A Governess to Tame the Stern Duke (Preview)

Prologue

The masquerade ball held by the Thompsons was in full swing whilst Miss Juliette Fairhaven stood on the sidelines, drinking her lemonade.

Her closest friend, the youngest daughter of the Thompsons’, appeared to be the popular young lady for the evening. Wearing a dress of blue, purple, and green, her mask decorated with peacock feathers, she was as attractive as the bird they had come from.

Juliette herself felt far less attractive in her simple peach gown, her white mask decorated with pearls that matched the ones in her hair, her ears and around her neck and wrists.

Though that had been the intention, it still left Juliette feeling a little uncomfortable every time her friend was dragged from her side to dance.

“You ought to have come out this Season,” Mama sighed deeply, considering the scene before her with a jealous eye.

All the other eager mamas appeared to be having a splendid time as they urged their daughters into the arms of eligible suitors.

“I shall next Season, once Papa is feeling better,” Juliette insisted, playing with the pearls around her wrist. The way Mama’s face twisted left her feeling uneasy.

“Yes, of course. He shall be on the mend very soon,” Mama said, though her tone was tight, almost utterly hopeless.

Juliette removed her fingers from her bracelet and reached a white-gloved hand to grip Mama’s arm. “He will get better.”

She absolutely had to believe that. If even she could not, then what hope was there for him? After all, she had always been the optimistic one in the family. With a younger brother and sister, she had to be, especially with Mama being such a worrier.

With Mama’s mask only covering the top half of her face, it was all too easy to see the way she pursed her lips as she placed her hand over Juliette’s on her arm. “Would that I could share your hopes and dreams, but I am old and grow weary.”

“Mama!” Juliette exclaimed. In her late thirties, though on the older side of marriage, Juliette would never have described Mama as old. She still wore the remnants of her youthful beauty in her golden hair and fair complexion, though these last few months had begun to take a toll, leaving fine lines upon her forehead and around her eyes.

Mama took a deep breath and shook her head. “Forgive me. I merely worry you shall miss out. All of your friends appear to be getting on so splendidly. I worry you shall be left behind.”

Biting the inside of her lip, Juliette thought quickly of a response. “Surely, if my friends marry, I shall have all the more suitors next Season when they introduce me to their husbands’ friends?”

Mama offered a blunt smile. “I suppose that is true.”

Juliette barely held back her sigh of relief at Mama’s lightening mood. In truth, she wasn’t even sure she wished to make her debut anytime soon, not with her papa so ill and her siblings still so young. Besides, she rather liked caring for them all, teaching her siblings all the things her tutors had taught her over the years, preparing them for when they came of age.

Why should she need a husband and a family of her own when she was already well suited to the role within her own family?

She would never say such things aloud for fear of giving her parents a heart attack. And besides, she knew that one day she would be forced into it one way or another as the eldest child. She must make a good match to ensure the best for her brother and sister later on. But for now, she simply wished to enjoy her life as it was, minus the worrying over her papa’s health.

Finishing the last of her lemonade, Juliette suggested, “Would you like another glass?”

“No, and neither should you,” Mama said, looking at her out of the corner of her eye. “You’ll be too preoccupied with your bladder to dance.”

Juliette almost scoffed. Glancing down at her dance card, she saw only three names. Two of which she had already danced with. The third had yet to find her, and somehow, she didn’t believe he was going to. One look across the dance floor told her he had become preoccupied with another young lady who was giggling away at something he had said.

“I think I shall go to the cake table then,” she suggested, giving Mama a small curtsey.

“Don’t go too silly with the sweets,” Mama warned, and Juliette rolled her eyes as she turned away.

Always, Mama was so sensitive over what they could and couldn’t do, what they must and mustn’t show to the rest of society. And tonight, more than ever, it was getting on Juliette’s nerves.

