Chapter 10
The next morning, the house was in turmoil as they prepared for their departure to the Clairville country estate.
The duke sent a message asking Audrey to join him in the breakfast room. She curtsied as she entered the room and he smiled, gesturing her to take a seat at the table.
"You'll take breakfast with me?" he asked.
"Of course, Your Grace," she responded, taking a place at the table.
"It's a busy day, with the journey to Clairville, but I thought we needed to talk. Breakfast together seemed a sensible option. It was quite a day yesterday. How are you feeling today?"
"Much better, Your Grace," said Audrey, taking some bread and butter and a slice of honey cake onto her plate.
"That's good news. Now, I'm struggling to know what to call you. Are you Lady Audrey or Miss Lettie today?"
Audrey noticed with relief that he smiled as he said this. "I'm Miss Letitia, Lettie," she said with quiet conviction.
"Very well. You shall remain as Miss Lettie Banks." He paused, helping himself to a plate of chops and devilled eggs. "It's deuced awkward having a lady of the ton as governess in my household. I Intend to discuss this situation with my mother. It seems to me that you are more of a guest, a family companion, than a governess."
"Indeed not, Your Grace. I am happy to be a governess." Looking a little nervous, she spoke directly to him, "If I can be frank, I am unsure of my financial position. You met my brother. He tells me that my inheritance has gone, but you saw the carriage he drove yesterday. There was no sign of financial concern at Rowton Castle. I intend to contact the family attorney and make enquiries about whether I will come into my inheritance at twenty-five years, or if, as Ethan says, it has gone."
She took a drink of tea and looked thoughtful. "I will commit to stay as governess while I get answers to my questions, and that gives Sasha the opportunity to settle into life with her new family at Clairville. There is always the possibility her family in France will be found, but that seems increasingly unlikely."
He nodded his agreement and waited for her to continue.
"I am happy to be employed as Miss Lettie Banks for a few months. However, you need to pay me as we agreed before my brother appeared."
"Very well," responded the duke, a small smile on his face. "That's agreed."
***
By mid-morning, the carriages were ready for the journey to Clairville Hall. The duke and Robert had set off in the phaeton, followed by Sasha, Audrey, Mrs. Driscoll, Rosie, and Nurse Walters in a barouche.
The sun shone and Audrey watched as Sasha danced out to the carriage, she was so excited. Sasha knew the names of all the horses now and went to greet them before they climbed into the carriage. Nurse Walters was already in a corner, tatting as usual. Mrs. Driscoll had a large wicker basket of cakes, pastries, and pies, provided by Cook, who always remained in town.
Audrey looked out of the window as they clattered through the streets of London and on to the Great North Road to Hertfordshire.
Sasha got more excited as fields and woodlands appeared. "There will be fairies, elves, and giants in that forest," she told them with certainty. "I know a story about a sleeping princess who lived in a castle in a wood," she continued and proceeded to tell them the story.
By mid-afternoon, the coach stopped at a lodge and the gates opened to show a long narrow drive leading to the hall in the far distance. Audrey could see the look of wonder on Sasha's face as the carriage trundled nearer the hall.
Audrey felt a little apprehensive about the move to Clairville Hall. They had settled into a routine at Cambourne Place, but this was a larger house, with many more people. She had lived in a similar house most of her life and knew the complications and dynamics of the relationships above and below stairs. She knew Mrs. Driscoll and Nurse Walters, and she was sure that would make it easier for her.
Clairville Hall had a simplicity of style that Audrey loved at first sight. It was an elegant limestone building, with simple pillars either side of the steps leading to the main door. The windows gave the front an elegance that took her breath away.
Audrey gasped with surprise when the door opened, and a group of ladies ran down the steps—presumably his mother and sisters.
"Where is she? Where's little Sasha?" they cried. Sasha, excited to see so many ladies in pretty dresses, was thrilled to be made such a fuss of.
Audrey watched, trying to work out the names of the sisters. She asked Nurse Walters, who was beside her directing the unloading of their luggage.
"They are all my babies," she said with pride. "There's Beatrice, who is still living at Clairville, Elspeth, who is coming out this year, and the twins, Jane and Grace. Miss Sasha is going to have a wonderful time getting to know them. His Grace's two older sisters are married with children and two of their children will be close to Miss Sasha's age. She will have fun when they come to visit." And with that, Nurse Walters moved away to direct a footman to take more care with a trunk that was filled with her herbal tisanes.
So many people and so many names to remember, and Audrey would meet the duke's mother soon. As they walked toward the hall, Audrey could see him speaking, in an animated way, with an older lady Audrey guessed must be his mother, the dowager duchess, who had the same cinnamon-colored hair as her son. There was a definite family resemblance, and sparks were flying as mother and son had a heated conversation.
