The Deceptive Lady Darby (Lost Ladies of London 2)

The children’s eyes lit up, and they rushed from the room.

“Don’t run down the stairs,” Mrs Hibbet shouted after them. After a brief pause, she turned to Rose. “I know you’re trying to be kind, but you shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep. Those tykes have been through enough these last two years, and it’s not good for them to get too attached to any one person.”

Rose swallowed down the lump in her throat. “The last thing I want is to hurt them.”

“I know. I know, dear.” Mrs Hibbet patted Rose’s arm. “The idea has merit. Happen there’s something you could teach them while we wait for his lordship to hire another governess.”

“How many governesses have the children had?”

Mrs Hibbet glanced at the ceiling while counting on her fingers. “At least ten, not counting Mrs Booth.”

“Ten? Surely someone has sat them down to find out what’s wrong.”

“They usually leave without giving notice.”

Rose shook her head. “I was speaking of the children.”

Mrs Hibbet stared at her blankly. Had no one thought to examine why the children drove their governesses away? Had Lord Farleigh not connected the incidents to his wife’s death? Perhaps they had but didn’t know how to address the problem.

The sound of footsteps on the stairs drew their attention.

Alfred, the footman, appeared at the door. “His lordship needs you downstairs. Dr Taylor and the Reverend Wilmslow want to examine Ann and Jenny, and he’s asked that you’re present. And they have a tonic for you, Rose, to stop you from catching the fever.”

Under no circumstances would she let a drop of the doctor’s medicine pass her lips.

“We’ll be right down.” Mrs Hibbet ushered Alfred from the room. “I’ll leave you to tidy the nursery, Rose, and then you’d better call at the manor and inform them of your new position.”

Rose shivered at the thought of returning to the old house. Guilt flared, too. While she’d cleaned the fire, and daydreamed about his lordship’s dazzling green eyes, Nicole had to explain her actions to Stokes and Mrs Gripes.

But she couldn’t worry about that now? The sooner she tidied the nursery, the sooner she could leave for the manor and discover the truth for herself.

“Can I ask you a question?” Rose stared at the cluttered floor.

“By all means.”

“Where are the children’s beds, and why is the playroom up here?”

Mrs Hibbet raised a brow. “That’s two questions, dear.” She glanced back over her shoulder. “But I suppose a brief explanation can’t hurt.”

Something about the housekeeper’s expression suggested Everleigh was a house of many secrets.

“Lady Farleigh suffered with her nerves,” Mrs Hibbet said. “The noise was too much for her, and she had the nursery moved up here so she could sleep during the day. When she died, Lord Farleigh moved the children’s beds to the room next to the master suite, and they’ve stayed there ever since.”

“I see.”

Had their mother’s illness affected the children’s emotional well-being long before her death? Rose knew what it was like to feel unwanted by a parent. As far as the Earl of Stanton was concerned, Rose was another man’s by-blow. A legacy left after one of her mother’s supposed affairs.

“I’d best see to the reverend before he takes matters into his own hands if you get my meaning.” Without another word, Mrs Hibbet hurried from the room.

Rose stared at the mess on the floor. It would take an hour to tidy the children’s belongings. But come what may, she had to learn of Nicole’s fate before the day was out.

I shall accompany you. The woods can be treacherous, even by day.

Lord Farleigh’s words rang in her ears.

But what would she do if she found her father’s carriage waiting in the courtyard of Morton Manor? How would she explain the situation to Lord Farleigh? Perhaps she should go alone, say she’d misunderstood his lordship’s intentions, that she thought him too busy with the doctor.

Wasn’t it better he thought her a little simple? From what she’d heard he had no tolerance for liars, nor did she suspect he had any tolerance for a lady intent on deceit.