Regency Romance: An Intriguing Invitation (Historical Billionaire Military Romance) (19th Century Victorian Romance) (22 page)

Chapter Two

Rose Bennett stood in the front of the room, one hand in mid-air, holding a piece of chalk. She was staring
behind
her at one of the three children she was teaching, waiting for him to calculate the equation in his mind. Samuel was looking up at the ceiling,
obviously
thinking with all his might. She pressed her lips together to keep from giggling.

She had been
governess
for the children for almost ten years now, beginning with the family when Frederick was only two years old. Duke Wentworth – Richard – and his wife, Kate, were influential members of society in those days, visiting, putting on parties and have frequent guests that were notable, including the Prime Minister. But those were days long past and since the death of Lady Kate four years previous, things had not been the same. Gone were the ready smiles and the sound of laughter echoing
down
the halls of the manor. Richard had been heartbroken and angry for several years.

It
suddenly
seemed that he had come out of mourning. Rose was fairly certain Elizabeth had something to do with it.

“Four!” Samuel announced proudly. She was pulled back to reality from her thoughts.

“Yes, Samuel, that’s right! Good for you!” She smiled at him and wrote a big four under the equation. “You can go ahead and finish your picture while your brother and sister finish their work.”

The little boy beamed at
her,
and she felt a wash of affection for him sweep over her. He was such a sweet boy. All three of Duke Richard’s children were not only intelligent and
friendly,
they were
some of the
best looking
children she’d ever seen. There were no other
children
their age in the city that were perfect in their features, with heads of beautiful blonde hair and eyes of violet and blue.

She watched the three of them working diligently on their school work. It was
very important
to their father that they
were educated
so that they could carry on business with the best of them. He didn’t want any
paupers
for
children,
but he didn’t plan to give them handouts, either.

Rose admired the way Richard was with his children. He always showed them a lot of love and concern, doting over their accomplishments, consoling them in their failures. She was impressed with him but did her best not to let it show. It was not her place as governess to let her admiration show.

The door was thrown
open,
and Elizabeth came sweeping in, three small velvet bags clutched in her
small
hands.

“Helloooo.” She
sing-songed
and struck a pose like a princess.

“Auntie Liz!” All three children called out delightedly and jumped up from their work. Rose smiled wide, watching them abandon their school work for their aunt. They ran to her and threw their arms around her at the waist, almost knocking her down in their excitement. She just laughed and hugged them all one at a time.

“Hello, children!” She looked up at Rose with
pretty
, wide eyes. “I’m sorry to interrupt, dear Rose. I know you are keeping them hard at work on their education.”

Rose shook her head with a smile for her friend. “Not at all, Liz. They
were almost done
with what they were doing. How are you today?”

“I’m doing very well, thank you for asking.” Elizabeth turned her attention the children. “Samuel, this little bag has a treat in it just for you! And here’s one for you, Charlotte, Frederick.” She handed the small velvet bags to them. They were color coordinated for each child. Charlotte’s favorite color was purple, so her little bag was purple. Frederick’s
bag
was green and Samuel’s blue. They each squealed in delight and thanked their aunt profusely. She leaned down so they could kiss her cheek one by one. Then they ran back to their chairs and sat down to look in the small bags.

Rose stood up as Elizabeth approached the small table. She pulled a chair over to sit facing Rose and sat down in it, balling her hands up in her lap. “So, Rose, tell me what kind of tea you have for me today?”

Rose’s smile made her face brighten. She turned to the table and spread her hands out in front of the small basket she brought in every morning. “As you can see, I have a variety of flavors today.”

They both laughed. The tea was never any different from one day to the next. Elizabeth chose one of the three teacups that were on the tray next to the basket and plopped a small tea bag into it. She held it out for Rose to pour in the water.

“Thank you, Rose. How has the day gone for you and the children?”

“Very well. They are learning so fast.
So intelligent.
It
really
surprises me sometimes.”

“They take after their daddy. Not that there was anything wrong with their mother.” She added hastily. “But Richard was always very smart. He was ahead of all the other young boys his age all through his schooling. I could never catch up with
him,
that was certain.”

Rose just nodded. There were
a great many things
to admire about the Duke. “Was he able to find
an interesting
match last night at the ball?”

Elizabeth snorted in an unladylike
fashion,
and Rose chuckled at the sound.
“No,
” Elizabeth said bluntly. “He isn’t
really
looking, though, is he?
He
has had many opportunities, even ladies who don’t mind becoming a step-mother to the children. They step up to
him,
but he doesn’t respond. That’s very discouraging.”

“Is he
really
trying at all? Does he participate in the dancing?”

“As well he should!” Elizabeth was a little frustrated with her brother. “But not enough. And when he does, he just…well, he doesn’t seem to want to be involved. And you have to want to be
involved,
or nothing will ever happen.”