After weeks spent at the side of her father’s sickbed, she had hoped that for just one night, she might be able to enjoy herself. Yet, it seemed Mama was determined to make it otherwise.

Huffing to herself, Juliette considered stepping out onto the balcony for some air as her feet carried her to the sweets table.

Placing her empty glass on the tray of a passing servant, she remained a few steps from the table to appease Mama. Heaven forbid a woman should ever show she had an appetite.

She was just beginning to consider what to pick up and nibble when she heard Amelia call, “Juliette, there you are! I have been looking for you.”

“For me?” Juliette responded. When she turned, she found Amelia practically giddy with excitement, her body trembling as she reached out and grabbed Juliette’s hand.

“You see the gentleman with the plain black mask?” Amelia asked, inclining her head back over her left shoulder. Juliette started to look until Amelia tugged her hand and added, “Don’t look too quickly. We don’t want him to believe you too eager.”

Juliette raised a brow and counted to three before following the inclination of her friend’s head.

“The gentleman with the green cravat?” Juliette asked, and when she looked away, her friend glanced over her shoulder.

“Yes, that’s him.”

“What of him?” Juliette asked as her gaze travelled back to him.

In a sea of colour and masks, there was nothing at all extraordinary about him. With his plain black mask, though his clothes were clearly well-fitted and expensive, he practically disappeared into the background.

“We have just been speaking,” Amelia explained. “He is a fine gentleman, although a little stiff, and he seems very well off. I think you should speak to him.”

“Me? Why?” Juliette exclaimed, her hand tightening around Amelia’s fingers at the idea.

“He says he has a grand library filled with books,” Amelia said, and Juliette’s heart skipped a beat.

“Your mama would have your guts for garters if she knew you were suggesting one of your potential suitors was better suited to me,” Juliette pointed out, determined not to get her hopes up that there might actually be a match out there for her.

She had spoken to several young gentlemen that night, all of which her own mama had put forward for her, yet they had all bored her to death with talk of gossip, the weather, and all manner of other such nonsense.

She had resigned herself to hiding in the shadows. After all, she had yet to make her debut. She had no right to take any suitor away from anybody else.

“Well, it’s too late for that,” Amelia said, her smile broadening beneath her mask. “I already told him of you and your great love for academics. He offered to show you his library sometime, and I suspect he may be coming to make some similar offer very soon.”

“I beg your pardon?” Juliette croaked, her mouth suddenly dry.

She glanced over just in time to see that the gentleman was, in fact, headed their way. He paused to pass a few polite words with others along the way as Juliette’s heart raced, his gaze locked on hers the entire time.

“Amelia,” Juliette hissed quietly at her friend, grabbing her arm. “What did you say to him?”

Amelia’s smirk widened unbelievably. “Just that my friend is wonderful, and he ought to meet you as I believe the two of you may have a lot in common.”

Panic began to set in as the gentleman neared. Feeling entirely unprepared, Juliette hurried to shove a loose lock of hair behind her ear.

“Excuse me, ladies.”

His voice was smooth and masculine, and it did things to Juliette’s insides that she had never felt before.

“Hello sir, it is wonderful to make your acquaintance again,” Amelia said, forcing Juliette around to face him. “Might I introduce you to my friend, Ju—”

“Please, miss, I would hate you to break the rules of our wonderful hostess for this evening by revealing your friend’s identity.”

Juliette’s heart skipped yet another beat, causing her to feel entirely off-kilter.

“Oh, yes, of course!” Amelia exclaimed, and even beneath her mask, Juliette saw her blushing.

When the gentleman turned to Juliette, his gaze was intent upon hers. The depths of his brown eyes seemed to glow with amber as he said, “I was wondering if you might honour me with the next dance, miss?”

And when he held out his hand, his other behind his back, Juliette’s insides fluttered. It was a sensation she had felt many times in her life, usually around books and academics and other such things that ordinarily filled her with excitement.

Breathlessly, she responded, “Yes.”

