Virtue of a Governess (32 page)

Opening the parlour door, Nicola stopped when she saw her mother-in-law sitting at a small table playing cards. Before she had a chance to back out of the room, Silvana looked up, her expression filled with loathing. “Oh, it’s you. I’m waiting for the tea tray, but your servants are lazy and very inferior to those back home.”

Nicola turned away. “I’ll find the maid for you now.”

“Leave it. The quality of your cook’s talent is severely lacking. I’m sure I’m better off without. Her meals are quite deplorable.”

Bowing her head in acquiescence, Nicola stepped back, wishing to leave the room and Silvana’s presence. After four days of her mother-in-law’s company, she knew what a superb actress Silvana was, and her mind-playing was a feat to behold. Since her arrival, Silvana had held her son and daughter in the palm of her hand, giving them the love and attention they’d always longed for. Yet, the minute she was alone with Nicola, Silvana turned into a shrew, spewing forth her venom and spite and Nicola had no idea why.

“I will tell you, or should I say, prepare you,” Silvana paused, making certain she had Nicola’s attention, “That I’ll do my very best to have Nat and Frances back in England before the year is out.”

For a long moment Nicola couldn’t take in what she heard, then the meaning rang clear. “You want them to return to England with you for a short time?”

“No, you stupid girl, for good. There is no need for them to be here.”

“They have built a life here.”

“Nonsense. Don’t be so dramatic.”

“I doubt your success in this, Madam.”

“Oh, I’ll be victorious in this as I am in everything else I plan.” Silvana packed away the deck of cards and smoothed down the skirt of her resplendent dark blue silk gown. “I need my son in England.”

“You have a son in England.”

“Gerald doesn’t have Nat’s business acumen and he is losing the family money not accumulating it, plus his wife is useless.” She shrugged elegantly as if talking about the weather. “Wives are dispensable, like you and her, but sons are not.”

“My husband will not leave me.” Nicola fought for calm, though it was difficult. “I am soon to have Nathaniel’s first child. He will not want to be parted from me.”

“A child is of no consequence until it’s grown. We’ll send for it then.”

Send for her child as though it was nothing more than a parcel? “You are insane to think Nathaniel will agree.” Stunned, Nicola could only stare.

“Quite the opposite actually.”

“You might have fooled Nathaniel and Frances into believing you have changed from the unfeeling harridan you were, but I could—”

“You could do what?” Silvana stood and glided to the window. “You can do nothing, for my son has always wanted love and attention from his father and me. I know his rebellious behaviour stemmed from his childhood. The silly boy wouldn’t grow up, always wanting a pat on the head like some puppy.” Silvana tossed her head in disgust. “He was sent away to school to make a man out of him and, as you can see, it worked.”

“If he has any decency it is because Frances never gave up on him and loved him through it all. That and the fact he escaped you as soon as he could helped to prevent him from becoming a complete blackguard.”

“You know nothing.”

“I know a lot more than you think. Nathaniel has told me such painful stories of your neglect in your role as mother to him and Frances. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

Silvana waved her away like an irritating fly. “What is done is done. The future will be different. They will come home with me and forget this backwater.”

“And you think I’ll calmly let you do this?”

“Yes. I’ll see that you and the child are generously provided for until the child is of an age. Then it will travel to join us and go to a proper English school.”

“And what of my husband’s love for me?”

“That will soon fade. Distance is a great healer.”

“Nathaniel cannot be ruled and will not simply give up me and everything he has worked for to return to a place where he was unhappy.”

“Ah, you don’t understand.” Silvana gave her a cold look. “What you fail to consider is Nat’s loyalty to his heritage. Gerald didn’t inherit all of his father’s businesses and money, because my husband knew his eldest son well and that Gerald could never cope with such responsibility.” She picked up a figurine and placed it down again with a curl of her lip. “No, Nat showed how he could make money and this impressed his father greatly.” She walked behind the sofa, trailing her fingertips along the top of it. “This morning I gave Nat some letters, letters that will show him how much his father respected him. After reading them he will know his duty.”

“Why didn’t his father write to him in the last few years instead of when he was ill?”

