The Mysterious Governess (Daughters of Sin Book 3) (8 page)

Returning to his office, it was harder to concentrate, but after he’d finished his unpalatable duties, Ralph took a circuitous route past the large home where Miss Hazlett worked. He suspected she’d be in the habit of taking her young charges for a walk in the afternoons in the little park opposite, and so he dragged his heels in the hopes she’d appear.

He was in luck, for indeed there she was, and not only that, her face lit up with unadulterated delight when she saw him loitering beneath a plane tree.

“Meet me on the opposite side of the park, where we are not in view of the windows,” she whispered as she passed by him, not pausing.

Ralph’s heart beat a rapid tattoo in his chest as he discreetly followed her with a surreptitious glance over his shoulder to ensure he wasn’t being watched. He hadn’t liked what he’d seen of her employer, young Mr. Cosmo. He was jealous of the young man’s proximity, too, and couldn’t imagine he’d not have an interest in the young governess that went beyond wishing her to sketch his paintings.

Waiting impatiently in a shaded corner of the park, he wondered if the chance for intimacy beyond a smile might present itself, should Miss Hazlett manage to send the little girls off to find fairies in the nearby bushes.

However, the moment she appeared before him, she clasped her hands in entreaty, whispering, “Mr. Tunley, I am really at my wit’s end as to what to do, and I hope you can advise me.”

His pleasure that she should consider him in a position to assist her was quickly displaced by his sense of failure. How
could
such a poorly situated young man as himself help the goddess of his heart’s desire?

Before he could respond, she began without preamble, “My half-sister, a young woman who looks extremely like myself, lent me the gown I wore to Mrs. Gargery’s garden party because she wanted me to learn what I could about Lord Debenham, amongst other certain gentlemen in whom she’s interested. Now she has again visited me, with the request that tomorrow I accompany her to an assignation with,” she gave a furtive look about them before whispering, “your employer’s
valet
.”

“Good God!” The words were out before he could stop them, so great was his shock. “Lord Debenham’s valet? Jem? And you have a half-sister?”

“Yes, one who looks exceedingly like myself. Even Lord Debenham remarked upon it, though he’d not look twice at me, dressed as I am now.” She seemed to be concentrating on her own clearly tumultuous thoughts rather than registering his shock. Tentatively, she added, glancing up at him, “You see, Mr. Tunley, I did not mention it before, as it seemed of no consequence at the time.” She dropped her gaze, as if overcome suddenly by shame and Ralph wished he could put out his hand and offer what bolstering courage he could. But it was possible they were being watched. He was always conscious of being watched, with an employer like Debenham.

She took an audible breath, then raised her eyes, appealingly. “I am ashamed to tell you this, but I want you to know the truth. It won’t make you think any better of me because, after all, a bastard is a bastard, whoever her father happens to be. But my half-sister is Miss Araminta Partington.”

“Miss Partington is your
sister
?”

“My half-sister, for Lord Partington is my father, and he has two natural-born daughters. He abandoned my mother on the eve of their nuptials to marry the bride his parents had chosen for him. Nevertheless, during the intervening years, he’s spent most of his time with my mother, as if in fact they
were
married. I also have a brother and sister, with another one on the way.”

She sighed, adding softly, “Another one to share my shame, and to have to make its way in the world with no status. But as I was saying...” She returned briskly to the subject at hand. “It was my half-sister, Miss Araminta Partington, who lent me the dress I wore to the garden party, and, as I said, she contacted me, unexpectedly, and asked me to accompany her on this visit.”

“To visit my employer’s valet? Good Lord, why? She’s a...
lady
!”

“Precisely.” Miss Hazlett smiled. “This is the extraordinary thing. Apparently Miss Partington believes this young man...the valet, Jem...is in possession of a letter written by Sir Aubrey’s late wife, which implicates one of the men—Sir Aubrey
or
Lord Debenham—in the attempted assassination of Lord Castlereagh.”

Ralph could not have been more astonished. He gripped the wrought iron fence though his concern was entirely for the lovely young woman opposite him. If it hadn’t been, he’d have gripped
her
, but it was quite possible Cosmo Lamont might choose that moment to take his daily constitutional and appear around the corner.

