Excerpt from The Governess -- Chapter 17 continued:
An affair? Surely the wounds have been cut deep.
Read more about this on Friday.
Ellise
Instantly feeling defensive, Carly questioned, “Off limits? But why?”
“Must you always ask questions?” he fumed.
As he looked intently at her, she became anxious in his presence. Those stupid rumors! Surely he could not be a dangerous person? A man of low morals?
“I am glad, at least, that you did bring Henry.”
It could not be him, the person responsible for bad things happening, for he always seemed concerned for their welfare. “And George, sir. Did you not see George, the footman, as well? Both he and Henry have been diligently keeping watch over us today as we walked the grounds.”
“Diligently?” He spoke quick, hot words. “I have not seen George in all the time I have been searching for you. But I assure you, I will speak with him about such diligence!”
Instantly feeling as if she had been disloyal to George, she said, “Surely, he must be about?”
“He is not!” Abruptly ending this topic, he cleared his throat, and went over to look out the window.
Not feeling as if she could leave his presence, she continued her train of thought, “I do not understand how a cottage that is not falling apart or dangerous in any way could be off limits, my lord.”
Hearing pain and anger in his voice, she was surprised as he coolly said, “This is a place of lies and treachery. I do not owe you any explanation.”
Whipping around, he faced her, yelling, “My private affairs? You mean my wife’s private affairs! This is where she would come and…and have her private affairs! Right under my very nose!” He loomed over her, pointing in her face, “There! Now you know my anguish, my suffering…my shame!” Having said this, he exploded out of the cottage and left them all.
Carly was dumbfounded!
Never in her life would she have guessed the nature of his marriage or that his wife had been unfaithful to him!
How could anyone be untrue to such a man?
Now she began to understand more fully why this man had such anger in his heart; his pain, his doubts, and his unwillingness to give his heart completely.
She remembered the sad poetry. It fit his wife’s infidelity, and the subsequent torture he must have experienced. And these poor children were suffering because of their father’s pain. They each were living with this horrible wound each and every day.
Sitting down, she was numb with disbelief of what he had just revealed to her. She had not meant to intrude. Did everyone know of this? Was she the only one in the dark? So many secrets.
It was all making sense now. There did seem to be animosity among some of the servants concerning the mistress, and Lord Huntington never talked about her. Even the servants, who normally thrived upon gossip, seemed intent upon protecting this master of theirs from this pain-filled topic.
Elspeth came running in, “Miss Blakemore, I am hungry. Can I please have something good to eat?”
“It is about time for tea, is it not?” Carly said absently.
Having no idea, Elspeth simply answered, “Yes.”
“Well, let’s be on our way back to the house then, shall we?”
And with that, all three walked silently, glumly back to the house.
An affair? Surely the wounds have been cut deep.
Read more about this on Friday.
Ellise
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