“Apparently not,” Lady Rosalind said, her grin widening.
Lady Isabelle elbowed her younger sister in the ribs. Then she curtsied prettily, prompting her siblings to greet him with better manners.
“We are so pleased to see you, Mr. Gardiner,” Lady Isabelle said, all diplomatic politeness. “Unfortunately, we cannot stay to talk. Rosalind and I must attend to our mother, and we had better take James along with us. I am certain he has an appointment with our father before dinner.”
The boy scowled up at his sister but did not contradict her. Rupert suspected Rosalind had given him a pinch at the elbow to ensure he went along with their contrived reason for leaving.
Alice frowned at her young charges. “I was not aware—”
“Never mind, Miss Sharpe,” Lady Isabelle said quickly. “We will make our way back inside. Your enjoyment of the garden needn’t end because we are called away.” She curtsied again, then fairly dragged Lady Rosalind behind her, who in turn spurred Lord James into moving with a glare.
Alice’s blush deepened, but she did not follow the children out of the garden with more than her gaze, her eyebrows pulling together in a frown. “Oh dear. That was not subtle at all.”
“You really ought to teach them better acting skills,” Rupert said, unable to help but tease her. “Surely that falls under the duties of a governess.”
Alice faced him again, still appearing rather bewildered. “Rupert, what if they tell someone? If Her Grace thinks I am conducting private liaisons with gentlemen...” She let her words die away, concern darkening her eyes.
Rupert glanced the way the children had gone, then drew her with him into the shadows beneath the tree. “Somehow, I do not think they mean to spread gossip. It is easy enough to see those children adore you.” His heart beat rapidly within his breast. “May I spend your half day with you?” Rupert took her other hand, holding both of them low and between them. “I would like to show you what I have studied, and I want to hear of how you have passed your days.”
“I can hardly believe it,” she said, tilting her head to the side as she teased him. “I thought insects held more interest for you than people.”
“That is generally true.” He released a rather dramatic sigh. “They are less complex, to be sure. But I find they do not carry on conversations very well. Only this afternoon, a bumblebee snubbed me when I tried to confide in him.”
Alice’s lips twitched upward. “Oh, dear. How rude of him.”
“Terribly rude.” Rupert bent a little closer, enthralled by the clear blue of her eyes. “Where are your spectacles?”
She tipped her chin upward. “On the bench.”
“Do you not need them?” He asked, curious as he took in the pale tips of her eyelashes, which he had not noticed before that moment. They were as golden as her hair.
“Not all the time. It has become a habit to wear them.” Her voice lowered, as though she shared a secret. “One of my relatives insisted I keep them on, because they made me appear plainer.”
“Horrid person, whoever it was.” Rupert released one of her hands in order to lay his palm against her cheek, causing her to shiver. “They do not make you plain at all. Nothing so simple could hide your beauty, my Alice.”
Her breath shuddered. “Without them, you do look rather blurry when you stand so near.”
That made him smile, but it did not prevent him from tipping his head lower. “That is a shame.”
“Rupert?”
“Hm?”
“You are standing very close.”
“Do you object?”
“No.” She shivered. “I only wish you would do something about it.”
He chuckled, then closed the remaining space between them to press his lips to hers in a gentle kiss.
She tasted sweeter than honey, and her lips were soft as rose petals. His arms went around her waist, and her hands fell upon his shoulders. Alice returned his kiss, gentle and uncertain at first, but as he deepened the kiss, her hands went around his neck.
When they broke apart, Alice’s eyes remained closed an instant longer than his. “Rupert.”
He kissed her forehead, and her eyes opened to stare up at him. “I am terribly sorry. I meant to wait. To make certain this was what you wanted.” His fingertips brushed against her cheek. “We barely know one another, but I have felt this pull toward you almost since the moment we met.”
“Even though I was so cross with you when you asked me to serve as your colorist?” she asked, her nose wrinkling at him. She did not pull away. Having her length pressed against him would soon drive him to distraction.
“Even then. I only wished to know you more. That is the real reason I asked for your help. I hoped it would mean more time in your company, more time to puzzle out what made you so indecipherable.”
She laughed and stepped away. “And then I went to great lengths to stay away from you. I am sorry, Rupert. But—you cannot blame me. Surely. I am a governess.” Her smile fell away. “I cannot afford dalliances of any kind. You must know that.”
He shook his head. “That is not what this is.”
She slipped further away from him, his hands falling from her waist. “I should go.”
Rupert’s heart ached. “Alice, you do believe me. I have no wish to play with your feelings, or to take kisses from you without consequence. There is more here between us. Being without you this long has made me understand—I care for you. Deeply.”
"Then you will understand that I must be careful. One wrong step could leave me without a position in this house. Without a place to go. My reputation—”
“I understand,” he hastened to say. “I can be discreet, Alice. But I cannot ignore this.”
Her smile returned at last, though it was smaller. “Thank you. I will see you on my half day.”
He wanted to snatch her back, to hold her again, but instead he nodded. “The day after tomorrow. The same time as before. Here.”
Alice nodded. “Here. Good day, Rupert.” She hurried away, stopping only to scoop up her sketchbook and gloves, her spectacles too. Then she disappeared from the garden, giving him one last glance over her shoulder as she went.
Rupert fell against the tree, his heart pounding in his chest.
He needed to visit home and speak to his parents. Soon. And Alice... He needed to determine how much she meant to him, and how much he meant to her. There was nothing more important in the world at that moment than studying what had grown between them, as unexpected as a rose in the middle of a marsh.
Chapter 16
Though Alice had not known Emma Arlen long, the companion had begun to feel like a friend. So the next day, while the children were busy with their art master and riding lessons, Alice went in search of the only woman in the castle who might offer her advice.
As a companion to the duke’s daughter, Emma was in a similar position to Alice. She was a paid employee, but not exactly a servant, privy to much that happened within the family though not precisely a part of it.
Emma might understand Alice’s muddled thoughts and equally confused heart.
Alice found Emma in a sitting room frequented by Lady Josephine. She was alone, as Lady Josephine was also working with the art instructor that afternoon.