The way his lips twitched upwards in a smile caused her to mirror his expression as she gently laid her hand in his.

His grip on her gloved hand was firm and warm as he swept her away from her friend.

“Good luck,” Amelia whispered as she went, and Juliette was almost certain he had heard when his smile broadened.

“Your friend is very fond of you, isn’t she?” the gentleman asked as they reached a free spot on the dance floor. The way he placed his hand upon the small of her back, ever so gently, made her flesh tingle all over.

“Yes, and I of her,” Juliette responded, feeling meek. She trembled in his arms as they started to dance.

“Good friends are hard to come by,” the gentleman said, holding her firmly to him, and as they swept around the dance floor, Juliette started to feel light as air. Her body became pliable, twisting and turning with each of his movements until she felt as graceful as a floating feather.

“They are indeed,” Juliette said and remembered Amelia’s talk of his grand library as she added, “they are as rare as first edition books.”

At that, the gentleman chuckled. “I suppose they are.”

And the sound of his laughter was magical to Juliette’s ears. Enamoured by him, Juliette found herself gazing longingly into the gentleman’s eyes.

Who is he? she wondered, searching that gaze, that face beneath the mask, as she tried to put her finger on the man’s identity.

Yet, it seemed he was a stranger to her. Many of the people at the ball were not. She had recognized many of them easily beneath their masks, Amelia’s mother and father, her aunts and uncles, Juliette’s own extended family such as her uncle Arnold, friends she had known her entire life.

But this man was a stranger, a mysterious stranger who captured her attention in such a way that everyone else around them seemed to fade into insignificance.

“Your friend told me that you have a great love of reading,” the gentleman said. “I, too, find myself lost in words whenever I am able.”

“Do you read often, sir?” Juliette asked, the words clumsy on her tongue. Yet, it might very well have been the most interesting conversation she had shared all evening.

“Not nearly as often as I would like,” the gentleman said, shaking his head. “My duties often lead me away from such things.”

Juliette sighed deeply. She knew all too well what that felt like. With two younger siblings, she was often called upon to help, and more than that, it seemed Mama was always dragging her away from her books to practise her dancing or her pianoforte or even to go to the modiste. There were a great many things Mama considered far more important than a woman’s reading, such as how to attract a man, how to hold oneself with poise and grace, and how to become someone a high-ranking nobleman might take for his wife.

Yet, the man standing before her seemed to see her, not the woman Mama tried to make her into.

“Amelia says you have a grand library?” Juliette said, blushing a little as she wondered whether perhaps it was far too forward.

“Yes, though sometimes I wish it were even bigger,” the gentleman responded, and his words made her giddy. “Might you like to see it for yourself sometime?”

Juliette’s stomach flipped with excitement. “I would be honoured, sir.”

All too soon, the music drew to an end, and the gentleman guided Juliette to a halt. She anticipated their parting with great disappointment, surprised when the gentleman hesitated, his grip on her lower back tightening.

“I can honestly say, miss, that I have enjoyed this dance far better than any other this evening,” the gentleman told her. His thumb gently stroked the back of her gloved hand, gliding warmly over her knuckles before he seemed to force himself away.

“As have I,” Juliette agreed, surprised at the truth behind her words.

Ordinarily, her agreement might have been at the behest of Mama insisting she treat every man as if she were utterly enamoured by him, fluttering her lashes and playing the pretty maid ripe for the picking.

But this time, it was nothing but the truth.

“Please, allow me to escort you back to your friend,” the gentleman offered, holding out his arm.

Juliette’s fingertips tingled as she reached out to grip his forearm. The strong muscle beneath her hand was firm, warm, inviting.

And when he did indeed return her to her friend, Juliette continued to tremble long after he receded into the crowd of people.

“Are you well?” Amelia asked as Juliette found her eyes following him, watching him as he conversed with others.

The way the women gathered around him left her feeling an odd twinge in her gut.

