The Mysterious Governess (Daughters of Sin Book 3) by Beverley Oakley Read Free Book Online Page B

brought a pang to Lissa’s vulnerable heart. For indeed, as she had hoped, Mr. Ralph Tunley was in attendance.
    “Lead me to them. You can introduce yourself to Mr. Tunley and remind him of his visit to the house,” Lissa urged, to Cosmo’s surprised horror. Adding, when her employer’s son demurred, “I can’t possibly get Lord Debenham’s eyes right unless I look into them. Please, Master Cosmo, I’ve not disgraced you up to this minute and I shan’t start now.”
    The patent shock in Mr. Tunley’s eyes when Lissa was introduced by Cosmo as his “cousin from Little Paisley enjoying a couple of weeks in London” was adequate reward for Lissa executing Cosmo’s commission. In her reticule, she had a pencil and small sketchpad, of which she would avail herself shortly. In the meantime, she made sure to take in every detail of haughty Lord Debenham.
    But it was Ralph who really interested her; whose bright blue eyes remained wide with delighted amazement and whose kind, generous mouth did things to her insides that she’d never experienced before.
    Lord Debenham was particularly assiduous in making her feel that London was indeed a richer place through her presence, at which point Lissa decided she trusted him as much as a stoat in a henhouse. His response was in direct proportion to the level of humility she had shown, and she was sure that if she’d had more experience, she’d have understood a greater subtext in his smooth words. He found her worthy of more than a cursory greeting, that much she knew, but there was something about him that made her recoil. Certainly he was handsome in a commanding way, but there was a cruel twist to his mouth and a look of entitlement in his eye that she did not like at all.
    Ralph, on the other hand, was clearly longing to say things that current circumstances prevented, and she was ridiculously delighted when a little later, she found herself part of a much larger group, and that Ralph had somehow managed to inveigle himself between two dowagers so that he could murmur without being overheard, “You are clearly the mistress of subterfuge, Miss Hazlett, but I fear your Master Cosmo must be your chosen consort.”
    Above, the enormous branches of an elm tree shaded them while clusters of guests picked at the sumptuously laden food table or sat in comfortable wicker chairs or strolled amidst the lovely gardens.
    Lissa recognized the longing tinged with jealousy in his voice.  It made her feel powerful in a way she’d never experienced. “Master Cosmo sees me as no more than the lowly governess, whose talent he wishes to exploit in order to add to his consequence.”
    She hoped she didn’t betray her shocked delight when she felt the quick, surreptitious squeeze of her new admirer’s hand before he added, softly, “Perhaps such enterprising minds as ours could change our hopeless situations.”
    When another guest arrived, they both turned away to the food table where they pretended great interest in the selection.
    “You’re the man with all the experience, Mr. Tunley, and tomorrow I must return this which was the only decent dress I was able to procure by less than honest means,” Lissa whispered. “You tell me how we might alter our—as you put it—hopeless situations, though what you would like to alter it to, and what your motivation is I can only wonder at.”
    “My hopeless social and financial situation never felt so hopeless until I discovered myself hopelessly in love with a lowly governess in an even more hopeless situation, Miss Hazlett. What are we to do?”
    He slanted a suitably agonized expression up at her as he speared a piece of ham and Lissa laughed. “Oh, my, but you have perfected the star-crossed lover look to the finest degree. I think your calling is the stage if you want to really be noticed, though I doubt that will bring the necessary financial rewards.” Nevertheless, his words reverberated through her and filled her with warmth and,