Silvana’s eyes widened innocently. “Oh, my husband didn’t write those letters. I did, at least I paid for them to be written.” She smiled, her expression sly as a fox.

“I will tell Nathaniel all of this.”

“And willingly hurt him?” Silvana frowned and pursed her lips. “Do you want to affirm all those years of…neglect? My son might be in his thirties but he still hasn’t grown up. He still longs for the love of his parents. Now he has it. Answer me this, have you ever seen him so happy as he is now?”

Nicola swallowed. It was true. Nat smiled and laughed continually, content to finally have a complete and loving family around him for the first time in his life.

Silvana’s ugly smirk ruined any beauty she possessed. “Do you want to be the one to dispel his happiness? Do you think he’ll thank you for it?”

“You are truly evil.” Nicola tensed as Silvana walked up very close to her.

“You haven’t even seen the worst of me yet.” Silvana twisted the tender skin under Nicola’s arm, making her cry out. “You say one word of this to my children and I’ll see that you disappear. Nat mentioned some unpleasantness recently, what was the name…Lombard, was it?” Silvana’s eyes glinted. “Yes. I can see that he will come in handy.”

“Why would you do this?” Nicola whispered, horrified. Surely the woman wouldn’t go to Lombard. No, she couldn’t possibly...

“Because I always get what I want.”

“You won’t, not this time.”

Silvana’s eyes narrowed to flints of steel. “I see that you will be a problem.” She gave Nicola a loathing glare. “I’ll have to deal with you.”

Shaking, holding her burning arm, Nicola watched her mother-in-law swish from the room. Her hand slipped over her stomach as if to protect the baby inside. For the first time in her life, she didn’t know what to do.

* * * 

The tinkling of crystal and the low murmur of conversation filled the elaborate dining room. Nicola sipped her red wine, her headache pounding. She carefully watched and listened to her mother-in-law across the table. As the weeks dragged by, Nicola kept her troubling thoughts about Silvana to herself, not wanting to upset Nathaniel or Frances. However, the pressure of staying clear of her mother-in-law and pretending to be happy when she wasn’t was taking its toll on her.

This dinner party given by a business associate of Nathaniel’s was a lavish affair, the guests being wealthy people of Sydney. Usually she would have enjoyed such a night, but Silvana’s presence meant she had to be on her guard, never allowing herself to be alone with the spiteful woman. Thankfully, Silvana had spent the beginning of the evening attached to Nathaniel and praising him to all within earshot.

A young man, with bright blond hair sat on Nicola’s left and he turned to her with a crooked smile. “Mrs West, you are not eating.”

She looked down at her plate, the delicious meal of roast pigeon, half consumed. “I don’t have much of an appetite tonight.” Forcing a smile, she racked her mind for this man’s name, but couldn’t remember it, and her headache grew worse. The room grew stuffy. If only someone would open a window, even for just a minute, to let in the cool winter air.

“Perhaps something else might suit you?”

“Lord, no. I’ll not put the staff to any trouble. I doubt I could eat anything at all, actually. My head—”

“What an ungrateful person you are, daughter,” Silvana whispered from across the table. “The food is simply divine.”

Nicola’s hand clenched on the snowy white tablecloth. She blushed with embarrassment as the people closest turned in her direction. She also hated it when Silvana called her daughter. “I am not ungrateful at all, Silvana. I’m simply not feeling my best tonight that is all.”

“Then we’ll send you home so you can rest.” Silvana’s expression appeared caring, but Nicola saw the hardness in her eyes. “Our hosts have many entertainments to amuse us for hours yet. I’m sure seeing your long face will only ruin the night for everyone.”

The young man beside Nicola tilted his head. “That is hardly true, Madam. My parents wouldn’t consider an unwell guest as being rude.” He turned to Nicola. “Would you like to go upstairs to one of our rooms and lie down for a while?”

“That would be lovely…Mr Channing.” She sighed in relief at finally recalling his name. He was the son of Nathaniel’s friend and their hosts. “However, I shall go home I think.”

“Of course.” He signalled to a footman behind them and the man quickly bent over. “Mrs West isn’t feeling well. Alert Mr West that she wishes to go home and collect her wrap.”