“Yes,” Juliette breathed, though, in truth, she wasn’t so certain.

The dancing continued, and Amelia disappeared several times, beckoned by those who had promised to take her onto the dance floor.

Once more, Juliette returned to the shadows, certain that her excitement for the evening was over.

And when Mama rejoined her, she was certain she was going to be questioned.

“The man you were dancing with,” Mama said, looking at him out of the corner of her eye as he was claimed by yet another pair of mamas and their daughters, “who was he?”

“I have no idea,” Juliette admitted, her heart filled with longing for yet more conversation on books and academics, anything other than the boring drivel the other men had tried to occupy her thoughts with.

“No idea at all?” Mama persisted. “Did he give you no clue at all as to his identity?”

“None,” Juliette said, going over their conversation in her mind.

He had given her so little, yet he still enamoured her. Watching him talk, the way he smiled, how he held himself, she wished to hear his voice aimed at her once more.

“A shame,” Mama said, clucking her tongue against the inside of her cheek. “He appears quite popular. Perhaps one of the other mamas might know.”

Juliette cringed as Mama waved a hand to a friend, clearly hoping that the busybody might know something of their mystery man.

“I shall return once I know something,” Mama promised, giving her a quick squeeze on the forearm.

Could Mama see how he had affected her?

Juliette hoped not, for she was certain information like that would make Mama even more unbearable than she had been before. If this man did indeed turn out to be someone, she would be married in Mama’s head before the week was out.

Yet, he had given no notion of any such thing. We only danced once, Juliette thought, concerned by how his company had lifted her spirits so.

She ought to be thinking of her dear papa, of how she might learn something in her books to help him get better. And yet, here she was, catching glimpses of her mystery man wherever she was able, wishing the night might never end so they might remain in the same room together.

Several dances passed, and Juliette was almost sure she would not receive another dance when the black-masked gentleman appeared at her side once more.

“I hate to see you standing here all alone,” he said, his voice low and deep. “Perhaps I might entertain you in another dance?”

Juliette’s heart beat faster than before, and her hands tingled to be in his.

“If you’re certain, I would be honoured,” she said, glancing around the room as she noticed several pairs of eyes upon them.

A second dance usually meant only one thing: interest.

Juliette’s entire body tingled with excitement. Surely, this handsome man couldn’t possibly be interested in her.

“The pleasure is all mine,” he told her, holding out his hand.

Juliette hesitated for a second, knowing all too well what accepting a dance might mean. Mama would be adamant about a wedding proposal before the week was out. All of society would be talking of the couples who had danced more than once together at the ball, trying to decide which might lead somewhere.

In all her life, Juliette had never imagined she would find herself here. Yet, suddenly, the possibility of where it might lead was simply too tempting.

Placing her hand in his, she again felt the warmth and welcome of his grip as he led her out onto the dance floor.

Catching the eye of Amelia, she saw her friend give her a wink of good luck, and her cheeks started to heat.

Of all the women in the room, he had chosen her. Why, she did not know, but suddenly, she was too scared to question it for fear the offer might disappear.

They danced as they had before, Juliette feeling as if her body were melding into his as if she fit perfectly in his arms. The grace and poise with which they moved across the floor felt like nothing she had ever encountered, and she found herself breathing a sigh of relief as, for once, the storm of thoughts and worries in her mind started to quiet.

The urge to draw closer, to rest her head upon his shoulder, was almost too strong to resist. It took all she had in her to remain straight-backed, even as she felt him drawing her in closer.

All else faded from existence once more as they became one, their movements mirrored, perfect.

And as the music drew to an end and the dancers stopped, Juliette began to feel more than a little light-headed.

Though this time they had not spoken, they had not uttered a word, she felt as if this man was no longer a stranger. She felt safe in his arms, tranquil, relaxed. And the thought of leaving that safe space made her feel quite ill.

