Excerpt from The Governess -- Chapter 11 cont'd:
Quickly, they ran back to the picnic blanket, frightened looks upon their young faces. Carly sat up in time to see him jumping off his horse, quickly running toward them. Seeing that he was furious, she had difficulty standing hastily in her gown, but soon stood before him.
Grabbing her by the arms, he yelled, “Do you not know the dangers of children around water?” Madly gripping her, he again yelled, “I thought I had left my children in safe hands, and now I am disappointed to find that I have not!” After bellowing at her, leaving her confusion growing by leaps and bounds, he let go of her abruptly and bent down on his knees as he hugged both children to him at once. They hugged him back, but Elspeth was now in tears. Carly looked at the shallow waters at the shoreline perplexed by the perceived danger.
“Jonathon, Elspeth, please…please walk back to the house at once. I know it is a long walk, but I shall join you shortly.” Watching them as they started quickly back to the house, they both saw Jonathon take Elspeth’s little hand to bring her comfort. Lord Huntington stood, waiting until they were out of hearing range.
He turned on her, fury boiling over.
Carly’s hand was already at her throat.
Standing inches from her, he spoke in a harsh voice, saying, “I have trusted the safety of my children to you, Miss Blakemore!” The fear in his eyes made her step backwards, but he moved forward, capturing her arms not intending for her to escape his wrath. “How could you be so careless? I thought you were more vigilant than this,” he said more to himself than to her. Dropping her arms, his hands raked through his dark hair back and forth with worry written over his face.
Distraught over his behavior, she tried to be sensitive to his chaotic emotions, but could only reply, “Your children were safe, Lord Huntington. I…I would never do anything to harm them.”
“The lake,” he shouted, pointing at the water. “You brought them to the lake! You were not watching them just now, for I was watching you.” Pacing back and forth, he asked with disbelief evident in his voice, “Did you not know that this is where their mother died? Here, in these very waters?” Grasping her arms again, he continued frantically, “They could have drowned, and you were not even watching.”
With great shock, Carly trembled at this new information.
Looking down upon her, truly seeing the woman standing here for the first time since coming upon their picnic, Lord Huntington saw her emotion growing, saw that she was violently trembling.
Then, she burst into tears.
Growling at himself remorsefully, he began to say to her, “For heaven’s sake…”
Pulling her into his arms, he held her, resting his chin upon her head. Noticing her hair was loose and hanging around her shoulders, his hands could not resist touching the sunlit tresses, trying to bring comfort to her. “I have made you cry.”
Instead of receiving comfort, the obviousness of his comment made her cry even harder.
Stroking her long, beautiful hair, he felt repentant as she sobbed against his chest, her hands covering her face as if in shame. He tried to give her his handkerchief, but she was too busy sobbing. He wasn’t sure what to do with himself now.
His outburst, his disclosure had upset her terribly, not having known previously how his wife had died. How could I have been so careless, she thought? Why has anyone not told me? Will no one tell me the secrets of this house?
How will this end? Why such anger from Lord Huntington? And how is it possible for Carly to stand up to him as she does?
Thanks for reading with me today! Join me on Friday for more...
Ellise ;)
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