How to Claim a Governess’s Heart - Bridget Barton Page 0,27

thoughts on the man, she would never voice them. However, she knew well the enmity between the two brothers.

“I should hope not,” Lord John said quickly. “That is, what I mean to say, they have no reason to. The duke has allowed me to use the house for our agreement, and I don’t think he would feel the need to be in such close quarters with me after our last encounter.”

“Perhaps they would want to be here with Betsy? Specifically, the dowager, I mean?” Mrs. Smith pressed further.

“To be honest,” Lord John said, sheepishly bowing his head, “I haven’t told either of them that Betsy has come to live with me here.”

Mrs. Smith was taken aback.

“They will find out. Would it not be better to come from you instead of someone else?”

“No one knows of her presence outside of members of this house and Higgins.”

“But others will learn of her presence here as you begin to call on them more, as you just said,” Mrs. Smith retorted.

Lord John pondered on this fact. He knew he should have written to his brother the moment that Betsy arrived. He knew it would have just started another disagreement between himself, the duke and their mother. Lord John knew the conversation would have to happen one day, but presently he preferred to push that problem to the side.

“It will all work out fine in the end,” Lord John tried to soothe the housekeeper.

Mrs. Smith huffed, crossing her arms in front of her. She clearly didn’t agree but it wasn’t her place to press advice if it was unwanted.

***

The last few weeks leading up to Christmas became some of the happiest memories of Lord John’s adulthood. In the past, he’d had exceptional holidays and even spent some of them in London where every night was another ball or party for weeks on end.

Still, none of the parties could compare to the pure pleasure of Christmas at home with the ones he cared for.

Mrs. Smith had organised an activity for Betsy to accomplish almost every day since their secret planning. From hanging garlands to preparing sweet treats in the kitchen alongside the cook, Betsy was kept in the highest spirits.

Every night was spent in the parlour after dinner watching Betsy play or discussing a book with Miss Thatcher.

He knew she considered herself a passionate reader, but he was surprised to learn how quickly she consumed books. He loved that her reading skills went beyond the romance and Gothic novels that were so often associated with ladies' tastes.

Though Miss Thatcher had admitted to enjoying those types of ‘fluffy reading’, as she called it, she also enjoyed reading other works. Contemporary authors who Lord John loved for their abilities to philosophise were also well-loved by Miss Thatcher.

They often took turns reading a book from the library so that they could compare notes on what opinions it brought to their minds. He had never enjoyed spending this much time with a lady in all his life.

As he had spent any such time with ladies of the Ton, conversations had always been vapid and void of any substance. Both parties were forced to show their very best qualities, like a peacock spreading its feathers, with no genuine desire for deep and meaningful connections.

All those pretences were non-existent between him and Miss Thatcher. He wondered if it was because she didn’t see him as anything but an employer. He knew he shouldn’t see her as anything but the governess, but he had crossed that line months ago.

At the very least, Miss Thatcher had become a dear friend to him. She was actively sharing in his new responsibility as a caregiver for Betsy, and that bonded them in a way that could never be limited to governess and employer. Beyond this, however, he had grown to consider her a vital person in his life. He trusted her opinion, sought her company and advice, as he would with Mrs. Smith.

Most of all, he couldn’t help but surmise that she had become a critical member of his life that he had no wish to remove. The thought of sending Betsy away and releasing Miss Thatcher caused a sudden tear at his heart in a way he had never felt before. Of course, he knew that Betsy would only be gone for a short period if he did choose to send her to boarding school. So, he supposed the significant loss settling in his stomach at the notion of such an action was due to