As if he sensed as much, his hands lingered upon her as he gazed down into her eyes. The amber in his eyes seemed to glow with concern as he asked, “Are you well?”

Blushing from cheeks to her chest, Juliette admitted, “It is a little warm in here. I feel quite light-headed.”

“I am certain the ball will be drawing to an end soon,” he told her, and Juliette’s heart skipped. She wished this night would never end.

It was astonishing how meeting one man might change her entire view on something; how she had found excitement and joy in a time when she had believed she would be stuck at the edge of the dance floor all evening, worrying for her father.

“I am certain it will, too,” she admitted, glancing at the floor-to-ceiling windows on the far side of the ballroom. “I fear the sun shall be coming up before too long.”

“Perhaps before it does, I might accompany you outside for some air?” the gentleman suggested, and Juliette’s insides fluttered with excitement all over again.

“That would be most kind of you, sir.”

Gripping hold of his forearm, Juliette allowed her dance partner to guide her off the dance floor, feeling the eyes of several mamas and their daughters upon them.

Perhaps going outside with the gentleman wasn’t the best idea, but she couldn’t bring herself to do otherwise. The thought of spending even a moment more in his company was too intoxicating.

And as they stepped out into the cool night air, Juliette couldn’t bring herself to regret her decision in the slightest.

Mama was likely looking for her, more than ready to leave, but she would take this moment in both hands before she did.

They stood upon the balcony, the sky beginning to lighten above their heads, and Juliette couldn’t help admiring how the man’s sun-kissed skin started to glow in the pre-dawn light.

If he was so handsome with even his mask on, she feared how devastatingly good-looking he might be beneath it, the kind of man to capture the heart of every woman who looked upon him in one glance.

“Do the rules of the ball still apply even though it is coming to an end?” Juliette asked as she heard several people saying their farewells in the room behind them, the music and dancing having come to an end.

“If it is my identity you wish to learn,” the gentleman said, “then I am afraid the rules still stand.”

Juliette’s heart sank into her stomach.

“Will you not even give me a hint so that perhaps I might—”

He cut her off, turning to her with his hand gripped firmly around hers.

“I find people tend to change around me when they know of who I am,” he said, his eyes filled with what appeared to be sorrow. “I do not wish you to change this evening as you are quite possibly the most interesting young woman I have met in a long time, perhaps forever.”

Juliette sucked in a breath.

What is he saying? 

“I do, however, wish to see you again,” the gentleman continued before she could utter even a word. “Will you meet me in Hyde Park tomorrow once you have recovered from this evening’s events?”

Juliette’s throat thickened. Was she dreaming? Her free hand slipped between the folds of her skirts, and she pinched her thigh hard, biting back a small squeal of pain.

She wasn’t dreaming after all.

“I would be honoured,” Juliette responded, and he smiled, his thumb stroking the back of her hand affectionately as she asked, “but how will I know you if you do not share your identity with me?”

At that, the gentleman cocked his head, his smile broadening.

“I shall carry with me a single white rose for the beautiful white rose I await,” the gentleman said and his voice was so musical it made Juliette’s heart falter.

“And how will you know it is I?” Juliette responded, but then a thought popped into her mind, and she said, “I shall wear white roses in my hair.”

The gentleman squeezed her hand affectionately. “Then you will meet me?”

His tone was filled with hope, and Juliette’s insides somersaulted. Her smile broadened from ear to ear as she said, “Yes, I will.”

***

Upon returning from the ball to their house in Grosvenor Square, Juliette was removing her coat when the housekeeper came rushing forth with a letter in hand. “Ma’am, thank goodness you are home!”

“What is it, Jenkins?” Mama demanded, handing her own coat to the butler.

“Word has just arrived, ma’am,” Jenkins said, handing the letter to her, and Juliette’s stomach twisted painfully. A letter arriving so late could only mean one thing.

