The Duke and The Governess (6 page)

The nurse lapsed into silence and stood by while John stared into the face of his daughter. She had a little button nose and heart shaped lips. She sighed deeply, making him smile and suddenly she opened her eyes to focus on him. She reached her little hand out of the blanket and John offered his finger. As her hand clasp around it John’s heart was lost to the wonder of a child. His child. He rubbed his thumb gently over the back of her tiny hand
and asked ‘What am I going to call you?’

‘What about Elizabeth, Your Grace?’ the wet nurse asked softly. ‘With that golden hair she’ll seem like a queen.’

‘Will it stay that colour?’ he asked and reluctantly looked away from his daughter’s blue eyes.

‘Probably, but you never really know.’ She smiled gently, ‘and her eyes might not remain blue.’

‘I shall be interviewing for a nanny in the next few days, do you know of anyone that would like the post?’

‘As a matter of fact, I do, Your Grace.’ She murmured. ‘My Aunt, she has spent years looking after my mothers and my children and I always said she
should be a
professional.’

‘Then invite her along for an interview and I’ll consider her.’ The Duke said magnanimously.

Suddenly the door opened. ‘Is this the nursery?’ His mother’s voice sounded as Verity appeared in the doorway.

‘It would appear so, Mother.’ She said and smiled at John. ‘We are too late. It would seem that John has beaten us to it.’ She walked in and smiled at her brother. ‘Getting acquainted?’

‘I am.’ John said. ‘This is my daughter, Elizabeth.’
He wiggled the baby’s hand, ‘and this is your Aunt Verity and your Grandmother.’

Verity scooped the bundle from his arms and rocked her expertly. ‘Isn’t she beautiful?’ She murmured and kissed the baby’s cheek.

‘She definitely has the Farrington nose.’ His mother sighed and smiled softly. ‘She looks exactly like you did.’

‘Well, I must away to the guests.’ John said and smiled at the nurse. ‘I’ll be back up to see her later.’

‘Very good, Your Grace.’ She smiled sweetly, ‘maybe we can tackle a nappy change or a bath, then.’

John left with alacrity as the three women laughed loudly.

Chapter Three

Jessica Gordon looked at her reflection in the mirror without interest. Her
dark
hair was intricately coiffured, her gown was of the finest satin, pale blue rather than ivory, and she was holding a bouquet of roses. Her mother bustled into the room.

‘Aren
’t you ready yet?’ she demanded, picked up the dark blue wool cloak and draped it over Jessica’s shoulders.

‘I don’t want to marry him, mama.’ Jessica said softly, as if it was a repetition that she had made a thousand times and nobody was listening any more.
Helen turned her and did up the clasp.

‘It doesn’t matter what you want. Your father and The Earl have made the marriage agreement. Neither of you can escape it now!’

‘But,
I’ve told you. I did not go into the bushes with David
Carruthers
!’
Jessica uttered, totally exasperated now.

Lady Helen Gordon was appalled that Jessica should be caught in such a compromising position. She’d believed that Jessica would know better than to allow a man carnal knowledge of her before marriage, but she was obviously wrong. It didn’t once cross her mind that the gossip had been set deliberately and that Jessica was innocent. But it was ruinous not only to Jessica’s reputation, but also by association, her sister’s as well. Although Lady Helen did admit that her two eldest daughters deserved to be vilified and weren’t.

‘It doesn’t matter whether you did or didn’t go into the shrubbery with him. The gossip has been awful and the only way to save the family and the reputations of your sisters is for you to marry. I don’t want to hear another word abo
ut t
his matter. It is over and done with. You will walk into the chapel and marry Lord
Carruthers
if it’s the last thing you do!’

‘It probably will be the last thing I do.’ Jessica muttered.

‘Every
thing w
ill be fine.’ Helen said cajolingly
. ‘I know you can’t be nervous about tonight, not as you were caught in the act at Devon’s party.’

‘I was not caught in the act!’ Jessica shouted vehemently. ‘I did nothing with David
Carruthers
at Devon’s party. All I did was sit and cry in the garden!’