A week ago, this same lovely creature was like a beautiful butterfly beating her wings against the nebulous periphery of his life, a mere governess and he a simple clerk. There was nothing to bring them together. Then suddenly she was rubbing shoulders with the ton. Now she was growing ever closer to his decidedly wicked employer.

“My belief is,” she went on, “that my half-sister wants to discover the contents of this letter so she can focus her attention on the gentleman whose reputation is not smeared by it. If I were to hazard a guess, I’d say that if this letter exists, Lord Debenham may have a very good reason for not wanting it in the public domain.”

“You are a sharp young lady.” Ralph could well countenance the possibility of Lord Debenham being involved in shady dealings, perhaps even Lord Castlereagh’s attempted assignation, though the thought had never occurred to him before, for it was Sir Aubrey’s reputation that had been so damaged. But then it was also true that Sir Aubrey’s late wife was Lord Debenham’s cousin. And lover, it was suggested. There may well be more to it than Debenham had relayed to the world but such a sordid affair should under no circumstances involve his precious Miss Hazlett.

He was afraid for her.

“You cannot accompany Miss Partington on such a mission,” he added firmly. “It may be a trap. You can have no idea what kind of man Lord Debenham is. Ruthless and cruel. He’ll not differentiate between a villain whose interests run counter to his own or a defenseless female such as yourself.” Impulsively he gripped her hand and was jolted by the connection that ran between them as strongly as if the bond were the warmth of their bodies joined as one.

This was too much. How could he breach the divide that yawned between them without harming Miss Hazlett or her reputation? If he was unable to offer marriage, he was unable to offer
anything
.

He felt her yield a moment before she pulled back, practicality once again the order of the day. “I
will
go, though I do not feel comfortable going alone without telling anyone, which is why I’m telling you. I merely wanted your advice on what I should do if the letter indeed exists.”

“But you can’t go!” The idea was preposterous.

“Why?”

“I’ve told you. It’s not safe. Lord Debenham is a...debaucher.”

“My half-sister is meeting his valet, not His Lordship.”

“Then she no doubt will induce him to give her the letter. My advice is that you at least glean the contents of the letter before it changes hands. Then tell me and we can decide from there.”

“I knew I could count on your support.” She reached out quickly and, with both hands, gave his a squeeze.

“I still wish you would not go. It could be dangerous.”

“I feel obligated. Also, Araminta is the kind of spoiled young lady who is quite likely to flounce off in high dudgeon if I refused. She’d never lend me another gown again.” She smiled. “But the truth is, if there were something important in that letter pertaining to Lord Debenham, it could assist you, Mr. Tunley.”

He shook his head, thinking how sweet she looked when she nibbled her lower lip as was clearly her wont when she was worried. “I cannot imagine how your sister knows of such a letter? One that, I gather, must be supposedly incriminating?
I’ve
certainly heard nothing, and I work for the blackguard.”

“The misses Partingtons’ lady’s maid, Jane, is sweetheart to Lord Debenham’s valet. Jem told Jane that Lord Debenham took the letter out of Sir Aubrey’s dead wife’s hands to use in case he needed it. Jane, I believe, then told her mistresses.”

“But this must have happened years ago. And Jem has only just now decided to reveal the existence of the letter, only he’s not sure if it incriminates Debenham or Sir Aubrey?”

Lissa shrugged. “I have no interest in either gentleman, but I do have an interest in being useful to you. And to Miss Araminta, though from a less altruistic point of view. She’s a cunning piece, but I don’t believe she’s as clever as I.”

Ralph chuckled. “Not many young ladies are, I’d wager. Well, I suppose there can be no harm in seeing Jem,” he conceded. “He should not have taken a letter that didn’t belong to him—if indeed it exists—but I can see why Jem wanted to shore up his position. Lord Debenham is a cruel employer. Fortunately, he doesn’t beat
me
.”

Miss Hazlett’s pretty mouth opened, then she frowned. “It all sounds rather grubby. Imagine, the two men fighting over the same poor lady who took her own life. But who am I to judge what is sordid, being what I am?”

“Never say such things! You are perfect!” Ralph declared, gripping her hands once more with a quick look over his shoulder. “I shall always think it, and never for a moment must you consider yourself stained with the sin of your parents!”

