The Governess's Earl (Grace-by-the-Sea #4) - Regina Scott Page 0,3

with her uncle. He had been one to appreciate logic.

“But Father,” Lady Miranda wheedled, “I only want to be with you. I love you.”

His face melted. Truly, it was an extraordinary sight. Any resemblance to their stern magistrate vanished. In its place was a man who cared: deeply, desperately. A man who would have done anything to see his daughter smile.

And the little wretch knew it.

“I love you too, Miranda,” he murmured. “And I want you to grow up into the accomplished woman your mother hoped you would be. That’s why I’m searching for the perfect governess.”

Such a creature did not exist. No one was perfect. But Rosemary knew she could do good in this house. Er, castle.

“I don’t need a governess,” Miranda repeated, and now her face and tone were mulish.

“Ah,” Rosemary interjected, lifting her lorgnette to her nose and gazing at the girl through it. “Then you know the difference between elephas and crocodylus.”

The girl turned her way. “No. I don’t know what they are.”

And didn’t like that. Good.

The earl was watching her again. Rosemary tried to focus on Lady Miranda.

“I’d be delighted to explain,” she told the girl. “My uncle, Flavius Montgomery, the famous geologist, taught me everything he knew. I can tell you why fossils appear in limestone and where the ancient elephants lived in this area.” She leaned closer to the girl and lowered her voice. “I can even lead you to their last remains.”

Hazel eyes met hers, calculating, curious. “I’d like that. What about mathematics?”

“The square root of twenty and four is approximately four point eight nine eight nine eight.”

She swung her gaze to her father once more. “You didn’t teach me to do square roots. Is she right?”

“Yes,” he said, lips hinting of a smile. “And square roots might be a bit beyond your skills at this point.”

“Nonsense,” Rosemary and Lady Miranda said at the same time.

Lady Miranda beamed at her. “I like her. Hire her, Father, so we can go.”

“There’s a bit more to hiring than merely giving my word,” he told his daughter. “We must agree on when she starts, her salary, half days off, and requirements for room and board.”

“I’ll start tomorrow,” Rosemary said as fast as she could, lorgnette slipping from her fingers. “I can bring my things and spend the night tonight. I’ll accept twenty-five pounds per quarter. Sunday after services and Wednesday evenings off. A bedchamber and sitting room here at the castle with meals with the family most days. And I dress as I like. No uniforms.”

“Fine,” Lady Miranda said. She grabbed her father’s hand and gave it a tug. “Now, come along, Father.”

He rose slowly, but his gaze was on Rosemary. “Ask Jonas to fetch you a bonnet, Miranda,” he said, and she released him to scamper from the room.

He waited for Rosemary to rise, then closed the distance, and she had to lift her lorgnette once more to stop herself from falling into the blue of his eyes.

“I am devoted to my daughter, Miss Denby,” he said, as if she could have had any doubts on the matter. “As you can see, I deny her little. So, I will agree to your terms, but only for the next fortnight. You will have to prove to me you can do this job. And I won’t be nearly as easy on you as I am on my daughter.”

Chapter Two

She’d done it. It was all Rosemary could do not to skip down the steps fronting the castle’s massive oak door and kiss her family’s horse Daphne on the tip of her velvety nose. But she had a reputation to maintain—governess to Lady Miranda, daughter of the Earl of Howland. So she kept her head high and smile no more than satisfied as she glided up to the stable hand who was holding the reins.

“I’ll return this evening around six,” she told him, taking the long ribbons of leather from him. “Will someone be available to fetch my things into the castle?”

The Castle How servants must be particularly good about sharing news, for he didn’t so much as look surprised as he handed her into the gig. He even knew her name. “Yes, Miss Denby. Just as you like.”

She waited until she had turned the gig and headed away from the castle before letting her grin out. And if she gave a whoop of delight as well, the only ones who noticed were a pair of doves that wheeled out of the trees near the edge of the