“Mama? What is it?” Juliette asked even before Mama had broken the wax seal. She watched with trepidation as Mama skimmed the words before her.

“Oh, Juliette!” Mama exclaimed, throwing her free hand over her mouth. “Hurry, we must pack and return to the country.”

“What is it? Is it papa? The children?”

A thousand different emergencies rushed through Juliette’s mind. Had one of her siblings had an accident? Had one of them fallen ill with the same illness that was attempting to claim their papa? Was her father—

She couldn’t bring herself even to think of that scenario as she awaited Mama’s response.

“Doctor Kemp says your father has worsened,” Mama explained, folding the letter to hand it back to Jenkins. “He urges us to return with all due haste.”

“Mama, you don’t think—” Juliette began, tears pricking her eyes.

Quick as a flash, Mama gripped hold of her hands. “We mustn’t think like that, sweetheart.”

When Mama reached up one hand to cup her cheek, Juliette leaned into it. It was the first time in such a long time she had felt anything close to comfort and compassion from her mother.

“All will be well,” Mama assured her, squeezing her hand.

Though she wasn’t so certain, Juliette repeated, “All will be well.”

***

Devoid of his black mask, the gentleman awaited Juliette in Hyde Park the next afternoon, a white rose in hand. Yet, as time wore on, he realized he would never know what might have been, for she never arrived.

He cursed himself for having not revealed his identity sooner. Perhaps if he had, she might have come to meet him.

But would she have still been that same sweet, book-loving girl if he had?

He thought not. Even the finest ladies changed the moment they learned of his name, his title, and his wealth.

Disappointment turned to bitterness as the gentleman stood up from the bench he had perched on, twirling the stem of that single white rose in his hand, wishing he had been able to see the young woman’s red-tinted hair adorned with the same pure white petals.

A storm of emotions overwhelmed him. Concern. Frustration. Anger.

Was she well? Had something happened? Had he said something during their farewell that might have put her off meeting him?

Whatever the reason, she was not here, and so the gentleman turned and threw the single white rose into the nearby pond. He watched as it floated away on the ripples, along with what he was sure had been his last hope.

Chapter One

One year later 

Carlton Manor, in the heart of Clifton County, had always been a bright and cheery place. For as long as Juliette had lived there, her entire life, she had known it to be so.

But in the last several weeks, the place had been quite the opposite. Weeping and misery had roamed the halls day and night since the sudden passing of her father, Andrew Fairhaven. The grandson of a viscount, the manor had always been well-maintained and well-decorated with fresh-cut flowers and such, but now those flowers did nothing to cheer her spirit as she returned from the church service the local townsfolk had held in his honour.

Yet, she held her head high, determined for Mama’s sake and for the sake of her younger brother and sister not to allow her own grief to get the better of her.

“Thank you, Agnes,” Mama said to the housekeeper, who had brought them tea and sandwiches in the parlour upon their return. Yet, Mama barely looked up from where she had been staring at a fixed spot across the room.

Though Olivia and David, Juliette’s younger siblings, were perched upon the rug before the roaring fireplace, they made not a move to read or play, their usual bickering and taunting non-existent now as their own life force had been sucked dry the moment their dear papa had been taken from them.

Sitting beside Mama, Juliette wondered whether she ought to comfort her. But every time she did, the dam on Mama’s tears seemed to come crashing down.

Instead, she kept her hands to herself and commented, “It was a lovely service.”

Mama merely grunted, and it was her uncle Arnold Fairhaven who responded, “It was indeed. I never imagined my brother was so well-liked within the community.”

“He worked hard to ensure those connected to the estate were well cared for,” Juliette pointed out, “how could he not have been?”

“Hmm …” her uncle mused, picking up his tea. He glanced down at the brown liquid in the teacup before he said, “Perhaps he ought to have kept his efforts closer to home.”

The words were quiet, almost as if he hadn’t meant to say them aloud, and Juliette cocked her head. “Excuse me?”

