipulation. One I only recently learned of. I must marry by the age of thirty, or it all reverts to Caroline.”
“How did you not know until now?”
“Because my uncle believed I would marry. He thought the matter already settled.”
Sophia tilted her head slightly. “Settled?”
He gave a small, humorless smile. “There was someone. Years ago. My uncle assumed we’d wed and that the clause would never matter. He died before… before things changed.”
Her curiosity prickled at the pause. “She did not wish to marry you?”
His gaze flicked to hers—piercing, then soft again. “She died before our engagement.”
Sophia sensed there was more to the story but from the guarded expression he now wore as thick as a mask, it did not behoove her to question him further. It was clearly a story he had no intention of telling.
After a moment, he went on, quieter. “After I lost her, I had no wish to love anyone else. I would remain content as a bachelor, but similar to you, it is not to be.”
Sophia nodded slowly, her heart twisting. “You must marry, to keep what your uncle left you.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Yes. The irony would amuse him, I think.”
“Have you chosen a bride?” Sophia held her breath….wishing….what exactly?
“I have not. I’m expected to choose by the end of this coming season.”
She tried to smile. “It seems we’re both to be bartered off, my lord—you for an inheritance and I to please my brothers.”
His expression softened, the firelight catching the sadness in his eyes. “Then I wish us both good fortune, Miss Ashford. We’ll need it.”
“Indeed. Again, please, I beg you. Choose a woman who will love Amelia. Who will be good to her.”
“How will I know? Women looking for a husband are not always forthright. Isn’t that so?”
A flash of lightning lit the room, and thunder rolled across the cliffs.
“Dear me. I do not know, my lord. You must be discerning. Spend time with Amelia now, so that you will know if she’s being harmed. Should it come to that.”
He rose to his feet, heading toward the window, his reflection ghosted in the glass. “If only it were that simple. I have no idea how to care for her or love my niece. My mother made sure of that.” He gave a quiet, humorless laugh.
