Page 48 of The Governess and the Brooding Duke
A gently bred lady was not meant for such things.
He had honoured that lesson. He had believed in it.
He growled and poured himself a drink. He was not in the mood to sit and see to correspondence or books tonight.
He undid the cuffs on his shirt, undid his cravat.
He reached up onto the shelf and took a book down, sat in the armchair by the fireplace.
There was maybe part of him that knew he was tempting something.
This pose was not formal.
But then, she was the one who had breached formality last night. She was the one that had dropped to her knees before him.
He shifted uncomfortably as his member swelled inside of his breeches.
It would not do to be in this state when she arrived to speak of the day.
There was a knock. Sharp.
Yesterday she had simply walked in, and he would be lying if he said he had not enjoyed that familiarity to an extent.
She looked pale and drawn. He would have to be a fool not to see that the days spent in his house had seemingly cost her.
When she had arrived she had been more stalwart.
He blamed Pelham.
Though he knew he could not entirely lay the blame at Pelham’s feet. Because he knew, he did know, that the babe, and her concern about him, and then what had passed between them was also bothering her.
He found himself wanting to push her again.
Because last night she had taken him to the edge.
He resented it. Resented that she consumed his thoughts. That he could not sit and try to do work without imagining those luscious lips wrapped around him.
Without imagining pinning her to a wall, wrapping his hand around her throat...
He felt himself growing hard again and cut off that train of thought. Ruthlessly.
‘Come in.’
‘Mrs Brown is having to seek a new wet nurse.’
‘Why have I not been informed of this?’
‘Because it is in hand, Your Grace. And I will care for the child until a new wet nurse is found.’
‘You will?’
She lifted her chin. ‘Yes. It is not ideal. She has found someone who can be here part-time, she has her own children and a husband to care for. And so the search will continue.’
‘That girl will receive no references from me.’
‘Somehow I don’t think she’s concerned about that. I had an argument with her, and I think that I may have driven her away.’
‘She can be driven away then. It’s good riddance as far as I’m concerned.’
