Capturing the Governess’s Heart by Sally Forbes
Chapter Thirty
The sun had not quite risen, but Robert was already up and dressed for a day’s riding. Theo had kindly invited him, Abigail, and Henry over to join him at his estate for the day. Although Robert had thought of going alone, he realized it would be selfish.
The three of them had been riding every morning since Emma had been away, and he saw no reason for today to be any different. Abigail and Henry still needed careful handling, and a change of scene over at the Elsby estate would help take their minds of Emma’s absence.
He went to find them and was surprised to find them dressed and ready to go with him. But he was puzzled to see the pair standing and hugging each other on the front lawn. They appeared to be looking up at the sky. He looked up and saw the last of the stars fading into the sunrise. Were they looking at the stars? When he approached them, they looked at him and smiled. Whatever they had been doing, it seemed to have given them some consolation, for they both appeared quite calm.
“Have you had some breakfast?” he asked them. They nodded.
“Yes, Lucy had it ready for us, as she knew we were going out early with you, Uncle,” Abigail said, her face tranquil but pale.
“We’re looking forward to it,” said Henry. “I like the duke, he’s very kind and friendly, and he has lovely horses. But I wish Miss Emma were here.”
Robert ruffled the boy’s hair affectionately. “I know, it won’t be quite the same without her, but we must try to make the best of it. That is what she would want us to do.”
“Have you got the sugar lumps, Henry?” Abigail asked her brother. He pulled a paper bag from his pocket and waved it. “Good. Then, let us go, Uncle,” she added.
They took a carriage ride to Elsby Manor. Abigail and Henry’s mood noticeably lightened as soon as they arrived at the estate and were greeted warmly by Theo. They admired some of the horses out in the fields and then went to the stables, where their mounts for the day were being saddled. It wasn’t very long before they were out in the open air, riding up the broad green flanks of the gentle hills surrounding Theo’s property.
Robert stayed alongside Henry, who, he noticed, was becoming an increasingly competent rider. Abigail and Theo rode side by side a little way ahead, keeping up a constant stream of conversation. Indeed, Robert couldn’t help noticing they never seemed to run out of things to talk and laugh about.
It reminded him of chatting to Emma at the ball and made him feel a little sad. He wasn’t concerned about their budding closeness. He trusted his old friend to treat his niece with respect and look after her properly. It gave him a good feeling to see the growing attraction between the pair.
He wondered if Emma knew of it. Now he had grown closer to the children and learned more of their close bond with their governess. He had discovered Emma had often been the recipient of their confidences. Had Abigail’s obvious liking for Theo been one of those confidences? It made him see why they felt her absence so keenly and how much he had to learn about his wards.
As he watched from a distance the developing relationship between his niece and his old friend, Robert couldn’t help envying their pleasure in each other’s company. It reminded him of the dance he had shared with Emma and the special connection he had felt with her afterwards. How he had longed to hold her and complete the kiss they had almost shared that night in the garden. Then, his mother had interrupted and forced him to dance with Lady Beatrice. It had been another wasted opportunity keeping them apart.
After they got back from their long ride, it was midmorning. Robert was pleased to see some color in the youngster’s cheeks. They led their horses back to the stables and stayed there a while, talking to the stable hands about the various horses. Gradually, Abigail and Theo gravitated toward each other again, and Robert lounged against a stall, watching Henry feed sugar lumps and red, shiny apples to each of the horses in turn.
Suddenly, Robert recalled the time he had first laid eyes on Emma in Covent Garden. She had been carrying a bag of apples when he had knocked into her. He recalled how the apples had fallen out of her hands and rolled down the road. That day, he had felt there was something different about her. And he had soon discovered she was, indeed, very different to many of the young women he met amongst the ton. She was virtuous, unassuming, uninterested in material things. She knew what was valuable and what was not. He wanted to be with her, he realized, more than anything else. He loved her. It was that simple, and he was angry with himself for letting his old insecurities created by the disastrous engagement with Isabel to hold him back from true happiness.
The next morning, he left in his carriage for Whitehaven, hoping for the best.
