Page 86 of When She Was a Governess
“And Lord Montrose is well now?” Lady Pembridge asked gently.
“Completely,” Sophia said. “He’s a wonderful father to Amelia. Patient, kind, devoted. And he is very good to me. We are blissfully in love.”
“Amelia adores them both,” Rose said. “She is a lucky little girl to have such loving parents.”
“She is the light of our lives,” Sophia said, truthfully.
“How sweet,” Lady Pembridge smiled. “What could have been a tragic childhood has become an idyllic one instead.”
Mrs. Hartford wasn’t quite finished. “But surely you must admit, Lady Montrose, that marrying your employer was certainly unconventional. Some might say calculated.”
The room tensed.
Georgiana’s eyes flashed, but before she could speak, Sophia answered calmly.
“I can understand why some might think that. But I would ask this: if I were calculating, wouldn’t I have aimed higher than a baron with a country estate and a child to raise?” She smiled slightly. “I could have accepted Sebastian’s offer to sponsor a Season after our family’s vindication. However, I love Henry and only Henry. No one else would do.”
“Well said,” Charlotte said, beaming.
Mrs. Hartford turned to Rose, her expression calculating. “And isn’t it true, Your Grace, that you are the daughter of Viscount Wentworth? The very man who framed the Duke of Ashford for the murder of your mother? Furthermore, you married the man who proved your father’s guilt?”
The room went completely silent. Sophia glanced at each of the women. It was obvious from their expressions that they all knew this was true but wanted to hear what Rose had to say about it.
Rose set down her teacup with perfect composure. “I am. As you might imagine, admitting our mutual affection was complicated.”
“I should say so,” the Duchess of Devonshire said. “Is it true you would meet secretly in the gardens? To spend time with a man you thought a common gardener?”
“They were not clandestine meetings. Not at first anyway,” Rose said, flushing pink. “I have a great fondness for our gardens. They were designed by my late mother, and I feel particularly close to her when I am in our rose garden. It was her favorite. When Sebastian appeared one day, I was appalled to realize how attractive I found him. Before I knew what was happening, I found myself in love with one of our gardeners. Believe me, I fought against my feelings, having no idea that Sebastian was actually the son of a disgraced duke. He played his part well.”
“How Shakespearean,” Lady Pembridge said.
Rose smiled. “I suppose it was. Now, however, we are simply a happy couple, in love, with a growing family. The past has been left where it belongs. In the past.”
“That’s remarkably forgiving of you both,” the Duchess of Devonshire said, clearly impressed.
“The love we share is deep,” Rose said. “We could not walk away from each other over the sins of my father.”
“Soulmates, I dare say,” Georgiana said.
“I believe so,” Rose said with a glance at her sister-in-law. “I am besotted with my remarkable husband, and he with me. We chose love and forgiveness over hate and grudges.”
“It is very romantic,” Lady Pembridge said. “I have to admit to feeling a little jealous. My match with Lord Pembridge was out of convenience, rather than love.”
“Our love was anything but convenient,” Rose said. “I thought, at times, my heart would break into a thousand pieces.”
“But a happy ending was waiting for you,” Lady Pembridge said.
Lady Ridgeway leaned forward, her gaze directed at Georgiana. “I have heard you have an interesting love story of your own.”
“Is it true you disguised yourself as a male architect?” Lady Westbrook asked, sounding as if she found this admirable.
Georgiana shook her head, speaking easily and with a touch of humor in her voice. “No, that is not true. My late husband was an architect and taught me the craft. After he passed away, I assumed his role at the firm. I was hired by James to restore Ashford Manor, which had fallen into disrepair after Lord Ashford’s death. We became friends, which turned into a great love. Like Rose and Sophia, I am blessed to be married to a man I love with all my heart.”
“How did you learn such a skill?” The Duchess of Devonshire asked. “If only all of us had the opportunity to do something meaningful with our lives.”
“Do you mean other than attending balls and teas?” Lady Pembridge asked, smiling.
“That is precisely what I mean,” the Duchess of Devonshire said. “But alas, we are women, meant for the entertainment of men only.”