‘Enough!’ Roared Wilbur Gordon from the doorway. ‘This matter is now closed and you will marry
Carruthers
.’ He grabbed Jessica by the wrist and yanked her along behind him as he made his way downstairs.
He was disgusted that his little Jessica, the apple of his eye would be as wanton as her sisters. He was still of a mind to thrash the life out of David Carruthers for destroying her innocence. Like his wife, he didn’t doubt that the gossip was right and that she had wantonly let David Carruthers fuck her like a randy dog.
It was unfortunate that Wilbur Gordon was suddenly forc
ed to see Jessica for what she wa
s, a grown woman, instead of the little girl he’d always indulged and adored.

Jessica was annoyed
that not even Cecily was allowed to accompany her to the church.
In fact she hadn’t seen one of her siblings from the moment her father had thrown her into the coach with her mother and sent them home from the ball. It had seemed strange, after a lifetime of sleeping in the same room as Cecily, to be alone. Her mother had escorted her up to a spare room in the attic and promptly locked her in. The maids had delivered her clothes and her meals, but wouldn’t speak to her.

Wilbur Gordon kept his vice like grip on her wrist as he pushed her into the carriage.
Once he’d sat and forced Jessica down in the seat beside him, the carriage jerked into motion. He released her hand and patted it affectionately. ‘There, there, my dear. Everything will be fine once you are married.’
He said placatingly.

For Jessica the forced calmness meant nothing, she wasn’t calm or accepting of the situation and tried again.
‘
Fine for whom?’ she blurted. She took a deep breath to calm herself. ‘
I don’t want to marry David
Carruthers
, he’s going to Portugal.’
She said calmly, knowing petulance wouldn’t get her anywhere. She had to be an adult in her father’s eyes, instead of the little girl he
’d
always tried to keep her.

‘Then maybe you should have kept your skirts down around your ankles!’ her father snapped.
His emotions ranged from shame to rage at the behaviour of his youngest daughter. He was disgusted that she was like the rest and couldn’t stop herself from shaming her family.

‘But I didn’t do what’s being bantered about!’
Jessica shouted, the frustration and anger overflowing.

‘I don’t care.’ Her father shouted back. ‘I should have tanned your hide at the time, instead of trying to apologise for a little harlot!’

Jessica sat back after that response from her beloved father.
She looked out of the window and again saw David
Carruthers
in the bushes with Lady Jane Saddleworth.
I wonder what they’ll think when I don’t produce a child seven or eight months from now?
She thought and decided that she’d finally had enough of her family. She had gone from worshipped to vilified in the space of an hour, just for being alone in the garden and weeping because somebody had told her about the death of the Duchess of Warwick. She had cried softly for the handsome Duke, knowing he would be distraught at the death of his wife. She had seen David
Carruthers
emerge from the shrubbery
just after Lady Saddleworth, who was married to Lord Saddleworth; the Baron of Rochdale, had vanished back into the ballroom. David had stared at her in horror, but Jessica wasn’t really paying attention, she just wiped her eyes and turned away. Eventually she returned to the ballroom, to be dragged from the room and questioned by her father about her behaviour and since that day nobody had believed she wa
s innocent
.

The coach pulled up outside the l
ittle church of St. Mary-le-Bow. Her father yanked her out of the carriage and frog marched her into the church, rushing her up the aisle until they were stood before the altar, with his hand still tight about her upper arm. Of David
Carruthers
and his family there was no sign.

‘I think we must be early.’ Jessica muttered and tried to prise her arm from her father grip, but he wouldn’t let go. He was terrified his wayward daughter would run from the church if he let her go.
He full remembered how much of a virago she could be and was well capable of bolting from the church.

There was a rattle of livery and then the sound of running feet and David
Carruthers
burst into the chapel.
He was dressed in his
Household Brigade uniform, the britches hugging his well muscled thighs and the shiny boots flaring up past his knees. His brightly plumed golden helmet clasped under his arm and his sabre bouncing against his hip. He looked the epitome of a Cavalry Officer. His almost white, platinum hair shone in the sun streaming through the doorway and as he arrived at the altar the light from the stained
glass window gave him a satanic
appearance. She was astonished to see an almost
cruel look of glee on his face.

