A Most Unusual Governess by Amanda Grange Read Free Book Online Page B

wait until he is eighteen,' said Lord Randall. 'He will be pestering me to take him up to town and make him a member of White's. To say nothing of expecting me to introduce him to Gentleman Jackson at the gym! But afterwards, I hope hell want to come back here.'
    Sarah's thoughts, now that they had returned to the children, moved on to the work she still had to do. She had not prepared Lucy's lessons for the morning, and remembering that she still had a lot to do she stood up. 'I've already taken up enough of your time,' she said. If I want to have my lessons ready for tomorrow, I really must be getting on.'
    Lord Randall made no objection - he had probably, thought Sarah, already spent more time on her than he had intended - and gave a brief nod. But as she made to pick up the pile of botany books he said, 'Have you read this?' He strode over to one of the bookcases and took a book of poetry from the shelves.
    'Childe Harold's Pilgrimage,' she said, seeing what it was he had taken down. 'No, I haven't. I know everyone was talking about it at the time.' She remembered the stir Byron's work had caused when it had first appeared in 1812. 'But... '
    She didn't finish her sentence. But we had no money to spare for books, she had been about to say, but she didn't want his pity and so she changed her mind.
    "Take it with you,' he said, not noticing the tailing away of her sentence. 1 think youll enjoy it.'
    'Poetry?' asked Sarah, surprised.
    'Don't you like poetry?' he asked.
    Yes, but... '
    'But you thought I wouldn't. I do have some civilised habits,' he said with a wry smile.
    She put out her hand but did not take the small book, which was wrapped in his large hand. To take it, she would have to touch him. He seemed to feel it, for the air was suddenly charged with the same electricity which had crackled between them earlier, not brought on by anger this time but by something deeper and more profound. He relinquished the book, placing it on the side table, and she picked it up from there. He seemed to be very close to her, even though he had taken a step back. She put out her hand and took the book, and added it to her pile. She would enjoy reading it, perhaps outside, in the evenings, once the children were in bed - at least, if the weather lasted.
    She turned her face to his to bid him goodnight but she could not meet his eye and her voice came out as a whisper: 'Goodnight.'
    'Goodnight,' he replied, and his voice was no more than a husky breath.
    She walked out of the library, her legs trembling slightly.
    As she closed the door behind her she wondered how it was that a man she had dismissed as rude, arrogant and overbearing could turn out to have so many hidden depths to his character. And how it was that those depths stirred her in a way she had never been stirred before. Because being close to him had awakened in her new sensations and feelings; sensations she had not even known existed before her arrival at Watermead Grange.

Chapter Five
    James glanced round the study. He had left everything in good order the previous evening but there was still a lot to be done.
    He gave a sigh. The last thing he wanted was to be inside. The day was hot, and making matters even more difficult was the fact that Sarah was in the garden, playing with the children. A few days ago the sight would have angered him, but now he found that he would like nothing better than to go out and join them. So charming was the scene that, no matter how hard he tried to keep his mind on his work, his eyes kept drifting back to it.
    Sarah was looking delightful in a spotted muslin that must have been at least three years old. How she contrived to look so delectable in such a shabby dress he did not know. It must be the subtle curves of her slim figure and the smoothness of her golden skin, he thought, that made him forget all about the worn nature of her clothes.
    The children, too, were looking bright and happy as they laughed and played. Yes, it was a