“Perhaps he has high standards.” Rose smiled.

“As well he should!” Elizabeth’s voice was
firm,
but her face betrayed that her frustration was because she cared about Richard. “But he can’t expect perfection, now can he?”

Rose was sure Richard wasn’t looking for perfection. He was a good man who wanted a good woman who could match him in wits, intelligence and humor. If he compromised, he could end up miserable his entire life.

“He has a right to keep his standards high.” She took the last sip of tea from her cup and set it down on the table, thinking about the Duke. She didn’t think he should compromise his values so that he could marry again. He knew his value and was comfortable being alone for now. He had mentioned several times that it was Elizabeth who was so anxious for him to find someone.

She wasn’t sure how she felt about him finding a woman to marry. Although it would be good for him in status and society, he had his children to
think about
. He didn’t want to provide the wrong woman for them as a mother. He didn’t
want
to regret his decisions. That prompted him to be more cautious in his search. She understood that. If Frederick,
Charlotte,
and Samuel had been her children, she wouldn’t have wanted anything but the best for them. Her eyes strayed to where they were in their chairs, excitedly talking about the small gifts their aunt had brought them, showing them to each other and laughing.

“It was sweet of you to bring them toys and to come and sit with me this afternoon.” Rose looked at Elizabeth with a broad smile. “We always enjoy your visits.”

“It is my pleasure to
be welcomed
. I know whenever I want a hug, this is where I can go to get one.”

“You only mention your brother’s search for love. What about you? Have you found an
eligible handsome
bachelor yet?”

Elizabeth reached out with one hand and placed it on the table over Rose’s. “Honey, I’ve known for some time who I will marry.”

Rose looked confused. “Whatever do you mean? I have seen you with no men. Not one in particular
anyway
.”

Elizabeth laughed. “That’s because he doesn’t know it yet!”

“But what if he seeks out a different woman?”

Elizabeth shook her head. “He won’t. He is just as dedicated to me as I am to him. We just haven’t made it official.”

“How long has this been going on?” Rose was very surprised. Elizabeth was not a shy woman. She would have expected the Lady to announce her intentions, not keep them hidden. “Who is it? Do I know him?”

“You may have seen him when the children were allowed to come to the dance. He is Viscount Miles Clark.”

“Oh, I believe I know of whom you are speaking. He is a banker, is he not?”

Elizabeth nodded. “Yes.”

“I do know of him. He is a handsome man, held in high esteem
among
his peers.”

“Yes. He is kind and
compassionate,
and I like to talk to him. He doesn’t make me feel unhappy inside.”

“That’s certainly good.”

“You know…”

Rose was taken
aback by the way
Elizabeth was looking at her. “What is it?” She was a little fearful and stared back at Elizabeth.

A playful smile passed over Elizabeth’s lips. “You have been here with us for a long time now haven’t you?”

“Yes, you know that I have.”

“You would be a wonderful choice for Richard, you know.”

Rose felt her cheeks
flush,
and she opened her eyes wider. “Oh, Liz! What a thought!” She didn’t admit to her friend that she had thought many times about how highly she regarded the Duke. But as a governess, it was not her place to seek out the love of a Royal. No matter how long she had been with the family or how close she was to the children. “He would never consider it.”

“There is always a chance, dear. You have to keep your hopes up.”

“How did you come to decide my hopes were up for something like that?” Had she let her admiration for the Duke show? If so, it could be detrimental to her position in the house. She pictured Richard demanding that she leave the
house
at once. She saw herself weeping, packing her bags and saying goodbye to the children.

“Good Lord, you look as though I just suggested you jump from the
third-floor
balcony. Don’t look so terrified! Richard is a good, upstanding man.”

“Oh, I do agree!” Rose lowered her eyes to her lap. “But I am his governess, the governess of his children. He would never consider me for anything more than that.”

“I don’t know about that.” Elizabeth’s voice sounded
sneaky,
and Rose suspected she was hatching a plot in that creative mind of hers.

“What are you thinking, Liz? You have a very strange look on your face.”

“I was just thinking how good you would be for him.” Elizabeth smiled when Rose’s cheeks turned an even brighter pink.

“Oh!” Rose lifted one hand to her mouth and looked at the children behind Liz. They had no trouble entertaining themselves. “I…I don’t know what to say.”

Elizabeth’s grin sparkled in her eyes. “I can see you have thought the same thing. Tell me you have.”

Rose dared not say the words. She nodded once.

“Well, it doesn’t surprise me, Rose. He is
a fine
catch and of any lady, you know that very well.”

“I also know my place, Liz. I have no nobility at all. I don’t think he would think of me as anything more than a governess.”

“We don’t know that. The man of a mind can be a very mysterious thing.”