The footman nodded and walked to the end of the table where Nathaniel sat talking to their hostess. Nicola missed Nathaniel’s reaction to the message as Silvana was talking again.

“All this fuss over such nonsense,” she twittered brightly to the older gentleman on her right. “I declare a trifling headache is hardly worth all this effort.”

“You have suffered no effort on my behalf, Madam.” Nicola grounded out, standing. Mr Channing stood also just as Nathaniel appeared beside her.

“Darling, you are unwell?” He peered anxiously at her as if to see some injury.

“A headache, my love,” she whispered, blushing deeper at the attention she now had of the entire table. “I just need to go home and rest.”

Their hosts came alongside of Nicola, full of concern, but she urged them back to the table and their guests, before thanking Mr Channing for his assistance.

Silvana rose dramatically. “And I was enjoying myself too.”

Nicola gave her a cold stare, anxious to be away from her for a few hours. “Then you must stay, Silvana, I insist.” She turned to Nathaniel, lowering her voice. “Stay with your mother and enjoy the evening. I’ll have Timms drive me home and then he’ll return for you both.”

He walked out of the room with her to the waiting maid, who held her silk wrap. He placed the flimsy golden material around her shoulders. “Sweetheart, I want to come with you.”

“I’ll be fine, really. You stay with your mother. Fran will be home from her meeting by now. If not, I’ll go to bed and have Mrs Rawlings bring me up a cup of cocoa.” She kissed his cheek. “I’ll likely be asleep within minutes.”

“Are you sure?”

She cupped his cheek when he kissed her softly. “I’m perfectly sure.” As she turned away, she noticed Silvana standing in the doorway, a cold calculated look on her face. Nicola shivered as the butler opened the front door, but she knew it was in response to her mother-in-law and not the cool night air. How long could she hold up against the awful woman?

* * * 

The little bell tinkled as Silvana entered the small dressmaker’s shop. She paused and looked around the dingy interior, which despite the owner’s best efforts still held the appearance of poor quality. However, for her assignment today it proved to be perfect.

“Ah, Mrs West, I take it?” A woman in her forties, her grey-streaked hair put up in a tight bun, stepped from behind the counter.

Silvana inclined her head and searched for any customers.

“There’s no one here but me, Madam.”

“Good.”

“Your man is waiting out in the lane behind the shop.” The dressmaker led Silvana through a curtained doorway and into a back room piled high with crates of material and articles of her trade. After opening a rear door, she stopped to allow Silvana to go outside.

On the step, Silvana hesitated. From her silk reticule, she pulled out a small purse of coins and placed them in the woman’s hand. “You never saw me.”

“Your man has already paid me, Madam.” The woman said, though she grabbed the purse.

“I am buying your silence some more.” Silvana stared intently into her eyes. “You may prove useful another time.”

“At your service, Madam.” The woman bowed and disappeared back inside, closing the door.

Taking a deep breath, Silvana turned and hurried up the narrow mean yard to the lane beyond. A man sat on a cart, for all the world looking like a tradesman making a delivery. Silvana waited for him to climb down and then she finally stared into Tristan Lombard’s face.

“Mrs West.” He tugged the brim of his hat and smirked as though this was a huge joke. “Like my attire?”

“Shut up, you fool. And don’t ever say my name again. You think this is a game?” She gripped her reticule in frustration.

Lombard reddened and straightened up. “Listen, Madam, I’m not some street urchin you can insult on a whim.”

“No, but you need me as much as I need you. So, let us begin.” She glanced around the lane nervously.

Lombard folded his arms, watching her intently. “Why are you doing this? I’m no admirer of your son’s wife, but your plan is—”

“My plan makes sense. I want Nat and Frances back in England with me. I need them there and the family will benefit from Nat’s money. This country,” she grimaced, “will never prosper. It will never rival England and so they are wasted here.”

“And so you think they will simply follow mother duck home?”

“Don’t be impertinent.” Silvana’s jaw cracked and she realised she’d been clenching her teeth. She forced herself to relax, to concentrate on the job at hand. “All that keeps my son here is his wife. With her gone, he will come home. I shall make sure of it.”