The Governess Game (Girl Meets Duke #2)(31)

“Right out there in the yard. That’s if you were of noble birth. The rest were hung by their necks, and their heads went on pikes by the river as a warning. All the blood dripping down. Eyes pecked out by ravens.”

Hands behind her back, Alex ambled over to stand by her employer. “Surely there are less gruesome ways of teaching history, Mr. Reynaud.”

“Surely there are less irritating methods of teaching geography than piracy.”

She had no answer to that.

“Be grateful I didn’t choose an outing to the Fleet.” He crossed his arms over his chest and addressed the girls. “Now. I expect that this little visit will have cured you both of your criminal behavior. There will be no further stealing, piracy, or . . . dollicide. Not unless you want a scene like this one in your future.”

“In our future?” Rosamund looked around the ancient cell, considering. “Locked in an upstairs room, given only crusts to eat, and plagued by disease. Seems rather like the life we have now. We may as well have a few high-seas adventures while we can.” She beckoned to Daisy. “Let’s go see the menagerie.”

Chase tipped his head back and gave an exaggerated groan of despair.

“Wait.” Alex rummaged in her reticule. “You’ll need a shilling each for entrance.”

Rosamund rattled two coins in her hand. “Our guardian gave us the coins already.” She cast a cheeky smile at his pocket. “In a manner of speaking.”

Daisy skipped to follow her sister, singsong chanting all the way down the stairs.

Alex moved to follow them. She only made it two and a half paces before his deep voice arrested her progress.

“Not yet, Miss Mountbatten.”

“I should follow the girls. It isn’t safe to leave them without supervision.”

“They’re fine,” he said. “Rosamund won’t let Daisy out of her sight.”

“Oh, I know the girls will be safe.” She gave him a deceptively carefree smile. “It’s the lions and tigers I’m worried about.”

“You’re not going anywhere.” He pulled her into one of the room’s stone alcoves. “I need a word.”

He needed a word. Which word, she longed to know. Could it possibly be “lovely”? Because that was the only word she’d been able to think since the previous night.

By God, you’re lovely, he’d said.

He called you lovely! her brain had sung. And it hadn’t stopped singing ever since. Lovely. Looov-eh-leeee. Lovely lovely lovely lovely. L-O-V-E-L-Why? Because he finds you lovely. Also, lovely.

“I could have told you this outing wouldn’t work the way you hoped.”

“Since I hired you, Miss Mountbatten, nothing has gone the way I hoped.”

“Try to see the positives. Rosamund and Daisy are bold, clever, resourceful girls. Even if the mischief could be beaten out of them—and I suspect there’s a solid chance the rod would splinter first—their spirits would be broken, too. What a tragedy that would be.”

“Oh, yes. A tragedy indeed.”

His ironic tone didn’t fool her. Alex was coming to see the fondness he harbored for his wards. If he didn’t care about them, he wouldn’t bother to try.

“They’re children. They have a natural curiosity about the world, and a desire to learn. They merely need the encouragement and opportunity. The freedom to pursue their own interests. Aren’t you concerned with the improvement of their minds?”

“I’m chiefly concerned with the improvement of their behavior. They must learn to move in society. My duty as guardian is to provide Rosamund and Daisy with a secure, comfortable future. A young woman’s best hope at such is to marry, and marry well.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “The same way your parents married well?”

“Oh, I’ll make certain they do better than my father. They could scarcely do worse. But in general, yes. That is how the English aristocracy works.”

“Perhaps the English aristocracy needs to do better.”

He made a derisive sound. “I’m flattered you think I’ve the power to change the world.”

“I don’t think you have the power to change the world,” she replied. “I think Rosamund and Daisy do. If given the chance.”

“Is that so.” He drew closer. “And how are you planning to change the world, Miss Mountbatten?”

“I couldn’t tell you, Mr. Reynaud. At the moment, I’m too busy changing the sky.”

After staring into her eyes for an eon or two, he sighed dramatically. “You are the worst example of false advertising. I was led to believe I was hiring a prim scold. Then I learn you’re remarkable and bold and interesting.”

Well, Alex thought, that stupid song in her brain had four words now.

She stammered, “I wish you wouldn’t say things like that.”

“I wish you didn’t make me think things like that. So we’re square.”

“We should go after the girls.”

“Yes, we should.”

Neither of them moved.

Alex bit her lip. “We’re going to kiss instead, aren’t we.”

He caught her in his arms. “You’re goddamned right, we are.”