Chapter Three

Rose was unable to get her mind off of the conversation with Elizabeth the rest of the day. Richard ate dinner with his children every night that he wasn’t out and that evening, she found herself looking at him more often, wondering what he
was thinking
when he looked at her. It wasn’t until then that she realized they had never had any real conversations.
She
knew a lot about
him,
but he knew
very little
about her. She didn’t see passion or interest in him when he did speak to her.

Richard asked her how her day went when he saw
her,
but the conversation rarely went past that. She made up her mind during dinner to change that and gauge his reaction.

She took her seat next to Samuel, smiling as the children talked excitedly to each other about some
kind of
adventure they had had. They were
very good
at making up stories that made them sound very courageous and bold. Their imaginations were boundless.

When Richard came in to sit at the head of the table, she felt a bit nervous. She smiled at
him,
and he smiled back.

“Good evening, children, Rose. How is everyone today?”

“It was a good day,
Daddy
!” Samuel was the first to speak
up,
but the greetings from Frederick and Charlotte overlapped his. He laughed and looked at Rose.

“They are very excited today. Did you take them on an adventure?”

“I don’t
really
need
to,
” Rose responded, looking at the children fondly. “They make their
own
adventures. We did go for a walk around the grounds and through the garden. I’m sure they can think of some very exciting things they saw while we were out.”

“Oh yes! There was the biggest caterpillar I’ve
ever
seen
on the walkway, daddy, the very
biggest
one! We thought it was going to get us, didn’t we, Charlotte?” Samuel bounced in his seat.

“
You
thought it would.” His sister replied. “I knew it was just a regular caterpillar.”

“Then why did you run away from it?”

“Because you were scared and I didn’t want you to feel alone.”

Richard threw back his head and laughed at the remark. “That’s very sisterly of you,
Charlotte,
” he said.

“Well, he was, daddy, he was scared. He ran and
ran
and we had to
go get
him.”

“It was going to get me!” Samuel
insisted,
even though both adults could see by the look on his face that he was teasing them all.
“It was so big, and it was really fast for a caterpillar.”

Both Rose and Richard were laughing by this point. Rose looked up to see Richard looking at
her,
and the look on his face made him laugh even more.

“Perhaps we shouldn’t talk about monster caterpillars before dinner?” He said. “We don’t want you to get an upset stomach.”

“Oh, I’m not gonna have an upset stomach.” Samuel continued, shaking his head soberly. “I would have just smashed it.”

“Oh, Samuel!” Charlotte protested. “That’s not what you’re supposed to do! You should leave it alone!”

“I did leave it alone! I was saying I would smash it if it came
after
me!”

“But then why did you run away from it?” It didn’t look like Charlotte was going to let the conversation end. “You were
scared,
and you ran
away,
but now you say you would just smash it.”

“I would have!”

Charlotte shook her head and opened her
mouth,
to say
somethin,g
but her father interrupted her.

“I’m sure you would have saved the whole family if the caterpillar had grown so big and attacked you, Samuel.
But let’s talk about a different adventure, shall we? What else did you do today?”

“We saw three birds we’ve never seen before!” Charlotte decided to answer that time. “They were very
red,
and they were up in the cherry tree. Samuel was going to throw a rock at
them,
but Rose wouldn’t let him.”

“Good for
Rose.
” Richard replied. Rose flushed and then felt silly for responding that way. He’d complimented her
before,
but now that Elizabeth had sparked her curiosity, she heard the compliment differently. “We don’t throw rocks at birds, not even ugly ones.”

“Oh, daddy, there aren’t any ugly birds.” Charlotte rolled her eyes at her father’s silliness. “They are all beautiful, even
plain
ones.”

“That’s very nice, honey.” Richard smiled at her. “You are very kind-hearted.”

“Thank you, Daddy.”

Richard looked at Rose. “How was your day today?”

“The children were
very good
. They paid attention to their schoolwork and learned a lot.
They are so smart.”

Richard nodded. “Yes, they are. I’m proud of each of you.”

They all three responded with, “Thank you, daddy.”

“How was your day?”

Richard shook his head. “All boring business, I’m afraid. Nothing much to
speak of
. I begin to wonder if I’m in the wrong business.”

“Haven’t your family owned it for several generations?” She asked.

“Many. As far back as has been recorded. I don’t think we’ve ever been anything but
businessmen
. I’m… a little disappointed in it, to tell you the truth. I feel a bit wasted in my position, doing nothing but telling other people what to do all day.”

“It sounds like you aren’t having much fun. You should do something to amuse yourself
…
besides the balls and dancing, of course.”

Richard chuckled without humor, picking up his fork. He gave her a look through narrowed eyes. “That is not what I would consider fun.”

“You do not enjoy the dances?” She was surprised. He had never mentioned before that he was
dissatisfied,
though he never brought any of the Ladies home, not this Season so far or the one before. She was suddenly glad of that fact, realizing she would now be jealous and uncomfortable if he had.