Conscious of the risks they ran, he dropped her hands, which, he was pleased to note, had returned the fond pressure. “I wonder what Jem will have to say for himself,” he mused. “I’ve seen him only briefly once or twice when I’ve gone to Lord Debenham’s house to deliver messages or to have documents signed. He is a handsome, confident young man, who I imagine would be quick to seize an opportunity. So he wants money for it, then?”

Miss Hazlett shrugged. “I gather Jem can’t read. Anyway, he’s keen to profit from the letter and I daresay hopes to blacken your employer’s name.”

The little girls were returning from their foray to look for pixies at the far end of the park. Ralph saw the worried glance Miss Hazlett flicked first at them and then in the direction of the house. Although Ralph was confident they could not be observed from its windows the danger remained that one of the Lamonts might walk around the corner.

“You feel spied upon?” he asked.

“Always,” she replied. “You must leave now, I think. If Cosmo or Mrs. Lamont saw you, I could be dismissed upon the spot if it pleased them. Though Cosmo needs me too much.”

“Have you done more work for him?”

“I managed another sketch, which was received with apparent enthusiasm yesterday. Not that Cosmo would tell me that, though he’s quite happy to tell me of the flurry of commissions he’s received, which he expects me to execute.”

She looked suddenly excited. “Perhaps I’ll become rich. I negotiated with him to receive a third.” Daringly, she touched Ralph’s sleeve for the briefest moment. “Yes, perhaps I’ll become rich, Mr. Tunley, and then...” She blushed before dropping her eyes but her sentiment was clear—and it flooded him with desire and determination.

“Somehow, Miss Hazlett, we shall find a way to proceed beyond mere words we know carry no weight when there is no possibility of deepening our acquaintance.” He didn’t like to dwell on the thought of Miss Hazlett providing for them and changed the subject back to the matter at hand. “Before you go, tell me the details of this assignation between you and your sister, and where you are to meet Jem. I shall keep a watchful eye over you, if it is at all within my power, for to be truthful, the notion of what you’re about to risk fills me with dread.”

A
raminta felt very pleased with herself as she made her way down a narrow cobbled road to her assignation.

Lately, she’d been feeling more than just concerned that Hetty seemed to be increasingly well received amongst the circles that had hitherto been
her
domain. In the past, no one had seemed to notice her silly little peahen of a sister. Now, when Araminta observed the way some of these handsome, rich and titled gentlemen looked at Hetty, she no longer saw pity in their faces.

No, she saw interest.

Of course, yesterday’s carriage ride with Sir Aubrey had cemented her precedence over her sister. Sir Aubrey had positively glowered at Hetty, just as he had when the entire Partington family had met him during that terrible walk her father had proposed the day before, during which he’d told them of his dire financial straits.

Perhaps Sir Aubrey suspected Hetty was sweet on him and was using bad temper to convey to her that he could have no interest in one so beneath his notice.

That’s what Araminta had to believe.

But then she’d learned about the letter, which apparently Hetty was planning to secure from Lord Debenham’s valet. Good Lord, what was the girl about? How on earth had Hetty learned such a thing but, more concerningly,
why
should she want to do anything about it?

Araminta’s first impulse was to tell their Papa but when she gave the matter greater consideration she realized there were far greater potential advantages if she matched Hetty’s cunning.

In the first instance, if such a letter existed, why did Debenham not pay his manservant what it was worth? Then Araminta got to wondering if in fact the letter was this manservant’s insurance. If that were the case, then the letter must not paint a very complimentary picture of Lord Debenham. But if that were so, it must somehow exonerate Sir Aubrey, and why would Hetty want a letter that would do that? Oh yes, Araminta had seen the occasional longing look or remark that suggested her sister had an interest in Sir Aubrey but surely she’d never truly imagined her interest could be returned? Especially, after yesterday’s carriage ride? Besides, Hetty
knew
Araminta had set her sights on him?

What was more concerning was the realization that if Hetty did, in fact, discover the means to exonerate Sir Aubrey—for apparently all this nonsense about the Castlereagh affair was quite important—her little sister would have very good reason for attracting Sir Aubrey’s attention. And even though it would be due entirely to gratitude on his part for her helping him out of a sticky situation of his own making, Hetty would be the one getting all the glory.