Chapter 6

Chapter 6

“You may need to slow down,” called Selene to the little girl, as Lady Lenore rushed ahead, flying across the ground, her feet leaving small dark marks in the thick snow. “I am older than you, my lady, and cannot run as fast as you can through snow.”

Lady Lenore glanced back at her, with a mischievous look in her eyes, her red scarf flying in the breeze. The little girl didn’t slow down her pace. If anything, she started running faster or at least, as fast as anyone could run through thick snow, that is.

Selene sighed, but didn’t call again. Instead, she hitched the skirt of her gown, with a determined look on her face, tromping through the snow, trying to keep up.

Perhaps I should not have suggested this walk before starting lessons for the day. I thought it might settle her and make her focus better, but perhaps she is using it as an excuse to run away from me entirely.

She kept following the little girl, trying to quell her apprehension. This was the first day of official lessons with Lady Lenore. It had all happened so quickly it was still a bit of a blur. One moment she had been living a peaceful, albeit rather dull, life in her family’s cottage—and now, she was ensconced at Trenton House as the governess.

She had moved into the small room allocated to the position yesterday. Emma and a neighbor had promised to keep an eye on the cottage until her parents returned, but she would try to get there from time to time as well, of course.

She breathed heavily through her nose, staring at the little girl, who was gaining ground, and fast becoming a dark speck in the distance. By the look of it, she might not get any free time at all. Her pupil was spirited, full of energy and didn’t like listening to instructions.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck started to bristle. She glanced up at the house, jumping in alarm. The duke was standing at a window, watching her. He looked like he was glowering at her. His dark eyes were so intense that a surge of alarm—and something else—which she didn’t quite recognize—shivered down her spine.

Oh dear. He is watching me. He looks so powerful and commanding… it is stirring something within me. I want him to touch me where no one has ever touched me before.

She hesitated, frozen to the spot. What should she do?

Her heart pounding, she plastered a wide smile on her face, giving him a jaunty wave. His frown deepened and he didn’t wave back.

Selene groaned, turning away, resuming her chase of the little lady. If the duke disapproved—which he clearly did—there was nothing she could do about it now. The most imperative thing was catching up to Lady Lenore before she lost sight of her entirely.

Luckily, she reached a point where there was scarce snow on the ground, and she was able to pick up her pace, flying across the ground, her heart thumping. Her cheeks were bright pink with exertion, and she was panting hard by the time she caught up to the girl, who was crouched near a frozen pond, staring at something on the ground.

Selene caught her breath before approaching her. Lady Lenore was so intent on what she was doing that she didn’t look up. Selene wasn’t sure whether the girl was even aware that she was there.

The words of reprimand died on Selene’s lips. Lady Lenore was engrossed in watching a small beetle walking across the snow, her eyes wide with wonder. After a moment, Selene squatted next to her, staring at the beetle as well.

“How splendid he is,” said Selene, in a soft voice, after another moment. “Do you like his shell? What shade of green would you say it is?”

The girl cocked her head to the side, considering the question. “He is light green,” she replied. “The same color as the grass in the springtime.” She frowned, squinting her eyes. “No. His shell looks blue sometimes, as well.”

Selene smiled, not taking her eyes off the beetle. “There is a word for that particular shade of green,” she said, glancing quickly at the girl, whose eyes were as round as saucers now. “Do you want to know what it is?”

Lady Lenore glanced up at her. Her eyes were alight. “What is it?”

“The word is teal,” replied Selene, putting a finger near the beetle, so that it crawled onto it. She examined the insect more closely. “I would say his shell is teal. A combination of blue and green. Do you see the way his antennae twitch?”

Lady Lenore nodded solemnly. “Yes. Why does it do that?”

“I believe he is sensing his surroundings,” replied Selene, holding the beetle closer to her face, so she could see it better. “We use our eyes and ears and fingers to make sense of our environment. This little fellow is using his antennae to do the same.”

“How do you know it is a boy?” asked the girl, staring at Selene, a look of curiosity on her face. “Why do you say ‘he’?”

Selene laughed. “I do not know if this creature is a boy or not, my lady,” she replied. “It is a figure of speech.”

Lady Lenore took a deep breath. “I think this beetle is a girl beetle.” Her eyes were dancing with joy. “Perhaps she is searching for her baby beetles.”

Selene laughed again. “Perhaps. Who knows?” She held out her finger holding the beetle to the girl. “Would you like to take her?”

Lenore looked surprised, then gratified, nodding quickly. She held out a finger close to Selene’s finger. The beetle walked onto it without hesitation.

“Oh, my!” cried Lenore, putting her finger close to her face, staring avidly at the insect. “Your name is Bessie. You are Bessie the Beetle.” She announced it in a solemn tone, as if she were christening the insect.

Selene laughed with delight. “Why have you named her Bessie, my lady?”

“Because I like the name,” replied the girl, smiling. “Bessie was the name of one of my maids. She always smiled.”

