A Governess for the faithless Duke (Regency Romance) (Regency Tales Book 3) Read Online Free

A Governess for the faithless Duke (Regency Romance) (Regency Tales Book 3)
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than a constitutional nature. They will not last above half an hour, and the girls will have notepaper or drawing paper with them during these promenades.” Edmund almost laughed aloud at the way she brushed his objection aside and rolled right on with explaining her plans.
    “With that in mind are there any areas of the estate that I should avoid?” Edmund had to admit that he liked her plan a lot. Indeed, he could almost guarantee that this young woman would cause major upheaval in the little girls’ lives, and he embraced the idea wholeheartedly. They needed a change, and he only hoped she would not find their resistance too exhausting, and he prayed they would not resist for long.
    Still, he had to ask, “How do you propose to get the cooperation of my nieces in the matter of an earlier rising, Miss Williams?” He tried to inject sternness into his voice.
    Her smile lit up her face again. “Rewards and punishments, Your Grace. They worked for me and my younger sister, and I’m sure they will work for your nieces.”
    “Punishments?” he asked sharply. If she were the kind of woman to raise a hand to children, he would see her returned to her home at once, no matter how beautiful he found her.
    As though she knew the path his thoughts had taken, she said quietly, “My parents never raised a hand to either me or my sister, Your Grace. Rest assured I have no intention of harming your nieces.”
    The Duke realised then that he had hired a gem of a woman, even as he felt her withdrawing, building a wall of cool reserve between them. He had offended her with just one word, and reminded her of her station in his household. He knew she would never forget it from this moment on, and the thought that he had somehow spoiled something good that might have grown between them made him uncomfortable. He opened his mouth to apologise, but she forestalled him by continuing,
    “Punishments may include anything from withholding a promised treat to extra lines, to an earlier than normal bedtime. And if you will permit it, it may also include not being allowed to visit with you as planned. The severity of the punishment will, of course, be dependent on the seriousness of the infraction. Rewards can include extra time working on a favourite task or activity, an extra half hour before bedtime, or a treat for work well done. Do these meet with your approval, Your Grace?”
    Edmund felt the weight of her hurt like a blow, but nothing in her demeanour changed, except that she no longer smiled. He did not know how to correct what was clearly a grave insult, and he did not like how she made him feel like a chastened schoolboy. He resorted to cold aloofness, which had always served him well in the past when he was unsure of how to respond in an awkward situation.
    “I am sure you know best what works, Miss Williams.”
    He saw her recoil, and he relented. She meant no harm, and he had been wrong to suppose she would hurt his girls. He continued more gently.
    “Please continue. You said that you needed supplies.”
    She consulted her list again, and when she was done explaining why she needed the things on it, he asked if he could have it so that he could send for the items. Then she stood up, and he knew he was being dismissed. Torn between annoyance and amusement, he wished her a good morning and departed, leaving her to the two little girls who were still hard at work. Back in his study, he summoned Milton, and before he spoke of the matters needing their attention, he handed him the list.
    “See to it that these items are procured and delivered to the schoolroom as soon as possible,” he told the butler.
    “Miss Williams has need of them.”
    “Yes, Your Grace,” Milton replied, pocketing the list.
    “Now to the household matters. My great aunt will be paying us a visit in a few weeks, and I will need her rooms to be aired and cleaned by then. And because she has a special diet, you and Mrs Thomson will need to sit with cook to
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