The Governess Was Wanton by Julia Kelly Read Free Book Online Page A

convinced her that kissing her employer—an earl—was a good idea.
    Just thinking about it made her cheeks flush with embarrassment, and Mary wasn’t the sort of woman who was inclined to blush.
    It was foolish to read into things that weren’t there. Only governesses too green to know any better would believe for one moment that a man of Lord Asten’s standing would ever be interested in them. And if he was, he was guaranteed to want nothing more than the sort of dalliance that ruined good women.
    Mary hadn’t built up a reputation fourteen years strong to throw it away because a handsome earl sent her blood pumping hot. She’d avoided Lord Goleway’s groping hands and Sir Blum’s lecherous suggestions. She’d frozen out uppity first sons down from Oxford who thought nothing of chasing her around a billiard table and trying to kiss her for sport. On more than one occasion, she’d ripped up besotted couplets sent by boys who still had their spots but thought to practice their lovemaking on their sisters’ governess. None of them had ever tempted her. She didn’t know why Lord Asten was so different, but she was determined not to fall into his trap no matter how much she wanted to.
    â€œWhat’s Lord Asten like?” Elizabeth asked, as though she knew exactly who occupied Mary’s thoughts. “He isn’t one of Edward’s patients.”
    â€œI’ll see if I can gently suggest the family change physicians,” she said.
    â€œThat would be most appreciated,” said Elizabeth with a crooked little grin. “I’ve been wanting new drapes in this room.”
    She looked about at the pale blue window treatments. “I quite like them. What color would you choose instead?”
    â€œWhat you’re doing is called stalling, Mary,” Jane said.
    â€œIt does seem like it,” Elizabeth agreed with a nod.
    â€œI’m not putting anything off,” she said, scrunching up her nose.
    â€œSo why are you so eager to talk about window hangings and not Lord Asten? Usually you’re all too happy to tell us stories about your employers,” Jane said.
    â€œI hope those stories don’t make their way out of this room,” she said a little peevishly.
    â€œDefinitely avoiding,” said Elizabeth with a decisive nod of her head. “I think I’ll withhold the cakes until she confesses.”
    â€œYou wouldn’t—” She broke off when her hostess did indeed move the iced confections. “It’s cruel to deprive a woman of food.”
    â€œI was a governess once too,” Elizabeth said. “I know all the tricks to get misbehaving children to cooperate.”
    â€œI’m not a child.”
    Both of her friends shot her looks.
    â€œFine,” she said in a huff. “Lord Asten is far too attractive for his own good. Are you happy now?”
    Her friends both gave unladylike whoops of delight and collapsed into a pile of giggles. Mary just frowned. “I don’t see what’s so funny.”
    â€œDo you remember how much you teased me about Edward?” Elizabeth asked in gasps through her laughter.
    â€œI can’t recall,” she said rather primly, even though she knew exactly what her friend was going on about. She’d been relentless, but only because Mary knew that Elizabeth was more than a little enamored of Edward. But even as wonderful as Mary’s friends both were, their path from first kiss to wedding bells had had more than its fair share of bumps along the way. Elizabeth had lost her position after being caught in a very willing but very compromising situation with the doctor. Finally he’d asked her to marry him, not just because it was the right thing to do, but because of the strength of his love for her and hers for him.
    The gap between governess and physician was wide but not insurmountable. Mary had no such illusions the same held true when it