Read The Impossible Governess for Free Online

uncomfortable.  Finally, she was aware that his eyes had dropped to her mouth.  She self consciously ran her tongue over her lips to moisten them.  “Was there something else, my lord?”
    “Ah?”  His head jerked up.  His smoldering blue eyes refocused on hers, almost as if he were coming out of a trance.  “As a matter of fact, I am curious about my niece’s studies.  What have you mapped out for her daily lessons?”
    “As to that, we cover mathematics, grammar, geography and history.”
    “How long do these lessons generally last?”
    He sounded so stern, she wondered at what he was hinting.  “Usually most of the morning.”
    “But not today. You went somewhere this morning.”
    “Yes, my lord.  Marissa has been very good.  And since the weather was exceptionally nice, we decided—“
    “We?”  Bushy eyebrows snapped together.
    “Yes, my lord,” she said, through clenched teeth.  “We decided to take the morning off and go to the park.”
    “How often do you and my niece opt to discard her studies?”
    Georgeanne returned his glare.  There was no misunderstanding the accusation or the sardonic tone of his voice this time.  “ We spend a good deal of our time in the park investigating the different flowers and trees, my lord.  In fact, we brought home several blossoms and leaves to start a botany scrapbook.”
    “Really?” he drawled disbelievingly.
    “Really,” she repeated angrily.  “You are welcome to join us tomorrow morning when we begin constructing the booklet, if you so desire.  You might benefit more from such an experience than harassing me.”  She stood and fisted her hands at her sides.
    “Harassing?” he mocked, also coming out of his seat.
    “Yes, harassing .  You tell me you are concerned about your niece, yet over the past two weeks, you have presented yourself to Marissa only once.  I even posed the matter to you in a note which you ignored.”
    “Ah, yes, I wondered how long it would take before you would bring up the contents of your missive.”  His smile was anything but encouraging.  “The reason, Miss Forsythe, is because the child invariably throws those deplorable fits when I am present.  She seems to get along better when I stay away.”
    “Well, there you are out, my lord.  Those fits are purely enacted for your benefit.”
    “Hardly, she knows I detest them.”
    “No, she does not.  She only knows the uncle she dearly loves will have almost nothing to do with her.”
    “That is absurd!  I have employed the best governesses and provided for her every need.  I am constantly monitoring how she is getting along.”
    “All hired help.”  Georgeanne brushed these arguments aside with a wave of her hand.  “The servants are incapable of giving her the love of a family member, my lord.  Nor can they replace her family.  She does not understand what happened to her parents.  Only that she will never see them again.  And you,” Georgeanne said, pointing at him, “her guardian, are never here to give her the affection she desperately needs.”
    Georgeanne observed Lord Raynor, clenching and unclenching his jaw while contemplating her words.  In the face of his anger, she refused to lower her eyes or so much as blink.  Rather, she stood her ground and returned his glower with confidence.
    “You seem very sure of yourself, Miss Forsythe,” he said, in a somewhat calmer voice.  “Dare I presume you possess the solution of how I can relieve my niece’s mind that I’m not about to desert her?”
    Georgeanne knew he was being facetious.  So she ignored his arched look and gave him a dazzling smile.  “As a matter of fact, I have two possible remedies.  The first is for you to allow Marissa to have a dog.  One of a friendly nature that would provide her with a playmate of sorts as well as keep her company.”
    “Such an animal is highly impractical in the city.  A dog requires space to run,” Lord Raynor answered, though she