"Mama, that is intolerable," she heard the duke say. "A house party? Guests arriving? Who are these guests?" he asked in an exasperated tone.
"Jude, you will not speak to me in that tone of voice. It is a small, select party, just the Marquess and Marchioness of Langdale and their daughter Lady Caroline Ridlington. They will arrive tomorrow."
"Ah," he said, "I know that name. That young lady has written to me, telling me she looked forward to meeting me when she visited Clairville Hall."
Audrey heard no more; she felt uncomfortable overhearing as much as she had. She hoped she would have little to do with any house guests and she would be able to keep to the nursery and school room.
From what Audrey had been told by Mrs. Driscoll, it appeared that the dowager duchess had invited Lady Caroline so her son could get to know her. She knew from Nurse Walters that the dowager was keen for her son to marry and kept introducing young ladies. And there was no shortage of young ladies—with mothers keen to see them married—who were happy to visit the Clairville Estate.
Audrey had felt strongly that there were times when the duke had been about to say or ask something but never quite found the words, adding to her sense of a connection between them. Audrey was cautious, feeling an attraction, but knowing any relationship was not likely to happen.
Audrey's task at Clairville Hall was to settle Sasha into a household which, it was likely, would become her family. When that was achieved, and watching the child frolicking with the duke's sisters, she suspected that would not take long, what would happen to her?
The connection between her and The Duke of Clairville had grown stronger, and the idea of leaving him to marry the Duke of Batton had thrown her into a pit of despair. Audrey believed there was something special growing between them, roots of care and concern for each other's well-being. But also, strong shoots of passion growing like a climbing rose over a pergola, clambering higher, reaching for the sky, independent yet joined together in direction.
Enough of this! You are here as a governess, a paid employee, Audrey berated herself. If only she could have met the duke at a ball in London as Lady Audrey Rowe. They would have danced a quadrille, while longing to hold each other in the whirl of the once-forbidden waltz.
There was much resemblance to the waltz in their communication together. That dance, which was not yet accepted fully in polite society, but loved by everyone. The anticipation, the frisson of excitement about something new and thrilling, the depth of the music, the rhythm developing between two people as they whirled around the room. The sensation of almost feverish exhilaration as the steps of the waltz became faster before the music ended, and then the sweet satisfaction as they moved into the slow, gentle steps of the pavane.
This is ridiculous, Audrey thought. She was not only being fanciful, she was imagining herself betrothed to the duke. Gentlemen of the ton did not marry their governesses, no matter that the governess was a lady. She was here to work and be paid, and once Sasha was settled at Clairville she would leave and find another position as governess.
It would break her heart not to see little Sasha again, but she suspected it would be best to seek a position a long way from Hertfordshire. Maybe her destiny lay in the moors of Yorkshire or the highlands of Scotland. She would go where fate led her; it was the only pathway open to her.
A high-pitched bark interrupted her melancholy thoughts and Audrey smiled, seeing Flossie had jumped out of her basket and was dashing around the carriage loop, sniffing, and exploring. Tess raced to join the puppy.
She watched the puppy's antics, smiling as the Dowager Duchess of Clairville scooped her up into her arms. To her surprise, the duke's mother walked across to join her, smiling with a warm welcome.
"Miss Banks, we are glad you are joining the household to look after Miss Sasha. I know you were there the night her poor mother died and have stayed with her since. I believe the child is going to enjoy life at Clairville, at least until my son locates her family. He says you suspect she is French?"
"I do, Your Grace. She speaks French without realizing it, especially when she talks of her mama." Audrey confided.
"I know your story, my dear," the dowager duchess said gently. Audrey drew in a breath. Would Her Grace disapprove of her?
"I'm told you wish to continue as Miss Letitia Banks, rather than your given name of Lady Audrey Rowe. We must talk further; I want to hear everything about little Miss Sasha."
"Of course," murmured Audrey.
"In fact, I'm told you visited Clairville as a small child, too young to remember the place, but it seems you visited with your parents. My late husband loved to entertain; we had guests much of the time." she paused briefly, looking sharply in the direction of her son. "We have a small house party arriving soon, the Marquess and Marchioness of Langdale and their daughter, Lady Caroline. Now, if you will excuse me," and she nodded and left.
Audrey stared after her. Had she visited Clairville before? It seemed possible. She turned to check on Sasha and looked for something to hold on to as she felt a little faint. Nurse Walters was by her side immediately.
"Miss Banks, you need to rest or risk becoming ill again. Come with me, I believe Mrs. Driscoll gave instructions for you to have a room close to mine near the nursery."