Arnold looked up, his gaze meeting hers. He blinked several times as if coming up from deep water before he shook his head. “Please, forgive me. I was merely thinking aloud.”

Juliette opened her mouth to respond, but before she could do so, Mama finally interjected, “Andrew always did what he believed was right, no matter the cost.”

At that, Arnold scoffed almost silently, yet Juliette saw it. She saw the way his smile turned to a sneer, the way his gaze darkened, and the distinct impression that there was something untold crept over her like cold fingers all over flesh.

A yawn from beside the hearth distracted her. “Olivia, would you like me to take you upstairs?” she asked. Though her sister had always been on the fairer side, she was positively ghostly now, with dark circles beneath her eyes that made Juliette fear whether perhaps the illness within the house wasn’t quite done with them yet.

If she had caught Papa’s fever, she would have been far worse by now, Juliette reassured herself as Olivia shook her head.

“Not yet,” Olivia protested. “Please, can I stay up just a little longer?”

She looked to their mother, hope in her gaze almost as if she wished for their old mother, the one who would have insisted it was time for bed. Juliette could have sworn she saw the disappointment in her sister’s eyes as their mother huffed, “If you wish.”

Juliette’s stomach tightened into knots. She, too, longed for their old mother, the strict, no-nonsense matriarch of the family who had them all on their toes. Yet, she seemed buried in the grave right alongside their father.

Arnold took a long swig of his tea before he pushed himself to the edge of his seat and suggested, “I think I ought leave you to settle in for the night.”

As he rose to his full height, he looked down at Mama and said, “Think about what I have said, Pearl. I shall return to check up on you all as soon as I am able.”

Mama gave a barely perceptible nod and Juliette, feeling the weight of responsibility land upon her shoulders, made to stand.

“Please, Uncle, let me show you to the door.”

Arnold shook his head, reaching for Juliette’s hand. He squeezed gently as he said, “Stay with your mother. I can see myself out.”

Juliette dipped her head. Of course, he could. As her father’s younger brother, he, too had lived at Carlton Manor in his childhood. Likely, he knew the place as well as she did, if not more so.

“Thank you, Uncle, for joining us this evening.”

Arnold gave one final squeeze of her hand before releasing it. “Anything for family.”

He smiled at her, though there was something in that smile that set her teeth on edge.

It was gone just as quickly, and he turned to Olivia and David, approaching to ruffle the boy’s hair as he said, “Look after your mother and sisters for me while I am gone.”

A spark of determination lit David’s eyes, and he squared his shoulders. “Of course.”

It was the most animated Juliette had seen her brother in days, and it set a small bloom of relief within her. Perhaps they would one day recover from her father’s death after all.

“Rest well, all of you,” Arnold said, dipping his head in farewell before he was gone from the room.

Juliette listened to her uncle’s footsteps receding down the hall before she called, “Agnes?”

As if she had been waiting outside the door, the maid appeared with a curtsey, “Yes, miss?”

“Please, will you see David and Olivia upstairs to bed?” Juliette asked.

“But I don’t want to go to bed yet!” David protested, and Olivia looked as if she were about to do the same before a huge yawn took over her entire body.

“You heard what Uncle Arnold said,” Juliette said, looking at her brother sternly. “You can’t very well look after us if you are not looking after yourself.”

David looked about to protest again before he seemed to see the sense in her words. With a huff, he rose to his feet and offered his hand to their little sister.

Juliette glanced at Mama, hoping to find some remnant of the woman she had once been, the one to make a fuss of her children before bed, ensuring that they cleaned their teeth, washed their faces and that Olivia had her hair braided.

“Mama, the children are going to bed,” Juliette said softly, setting herself back down on the couch beside her.

Mama turned her head slowly as if it were too heavy on her neck. “Good night.”

There was little emotion in her tone, yet Juliette saw the tears that glistened in her eyes.

