Taylor? Had the doctor made it his life’s mission to cause him misery?
“Rose is no longer a maid.” No, she was the ruined sister of an earl, the one-time mistress of a viscount. “A lady with her intelligence,” and cunning, he added silently, “was better suited to the role of governess.”
Miss Asprey looked at the earl and arched a brow.
“Mrs Parsons said you’re a widower, my lord.” Miss Asprey’s tone held a hint of suspicion. If the earl sought a marriage proposal to save his sister’s ruined reputation, he could think again.
“These last two years, yes. What of it?” It didn’t matter that he cared about Rose. If he took another wife, he needed to be damn sure he could trust her. The stress of living with Cassandra’s lies and deceit was enough to last him a lifetime. And his children deserved better.
Stanton fixed him a hard stare. “I’m not asking anything of you, Farleigh, have no fear. Indeed, regardless of what people might say, I would not force Rose to do anything unless she expressly wished it.”
Impatient for answers, Christian stood. “Then I shall send for her. She spoke fondly of you. I’m sure she will be only too happy to accompany you back to London.”
Christian strode to the door, but the earl called out to him. “Farleigh, I must have your word you’ll not mention this to anyone. We must deal with this regrettable situation privately, and with the utmost discretion.”
“Of course.” He couldn’t breathe past the lump in his throat. Beads of sweat formed on his brow. “You have my word.” Why the hell would he want to tell the world he’d been taken for a fool again?
“I can only apologise for the inconvenience caused.” Stanton sounded sincere. “I doubt Rose was thinking logically when she agreed to work here.”
“With the gift of hindsight, I’m sure we would all make different decisions.” Yes, including never hiring a maid without references.
With an urgent need to deal with the matter quickly, Christian strode out into the hall. He summoned Foster and sent him to find Mrs Hibbet.
“God damn,” he muttered through gritted teeth as he paced back and forth. He punched the air for good measure. Rose had used him. She’d used his children. And for what? To satisfy a curiosity?
Mrs Hibbet came hurry
ing down the stairs. “You sent for me, my lord.”
“Find Rose,” he snapped. Anger whipped disappointment away with a backhanded swipe. God, he had every right to show his disdain for what Rose had done. “She has visitors, come from The Talbot Inn.”
“Visitors?” Mrs Hibbet’s bottom lip trembled. “Does it have anything to do with that fellow asking questions at the stables?”
“I’m afraid it does. We don’t have much luck when it comes to hiring a governess.” Christian understood disappointment. This was different. This was akin to the ground trembling beneath his feet, to the whole world he’d come to appreciate suddenly crashing to the ground around him. He sighed. “It seems Rose is to leave us, too.”
Rose tucked the children into their beds, kissed their foreheads and bid them goodnight. She slipped out of the room and closed the door gently with both hands. Only when she turned did she notice the figure pacing the candlelit hall. She slapped her hand over her mouth to muffle a shriek.
“Good heavens, Mrs Hibbet,” Rose whispered as the housekeeper stopped and stood there wringing her hands. “What is it? Is something amiss? Please tell me the fever hasn't claimed another victim.”
The woman appeared distressed. “Oh, I knew it would happen, eventually.”
Rose closed the gap between them and gripped the housekeeper’s hands. “Knew what would happen? Is his lordship ill?” Heaven forbid something should happen to Christian.
“No, dear. But he wants to see you in the study right away.” Mrs Hibbet shook her head. “Oh, this is dreadful. We’ve visitors. They’ve come looking for someone.”
Rose took a step back as her heart flew up to her throat. “Visitors? At this time of night?” The words carried a nervous hitch. “Did they give their names?”
She did not need names. The nauseous feeling in her stomach told her all she needed to know. For a moment, her mind went blank, all thoughts sucked into a spiralling cloud of confusion.
“They’ve come from The Talbot Inn, Rose. They’ve come looking for you.”
Rose’s knees buckled, but she managed to remain upright. “I see. Are they with Lord Farleigh now?”
Mrs Hibbet closed her eyes and nodded. “Oh, he’ll not recover from this. Mark my words. Things will be worse than before.”
Despite Rose’s sudden urge to run, she pasted a smile in an effort to ease Mrs Hibbet’s anxiety. “Everything will be fine.” Oh, if only she could believe that. But the pain in her chest said otherwise. She placed a reassuring hand on Mrs Hibbet’s shoulder. “Things will happen just as they should. Fate has a way of organising everything in the end.”
“I gave up trusting Fate a long time ago.”