Temptation Of A Governess

No!

As the children took their visitor to the table to show him their drawings she busied herself with gathering up the books and slates and putting them away. The kiss had nothing to do with it. That was a mistake, the result of too much wine, nothing else. She had been alone too long at Chantreys. Since the death of her sister and brother-in-law she had shut herself away too much with the children. That was all.

‘I must go and change.’ The earl’s voice broke into her thoughts. Diana turned to see that he was moving towards the door. ‘You will bring the children to join us after dinner, Miss Grensham.’

Diana would have preferred to send the girls downstairs with Nurse, but there was something in the earl’s tone that told her he would brook no defiance. She would not argue. At least not in front of her charges.

‘As you wish, my lord.’

The hard look he gave her suggested he was surprised by her meek acquiescence, but after regarding her silently for a long moment he gave a little nod and was gone. The girls ran about, chattering excitedly. For Meggie and Florence the hours could not pass quickly enough but it was quite the opposite for Diana, who could almost wish for a disaster to save her from the forthcoming ordeal.

* * *

At the appointed hour Diana accompanied her charges to the drawing room. There were seven persons awaiting her, three ladies and four gentlemen, including Lord Davenport. He had a voluptuous blonde at his side but it was not the lady’s striking beauty that drew Diana’s attention, it was the fact that she was standing rather closer to the earl than was necessary and had one hand resting possessively on his sleeve.

Resolutely Diana turned to the other two ladies in the room. The younger one was Miss Prentiss, a single lady with all the poise and confidence Diana lacked. She also had a rather strident voice and a harsh laugh that grated upon the ear. Her companion was considerably older. The young lady addressed her as Mrs Peters, not her mother then, but Diana guessed she was here to act as chaperon.