‘Sorry we’re late.’ David said. ‘I was getting my things together for departure.’

Jessica slumped in defeat. Up until that point she’d hoped that David
Carruthers
would admit the truth, but it was obvious he wasn’t going to.
Behind him was another man, she hadn’t taken any notice of him up until this point, but he was the image of David, except his hair was golden, rather than white.
They
are
probably twins
, she thought and as she appraised them both, she was surprised by their compact forms. Both men had impressive shoulders, well enhanced by the cut of their jackets, but neither of them was excessively tall. But, where David looked cruel, his twin looked kind. His eyes had a soft expression and he smiled beautifully at Jessica, trying to put her at ease.
He was dressed formally in evening wear.

‘Mr. Gordon. This is my brother
Lord
Anthony.’ He made the introductions.

‘Shall we?’ he said and Jessica’s father actually released her arm into David
’
s firm grip.

‘Why are you doing this to me?’ she whispered at the altar.

‘I’ll tell you later.’ He whispered back and then looked at the vicar and paid attention.

When the Vicar asked for her consent she stood there mute and her father said firmly ‘Yes, she does.’

‘Is this girl a minor?’ the vicar asked indignantly and before Jessica could open her mouth to tell him her age and that she did not, her father said ‘Yes. I speak for her.’ In horror Jessica stood and watched her soul consigned to perdition on the word of her father. The disgust she felt was enormous.
He spoke the vows for her and she almost cried as David forced the ring on her finger
. ‘You may kiss the bride.’ The Vicar said, but he couldn’t hide the frown that accompanied the words. He’d never seen such a marriage ceremony where the bride was all but gag
ged. He felt very sorry for her as he watched them sign the register.

As they turned away, David
Carruthers
gave her a perfunctory kiss on the lips
.
It was done.
‘
Lord
Anthony
will be accompanying you to the family estate at Ross-on-Wye in Gloucestershire.’ David said
abruptly
to Jessica.
Her life had been transferred to the care of David Carruthers and he was relinquishing it to his brother and father.

‘Where will you be?’ she asked startled.

‘I’ll be sorting my luggage onto the Persephone in the Pool of London. I have to be aboard by three o’clock.’ He said coldly pulling his fob and consulting his watch. ‘It’s nearly two o’clock now, so I must bustle.’ He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and ran down the
aisle and then they heard the jingle of the livery as his carriage pulled away.

Jessica stood there with her mouth open and then she turned her shocked gaze on to the other Carruthers. Anthony made a rueful face and shrugged his shoulders.
He took her hand and gently kissed the backs of her fingers. ‘Welcome to the family of Dean, Lady Jessica.’ He murmured.

‘Congratulations, I hope you will be very happy.’ Her father said coldly, making Anthony look at him sharply.

Jessica turned her head slowly to her father. Feeling every singl
e year of her twenty one
years, Jessica stiffened her spine, determined not to cry in her father’s presence.
‘Do you know, Mr. Gordon?’ she said formally. ‘It is heart warming how much faith you’ve had in your youngest daughter and I think you should be proud of just how
you have handled this difficult situation.’ She coldly looked her father in the eye as he squirmed. ‘I shall
never see you again
. Not you or any of my family. If you write I shall burn you
r letter
s unopened. I have done nothing to deserve this treatment and
I am disappointed in you as a father
! I only hope nobody spread malicious gossip about any of my sister’s because I shall have the deepest sympathy for their position.’ She turned to Anthony
Carruthers
. ‘Thank you for agr
eeing to accompany
me
My Lord
, but I think it will be unlikely that I will need you.’ and holding her head high she walked down the aisle to the doors.
Once
outside, she threw her bouquet at the
street urchins that were hanging around and then
looked at
the two carriages, she
went straight to the
Carruthers
coach and climbed in the door. Anthony rushed to catch up with her and settled himself in the seat.