Selene nodded. “Perhaps we could carry Bessie the Beetle back to the library and study her a bit more,” she suggested. “And after we have finished, we will place her outside again, because that is where she lives, and we should never remove a creature from their environment for very long, for fear they might die.”

The girl’s eyes flashed with excitement. “Could we?”

Selene nodded again. “Most definitely. Let us take her back to the house.”

The girl nodded. They stood up, walking side by side, Lady Lenore cradling the beetle gently in her hand. Selene let out a sigh of relief. The girl’s fascination with the beetle had tempered her wild flight across the grounds, and now she could start her work for the day.

But then, her heart flipped, remembering the duke’s glowering face at the window. She tensed. She just knew she wasn’t going to get away with taking the girl for a walk before lessons. He was going to reprimand her. He was watching her, waiting for her to slip up, ready to pounce on her for the slightest mistake.

Selene raised her chin defiantly. Well, she would just deal with it when the time came.

“Come along,” she said to the girl, to quell her nerves. “I cannot wait to see Bessie the Beetle under the magnifying glass.”

***

They were just breaking for luncheon, and ready to place the beetle outside again, when Selene heard heavy, quick footsteps approaching. Already, she recognized that they belonged to the Iron Duke. She tensed, then stood up, smoothing the creases in her gown, with trembling hands.

He walked into the library, stopping short, glaring at her. Her heart flipped again. His dark, thick, wavy hair was falling over his face, and his almost black eyes were flashing impatiently. She felt a thrill shiver down her spine, the same as when she had spotted him at the window.

Do not pay attention to how handsome he is. Nor how tall and powerful. Focus on what you need to say in a calm, concise manner. Show him that you are worthy of this position.

She took a deep breath before curtsying. “Your Grace.”

She had barely finished rising when he started speaking.

“Can you tell me why you took my daughter into the grounds this morning?” he snapped, his eyes fixed on her face. “You were supposed to be starting lessons then, Miss Bomind. Punctuality and attention to time is imperative.”

“I do apologize, Your Grace,” she replied, her heart thumping. “We went for a walk as it was a fine morning, and I thought it might help Lady Lenore concentrate when we started work.”

He kept glaring at her. “You are indulging her, Miss Bomind. Running around the grounds in a wild manner will not improve my daughter’s ability to write and read or do addition and subtraction.”

“Respectfully, I disagree, Your Grace,” she retorted, before she could help herself. “Lady Lenore was much more focused when we returned to the house after the walk, for she had expended her energy, and was much calmer and willing to learn.” She turned to the table, where the workbooks were spread. “Would you care to see what she has accomplished this morning?”

He grunted but nodded. Selene handed them to him. He flicked through the pages quickly, saying nothing. She took another deep breath.

“Lady Lenore has written a composition about the beetle we found,” she said, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice. “She also completed a sketch of the insect, labelling its features. We found a scientific journal to study and learn more about the features we were uncertain about.”

The duke grunted again, his eyes still on the workbooks. He didn’t reply.

“So, you see, much learning has been accomplished,” continued Selene, knowing she shouldn’t ramble, but stung that he couldn’t see the value in what they had been doing. “Lady Lenore has done writing, a scientific diagram, and learned research skills, as well.”

The duke placed the books down on the table, turning to her. He was frowning.

“You think writing and drawing a beetle is proper schoolwork?” His frown deepened. “She should be doing writing drills, Miss Bomind.”

At that moment, Lady Lenore got up, approaching her father with a timid smile on her face. She was holding out her hand which contained the beetle.

“Look, Papa,” said the girl. “Her name is Bessie. Is she not beautiful? The color of her shell is teal!”

The duke looked surprised, then a bit flabbergasted. There was a tense silence. Selene’s heart somersaulted. Was he going to reprimand his daughter, or brush her aside?

But then, the duke crouched down, staring at the beetle. His dark eyes softened. “What a pretty name,” he said, in a gentle voice. “Bessie is very beautiful. Did you learn the color of her shell this morning? I have never heard you use that word before, Lenore.”

The girl nodded solemnly. “Yes. Miss Bomind told me.” She glanced shyly at Selene. “I want to keep Bessie, but Miss Bomind told me that she belongs outside, or else she will die.” She turned back to her father. “I do not want Bessie to die.”

“No,” agreed her father. “That would not do at all.” He hesitated. “Perhaps we can take Bessie outside together and then I will take you to the kitchen for your luncheon? Would you like that?”

“Yes, please,” cried the girl, looking overjoyed.

The duke stood up, holding out his hand to the girl, who took it. He stared at Selene for a moment, his dark eyes flashing, but he didn’t say another word to her. She felt a crackle between them which made her shudder. Their eyes locked and held for a moment. Then he turned and walked away with his daughter.

Selene slumped a little. She was having trouble catching her breath. She always felt tense and on edge when he was around but also exhilarated, in a way she didn’t understand at all.