“Come and give Mama a kiss, both of you,” Juliette instructed, praying to bridge the gap that seemed to be growing larger and larger between the members of her family.

Their movements were awkward as Olivia and David stepped forth to give their mother a peck on the cheek. Their mother’s acceptance of the gesture was just as automatic as if the entire family were merely going about the motions.

Things will get better, Juliette told herself as she hugged and kissed her siblings good night and sent them on their way with an equally worried-looking Agnes. The look that passed between the two of them as the maid left suggested she could very well read what Juliette was thinking. Her only relief was knowing just how fiercely loyal and caring the maid was. She would do all in her power to make the children feel better before tucking them in.

Ordinarily, Juliette might have taken that responsibility on herself, but not tonight. Tonight, she felt an overwhelming need to stay with Mama.

And as soon as the children were a good distance down the hall, she turned to her and asked, “Mama, what did Uncle Arnold wish you to think about?”

The way Mama stiffened before her eyes made her feel quite unwell. As if losing their father hadn’t been bad enough, Juliette got the distinct feeling there was worse yet to come.

“Your uncle has been a godsend,” Mama said, and Juliette was surprised. The two of them had usually fought like cat and dog, never quite seeing eye to eye. With her father gone, Juliette had imagined that would become worse. Yet, it did not appear to be so as Mama continued, “He has handled everything, so I have not had to lift a finger.”

Juliette nodded. She knew that well enough. Whenever there was a funeral arrangement, some financial decision, or a big choice to be made, her uncle had been there with arms open wide to help. It had been quite a shock to her after so many years of seeing Mama and Uncle bicker.

Yet, it appeared to have given Mama a modicum of strength to deal with this chapter in her life. That was, until this evening when it appeared things had grown worse again.

“What did he say to you in the study before we left?” Juliette asked.

She had been helping Olivia and David to get their coats on for the service when her uncle arrived and requested to speak with their mother alone. Even then, Juliette’s stomach had twisted. She wasn’t at all sure Mama was strong enough for any serious conversation right now. Yet, she had kept her mouth anxiously closed.

Perhaps it had been wrong to do so, for Mama seemed to have gone entirely in on herself since having entered that study. She hadn’t so much as offered the hint of a smile to any of the well-wishers who had approached them after the service.

“Your uncle has been visiting with the solicitors on my behalf,” Mama explained, barely looking up from where she had been twiddling her thumbs in her lap.

“I thought all the business with inheritance had been dealt with?” Juliette asked, her chest tightening. “Papa left the house and his estates to us all until David comes of age, did he not?”

Mama nodded. “That was stated in his will, yes, but unfortunately, it is not nearly so simple. Your father made some poor choices in financial matters before his death. And then there are the death duties to be paid.”

“I thought everything had been settled?” Juliette protested, but Mama shook her head.

“Arnold did not wish to burden us in the weeks after your father’s passing, but the financial situation is far worse than even I could have imagined.”

Juliette stiffened, her chin raised high. “But Papa was such a careful man.”

“And likely, had he lived, he would have carefully got himself out of the situation, but that has not been the case,” Mama pointed out, and Juliette watched her mother’s face go cold. “He has left us in a dire situation, Juliette, and I know not how to fix it.”

Bile rose in the back of Juliette’s throat.

Her hands trembling, she hid them in the folds of her skirts. “How bad is it?”

When Mama met her gaze, there was cold hardness in her eyes. “There may be nothing left for David to inherit.”

Juliette’s breath caught in her throat so hard that she almost choked. “Mama, what are we going to do?”

Yet, she never received an answer, for at that moment, Mama began to weep. Longing for the mother who had once comforted her when she was sick, who had laid with her in bed when she couldn’t sleep, Juliette wrapped an arm around Mama’s shoulders and tried to soothe her.

Suddenly, the answer became clear to her. There was no ‘we’ in any of this. Mama was in no fit state to do anything.

What am I going to do?