“It’s not the dancing that I
object to
. I like to dance. It’s the fact that Elizabeth makes me dance with Ladies I have no
interest in
. Most of them are looking for a certain kind of man as I am looking for
a certain
kind
of woman. I have these children to think of, as well. They are young and not capable of caring for my
children
as they should be taken care of.”

“I am here. I can care for them.”

“And that’s another thing.” Richard let his fork drop so that it smacked against the side of his plate, which startled Rose and all three children. He looked down and then up at each of them. “I’m sorry about that.”

“What did you mean?” Rose wanted to hear his answer very badly.

“What?” Richard blinked at her. “Oh, we are talking about the Ladies from town, aren’t we? I have Samuel, Charlotte and Frederick to think
of,
and you have been their governess for most, if not all of their lives. What if the woman I brought back here decided you
were no longer needed
? I dread the thought of living in a home dictated by a strong-willed woman.”

“There are no Ladies at all that you feel would be up to the task of caring for the children? I can find a new
position,
if that were so.” She
actually
felt a little sick to her stomach when she spoke the words. She hoped it didn’t show on her face. Relief flooded through her when Richard shook his head.

“That’s not what I want. The children would miss you. You care for them better than anyone else can. I don’t want someone else in charge of them.”

Rose pressed her lips together, wishing he would see past her plainness and lack of status to more possibilities.

“Daddy, I’m done eating, can I go now?” Charlotte said, putting her fork down.

“You ate very quickly tonight, didn’t you?” Richard answered.

Charlotte nodded, her blond curls bouncing on her shoulders. “I have a book to read. I started it
yesterday,
and I want to
read
it,
so I hurried to get to it. Can I go to my room?”

“Yes, that’s fine. I’ll come in with Rose tonight and see you to bed. All right?”

“Yes, daddy!” Charlotte jumped up from her chair and went to him to throw her arms around his neck. He hugged her
back,
and she gave him a kiss on his cheek before running out the door.

Her brothers left soon after, leaving Rose and Richard to finish their dinners together. It was not the first time it had
happened,
but it was the first time Rose noticed they didn’t usually speak to each other. She decided to change that. Their conversation before the children departed made her feel that more was possible. The more they talked, the more they would bond.

“If you were to be doing something else besides what you do,” She began. “What would it be?”

Richard looked up at her in surprise, raising his eyebrows. “What would I do?” He appeared to be thinking about it. She smiled. “Well, I suppose I would…operate a race track. I’ve always loved horses, you know. When I was young, I used to dream of becoming a jockey.” He laughed softly. “Couldn’t do it. Too big. Too tall.”

“That must have been terribly disappointing.” She was still smiling and saw that he was amused.

“It was a big blow to my self-esteem. Why couldn’t I have been born thin, with barely any muscle mass.” They both laughed loudly. “
I wasn’t crushed by it
, don’t worry. I moved on into my rightful place as the head of the Wentworth
company,
and there I shall stay until the end of my days.” He said it in such
a forlorn
voice, completely the opposite of his previous joviality. She preferred the
joviality
.

“It seems a terrible waste to me.” She had long since finished her plate but did not want to get up. The conversation would
end,
and she would have to
go tend
to the children. She wanted to stay and talk to him all night.

He nodded, pushing his
own
plate away and sitting back in his chair. “I have to agree with you and thank you for saying so, Rose. It would be wonderful
to just have
something different happen
every now and then
. I am going through the motions, as they say, not getting much pleasure from this life.”

“Things change very
quickly,
though.”

“It doesn’t seem like things are changing much for me. Every day I get up and go to work and come home and have some
kind of
party to go to or I stay home here with the children. I enjoy the parties some but…I am just not interested in dancing with all those women…” He shook his head, not able to find the words to convey how he felt. He couldn’t imagine he put off the best image to the women he encountered
anyway
. No wonder they didn’t seem to be able to hold a conversation with him. “Although I suppose I could try a little harder. I don’t do much to help the situation, do I?” He smiled at her.

She didn’t want him to try harder. She giggled a little and held her hand up over her mouth. She noticed that the look
on
his face had changed. He was looking at her more
directly,
as if he had suddenly realized something.
As if he was seeing her for the first time.
She lowered her hand and smiled at him.

Richard was, indeed, realizing something for the first time. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a conversation with a woman that lasted longer than a few minutes, other than Elizabeth. Rose seemed genuinely interested in what
he
had to say and responded to him with thoughtful remarks.

He suddenly stood up and bowed to her. “I am going to retire now, Rose. It was nice talking
with
you. I will see you in the morning?”

“Yes, sir.” She stood up, as well.

He gazed at her for a moment. “It’s
Richard,
” he said plainly.

She smiled. “Yes, Richard.”

He smiled back and turned to walk out of the room, unaware he was taking a piece of her heart with him.